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There's
more to do than just lie on the beach and read a book!
OK - not so much more, as if you're
looking for a shopper's paradise, to rent a jetski, to bungee jump, to
paintball, to ride an ATV through the jungle, to visit a museum or ancient
monument or simply head to a go-go bar for a night of debauchery then you're in the wrong place.) Go back to
Google and type in 'Things to do on over developed tourist ghettoes such as Samui, Pattaya and Phuket' and you'll find what you are looking
for.
But on this page you'll find a few ideas for ways
to spend your days other than the old favourites of sitting in a beach bar
nursing a beer, arguing with family members or wandering aimlessly around
tacky souvenir shops in order to kill time.
In brief . . .
Elephant Trekking - Koh Chang is home
to four elephant camps. Two located by the main road in Klong Prao,
one just off the main road on the way to Klong Plu waterfall and one a couple
of kilometres inland in an area populated by local farmers and jungle
dwelling creatures in the north of the island. Prices are the same at all the camps, so why not
visit then one that really is in the jungle rather than those that are
nearest your hotel? More . . .
Jungle Trekking - Surprisingly few
people bother making the effort to head into Koh Chang's interior on a trek.
But if you need some exercise whilst on holiday it's definitely worth doing.
There are treks available to suit everyone from families with young children
to people wanting to camp overnight in the jungle.
Photos & info from Tan Trekking
Parasailing - In early 2007 Koh Chang's first and only
Parasailing pontoon was stuck out in the bay just off Kai Bae Beach.
Here you can enjoy being towed by speedboat around Kai Bae and Klong Prao
beaches for 10-15 minutes. The 'flight'(?) costs 600 baht. Book
through tour agents island wide or just turn up at Coral Resort, Kai Bae.
Sailing - Salakphet Bay is the yachting centre
of Koh Chang. This is a large, south facing bay in the south east of
the island. It provides safe mooring for yachts and also easy access
to the multitude of islands to the south of Koh Chang. Gulf Charters (
www.gulfchartersthailand.com
) have a small flotilla of yachts moored at 'Island View' pier. This
guesthouse / mooring run by Dieter, a German yachtsman, who has lived and
sailed the waters around Koh Chang for over 15 years and so is an excellent
source of information. Nearby, at Koh Chang Marina, Sunsail started
their Koh Chang operations in October 2007. Visit the
Sunsail website for information of suggested routes, conditions and
prices.
Shopping - I had to include this as I'm sure
you will have folks back home waiting eagerly for their souvenirs.
You'll find regular souvenir shops all along the west coast. Most of
the stuff sold in these types of shops can be found at far cheaper prices in
the weekend market in Bangkok. However, there are a couple of shops on
White Sand beach that have interesting bits and pieces for sale. Visit
Portobello's website (www.portobelloasia.com
) for some tasteful paper lamps, silk handbags and jewelry. At the
entrance to Kacha Resort, Klin Mali, a tiny shop run by a Thai couple who
make their own silver jewelry is also a good place to visit if you want
something unique as a souvenir of your trip. Elsewhere, 'Bangbao
Shop', which is the name of the first shop on the right, after the public
toilet, on Bangbao pier; is worth a look for a good selection of tasteful
t-shirts with Koh Chang related logos and designs which are better than the
ones that you'll see every other shop on the island selling.
Snorkelling Trips - The
scuba diving in this
area of Thailand might be as good as that in the south, but the snorkelling
certainly is. A day out on a boat is definitely recommended.
Choose from trips by speedboat or slow boat. Choose from Thai food lunch to
European buffet. But regardless of how you decide to get to the area
around Koh Rang, main snorkelling location, you'll find all the other
boats there too. More details
Speedboat Charter - Rent a
speedboat and get to snorkel & do some sightseeing away from the crowds.
If you want some flexibility or have a large group of people then this
is the best way to travel on the water. You can do everything from a
half day trip to inshore island, circumnavigate Koh Chang, visit Koh Mak,
even get to Koh Kood. More info
& prices
Thai Cooking Class - Spend a day
learning to prepare your Thai favourites. Learn all you need to know
about ingredients that you probably cant buy at home. Then make and eat
several well known Thai dishes. These classes are a fun introduction
to Thai cuisine and the English speaking Thai teachers ensure that you'll
have a fun day, eat more than you thought possible and also learn a bit
about how to cook Thai style too. Two very good places are in Klong
Prao, Blue Lagoon Cookery Class at Blue Lagoon Bungalows and Ka-Ti Culinary,
on the roadside about 400 metres away. Can't go wrong with either of
them, expect to pay about 1000 - 1200 baht/person including transfers from
your hotel. * Ka-Ti is also one of my favourite restaurants on the island -
very good for an evening meal *
Treetop Adventure Park -
Something for families with teenagers and anyone with fond recollections of
Tarzan. Make your way from one tree to another by an assortment of rope
bridges, tarzan swings, flying skateboards, and giant zip lines. It sounds
dangerous - but the course has been designed, built, and is maintained, by
French experts and there's a mandatory safety briefing before they let you
loose in the trees.
Ultralight Flights - It isn't feasible
to trek to the top of the mountains to get an aerial view of Koh Chang, but
if you want a bird's eye view then a trip in an ultralight plane is a must.
These two-seater planes - it will be you and the pilot - take visitors for
15 minute, 30 minute and hour long flights over the island. Short
flights go for 1700 baht and longer ones for 2900 baht. If you are
keen you can also take a 20-hour flying course which will get you a
Thai Ultralight license and you'll be able to fly solo. The
island's only airstrip is located in Klong Prao, opposite Baan Chang Thai
elephant camp. They don't do much advertising yet, so just call in and
speak to Khun Nimit, the pilot.
Yoga & Reiki - There isn't
a big yoga scene on Koh Chang and classes tend to be run on an ad-hoc basis
by a couple of qualified teachers. You'll find some hotels offering
classes but if the teacher looks familiar it's probably because they also do
double duty as a Receptionist, rather than being a properly qualified
instructor. But if you take your Yoga seriously or would like to learn
more about Reiki, there are a couple of places where you can take classes
and get an insight into all this mystic, oriental, new-age kind of malarkey.
More information.
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