Bailan Bay is the least developed area on the west
coast of Koh Chang, which is why we liked it so much when we first visited
back in 2003. The lack of white powdery stuff on the beach then meant
that there hadn't been the usual mad dash to buy up land and build resorts.
Things are changing and there are a growing number of small resorts in the
area. Still mainly backpacker but the 5 star Dusit Princess opened in
late 2007.
Use the controls to zoom in and click
on the icons for more info about specific places, as far as shops go - there
are very few in the small hamlet.
Bailan Beach - now with added sand!
The resorts that did exist
until recently were low key affairs, intended for travellers who
valued a bit of peace and quiet and who had grown out of the urge to party
till the early hours every night. This in turn meant that the road
through Bailan hadn't seen any real development and therefore the quiet hamlet still
retained a laid back local vibe far removed from that of Lonely
Beach, a 20 minute walk to the north.
All that is
rapidly changing though. The Mangrove is a kind of designer hut resort
with very simple huts, but nicely designed on a hillside leading down to
open kitchen / restaurant area and small beach. In only a few years half a dozen new backpacker
bungalow resorts have sprung up along the shore and by the roadside, most comprising of easily constructed, identikit wooden huts. On the beach, Bailan Hut, is a
good 300 Baht/night bet and roadside the new Orchid and Bailan Family Bungalows
both have bungalows but with a few home conveniences such as hot water and
satellite TV for a fee hundred baht/night. A couple of locals have also
now turned
their houses into small homestays and discovered that visiting backpackers
would prefer cornflakes for breakfast rather than rice and Thai curry.
A revelation made all the more pleasing by the fact that the profit margins
on cornflakes, sandwiches and English tea are far higher than those on a
plate of 'Pad kapow moo sap' and a 10 baht bottle of Coke.
A nice mid-range resort, 'The Whitehouse' was
completed and failed to attract guests in any real numbers which is
unfortunate as the bungalow accommodation is very reasonable priced in high
season. The infinity pool makes a nice place to relax and there is a
small stretch of sand nearby. Since late 2006, it's been under new
management and it's worth considering if you want a good quality bungalow in
a quieter location. Skip the cheaper hotel rooms at the back though.
Nearby, the new Dusit Princess Koh Chang Resort opened
in late 2007. This is managed by the well-known Dusit Thani hotel group and rivals the
Amari Emerald Cove as Koh Chang's best hotel. Now this has been
completed it
will change the face of the area, shop units will undoubtedly spring up catering to
package tour guests and the sleepy face of this hamlet will be lost forever.
The resort itself isn't what you'd call attractive, it's concrete and more
concrete with not a lot of open space. But guests can expect five star
service, contemporary room design and a good beach. As if by magic, thousands of tons of sand have magically appeared in front
of the hotel and what was once stones and rock pools is now a white sand
beach for the wealthy.
The bay itself is very beautiful, a kilometre wide crescent of shallow
water. At low tide you can see locals and workers
from the building sites wading out to collect shellfish and
crabs.
The shore is still lined by mangrove in places, although some bungalow owners have
decided that their properties are more attractive to visitors if it's cut
down. Back in 2003, we met the guy who was supervising the early
construction of the new Dusit resort. He used to get up early in the rainy season
to watch the dolphins that could often be seen off the southern tip of the bay. Although as more people head to this area,
sightings are bound to be rarer or non existent.
Anyone looking for a place to stay long term, planning to dive or work at
a dive school should consider Bailan as a place to base themselves.
The simple reasons are that it offers a cheap, quiet place to stay whilst
being only 5 minutes motorbike ride from the nightlife on Lonely Beach to
the north and 5 mins ride to the dive centres in Bangbao to the south.
Despite the current development it's still far less tacky and loud than
Lonely Beach, making it a good spot to do nothing except enjoy a herbal
sauna and read a book.
You'll find more info
on booking Bailan Bay Hotels
in the Accommodation section of this site
