Very few people stay in the Klong Son
area. There is a beach, now privately owned by a luxury housing
developer. Use the controls to zoom in
and click on the icons for more info about specific places, the elephant
camp is the one furthest inland.
Nice beach . . .but you can't stay there. This beach at the northwestern tip of Koh Chang was
always largely unvisited, possibly because it went by a multitude
of names. The Tourist Authority map gives the name as Klong Son Bay,
the locally printed guidebook doesn't give it a name on their map, a
roadside sign gives the name as 'Chang Noi Beach', and in a magazine for
Thai travellers it goes by the names 'Son Bay' or 'Premwadee Beach'. (Premwadee
was also the name of the aging, rundown resort at the northern end of the bay.)
However, now we'll call it Chang Noi Beach as the
entire length is now owned by a property developer, Siam Royal View,
and this is what they call it. It's their beach, they can call it whatever
they want to. Lining this beach will be beachfront villas
and condominiums.
It will be huge development including the world's largest filtered
saltwater lagoon, a huge marina - in the river estuary at the rear of the
beach. A sea wall is also being built along the length of the beach to
prevent erosion, a common problem on the west coast beaches. So
this isn't what I'd call a place to get away from
it all, but on the plus side it's unlikely that your neighbours will be
drinking Mekhong whisky and singing karaoke songs until the early hours.
With prices for land and a house from anything from 6 to 40 million baht mark
there's something to suit the budgets of most people looking for an island
home in a Swiss managed development where the locals are kept at a distance.
Whilst I'm personally not a fan of large housing
developments, I can see the attraction - it's safe, has great views and the
developers take care of all the worries associated with having a house built
abroad. The addition of a marina is a big plus as there are very few
places where you can moor a boat on the island.
The bay is very shallow, at very low tide you have to
walk a few hundred metres to get deep enough to swim. But it's a great bay for canoeing and the long beach is
very sheltered and safe for kids to play on.
Elsewhere in Klong Son there isnt a great deal to keep
you. The very southern end of bay is home to the Aiyapura
resort, this is the hotel to head for if you've won the pools or
simply want to impress your better half by splashing out between 8 - 26,000
Baht/night. They built a small manmade beach outside the hotel to ensure
that well heeled guests weren't found waist deep in silt from the mouth of
the river following
attempts to enjoy a romantic evening stroll along the shore. On the plus
side the Spa is rated as one of the best on the island.
The southern end of the beach is also home to a small
fishing community of Klong Son, there are no seafood restaurants or souvenir shops on the small pier - something that is bound to change
eventually. But for now you can still see the locals in their boats
doing what they have done for generations.
Klong Son village itself is home to quite a few
locals. There are a few shops at the only junction in the village, a
school, a temple, some nice small teak wood bungalows for long-term rent, a
builder's merchant, not one but two cement works and a couple of places selling plants. And that's the
highlights, which may also explain why Klong Son never really made it onto
the tourist map. Probably the only hamlet on the west coast without a
tailor's shop or a souvenir shop of any kind - unless you're looking for a
kilo of assorted vegetables, 13000 BTU AC unit or a 4 metre long length of
1.5" redwood as a souvenir of your stay.
The real highlight is the inland valley, that lies in
the centre of the photo above. Head inland
by taking the turn near the 7-eleven minimart, this will bring you to Jungle Way bungalows and Baan Kwan Chang elephant
camp. Jungle Way is an alternative for travellers who want an old
fashioned Lonely Beach vibe in the heart of the jungle. Baan Kwan
Chang is the only elephant camp worth going to on Koh Chang. Friendly,
non-pushy staff, quiet location in the valley surrounded by jungle and fruit
farms it's a great place to head to to just feed the elephants and pet them
or to take an elephant trek. The road up here makes for
an interesting motorbike ride, most of the length is now paved, but
the final kilometre can get muddy in the rainy season. Head up here
between May -
September and you'll find the roadside lined with all manner of fruits
hanging from the trees - Pomelo. Durian, Rambutan, Longan, Mangosteen, Jack
Fruit etc etc.
Back by the main road, Riverside Resort and the more
luxurious Koh Chang Grand Orchid provide roadside accommodation well away
from the sea for people who put price before location in their choice of
holiday accommodation. The Grand Orchid is a really beautiful designed place with Lanna
(northern Thai) style architecture, but nowhere near the beach and the only
view is one of the nearby cement works. What was the owner thinking
when she ploughed over a hundred million baht into the place? Probably the same as
she was thinking when she decided that low season room rates should start at
3,000 baht/night. Make it exclusive, that'll bring in the visitors!
But it didn't. The Riverside has comfortable AC rooms for around 750
baht in high season, no need to book in advance.
You'll find more info
on booking Klong Son Hotels
in the Accommodation section of this site
