12 Best Things to Do in Koh Chang: Planning Guide

Featured image: VascoPlanet Photography, Thailand section, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Koh Chang at a Glance

Koh Chang sits inside Mu Koh Chang National Park, which one 2026 guide counts at 46 surrounding islands. Its west coast is livelier, with the long beaches. Mangroves and quiet roads fill the east. No road joins west and east across the south, so a full loop runs about 90 minutes for roughly 60 km, according to one guide we could not verify. Peak season runs December through February in a 2024 guide, and wet-season days can wash out completely. Check the Thai Meteorological Department forecast before you book boats. Our month-by-month season guide breaks the year down. Most visitors cross from the mainland, and ferry crossings from the mainland are covered separately. We also cover the route from Bangkok and the flight options. For a full comparison, start with all transport options. Our five first-timer picks are White Sand Beach, Khlong Phlu, an island-hopping day, Kai Bae viewpoint and Bang Bao.

12 Best Things to Do in Koh Chang

We grouped these picks roughly from north to south, then east. Each one notes access, cost and who should skip it. One stop is missing on purpose. The Galaxy ghost ship near the former Grand Lagoona Resort caught fire in December 2024 and can no longer be visited. Older guides still list it, and many also describe businesses that have since closed, especially around Lonely Beach.

• 1. White Sand Beach (Hat Sai Khao)
  • Stretching about 2.5 km, this is the island's longest beach, though narrow. Calm, shallow water suits families, and restaurants set tables on the sand at dusk. See our beach-by-beach comparison for the rest.
  • Skip it if you want quiet. It is the busiest stretch, and prices run higher.
• 2. Klong Prao Beach
  • One 2024 guide called this its favorite beach for being quiet, with swings and a handful of beach clubs. It is also the starting point for the Khlong Phlu trail.
  • Skip it if you want a dense row of bars.
• 3. Kai Bae Beach and viewpoint
  • The viewpoint looks over Koh Man Nai, Koh Man Nok, Koh Pli and Koh Yuak, and a small café sits beside it. It works well at sunset, and a postcard mailbox stands nearby.
  • Watch for monkeys here. One guide also reports elephant camps bringing animals onto Kai Bae beach, which we'd avoid supporting.
• 4. Lonely Beach and sunset spots
  • The northern part has about a kilometer of sand against a jungle backdrop, per a 2024 guide. Sunset bars here face the water.
  • Check that a venue is open before you go, because Covid closures hit this area hardest.
• 5. Khlong Phlu waterfall
  • The waterfall lies in Mu Koh Chang National Park above Klong Prao Beach. Expect a walk of about 20 minutes from the parking lot. One 2024 guide reports ฿200 for foreigners and ฿40 for Thai visitors.
  • In rainy season the waterfall pool may be roped off by a lifeguard, so plan for the lower swimming hole instead.
• 6. Kayak to Koh Man Nai
  • Kayaks rent for ฿100 per hour at Kai Bae Beach Grand View, per a September 2026 guide. The paddle to Koh Man Nai takes about 20 minutes. Go early, because other kayakers arrive within minutes.
  • Skip it if you have never paddled open sea, since distances look shorter than they are.
• 7. Island hopping to Koh Wai and Koh Mak
  • Koh Wai is about 30 minutes by boat, and it has just two resorts. A 2024 guide reports public boat fares of ฿300 to ฿500 from Bang Bao Pier, depending on the island.
  • Compare day trips and fares in our island-hopping options. Skip it in storm weather.
• 8. Snorkeling at Koh Yak Lek and Koh Rang
  • Marine-park snorkeling stops carry a ฿200 park fee, collected before departure on one tour. Coral bleaching was reported in June 2024, so ask operators about current conditions.
  • Skip it on rough-sea days, when visibility and safety both drop.
• 9. Diving and the HTMS Chang wreck
  • The HTMS Chang requires Advanced Open Water certification, with a deepest point near 30 m and the deck near 23 m, per a 2024 guide. Confirm the requirement with your operator.
  • Beginners can try a discover scuba session. Open Water certification takes about 3 days, and Bubblemaker programs start at age 8.
• 10. Bang Bao Pier and lighthouse
  • This former fishing village in the south now holds souvenir shops, dive shops and seafood restaurants. The red-and-white lighthouse sits at the pier's far end, but you cannot climb it.
  • Speedboats to Koh Wai leave from here. Skip it in peak months if crowds bother you.
• 11. Salak Phet mangroves, fishing village and temple
  • A wooden boardwalk of about 500 m leads into the mangroves. Entry is free, and scooter parking costs ฿10. Wat Salak Phet nearby asks about ฿20, though nobody always collects it. See temples and fishing villages for more.
  • The boardwalk planks are worn, so watch your footing.
• 12. Night market, food and evenings
  • Food stalls in the northwest start around 5:00 PM and pack up between 10:00 PM and 11:00 PM. Our guide to evening food stalls has details. For sit-down meals, see where to eat.
  • Later nights are quieter than Phuket's. Read about the bar scene first. Muay Thai fans can check Muay Thai options.

Which Things to Do in Koh Chang Fit You

Use this matrix to choose. Cost tiers are relative: free, low or paid. Exact fees sit in the costs section below.

How to Plan Your Time

Group stops by zone: north and pier, White Sand to Klong Prao, Kai Bae to Lonely Beach, Bang Bao in the south, and the east. With a 90-minute loop for roughly 60 km, backtracking eats a day. Rain-proof options are the night market, Wat Salak Phet, cafés and spa time. Waterfall swimming, boat trips and snorkeling visibility depend on the season.

• 1 day
  • Beach at White Sand in the morning, Kai Bae viewpoint at sunset, then the night market.
• 2 days
  • Day one covers White Sand, Klong Prao and Khlong Phlu. Day two is an island-hopping trip with an early pickup, since one tour collected passengers from about 8:00 AM and sailed near 9:00 AM.
• 3 to 4 days
  • Add Kai Bae kayaking, Bang Bao pier, and a day in the east for the Salak Phet boardwalk and temple. Add a dive day if you hold the certification.
• Rainy-day swap list
  • Swap waterfall swimming for the night market, the temple, a café or a spa. Move boat trips to the next dry morning.

Costs, Tickets and Opening Hours

Fees change, so confirm park prices with the Department of National Parks before you go. A 2024 guide reports ฿200 for foreign adults at Khlong Phlu, against ฿40 for Thai visitors. A September 2026 guide lists ฿200 per person for Koh Ngam, a 400 m paddle off the southeast tip. Kayaks run ฿100 per hour at Kai Bae and ฿200 per day at the Koh Ngam launch point. We found no verified scooter-rental rate, so confirm it on arrival.

• Khlong Phlu
  • ฿200 foreign, ฿40 Thai (2024 guide, unverified for 2026).
• Salak Phet
  • Boardwalk free; parking ฿10 scooter, ฿20 car; temple about ฿20.
• Boats and transfers
  • Koh Wai or Koh Mak ฿300 to ฿500 per person; a private all-day songthaew about ฿2,500.
• Night market
  • Roughly 5:00 PM to 10:00–11:00 PM.

Where to Stay and How to Get Around

White Sand Beach suits first-timers who want restaurants and nightlife within walking distance. Klong Prao is calmer and sits below the waterfall trail. Kai Bae and Lonely Beach lean toward budget and backpacker stays, with some closures. Our area-by-area stay guide compares them. Scooters are the flexible option, but roads climb and curve, especially between Lonely Beach and Kai Bae. If you ride rarely, hire a driver instead. For fares and routes, see songthaew and scooter options.

Mistakes to Avoid

A few errors cost travelers the most time and money.

• Crossing the island blind
  • No road links west and east across the south, so check the layout before you plan a day.
• Renting a scooter without experience
  • Slick, steep curves are no place to learn.
• Booking the wreck dive uncertified
  • The HTMS Chang needs Advanced Open Water, with a maximum of about 30 m.
• Trusting pre-2024 guides
  • Closures and the ghost ship fire make older advice unreliable.
• Expecting waterfall swimming in the wet season
  • The Khlong Phlu pool may be closed off.

Is Koh Chang Worth It? And Where Next

We'd say yes for beach, jungle and a calm pace, and no for big-scale nightlife. Read our full worth-it verdict before you commit. For lesser-visited stops, try the quieter corners list. Koh Mak and Koh Kood make natural onward stops, and boats from Bang Bao serve Koh Wai and Koh Mak. Check current schedules before you plan a connection.