Koh Chang is one of the largest islands in Thailand, located in the Gulf of Thailand, near the Cambodian border. The island is known for its laid-back atmosphere, beautiful beaches, lush jungle with lots of water activities and hiking options.
In this article, I will cover the top 19 things to do and see in Koh Chang. These are the best beaches, viewpoints, hiking routes, waterfalls, mangrove forests, temples, and fishing villages.
Most beaches and resorts are located on the west coast of Koh Chang, the east coast is Agricultural land with rubber, coconut plantations, mangrove forests, and fruit farms. Popular beaches from north to south on the west coast are White Sand, Klong Prao, Kai Bae, Lonely Beach, and Klong Kloi Beach.
Koh Chang is Thailand’s most mountainous island with steep hills and rugged peaks in the Central and southern areas. This makes it a great destination for trekking, visiting waterfalls, and viewpoints. Khao Salak Phet is the highest peak of the island, around 743 m above sea levels.
Koh Chang is around a 5-6 hours drive from Bangkok to Ao Thammachat Pier and another 30 minutes on the ferry to Koh Chang. You can also consider taking a flight from Bangkok to Trat airport for around 1 hour, then a 20 minutes pickup truck taxi to the pier, and finally a 30 minutes ferry ride to Koh Chang.
Once you are on the island, you can get around by songthaews and taxi. You can consider renting a scooter if you are a confident driver. The road at the get steep and twisty along the way between Kai Bae and Bang Bao as well as between Ao Sapparot Pier and White Sand Beach.
You can check the detail of my itinerary in Koh Chang and How I get around the island in these articles:
I took guided tours to explore the island. One day trip around the island sightseeing tour, and one day trip for trekking. There are also many other boat tours, and island hopping tours that can easily be done by an organised tour.
Here are the best things to do and see in Koh Chang:
22 Best Things to Do and See in Koh Chang
Beaches
Koh Chang has beautiful and white sandy beaches. Most beaches are located on the west coast of the island. Popular beaches are White Sand, Klong Prao, Kai Bae, Lonely Beach, and Bang Bao Beach. The beaches are ideal places for swimming, sunbathing, and relaxing.
#1. White Sand Beach
White Sand Beach is the most developed beach on the island, located just 15 minutes drive from the island’s main pier, Ao Sapparot Pier. The beach has nice sand and clean water, which is great for swimming and relaxing. It is a bit rocky in the area south of the beach.
The main road running parallel with White Sand Beach is lined with resorts, restaurants, bars, cages, convenient stores, travel agencies, and souvenir shops. As it is blocked by private properties along the road, there isn’t much public access to the beach. You can find a public path near the 7-11 store.
There are a range of restaurants and bars along the beachfront area. It is more lively from late afternoon to evening when tables and chairs set out on the sand. You can have a romantic dinner at sunset and watch a fire show in the evening on the beach.
#2. Klong Prao Beach
Klong Prao Beach is a 3km long beach located on the central west coast of Koh Chang. It is around 10 minutes drive south of White Sand Beach. The beach is quieter than White Sand Beach and is a great place for relaxing. It is divided into two sections by the stream of Khlong Phlu Waterfall.
The northern section of the beach is from Chai Chet Resort to Klong Prao resort and is home to numerous 3-4 star resorts such as Coconut, Koh Chang paradise, and Flora I Talay Resort.
The Main road running parallel with this section does not have much tourist facilities. You need to walk toward north from the area around Coconut Resort for more access to restaurants, bars, and convenient stores.
There are lots of seafood restaurants at the estuary. The south of Klong Prao is home to big brand resorts such as Santhiya Tree, Centara, and the Dewa. You find a temple as well as lots of returns, cages, and convenient stores on the main road near Centara Resort.
#3. Kai Bae Beach
Kai Bae Beach is a popular beach located 12 km south of White Sand Beach. The road behind Kai Bae Beach is packed with tourist amenities such as restaurants and shops. The beach is a great place for relaxing, kayaking, and swimming.
Some resorts in the southern section of Kai Bae after Kai Bae Viewpoint are quite steep to get down. The beach has nice views of several islands including Ko Man Nai.
#4. Lonely Beach
Lonely Beach is a popular beach on the west coast of Koh Chang, just south of Kai Bae Beach. This beach is popular with backpackers, and home to many tourist facilities such as restaurants, and bars on the beach and the main road.
#5. Klong Kloi Beach (Bang Bao)
This beach is located at the southern coast of Koh Chang. It is a quiet beach with calm water. There are several resorts, restaurants, and bars in this area. It is also close to Bang Bao fishing village and the pier where you can take a boat to Koh Mak and Koh Kood.
Viewpoints
#7. White Sand Beach Viewpoint
This is a small area right on the main road from Koh Chang Pier to White Sand Beach. It has stunning views of White Sand Beach and the village. You can stop here for a few minutes to take photos and enjoy the views. You can visit this place on a scooter. I visited it as a part of a one-day sightseeing trip around the island.
#8. Kai Bae Beach Viewpoint
Kai Bae Viewpoint is located on the hill at the southern part of Kai Bae Beach. It has stunning views of the sea and the several small islands such as Koh Man Nai, Koh Man Nok, Koh Pli, and Koh Yuak.
The viewing platform is big, you can walk around for 30 minutes. It is best to visit at sunset. Admission is free and there is plenty of parking.
#9. Salak Phet Viewpoint
Baan Salak Petch Pier is a nice area at the southeastern coast of Koh Chang. It has stunning views of the mangrove forest, fishing boats, and traditional fishing villages. You can climb up the light house for more views of the ocean.
I visited this viewpoint as part of the sightseeing tour around the island. If you rent a scooter, you can have a quick look at this pier when visiting the nearby Wat Salak Phet and the Mangrove Walkway.
Temples
#10. Chao Por Koh Chang Shrine
Chao Por Koh Chang Shrine is a small colorful Chinese temple located midway between Koh Chang Pier and White Sand Beach. The temple is a peaceful place to explore and if you are lucky you can see people burning the firecrackers.
To reach the temple, you need to walk up on the dragon staircase for a couple of minutes. The temple is small, you can stop for 20-30 minutes. It also has a nice view of the sea. Admission is free and there are toilets onsite.
#11. Wat Salak Phet
This is a small temple located at the southeast part of Koh Chang. It is a popular stop when you visit the nearby Mangrove Walkway and the lighthouse. It probably takes around 20 minutes to walk around the temple. There is a nice lady selling souvenirs and offering cheap Sarong to cover up my shoulder.
#12. Trekking at Mount Salakphet
If you love trekking, you can join the group tours to explore mountainous areas of Koh Chang. I recommend taking the full day trekking at Mount Salakphet to the highest peak on the island. I booked the full day trekking tour which includes transportation, lunch, and a national park fee for 1.500 THB.
The hike is moderate to challenging especially at the top area of the mountain. Be sure that you are fit and experienced to do this trek. Otherwise, you can choose many other easier trekking options.
I recommend trekking with a local guide because the trail is not very well marked, and the terrain is steep and rugged. You can easily book a tour at local travel agencies or ask for your accommodation.
#13. Island Hopping, Snorkeling & Diving
There are lots of island hopping tours and boat tours in Koh Chang taking you to the nearby islands for swimming and snorkeling. You can see these tours in many brochures at local agencies and at your accommodation.
Koh Rang National Marine Park is the top snorkeling destination from Koh Chang. You can see colorful coral reefs and tons of fish. For diving, you can take the course with BB Divers. Popular diving spots in Koh Chang are HTMS Chang Wreck, Hin Raab, Blueberry Hill, and Three Finger Reef.
You can take the one trip 4 island tour to visit Koh Yak Lek, Koh Yak Yai, Koh Rang, and Koh Map Ring. There are also half day trips to 3 island tours taking you to Koh Wai, Koh Klum, and Koh Laoya.
Waterfalls
#14. Khlong Phlu Waterfall
Khlong Phlu Waterfall is one of the most visited waterfalls in Koh Chang. It is located on the central area of the island, close to Klong Prao Beach. The entrance fee is 200 baht. There are toilets, restaurants, and souvenirs shops at the parking area and on the road to the waterfall.
It took me 15 minutes to walk from the ticket booth through the rainforest to the main waterfall. You can swim or have free fish massages at the Waterfall. There are many big flat rock areas where you can sit and relax.
The lifeguards are there to take care of the safety and prevent people jumping from the cliffs. I visited Khlong Phlu Waterfall in mid December and there was still lots of water at the pools and the stream.
#15. Klong Nonsi Waterfall
Klong Nonsi Waterfall is a nice waterfall on the eastern part of Koh Chang. It is worth taking a look if you rent a scooter and explore the island’s east coast.
Klong Nonsi is a set of around 4 small waterfalls cascading down to the parking area. You can climb to the top of the waterfalls for 10-15 minutes. You can swim, relax, and have fish massages at the waterfalls.
The best thing about this waterfall is that it is free to visit. If you have a rental scooter and like a nice, quiet, free of charge waterfall, you must check this one.
#16. Than Mayom Waterfall
Than Mayom Waterfall is a beautiful waterfall located on the east coast of the island, south of Klong Nonsi. You can combine a visit to these two waterfalls when exploring the east coast.
The entrance fee is 200 baht for foreigners, which is, in my opinion, quite expensive. If you have already visited Khlong Phlu Waterfall, you can skip this one.
#17. Kai Bae Waterfall
This waterfall is located close to Kai Bae Beach. You can reach here by scooter. The entrance fee is 50 baht. It has a nice forest-like trail to hike to reach the base of the waterfall. It is around 20-30 minutes. There is rope along the way to support your walk.
Be mindful that if you visit during the dry season, there might be no water and nothing interesting to see. It is worth checking out if you have a scooter, otherwise skip it. Songthaews and taxi are expensive in Koh Chang.
Other attractions and activities
#18. Salak Phet Mangrove Forest
This is a must-see attraction in the south eastern part of Koh Chang. You can take a peaceful walk on the 0.5km long red wooden bridge in the middle of the mangrove forest.
I saw several mangrove forests in Thailand including the ones in Krabi Town and PranBuri Forest Park near Hua Hin. But Salak Phet Mangrove Forest still gave me a good experience.
I visited Salak Phet Mangrove Forest as a part of the sightseeing day tour, but you can easily reach the park with a scooter. Nearby, you can take a look at Wat Salak Phet, and the lighthouse viewpoint.
#19. Bang Bao Fishing Village
Bang Bao Fishing Village is a lively village located at the southwest coast of Koh Chang. You’ll likely pass through the village if you take boat tours to Koh Kood or Koh Mak.
On the 400m street, you will see lots of stilt houses, souvenir shops, cafes, and seafood restaurants. BB Divers PADI dive center is located here, which is convenient to book a snorkel and dive trip.
#20. The Galaxy Ghost Ship
This is a tourist attraction located close to Bang Bao Fishing Village. You will see a huge ship that was used at a famous resort a long time ago. I visited it in mid-December 2024 and was still able to see the ship, even though it had been damaged by fire earlier that month.
As of April 2025, the Galaxy Ghost Ship was demolished and no longer there. On the same ground, you can enjoy the secluded beach and see the abandoned resort.
#21. Elephant Sanctuary
Koh Chang has several elephant camps where you can interact with elephants. But, it’s important to choose ethical sanctuaries that prioritize the well-being of the animals. You can have a look at Ban Kwan Chang, Klong Plu Ban Chang, and Baan Chang Thai Elephant camp.
I didn’t visit any Elephant Sanctuary in Koh Chang. I had a very good experience visiting an ethical elephant sanctuary in Chiang Mai. I fed, bathed, and took photos with them.
On the sightseeing day trip around the island, the driver stopped at a Elephant area on the main road near Khlong Phlu Waterfall. Some people got off the van, bought food to feed elephants and took photos with them. A few others chose to skip this one and stayed in the car.
#22. Koh Chang Night Market
This is a small and cozy night market located on the main road near White Sand Beach. It is a good place to try some Thai street food such as grilled seafood, chicken skewers, pad thais, fried rice, and mangrove sticky rice. It is worth checking out if you stay in White Sand Beach.
These are my suggestions on the 23 top attractions and activities to do in Koh Chang. The island offers lots of beaches, waterfalls, viewpoints, temples, and trekking opportunities. I hope you will have a good time exploring Koh Chang.