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 Part
of the charm of Koh Chang is the relaxed atmosphere and Tratitional
lifestyle which still carries on. Guests can enjoy a feeling of
how the local people live and the area's scenic natural beauty.
The following excursions can be arranged:
Full Day Tours
A Drive Around the Island
A ll
island tours, stop at a Chinese style temple, Chao Po Koh Chang
or the Godfather of Koh Chang in the north of the island which has
particular significance for the inhabitants of the island.
The east of the island should also be visited, it has dramatic
rocky beaches rather than the white sands of its western counterparts.
Here, there is little development and life continues on the island
much as it has for decades, with people living from fishing and
small scale farming. Fruit bushes laiden with rambattans, for which
the province is famous, bloom at the roadside in season. In the
far south, a fishing village, Salak Phet, is nestled in the mangrove
with boats lined up waiting to go out to sea and others awaiting
repair. Everywhere there is the rhythmic sound of hammering, as
essential work is carried out on the boats. Aboard small crafts,
women deftly repair the nets, whilst the men store the fish traps
on the jettys for use the next day.
A short distance away as the crow flies is Bang Bao, a photogenic
fishing village built on stilts and extending out over the water.
However, since the roads on the east and west coasts don't yet join,
it is not possible to drive completely round the island and you
have to reach the village from the western road enjoying the roller
coaster of a drive with dramatic views down the shear drop at the
side of the road to the beach below.
An island tour could also include a stop at one of the island's
waterfalls, with a chance to have a swim and cool down.
Island Hopping and Snorkeling
The many small islands surrounding Koh Chang provide many opportunities
for a variety of boat trips to different white sand beaches for
picnics and snorkeling. Highlights could include a stop a "Koh
Nok" or "Bird Island" which has wonderful coloured
corals in very shallow waters.
Half Day Tours
Elephant Treks
 A
great way to explore the interior of the island is by the island's
namesake, a "chang" or elephant. Actually, the island
was so named because of its shape, and elephants are not ingenious
and have, infact, only been recently brought to the island. Nevertheless,
it is a pleasant way to spend an hour or two and there is a choice
of two starting points for treks. One takes you through a rubber
plantation and into a pomello orchard where the elephants have a
fabulous time pulling the fruit from the branches, seemingly unconcerned
if the pomellos are ripe or not! The second route is longer and
takes you into an inland valley in the north of the island, where
the elephants can enjoy bathing in the water from the Nag Yom waterfall.
Lunch or Dinner at A Fisherman's Village
Bang Bao is the best place on the island to enjoy seafood, with
a great selection in the restaurants, which has been freshly caught
that day. The restaurants also have large tanks as you walk in,
filled with different types of live crab, king prawns and other
crustacians for you to select. It's a relaxed place to enjoy simple
but delicious cuisine and watch the breeze gently blow through the
homemade shell mobiles, which are hung from the wooden beams of
the restaurants.
Trekking on Foot
Treks of varying lengths and difficulty and be arranged into the
rain forest in the island's tropical interior with a local guide.
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