So after reading about the beautiful beaches, the opportunities to go kayaking or snorkeling and the relaxing bungalows you can stay at, you are probably ready to go to Koh Chang. But how do you get around on the island and depending on your budget what is the best way to approach it?
Budget Travelers
If you are a budget traveler, meaning you don’t want to spend a ton of money, you may be on a college student budget and or you are traveling alone you are going to want to approach the island in a very different way than if you were a couple or a family.
Accommodation:
I would recommend finding a hostel on Lonely Beach. In an earlier post I mentioned that this is the party district of the island but it is also the most social. Whether you like to party or not, as a solo traveler you want to look for places that are easy to get around on foot and ones that are filled with other travelers to team up with for expeditions. Lonely Beach is just that. The hostels are around a lot of cheap places to eat, shop and explore All of which you can get to by walking.
Transportation:
Because Lonely Beach has so much to offer many travelers might not even need to worry about transportation and may prefer to just walk everywhere. Most accommodation is literally on the beach so getting to the beach isn’t a problem. If you do want to explore you should rent a scooter. Scooters are 150-200 baht a day ($6) and you can find them everywhere. Just make sure you can ACTUALLY drive them. The roads are curvy and go up and down so they can be a little daunting at times and if something happens to the bike the company will charge you for the damage, no matter how small. You can also take taxis around but they will run around 200 baht every time you want to go ANYWHERE so that can add up fast.
Families and Couples
Accommodation:
If you are traveling on a romantic getaway or even as a family then like in early posts I would recommend staying at Indie Beach Bungalows. You can of course stay at a resort but Indie beach is just as nice as a resort and you get a more authentic and down to earth experience. Gus and the staff will help you with anything you need help with and the Bungalows are close enough to a bigger beach to walk to which also has other restaurants, massage centers and tourist attractions.
Transportation:
Taxi or scooter. This is the same as for a budget traveler. Really the best way to get around on the island is by scooter so if you are going to go for an extended amount of time try to learn how to drive a scooter. It will give you a lot more freedom to explore the island and more!
