Koh Chang is one of the best places for a little adventure promoting eco-tourism, as it is richly abundant in nature. A variety of fun activities can be experienced inland, underwater, on an elephant’s back, by bike, or on foot.
To start with, get on a bike and visit local plantations, bearing such fruits as durian, pomelo, coconut, rambutan, jackfruit, rubber trees, and more. You’ll feel close to nature, as some parts of the route are red dirt roads, while the main streets are paved. Visit the fishermen’s villages in Ao Sapparot, Ao Bang Bao and Ao Salakphet, where locals still build their houses on stilts and fishing boats float in lines by the shore.
A popular activity is to explore the jungle by elephant. There are a few different elephant camps on the island, offering diverse programmes and different trails, to suit your preferences, budget and time available.
A voyage to the pristine mangrove at Salak Khok is well worth seeing, both day and night. By night, during cooler months, fireflies flash in the dark and light up the mangrove trees.
If you have enough energy to venture around the island on foot, there are walking trails into the mountains. Koh Chang’s rainforest is teeming with flora and fauna. There are local birds and animals not found anywhere else. Such hikes can be attempted by yourself, but trekking with a local guide for the longer and more adventurous walks is recommended. Shorter hikes to waterfalls are also a favoured pastime, with both tourists and locals, as a dip in the fresh, cool water, after a sweaty hike, is incredibly rewarding!
For total immersion, the waters around Koh Chang and its nearby islands beckon divers and snorkellers year after year! Discovering the underwater world, where vivid coral reefs and colourful fish abound, is a unique and enthralling experience. The Thonburi shipwreck near Koh Lao Ya Noi is an inviting up-close history lesson in itself.
After a day of exertion, ultimate comfort awaits back at the 5-star Amari Emerald Cove Resort, where guests can relax by the lap pool or in the Jacuzzi pool, be pampered body, mind and soul at Sivara Spa by well-trained, friendly staff, or sip cocktails at Breezes Bar and savour Thai and international delicacies at a great variety of restaurants, while dreaming about what the next day’s adventures will bring...