Sports
Snorkelling - buy your own kit/ borrow from your hostel, and head out into the sea or start island hopping! Koh Chang boasts some of the best visible bioluminescent plankton in Thailand, so make sure to grab your GoPro and some buddies and snorkel in the dark.
Kayaking - a great alternative to using a motorboat for island hopping, kayaking provides legitimate exercise to the twitchy ones and much more flexibility for how long you spend out and about. Kayaks can be rented all over the island and prices are based on 100 baht per kayak per hour, with discounts for half day and whole day rents. Best way to do this is to grab 2 friends and share a 3 seat kayak so the cost is even lower, and you can spread the legwork!
Diving - Koh Chang is renowned for being one of the best places in South East Asia to go diving, with a couple of shipwrecks to explore at different depths to handily cater for all abilities.
Trekking - whilst the National Park is very happy to charge 200 baht for the last 500m of a walk up to the Klong Plu waterfall, they do not seem very motivated to put up any signposts or trails for us to explore the glorious jungles of Koh Chang. Unfortunately it is very easy to get lost and struggle in the thick terrain so it's ill advised to just go Rambo, however, the locals are often very happy to guide you through on a personal hike. Ask your hostel for recommendations as they often have the details of the most experienced guides, many of whom are just teenagers!
Cycling - several renting shops available along the road. Be careful, some of the hills are incredibly steep and the hairpin bends are tighter than Olympic Speedos! A great way to get between beaches if you're not on a motor, and a very satisfying way to explore.
Swimming - it's the sea! There are very few fishies near the beaches, and those that are there are tiny and have no interest in you. People selling lilos walk the beaches occasionally throughout the day and, in the wise words of Smash Mouth, the water's pretty warm so you might as well swim! Seriously though, it's like a bath. Small risk of box jellyfish if you go super far out, but that's pretty rare.
Relaxation
Beach massages - start at 300 baht and right on the beach, glorious.
Beach yoga - classes start at 300 for 90 minutes, with discounts for more classes
Quiet beaches with swings and hammocks for reading and chilling
Waterfalls
Entertainment (non-sport)
Nightly fire shows - if you're sitting on the beach for a little while then you will definitely get 2 or 3 locals performing a fire show for you. It's an amazing show and not to be missed! Afterwards they'll come around with a tips jar and anything from 10 baht per person and up is appreciated.
Lonely beach parties - world famous and rightly so! The infamous buckets will make sure you have a rough time the morning after, but at the time the beach itself is vibrating with the music from 3 main bars the stretch. This is backpacker party heaven but I'd recommend visiting rather than living there, as all night parties every night of the week might get a bit wearing on even the most hyper of souls. Note: the Thai military sometimes crack down on parties and shut them down at 12-1am for a week or so at a time to demonstrate a hard stance on drugs.
Rent a motorbike - a great way to see the whole island and get between beaches rather than taking taxis, but probably best if you've already ridden before! Bikes can be rented from 250 baht (£5) per day with a deposit. See warning below...
Elephant feeding and trekking - this is very much a personal preference number here. When I walked past the elephant areas I felt sad because the ellybellies were chained by one ankle to a post, had limited shade, and did not seem to be enjoying themselves. I'm no animal behaviouralist but to me it didn't seem like a positive trade for the guys - I very much believe in animals working their brains and exercising in ways they like to and are able to! This is your call as a lot of people at my hostel said they enjoyed feeding them and riding them, but for me I'd rather see them roaming around and hauling (and likely destroying, given elephants) some logs together.
Island hopping - a great way to spend a day! Explore the Koh Chang archipelago with ease by booking a tour through your hostel and experiencing the different types of island on offer. Remember your sun cream though as even the most UV resistant will lobster without it!
Fishing - an amazing experience for anyone who likes an adventure! Arguably even better if its your first time, as the Thai fishermen explain how to fish for different animals, the depths and techniques you'll be using, and the differences between the various fishies nibbling at your bait. If you want easy fishing it's recommended to go in the daytime, whereas those searching for the larger fish (and no risk of sunburn) should opt for the nighttime trips. 1,300 baht for a 6 hour trip, free dinner, and transport - read about my adventure here!
Cooking schools - I loved my cooking course in Bangkok (find out more here!) and can't recommend learning a new skill enough! Koh Chang offers courses of 4 hours and 6 dishes for 1,200 baht.
Herbal learning centre - tempted to let your inner hippy run wild in the jungle? Learn about Thai herbs and their traditional uses as well as surrounding folklore with this experience.
Beaches
Lots of them but here are the main pointers for the most popular West Coast:
White Sand Beach - classic post card beach, very well established and developed with families and luxury tourists in mind
Chai Chet - small and comparatively less developed, great for quiet times
Klong Prao - very chilled and relatively undeveloped, great to access other areas but to sleep away from them. Great to have quality amenities but without the hoards of people.
Lonely Beach - hippy central! Parties 24/7, one for going wild rather than chilling out
Bang Bao - a popularised fisherman village, excellent for chatting to locals and very isolated beaches - the perfect place if you're trying to fall off the face of the earth for a week
Connectivity
The vast majority, if not all, of Koh Chang's bars, hostels, restaurants, and massage places offer free wifi, and it's good quality for Skype, photo uploading, and all sorts of surfing.
Food
Lots of restaurants, bars, and coffee shops dotted along the beaches to fit your every culinary desire and budget. Standard Thai dishes are 50-70 baht, with fancier things and western food reaching up towards 300. I'd say stick to the Thai - simple, best, cheapest, and fastest!
If you're truly on a shoestring then head to 7eleven, Tesco Lotus, and the local fruit and veg stalls along the side of the road to pick up ingredients for a home cooked dinner. Noodles and the components for tuna salad will set you back a grand total of 30 baht and will have you running around no problem!
Drinks
Beer: large Chang will cost around 90 baht
Wine: standard glass is around 150 baht
Cocktails: usually 150+ baht
Coffee: around 50-80 baht
If you are a spirits fan give the local Hong Thong a go - Thai rum which was recommended by a pal at the hostel as one to "taste the first and lose the second". Best bought from local stores in the town for 100-150 per bottle (!?).
Driving - Warning
The roads on Ko Chang are dangerous! Taxi drivers overtake 3 abreast on corners which is great fun for me as a bit of a speed lover (except when it's my number plate getting ticked), but every day there are accidents all over the island. If you do rent a motorbike then definitely get a helmet without question, and be sensible. Ko Chang is hilly with some very steep roads, so when it gets wet the taxis are often stalling and sliding back down the hills so take care!!
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