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Part of the charm of Koh Chang is the relaxed
atmosphere and traditional 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
All 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
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.
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.
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For travellers to Thailand.
