WHERE?
KO CHANG
WHEN?
1 MAY 2025
HOW LONG?
21 DAYS
TRIP FORMAT?
FLEXIBLE TRIP
Experience the tropical Thai paradise of Koh Chang, where relaxation and adventure await. Spend your days lounging on pristine beaches, savoring delicious Thai cuisine, and indulging in regular massages. Explore the island on scooters, discovering hidden gems and even trying your hand at Muay Thai. Most of the time, simply enjoy a drink at sunset from the comfort of a hammock, soaking in the serene island vibes. This trip promises a perfect blend of relaxation, culinary delights, and island exploration.
WHAT TO EXPECT?
#ISLAND
#BEACH
#FOOD
#MASSAGES
#MUAYTHAI
HOW FLEXIBLE TRIPS WORK?
SAFAROTO flexible trips provide you with the benefits of choice and the freedom of solo travel enabling you to set your own trip schedule and make decisions based on your budget. You also get the benefits of being part of a group of like minded people who you can join on a regular basis for meals and activities – which are coordinated by an experienced traveler who is familiar with that destination based on the input and the preferences of the group.
Stay as long or as little
as your would like
Reserve your own
transportation & accommodations
Opt in or opt out of any
group activity or meal
Each person is responsible
for their own expenses.
HOW MUCH DO I NEED TO BUDGET FOR THIS TRIP?
Swipe left and right to view the STANDARD or the ECONOMICAL budget option:
CONFIRMED TRIP ATTENDEES:
Oto 🇺🇸🇲🇦
Diana 🇧🇷
AJ 🇦🇺🇸🇾
TIPS & ADVICE TO HELP YOU PLAN THIS TRIP:
Here are some important facts and details to help you prepare for this trip:
- 📍The town: Biggest island in Eastern Thailand, 5k population, 30km x 14km, ~1h drive N-S, population < 10k people
- 🕑 Timezone: UTC+7h | When it is 6pm in Ko Chang, it is 10pm in Sydney, 11am in London and 6am in NYC
- 🗣️ Language: the primary language is Thai but many speak at least some basic English on the island.
- ☀️ climate/weather: 25-33c in May with the beginning of the rainy season so expect 351 mm (13.82 inches) with 66% change of rain on any given day. Warm water temperatures at 30.3°C (86.5°F)
- 🌅 sunset/sunrise: Sunrise is ~5:45am and sunset ~6:25pm
- ⛰ Landscape: mountainous island, long white sandy beaches
- 💱 Currency: 1 USD = 35bht (Baht)
- 🔌: Electrical outlet: Type-C (Euro-type) is most common
- 💰 Tipping culture: not mandatory but appreciated in casual eateries. In higher end restaurants, a 10% service charge is often included.
- 📱 local sim card: easy and affordable to obtain at an airport kiosk or at convenience stores with a passport. Expect to pay ~$1/GB of data
- ⛑️ Safety: Thailand overall and Ko Chang is considered to be very safe for foreigners. Just be aware of common scams
- 👘 Culture: During May, the 1st is labor day, the 4th is coronation day so some businesses especially government offices may be closed.
- 🚰 drinking water: not considered safe to drink.
Citizens of many countries, including the U.S., Canada, most European nations and Australia, can enter Thailand without a visa for tourism purposes for stays of up to 30 days.
- 5h/310km bus for 300-600bht or $10-$15/p
- Bangkok – Trat on 5/1 $77 (11:40am | 1h)
- Trat-Bangkok on W 5/21 $44 (1:10pm | 1h)
To get to the island of Ko Chang, one has to fly to Bangkok first. Bangkok has 2 main airports that are well connected with flights to other Asian countries for $50-$200, Australia for $100-$200, Europe for $250-$400 and North America for $400-$450/way.
From Bangkok, you have 2 options:
- Fly to the Trat Airport (1h flight| flight in: 11:40am | flight out: 1:10pm) for $40-$80 each way.
- Take a 5h/310km bus for $10-$15 each way
Once you land in Trat, you can catch a minibus to the ferry terminal then a ferry for a cost of ~$15. If catching the bus from Bangkok, the bus generally takes you to the ferry terminal.
The most common mode of transportation is to catch a shared taxi pickup (songtaew) for a cost of $1-$4 for most routes (50-200bt).
It is also very common on the island to rent a scooter for a cost of ~$5/d – here are some recommended options for that:
-
- TJ Moto rentals: +66958293917
- Bk Scooter rentals: +66890081307
We plan to spend the majority of the time in Ko Chang but will hop over for 7 days to the island of Koh Mak at the Miss You Beach Resort Koh Mak ($192/week) from the 8-15th of May before returning to Ko Chang. Koh Mak is a smaller and more compact island and a nice change for a bit. The ferry costs ~$15 each way.
On a day to day basis, we typically try to get together for an optional activity and group meal each day.
There are a lot of options to choose from but here are our recommendations:
| 📸 | Accommodations | Weekly price | Why? |
|---|---|---|---|
 |
Beach Jungle Hostel | $71/w | Nice dorm bed, Social hostel, modern, near the beach |
 |
Jungle Fever Hostel | $83/w | Pool, social hostel |
 |
Filou Villas | $162/w | 1B apt, pool, desk area, modern, kitchen, patio w chairs, |
 |
Beach Jungle | $174/w | Modern, desk, mini-couch, |
 |
Ban_na Homestay | $179/w | No road, basic room but in front of the water, 300m beach walk, sunset view from room |
 |
Bungalow near Lonely beach | $158/w | Modern, desk and office chair, nice balcony, mini-fridge |
 |
T.P. Hut Bungalow Resort | $179/w | Bungalows, jungle feel |
 |
Fine Times Resort | $205/w |
Ko Chang has a lot of food options to chose from including local thai food as well as international cusines for all budgets from cheap stalls at night markets to upscale restaurants.
Here are some recommendations:
| 📸 | Restaurant | Meal Cost | Cuisine | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
Restaurant Eat Here | $5/p | Thai | |
 |
15 Palms Beach Restaurant | $10/p | International | Ocean front |
 |
J&K Restaurant | $5/p | Thai | |
 |
Morgan Restaurant | $8/p | International | |
 |
Fin Koh Chang | $8/p | International | |
 |
Good Luck Seafood Restaurant | $5/p | Seafood | |
 |
Enjoy Life Restaurant | $6/p | Thai | |
 |
Khao Kwan Restaurant | $10/p | Thai | Higher end |
 |
Indian Chef Restaurant | $10/p | Indian |
There is a lot to do on the island, here are some recommendations:
| 📸 | Activity | Cost | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
 |
Beaches |
Free | |
 |
Waterfalls | Free | |
 |
Temples | Free | |
 |
Go diving |
$95/2 dives |
|
 |
Do a boat tour |
$5/p |
|
 |
Trekking |
$15/p |
|
 |
Take a cooking class |
$44/p | |
 |
Kayaking/ Standup Paddleboarding (SUP) |
$15/p |
|
 |
Take a Muay Thai class |
$15/class |
|
 |
Go to the gym |
$6+/p |
|
 |
Go to other islands |
Varies |
|
The nightlife in Ko Chang is more relaxed and laid back than other Thai islands with a mix of options ranging from backpacker bars to upscale lounges.
The island has descent internet speeds ranging from 10-30MBps download speeds and 5-15MBps upload speeds.
There are many good places to work from including coffee shops (ex: Fig Café) and coworking spaces for $5/d (ex: Union Space)