Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Ko Chang
POP 7033
With steep, jungle-covered peaks, picturesque Ko Chang (Elephant Island) retains its re-
mote and rugged spirit despite its current status as a package-tour resort akin to Phuket.
The island's swathes of sand are girl-next-door pretty but not beauty-queen gorgeous.
What it lacks in sand, it makes up for in an unlikely combination: accessible wilderness
with a thriving party scene. Convenient forays into a verdant jungle or underwater coral
gardens can be enthusiastically toasted at one of Lonely Beach's many beer and bucket
parties.
A little more than a decade ago, Ko Chang didn't have 24-hour electricity, was still
considered malarial, had few paved roads and only a handful of motorised vehicles.
Today, it is still a slog to get here, but there is a constant migration of visitors: Russian
package tourists, Cambodia-bound backpackers and beach-hopping couples funnelling
through to more remote islands in the Mu Ko Chang National Marine Park. Along the
populous west coast are virtual mini-cities with a standard of living that has noticeably
outpaced the island's infrastructure, a common problem on many Thai islands. Ko Chang
struggles to provide decent sanitation and alternative means of transport to an ever-ex-
panding nonresident population.
