Koh Chang's main beaches plus the quiet south
Ordered from the busy main beach in the north down to the fishing village and quiet beaches in the south — pick by what you actually want.
1
If it's your first time on Koh Chang and you want everything on your doorstep, White Sand Beach is the answer. It's the longest, most developed beach on the island — soft sand, a wide stretch of sea, and a beautiful golden light over the water at dusk. Behind the sand runs a strip of restaurants, bars, convenience stores, massage shops and resorts at every price point. Swimming is easy at high tide; the northern end gets a little rocky. The trade-off is the crowds, the heaviest on the island, especially in high season and over long weekends. For a lively beach where you can walk to eat, drink and wander, this is the most convenient base.
2
Klong Prao is one of the longest beaches on Koh Chang, sitting in the centre of the west coast just south of White Sand Beach. Its appeal is the length, the width and the calmer feel — resorts are spread well apart rather than packed in, which suits couples and families who want quiet with food still within reach. The beach is split into stretches by river mouths (khlong), with lagoons and kayaking through the mangroves. Swimming is good at high tide, but it goes shallow at low tide and you walk a long way out, just like the island's other beaches. The trade-off is that the eating and drinking isn't clustered the way it is on White Sand Beach, so you'll drive a little for more choice.
3
Kai Bae is a relaxed beach just south of Klong Prao, and its signature is the cluster of little islands sitting offshore. A touch further south is the Kai Bae viewpoint, which looks down over those islets in the sea — the classic Koh Chang sunset shot that everyone stops to photograph. To be straight with you: the beach itself is fairly rocky and very shallow at low tide, so you walk out a long way to reach deeper water, which makes it better for sitting back and heading up to the viewpoint than for a full day's swim. Room prices around here tend to be friendlier than on White Sand Beach.
4
If you're a backpacker after a laid-back scene, cheap rooms and a bit of nightlife, Lonely Beach (Hat Tha Nam) is that corner of Koh Chang. It's the island's main party beach — beach bars, fire shows, live music, and a line of guesthouses and budget bungalows. The mood is fun and friendly, a good fit for younger travellers and tight budgets. Honestly, swimming here needs a little care: there are rocks and currents in places, so watch the warning flags and stay out when the sea is rough. The zone is busy at night and quiet by day, so it suits late risers.
5
Bang Bao isn't a swimming beach but an old fishing village whose houses run out along a pier over the sea, down in the south of the island. The scene is completely different from the sandy beaches — you walk the wooden jetty past fresh-seafood restaurants, with a small lighthouse to photograph at the far end. Several dive shops run their Koh Rang and southern-island trips from here, and it's the departure point for boats to Koh Mak and Koh Kood. It suits anyone who wants seafood with a sea view, a look at fishing life, or a base to join a dive trip. Nearby is Klong Kloi, a quiet beach worth a stop.
To really get away from people, head south. Klong Kloi, near Bang Bao, is a pretty shallow-water beach that's far calmer than the north — ideal for a relaxed meal and drink by the sea without the crowds. Long Beach sits in the far south-east corner of the island, a small beach with clear water and few visitors, but the access is awkward: you either take a boat or drive a rough road a long way. It's for travellers who deliberately want a quiet spot. Both need your own transport (a motorbike or car), because few songthaews come this far and they cost more — and in the monsoon it's even quieter, since a lot of places close.