Koh Chang for Two
Quiet Sunset Beaches, the Kai Bae Viewpoint, Klong Plu Waterfall & Dinners by the Sea

This is the heart of a couple's trip to Koh Chang, and the west-coast beaches face the sunset. Klong Prao is a long beach that is quieter and calmer, with beachfront resorts at every level and an easy feel, ideal for lounging by the sea. Kai Bae is next down, with a view of small islands offshore and a fair number of restaurants and bars. Wake up, open the door, and the sea and a wall of green hills are right there — a swim for two while it is still quiet. It is a forest-and-sea setting you will not find on a busier island, and it is ideal for couples who want to slow right down.

For the loveliest sunset on the island for couples, head up to the Kai Bae viewpoint, a roadside lookout on the main west-coast road near Kai Bae beach that looks down over a scatter of small islands sitting offshore in the blue. As the sun slowly drops behind them, it is a sight you remember. Some spots there have a small cafe or bar where you can sit with a drink and wait for the evening light together. Standing here hand in hand for the last light of the day is the romantic spot couples come for. Go in the evening, around 17:00–18:30, for the best light, when it is no longer hot.

Koh Chang is not just sea — it is green forested hills, and the headline of them is Klong Plu waterfall, the island's biggest, inside the national park. It is a short walk in on a forest trail from the car park, and there is a clear pool below the fall you can swim in deep in the forest, the cool water a fresh change from the sea. It is a morning or afternoon that adds something other than the beach to the trip — walk in through the forest in the cool air, listen to the falls, then swim together. It is a real change of pace from the sand. Wear shoes that handle rocks, and watch for slippery stone in the rainy months.

A date-night dinner on Koh Chang means fresh grilled seafood by the water at sunset. Many west-coast restaurants set tables out on the sand or by the sea, so you can have grilled fish, prawns and squid with the sound of the waves and a cool breeze. Or, for somewhere special, head south to the Bang Bao fishing village, a community built out on a long wooden pier over the sea, with seafood places lined up over the water — pick the fresh catch off the boats and have the kitchen cook it. Finish with a chilled fragrant coconut. A dinner by the sea with the person you love is the best memory of the trip — check the price before you order and confirm the weight of the seafood.

One part of Koh Chang many couples love is the easy beach bar in the evening. Lonely Beach and Kai Bae have relaxed bars by the water — sit on a cushion or a wooden chair by the sand, with a drink, soft music, the stars and the waves. It is a calm moment you share with nothing to plan. Some nights there is a fire and live music; some spots are quiet enough to just sit and talk. If you want it livelier, head to White Sand Beach up north, which has more bars; if you want quiet, Lonely Beach or the sand outside your resort is enough. It is a soft way to close the day by the sea for two.

For your clearest-water day, take a boat to a small island south of Koh Chang. Koh Wai and Koh Rang have clearer water than the beaches on Koh Chang itself, good for snorkelling over coral and fish. Koh Rang is in the national park, with several snorkelling spots, while Koh Wai is a small, quiet island with a pretty white-sand beach. A one-day boat trip usually stops at several spots for snorkelling and a lunch on an island. Boats leave from the Bang Bao pier in the south — go and float over the fish in clear water together. It is a full day on the sea for two. Book the trip ahead and check it is running, because in the rains the sea is rough and some trips do not go.

If you want calm and an easy, hide-away feel, Lonely Beach is the answer — a small beach known for its relaxed mood, easy bars by the water, and friendly-priced places to stay, ideal for couples who want to sit and talk by a quiet sea. If you want it livelier, White Sand Beach up north is the busiest, with the most restaurants, bars and resorts, easy to wander, eat and drink, but busier. Both face the sunset, as they are on the west coast. It comes down to whether you want the trip for two to feel calm or lively. Pick one beach and settle into it rather than moving between them.

The thing couples often miss — Koh Chang's roads are steep and winding, so it is better to pick one beach and settle into it than to keep moving. The west-coast beaches run north to south. White Sand Beach up north is the liveliest, with the most restaurants and bars; Klong Prao is a long, quiet beach for resting; Kai Bae has a view of small islands offshore and a lovely sunset viewpoint; and Lonely Beach is small, calm and friendly-priced. Every one faces west, so all of them catch the sunset. Choose by whether you want quiet or somewhere to wander, then dig in on one beach so you are not driving back and forth over the hills.

Not every romantic moment has to cost something — an evening walk by the water at golden hour is the most free-of-charge romance on Koh Chang. Every west-coast beach — Klong Prao, Kai Bae, Lonely Beach and White Sand Beach — faces the sunset. Walk hand in hand by the water, listen to the waves, and watch the sun slip below the sea. Or head south to the Bang Bao fishing village, with its long wooden pier out over the sea and a little lighthouse — walking the pier in the sea breeze makes a nice, breezy spot for couples photos. Many couples love a stroll along the sand after dinner, listening to the waves under the stars — a quiet stretch of being together with nothing to plan.

Timing matters a lot for a beach trip for two. November to April is the dry season and Koh Chang's best window — the east-coast sea is calm, with little rain, clear water and bright skies, ideal for swimming, a boat to the islets and the sunset. May to October is the rainy season, with a rough sea and frequent rain, and in those months smaller resorts and some places close, and some boat trips do not run because the sea is rough, with murkier water. The upside is a lush green island, full waterfalls and lower prices. If you come in the rains, check first that your resort and the trips are open, and keep a back-up plan for a wet day. For the best sea and full boat trips, the dry season, November to April, is the most rewarding.