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Things to do in Koh Chang range from diving to snorkeling, swimming with elephants to jungle trekking, cookery schools to visiting the waterfalls and plenty more besides.

Indeed, there are enough activities to meet the needs of even the most demanding of visitor to the island, so there’s no excuse for just lazing in a hammock or lying on the beach while you are here.

We’ve broken down all the things to do and the different activities into their relevant categories, with guides to the companies, the prices, what’s included and what to expect.

You can Contact Us and we will organise any of these Koh Chang activities for you –  we simply exchange a few emails, so we know your requirements, your preferred date, time if applicable, number of people in your party (adults and kids). Payment is with an initial deposit in some cases and then THB cash on the day or you simply pay direct on the day. We will only use our trusted recommendations, which come from our experience of 19 years on the island.

Koh Chang Diving – Things to Do on Koh Chang

Diving is one of the most exciting things to do while you are here, with terrific dive sites at the local coral reefsl,  down at Koh Rang (the Marine Park) or over at the wreck, HTMS Chang, off the south west tip of the island.

There are four dive schools to choose from – we give you the rundown on them, where they are and what they offer.

As a guide, fun dives (PADI qualified) go from 3,500bt (wooden boat) to 4,500bt (speedboat) for two dives or a package of six is from 8,500bt. Open Water courses range from 14,500bt to 16,500bt – that’s the one which you need to dive anywhere in the world. DSD (Discover Scuba Diving), a day’s course for those that have never tried, is 4,500bt to 5,000bt depending on the company.

Whatever your requirements, we can organize it all for you, so do please head on over to our diving section, see what you fancy and get in contact.

Boat Trips – Snorkeling, Fishing

A day out on the water snorkeling, fishing or just cruising around the Koh Chang Islands is a must when visiting Koh Chang.

Many companies offer boat trips for full days or half days on large wooden boats or speedboats, with lunch and transfers from your resort included in the price. These trips go down to Koh Rang or Koh Wai and other smaller uninhabited islands nearby.

We list the companies and what they offer with prices ranging from 800bt for the tour boats to 4,000bt for a 1/2 day in a small private speedboat locally off the one of the beaches.

We recommend Mr Khai for a great day out, with a 3 Island trip at 700bt and 4 Island at 800bt per person. Or there’s the luxury cruise, Thai Fun at 1,490bt which takes in Koh Mak too. Sea Adventures, meanwhile, offers a lazy day aboard a catamaran off the west coast of Koh Chang, 1,750bt per person. 

Thai Cooking School

Love Thai food but just wish you knew how to make it properly at home? Well, a day at one of Koh Chang’s Thai cooking schools could be the answer to your problem.

There are two schools, Kati Culinary and Napalai, with prices ranging from 1,000bt to 1,600bt, including transfers to and from your resort.

Classes at Kati Culinary are held during the day from 10.30 to 15.30, whilst Napalai runs shorter sessions in the morning, afternoon and evening.

As well as the actual cooking, you’ll also learn about Thai herbs, spices and vegetables, preparation techniques and even some Thai food history. And don’t forget too, you eat what you cook – so no pressure then!

Both the cooking schools are based in the Klong Prao Beach area.

Sailing, Kayak and SUP

Sailing in the Koh Chang archipelago is a fabulous way to explore this part of the world – island hopping from Koh Chang to Koh Mak and Koh Kood, taking in other smaller islands such as Koh Wai, Koh Ngam along the way.

There are 2 main companies, Aqua Sailing and Gulf Charters which offer monohulls including Catalina 375, Jenneau Sun Odyssey 33i, 409 and Beneteau 44.3, 55.4 or multihulls featuring Island Spirit and Lagoon 400s, 420, 421.

Yachts are available either as bareboat or in some cases skippered, with a sailing week a standard charter. Full anchorage guides, briefings, provisioning lists and transport to/from the island are all part of the packages on offer.

Kayaks are available for rent from most resorts direct, 300bt to 500bt for a 1/2/full day, though you can get deals.

You can also try you SUP (Stand Up Paddling), with Iyara on the canal in Klong Prao or Sea Paradise in Bang Bao Beach, two great places to head. Prices will be in the region of 500bt for 90 minutes with instruction.

Elephant Trekking

Elephant trekking is offered by 5 companies on Koh Chang, mostly located in Klong Prao Beach.

Each follows a similar format and price, with 500bt for 1 hour and 900bt for 2 hours. The 2 hour trek allows you to swim and wash the elephants at the end of the trek, great fun for all the family. Transfer to and from your resort is included.

We list all the companies to help you choose one convenient to your location or we can organise it for you using our recommendation, Klong Son Elephant Camp (Ban Kwan Chang). Based in the forest on the north west of the island, they run 4 sessions a day at 09.00, 11.00. 13.00 and 15.00.

In our guide, we also give you information on how the elephants are kept and treated here on Koh Chang.

Trekking, Bird Watching – Things to Do in Koh Chang

Jungle trekking gives you a rewarding break from the beach, with 3 guides, Toon, Thomas and Tan, plotting your route along the forest trails.

You can opt for an easy day’s walk in the forest which may include a waterfall and even finish your trek with an elephant ride.

Alternatively, the guides offer much tougher excursions, including scaling one of Koh Chang’s peaks at Khao Laem in Salak Phet over in the south east corner of the island.

The group treks take place daily for 1/2 days or full days with prices from 900bt to 2,000bt. Private options are available.

In the Klong Prao forest, we also offer guided bird watching – from 07.00 for 2/3 hours (depending on how long the birds stick around), 800bt per person.

Sports and Fitness

Koh Chang does not have an 18 hole golf course, but it does have a 9 hole pitch and putt course (3 par) in Klong Son, which also doubles up for disc golf.

For shooting enthusiasts, an ex Thai army expert runs a shooting club down on the east coast, with a vast array of guns and rifles.

Across the island, you can work-out at a couple of walk-in gyms. The larger resorts too have excellent in-house facilities.

In Klong Prao, you can play a few sets on an all-weather tennis court located down one of the lanes opposite the temple – currently closed, may re-open if demand picks up.

In the same area, Slow Cycling runs a daily bicycle tour, which takes in the forest, Chinese Temple, beach and local fishing community. – currently closed, unlikely if it will restart for 22/23 season.

ATV Quad Bikes

ATV Quad Bikes are another great option when looking for things to do on the island, especially fun for kids.

Two companies, ATV Winner and ATV Monster Adventure run tours into the jungle from their base in Klong Prao.

Three times daily, rates start at 1,900bt for an hour with driver and passenger priced separately. Before setting off, you are given full safety instruction.

Muay Thai

You can enjoy the hugely popular Thai combat sport of Muay Thai on the island.

You can learn from scratch or hone your skills at just one small gym currently in Klong Prao. Once the number of tourists increase, the 2nd school in Kai Bae may re-open. Look out too for live tournaments which shit down during Covid times but could now be staged from time to time in either White Sand Beach or in Kai Bae.

Hourly classes are priced from around 500bt, weekly courses at 3,000bt. A full month with accommodation add-ons is also available. Novices are welcomed.

Massage, Spa, Yoga and Detox

Massage at any of the hundreds of beach-side or road-side spots is a Thai institution with prices at 250bt to 300bt an a hour.

Spas, saunas and steam rooms are available at all of the bigger resorts, where prices will increase considerably in line with the comfort of your surroundings.

Yoga classes run daily during the season at places like Indie Beach charge from 300bt to 400bt for daily drop-in or weekly courses at a reduced rate.

You can find a detox, wellness and fasting centre down the east coast in Salak Khok at Spa Koh Chang,  where a 7 day course costs from 14,000bt excluding the accommodation. They also have a very active yoga scene. 

The very private, Dara Rehabilitation is an addiction treatment center based near Bang Bao – currently closed.

Shopping and Tattoo

Head here for a full round-up on where to get what you need during your holiday on Koh Chang.

You’ll find a wide selection of western foodstuffs and brand alcohol available in the large retails outlets, Big C, Lotus’s and Makro, numerous 7-11s and of course the many Mom-and-Pop minimarts.

If you need a new mobile phone, laptop or their accessories, White Sand Beach, Chai Chet and Klong Prao all have decent outlets.  Emergency repairs are possible too.

There are opticians and pharmacies all over the island.

For clothes and souvenirs, look out for the numerous stalls which line the streets in the major beach areas. None of it is exactly original but you’ll likely happen upon something that will do the trick – Bang Bao Pier has perhaps the widest choice.

In this section, we also look at the some of Koh Chang’s most prominent tattoo artists, with recommendations on where to head if you want to get inked.

Volunteering

Volunteering in Koh Chang is possible in education, animal welfare and the environment – giving up your time to help, whether for a day,  a week or perhaps longer is always hugely appreciated.

Cambodian Kids Care, based in Klong Prao, welcomes allcomers to its kids’ school and day centre in the migrant workers’ camp.

Helping the local animals (dogs and cats in particular), Koh Chang Animal Project, Animal Voice and Happy Dogs Koh Chang carry out unstinting service  – everything from neutering, emergency care and feeding runs to adoption and international homing. Not surprisingly, they always need volunteers and donations.

The global operation Trash Hero has successfully established itself on the island, with weekly clean-up days on beaches, roadside and indeed at sea on the reefs. If you’re free on a Wednesday, that’s when they normally head out in a different area each week.

Waterfalls – Things to Do on Koh Chang

Visiting the Koh Chang waterfalls makes a nice break from the beach.

The main one is found at Klong Plu, the northern end of Klong Prao Beach. This costs 200bt for tourists, 100bt for kids and is easy to walk to, so suitable for families of all ages. It is perfectly safe to swim in the pool or even dive off the rocks.

In addition to that one, there are another 6 waterfalls across the island. On the east coast, you’ll find Than Mayom (also 200bt), Klong Neung, Kheeri Phet (free, both in Salak Phet) and Klong Nonsi (free) in Dan Mai. On the west coast, as well as Klong Plu, you can also visit Klong Jao Leuam (free) in Klong Son or the small single drop waterfall in Kai Bae.  

Do note that some of them take a proper hike to reach – head over to this section for full details.

UPDATED December 23 for 23/24 Season

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