POPULAR PASTIME
Away
from sun, sand & sea
Take a break from the beach and try this wide range of activities which await you both on shore and inland.
The
Shrine of Chao Po Koh Chang
Leading up a steep road on the west coast to Ao Sapparos, not too far from the pier, you will see the shrine of Chao Po (literally the Deity of Koh Chang) and Chao Mae Koh Chang on the right. This is a highly revered shrine especially for local people. Fishermen struck by monsoon or lost their directions in the sea put their faith on Chao Po Koh Chang.
Legend has it that many prayers have been answered, and the locals have been praying to Chao Po Koh Chang concerning various hardships, from low yield harvests to sickness or other miseries.
Thai
Cooking Schools
The Aiyapura Resort and Spa allows you to create your favorite Thai dishes. Classes take a few hours and students usually learn the art of fruit and vegetable carving as well as traditional stir-fried dishes. You will have an opportunity to cook by yourself and dine with fellow students after class.
Ban Klong Prao
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Elephant
Trekking
The Ban Chang Thai (084 863 8185, 089 891 7253, 039 551 474) lets you experience more than just the usual elephant trekking. With their charming elephant family, they can also arrange a Buddhist style wedding at the elephant camp. A 1-hour trek is at Baht 500 per person, while a 2-hour trek including river and mountain trekking and elephant bathing is at Baht 900 per person. These rates include transportation to/from your hotel, and complimentary fresh fruits and drinking water.
The Chang Chutiman Tour (Tel : 089-939-6676) near Klong Prao Beach operates two-hour treks for 900 Baht (children under five years old free of charge) and a one-hour trek (500 Baht) without the waterfall. Open daily from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., you can start your tour any time of the day.
The Klong Son Elephant Camp or Ban Kwan Chang operates half-day tours from 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. The cost is 900 Baht inclusive of transportation to and from the resort, drinking water and bananas and coconuts to feed the elephants. A 40-minute ride costs 500 Baht. A smaller programme at 1:00 p.m. includes a 35-minute trek and a 15-minute performance. Fare is 450 Baht inclusive of transportation.
Snorkeling
& Diving
The best diving season is between October/November and April. The best sites are on the west and southern tip of the island, between Koh Chang and Koh Kood. There you can see soft corals, anemones, myriad reef fish, and sometimes eel. Hin Luk Bat and Hin Lap both have coral seamounts. Further south, white-tip reef sharks can be found near Hin Phrai Nam.
In addition, there are two wreck dive sites. The Koh Chang Wreck is a Thai warship sunk by the French navy in 1941. The wreck is only 15 metres deep in the Salakphet Bay on the southern tip of the island. The other wreck is the Pak One Wreck which sank after hitting a coral reef in August 1996 on its way to Vietnam. It resurfaced almost 8 years later. The 900-ton sunken tanker posed a danger to ships on international waters. The Royal Thai Navy drained off its 600 tonnes of liquefied petroleum gas and resank it between Koh Chang and Koh Samet. It now lies horizontally in 35-meter deep waters.
There are a few diving centres on Koh Chang such as the Ploy Scuba Diving in Bang Bao. Following the standards of the sister centre in Koh Samet, this is the premier diving operator in Eastern Thailand. The Dolphin Divers at the Amari Emerald Cove Resort offers free trial in the resort's swimming pool. For those who prefer fun dives without a long boat trip Dolphin Divers operate speed boats from the resort's beach to the nearest dive sites in only 15 minutes. Others include the Koh Chang Dive Centre on Kai Bae Beach, Paradise Scuba Divers at the Klong Prao Resort and Koh Chang Divers on Had Sai Khao (White Sand Beach), which offers PADI certification for beginners.
The Dive Adventure Koh Chang provides a diving experience that combines professionalism and fun, being the only PADI 5 Star IDC center in Koh Chang. With 10 years of experience under its belt, expect only the best from its multilingual instructors and divemasters. It is advantageously located at Bang Bao fishing village with its own resort, and their everyday trips range from snorkeling to professional dive trips. For the non divers, they can also arrange other activities such as elephant trekking, jungle trekking, quad driving, kayaking and fishing.
A few dive centres operate out of Koh Mak. Boat trips to various dive sites range from 1,800 to 3,000 Baht depending on distances, and typically include two dives, full equipment, transportation, food, drinks and a divemaster.
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