Koh Chang from the 90's till today
Our first visit to the island in the 90's
Back in the 90's, during a first visit to Koh Chang island, things were all different and quite adventurous compared to today. There was basically only one resort, Cashew Resort, which had just been opened for a short time. Cashew Resort offered at that time 5 basic bamboo bungalows and a small cosy laid-back restaurant close to the beach.
The owner of the resort had some special arrangements with his friend in Ranong, who had a boat to bring us to the island. We met up in the friends' restaurant in Ranong and from there we started the long but beautiful boat drive to the island. The drive was like a fairytale, we had to pass numerous islands, an amazing view throughout the ocean.
During the stay at the island, the brother of the very friendly owner of Cashew Resort gave a tour around the island, including visiting the almost top of the hill of the biggest mountain of the island. A panoramic view of which several shots were made with an analog camera. Candles and starry skies gave light to the nights: there was no electrical on the island. All in all it was definitely a place to come back again.
Starting up the dive shop
In 1999/2000 we returned to Koh Chang and started our dive shop at the very same resort, Cashew Resort. Cashew Resort had by that time about 15 bungalows and would renew the restaurant short time after. The candles in the night were still used, but now also a generator was used to give lights to the bungalow- and restaurant visitors in the nightly hours. Longtail boats now ran fairly scheduled between Ranong and Koh Chang island, though sometimes you still may had to wait a while for the taxi boats to arrive. Besides Cashew Resort, quite some resorts had opened up in the meantime, like Sunset Bungalows, Contex Bungalows, Golden Bee Bungalows and Changtong Resort.
Koh Chang in 2015
Nowadays you'll find quite some accommodation at Koh Chang island. Along the main bay, Aow Yai Beach, you'll find resorts starting with Longbeach Bungalows at the west side of the bay to Crocodile Rock Resort at the east side of the bay. In between you can find basic bungalows, fancy bungalows and more expensive bungalows. A mini market offers all your basic needs on the island. Little restaurants give you the possibility to try another taste during your stay. Tracks and trails into the island invite for a long walk. Some years ago, a lake was dredged, which gives nowadays a nice possibility to enjoy a swim in sweet water on the island. A speedboat runs since 2015 every day during the high season from the island to Ranong and vice versa. For those who like to enjoy the authenticate rides to the island: longtail taxi boats are still the most common transport between the island and the main land. Koh Chang has developed over the last 20 years, but managed to stay a beautiful island in the Andaman Sea, where locals maintain the good vibes of authentic island living in Thailand.
