Koh Chang trekking is yet another great thing to do on the island, with three excellent guides conducting English speaking tours into the forest.
The beauty and delight of Koh Chang’s flora and fauna is its wildness, so whilst there are paths and the routes have been followed many times, it is still raw jungle, so expect a hard but very rewarding trekking day – hot and sticky, scrambling up rocky inclines, vegetation that fights back, water crossings, vines and more.
Guides and Routes | Flora and Fauna | Bird Watching | Canopying
The Guides and Routes – Koh Chang Trekking
The trekking and tour guides – Toon, Tan and Thomas – all hugely experienced and knowledgeable, with a genuine love and enthusiasm for the island’s ecosytem.
Between them , they lead treks into the rainforest interior at Klong Prao Beach or up the mountain – Khao Laem (Salak Phet 744m) located in the south east of the island. There are also more tour orientated options in the local and villages on the south east of the island at Salak Khok, Long Beach and Salak Phet.
The shorter trek over a 1/2 day is suitable for children and more senior visitors.
Transfer, lunch, water, snacks, backpack and mosquito repellent are included in the trekking price. You should wear good footwear, non-brightly coloured clothing and bring swimming gear with a towel. We would also advise bringing extra water bottles and light snacks.
Jungle Fever – Koh Chang Trekking
Toon, Koh Chang local with a huge knowledge of the islands, offers one trekking programme.
- Half Day – a nice gentle interior trek in Klong Prao, suitable for all the family. On Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays (afternoon), 900bt per person with collection from central west coast, 100bt per person for resorts in Lonely Beach, Bailan and Klong Son, 200bt for Bang Bao area.
- The trek is a minimum of 2 persons, private trekking available (please contact us).
Tan Trekking – Koh Chang Trekking
Tan, who has been trekking in Koh Chang for over 10 years, offers one programme.
- Salak Phet Mountain (Khao Laem) – this is a hard rewarding day out in the south east of the island – rubber and fruit tree plantations at the start followed by the slow, hot and steady climb up through the jungle to the peak with its amazing 360 degree views. A snack lunch to take in the view and then down via the waterfall upper reaches 1,500bt per person + 200bt per person park fee – every other day in high season
Thomas Koch – Koh Chang Trekking
Leading member of the Koh Chang local community offering tours and treks on demand.
Each day is tailor made but can include a combination of the following:-
- An introduction to local life in Salak Khok with a walk around the fishing village and kayaking or a gondola tour in the mangroves.
- A visit to Salak Phet with its Buddhist temple and mangrove walkway as well as orchards and waterfalls (rainy season).
- 3 hours trek in the Klong Son valley followed by a visit to the elephant camp.
- Lunch and dinner at local restaurants. Coffee at Baan Kafee, with its locally grown beans
- Private or join treks up Khao Laem in Salak Phet – Prices start from 2,150bt per person if 2 or 3 only on the trek day (seen as private) or 1,850bt per person if 4 or more on the trek day (seen as join tour).
- Khao Jom Prasat on request
All tours and treks are a minimum of 2 persons, which trek and on what day all dependent on customer demand. Private boat trips also possible to Koh Wai and Koh Laoya or to Koh Chang Noi off Klong Son.
Salak Khok Kayak Station can also organise tours up Khao Laem and Salak Phet using local guides on the east side. If staying there, ask in your resort or contact us otherwise – please note that you may have to pay additional park fees, a ranger extra guide fee and a local trekking club a fee as part of the price.
Species, Fauna – Koh Chang Trekking
For reference, mammals recorded on the island include macaques and langurs, loris and pangolin, muntjac, wild boar and civet. Bird vary from kingfishers to swifts, bulbuls to sunbirds, egrets to herons, shikra, hornbills, eagles and falcons.
Python and King Cobra amongst other snake species are resident on the island, with monitor lizards and the Koh Chang Rana Frog also part of a rich amphibian and reptile population.
Dipterocarps, Gum, Fishtail and Rattan Palm are part of the tropical rainforest that covers approximately 75% of the island. There are two large mangrove forests (with walkways) in Salak Khok and Salak Phet. Klong Prao too has an inland forest teeming with fireflies
To help with classification and identification, visit Koh Chang Nature and an active Facebook Group page, here, the latter great for snakes.
Koh Chang Bird Watching
Bird watching is one of Koh Chang’s lesser known activities but an absolute must for the enthusiast. October to April are the best months, with birds stopping off at Koh Chang on their way to Siberia.
The early morning tours into the forest near Klong Plu are led by Toon, a passionate ornithologist with a deep knowledge of both local and migratory birds.
Available on Tuesdays and Saturdays, the birding tour starts around 07.00, lasting just a couple of hours until the birds move on. The price is 900bt per person if two persons or more are going on that day. Transfer to and from your resort is included if on the central beaches (White Sand Beach to Kai Bae). If staying in Lonely Beach to Bang Bao or Klong Son, you come to an easy to find meeting point under your own steam. Toon also takes out private tours on demand. Do contact us to set this all up for you.
An excellent resource for identification including both visuals and bird song audio recordings, you can also download a free Android App made by Toon here.
Hornbill Camp, a camping site hidden away down the back lane, Klong Sip-Et, in Salak Phet, gives you a prime spot to view the hornbills as they go about their business early morning. It’s 200bt per person to pitch the tent or you can rent one for 100bt. Contact them on 084 148 1093 (Kop) for more information.
Some gallery shots below courtesy of Toon at Jungle Fever .
UPDATED July 24
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