Looking for the best resorts on Koh Chang but utterly confused by the endless suggestions thrown up by those booking sites’ algorithms?
Well, thankfully for you, we have used our local expertise to whittle down the 350 or more places to stay in Koh Chang accommodation into our list of a final eight recommendations.
These are our picks for the best resorts in the categories of luxury, boutique, mid range and budget, which we are confident you will find superb choices.
Luxury Category
KC Grande Resort – White Sand Beach
Located at the northern end of White Sand Beach. KC Grande Resort and Spa has ceaselessly upgraded over the last few years to develop into one of Koh Chang’s best resorts.
It offers a whole host of accommodation options laid out in two areas, beachside or hillside. Beachside, you can choose between stylish individual villas running in 3 rows parallel to the sand or deluxe rooms overlooking the swimming pool, itself just metres from the sea. Hillside, a vast modern hotel block houses superior, deluxe and pool access rooms over 4 floors.
Dining
- The Beach Restaurant serves a buffet breakfast, followed by a full menu with Thai and International cuisine and an evening seafood BBQ – open from 06.30 to 23.00 (breakfast till 10.30 daily.
- Looking out over the ocean, the smaller KC Restaurant offers a menu of with Thai dishes and seafood – 14.00 to 23.00.
- Hillside, you’ll find the European diner, Gusto, which specialises in Italian dishes -14.00 to 23.00.
- By the road and entrance, KC Coffee Corner opens form 07.00 for a full selection of coffees, cakes and bakery items.
Swimming Pools
KC Grande has 5 pools:-
- The principal one by the sea.
- The stunning one (pictured above) on the roof of the hillside accommodation.
- The ground floor one also hillside complete with the slide.
- A small private one for use by the beach villas.
- The main and rooftop pools have their own bars.
Facilities
KC Grande operates a full in-house spa, Chiva, with massage, treatments, steam and sauna all available. Alongside the pampering, you can also work out at the well equipped fitness centre. Kayaks and SUP can be rented too.
Location
Step outside the resort or walk along the sand – this section of beach is one of Koh Chang’s very best – and you’ll find the teeming bustling atmosphere of White Sand Beach, with all its own restaurants, bars, other resorts, shops and amenities.
In fact that may be KC Grande Resort’s one drawback, as this busy beach, the most developed and touristy area on the island, is not to everyone’s taste.
Prices and Booking (Peak)
- Hillside – Deluxe, Deluxe Pool View, Deluxe Ocean View, Deluxe Pool Access from 6,000bt to 7,100bt a night.
- Seaside – Deluxe Room, Seaview Grande Deluxe, Seaview Grand Suite are 6,000bt, 7,700bt and 10,500bt.
- Seaside – Garden View Villa, Beachfront Deluxe Villa, Paradise Beachfront Villa from 7,200bt, 9,150bt and 10,500bt.
Gajapuri Resort – Kai Bae Beach
In the heart of Kai Bae Beach, Gajapuri Resort is our second entry in this year’s best resorts on Koh Chang. It’s a more low key and understated resort of 46 wooden cabanas, two swimming pools, two restaurants and a spa.
In a unique design, the resort is constructed as much as possible from natural materials. The rooms, both exterior and interior in wood, are cleverly hidden away behind bamboo and foliage in mature gardens leading down towards the sea. In turn, charming wooden walkways, raised up in the air by a few metres, wind past canals and water features to link each section one to the other.
Rooms come as Deluxe or Superior, alongside larger Family Suites and the top of the range, private Pool Villas. Each room, designed with dark wood and polished floors and tasteful soft furnishings – comes with a/c, TV, tea and coffee making facilities, mini-bar, in-room safe, hairdryer, bathroom accessories and WiFi.
Dining
Gajapuri provides two in-house restaurants:-
- Chaan Gaja – down by the sea, dishes off menu, cafe and bar, outdoor seating – open from 07.00
- Matang for the buffet breakfast. Open from 07.00 onwards
Pools and Location
The resort has two swimming pools. The original one is the smaller of the two, located in a garden setting behind the restaurant area. The newer infinity style pool, is hidden away in its own area overlooking out over the sea. It comes with plenty of loungers, terracing down one side and a sala at the top end.
Facilties
GajaPin Spa is located on site, with massage, steam room and treatments, open daily from 10.00am to 19.00.
Location and Summary
Gajapuri sits on the seafront, though this spot on Kai Bae Beach is not the best, with the beach disappearing completely at high tide and rocks underfoot when swimming. It’s a minor drawback only though, given it’s only 2 minutes walk to a lovely stretch of sand further to the north.
Outside the resort, Kai Bae Beach is a busy tourist village, with everything you may need for eating, drinking and shopping.
Gajapuri is a very private, grown-up and sophisticated resort, with discreet yet professional service. It’s ideal for anyone seeking a place to unwind away from the tourist bustle.
Prices and Booking (Peak)
- Superior/Deluxe/Beachfront rooms are from 4,000bt/4,400bt/5,000bt.
- Family (1 Bedroom) are 5,100bt.
- Pool Villas from 10,900bt.
Boutique Category – Best Resorts on Koh Chang 2022-23
Amber Sands – Dan Khao
Amber Sands Resort is a small family friendly, couples friendly, singles friendly resort on Koh Chang’s east coast, just a few kilometres beyond the ferries.
Fronting onto a red sands beach, its 8 stylishly furnished bungalows, 5 superior, 2 beach and one family, are located around the central small pool in immaculately kept gardens. All a/c ensuite rooms come equipped with safe, fridge, TV and WiFi.
Dining and Facilities
Amber Sands operates a very good in-house restaurant, with western and Thai food available. For relaxation, you can get a massage throughout the day down by the sea or for the more energetic, kayaks are on hand to explore the coast.
Location and Summary
Yes, the east coast beaches are not in the same league as the west coast and you are separated out from the main tourist areas over on that side, but if you are aware of this on booking, there’s no reason for it to be a problem. Besides, if you crave action, a night out or an afternoon’s shopping, you can easily rent motorbikes directly from the resort or songthaew taxis can be chartered as needed.
Amber Sands is renown for its polite and discreet service, where the owners go out of their way to help at all times. Most of all, though, a stay here guarantees you absolute peace and quiet, a haven away from the masses on the west coast. It’s a terrific hideaway.
Prices and Booking (High Season)
- Superior Bungalow starts at 3,500bt.
- Beach House (upstairs or downstairs) is 4,000bt.
- Family Bungalow at 4,200bt.
Chivapuri Resort – Bang Bao Beach (Klong Goi)
Located at the far end of Bang Bao Beach (Klong Goi), Chivapuri Beach Resort is another delightful boutique , which comprises just 20 rooms, pool and restaurant.
The a/c ensuite rooms are housed, upstairs or downstairs, in huge Lanna style houses, where polished wood finishings, subtle decor and neutral colours create a very peaceful atmosphere. That sense of calm is emphasised still further by the generous spacing between each building and their shaded setting under the trees.
Dining
For dining, the in-house restaurant provides a buffet breakfast and then a full menu including a seafood BBQ. You can also grab a coffee or snack at the new beach cafe or drinks from the pool bar. Additionally, a gentle saunter along the sand brings you to other laid back restaurants and bars in the area.
Facilities
The swimming pool itself, as pictured at the top of this page, sits literally steps away from the sea, where the shallow waters are perfect for kids to potter. You can grab a massage in-house.
Location and Summary
Bang Bao Beach is a lovely quiet beach but it is a long way down the island, so you will pay more for the share taxis to get back and forth from the other beaches.
During the day, it does also fill up during the day as people come from Bang Bao and Bailan in search of sand and sea. That said, they mostly hang out at the top end away from Chivapuri and within the resort, the ultra friendly staff and management maintain a calm and very private atmosphere.
So, those small caveats aside, the understated Chivapuri Resort comes highly recommended as one of the best resorts on Koh Chang.
Prices and Booking (Peak)
- Superior Double Room/Deluxe Double starts at 3,200bt/4,300bt.
- Junior/Family/Executive Suite is 5,675bt/8,250bt/9,000bt.
- Beachfront Villa is 7,000bt.
- Family Room (Two Bedrooms, seaview) are 9,800bt.
Mid Range Category – Best Resorts on Koh Chang 2022-23
Flora i Talay – Chai Chet
On the beach at the southern end of Chai Chet, Flora i Talay, with 65 rooms, two swimming pools, restaurant and bar, offers up yet another terrific place to stay on Koh Chang.
The bungalows and villas are laid out in several rows leading back from the sand, with a wide variety of options from garden view to beachfront and even some rooms in a small double storey unit. A handful of the villas have their own private pools. The design throughout the resort follows a similar style of ochre coloured exteriors, eye catching slanted thatch roofs and brushed concrete interiors – all very modern and summery.
Dining
The in-house restaurant at Flora serves a buffet breakfast, full menu and evening BBQ, whilst the beach bar is a great place to watch the sun go down.
For more choices, it’s very easy to wander to other resorts along the beach such as Koh Chang Paradise or up to the main road where you’ll find some good cheap diners across the road from VJ Plaza – about 10 minutes walk. U-Turn, 200 metres further north, is very popular.
Next door to the resort, Signature specialises in seafood and has a hip cafe and bar upstairs, whilst Marco’s opposite is one of the best for Italian food on the island.
Location and Facilities
Flora i Talay has a prime position on Chai Chet beach, a lovely stretch of golden sands and clear blue waters, where the sea is just wonderful for swimming. If that’s not enough, there are also two small pools at at each end of the resort as back-up.
Prices and Booking (Peak Season)
- Back Garden Bungalows start at 2,400bt.,
- Garden View (Standard, Superior, Deluxe, Beachfront) range from 2,600bt to 3,200bt.
- Villas (Top View, Beachfront, Pool) are 3,500bt, 7,500bt and 10,500bt.
KB Resort – Kai Bae Beach
On the ocean in Kai Bae Beach, KB Resort has a well deserved reputation as one of the Koh Chang’s best mid-range resorts.
Accommodation comes in all shapes, designs and sizes reflecting how the resort has been added to and renovated over the last few years. Seaview rooms with balconies are housed in the three storey hotel block which lines one side of the grounds. Off paths criss-crossing the garden, you’ll find a wide range of cottages, some beach facing. At the front, villas in family, twin and deluxe configurations, look out over the sand.
Dining
Back down by the beach, KB Resort’s two floored restaurant provides a buffet breakfast, full menu and evening BBQ, with tables both inside or outside on its exterior terracing.
Alternatively, an easy ten minute walk up to the main road puts you in the thick of the Kai Bae’s wide range of restaurants – Mexican, Italian, Indian, Greek, Mediterranean and Thai – as well as bars and shops.
Facilities and Location
At the rear of the gardens, the resort’s compact swimming pool, complete with loungers on both sides, includes a fun slide for the kids.
The beach at this end of Kai Bae is the best in the area and when the tide is up, ideal for swimming. You can also rent a kayak to explore the offshore islands.
Prices and Booking (High Season)
- Superior Rooms in the hotel block start at 2,700bt a night.
- Garden View Cottages go from around 3,000bt to 3,500bt.
- Beachfront Villas on the beach rate between 4,000bt and 4,500bt.
Budget Category – Best Resorts on Koh Chang 2022-23
Oasis Bungalows – Lonely Beach
Run by a very friendly Dutch couple, Oasis Bungalows sits surrounded by jungle at the top of the so called Soi 3 high above Lonely Beach.
Constructed from stone with lots of varnished wood, ensuite bathrooms and large verandahs, the deluxe bungalows come as either seaview or garden view. The jungle bungalows, meanwhile, use wood only alongside thatch roofs and open-air bathrooms. There’s also a Studio for a small family or couple.
Dining, Facilities and Location
The resort centres on the excellent restaurant, where a full menu is served throughout the day. It’s a great spot to hang out and meet fellow guests, with a chilled out atmosphere, good tunes and of course, WiFi. Above it, the structurally magnificent treehouse with its views far out to sea, is a must for a sunset cocktail.
In 2021, Oasis added a a good size swimming pool, a welcome addition and ideal for a dip if you don’t want to head to the beach.
You can drop down into the Lonely Beach village and all its bars, nightlife, cheap diners and shops within 7 minutes. No more than 10 minutes walk away, the beach itself is one of Koh Chang’s gems – great sand, sea and friendly atmosphere.
Summary
Offering a mixture of deluxe and jungle bungalows at rates that happily suit either single travellers or couples, Oasis has a deserved reputation as one of Koh Chang’s best cheap bungalow resorts. Its laid back and peaceful atmosphere serves as a perfect antidote to the blood, sweat and tears of backpacker life down below in the village.
Prices and Booking (Peak)
- Jungle bungalows are priced at 850bt.
- Deluxe at 1,800bt (garden) or 1,900bt (pool).
- Studio at 2,050bt
Check out all the details directly here at their site.
Nature Beach Resort – Lonely Beach
Somewhat of a Koh Chang institution after nearly 18 years in the centre of Lonely Beach, Nature Beach Resort has expanded from its humble beginnings to now host 55 rooms, a very cool swimming pool and a hugely popular restaurant.
The original bungalows, ochre coloured with thatch roofs, are located at the back of the resort on the little canal. The newer twin and double rooms, with their clean style of flat roofs, floor to ceiling patio doors and brushed concrete interiors, are laid out in an L-shape down one side. Two bedroom and family rooms complete the picture. All are just metres from the ocean.
Dining and Location
The restaurant remains the focal point for both guests and visitors alike, with its food no more than OK but as a spot for people watching and hanging-out, it’s hard to beat. The staff meanwhile remain a source of constant complaint, along with the poor WiFi, but that’s almost par for the course.
No, it’s Nature’s location which seals the deal for that real Koh Chang backpacker beach experience – absolutely bang on the sand, complete with swimming pool for floating around to a few beats, reasonable room rates, the odd big party and the most wonderful sunsets. It’s nowhere near perfect but for a few days, it can fit the bill very nicely.
Prices and Booking (High Season)
- Budget Bungalows at the rear are from 1,400bt. Garden, Front, Seaview at 1,800bt, 2,200bt and 2,600bt. Quadruple at 4,000bt. Family at 5,800bt – all with breakfast.
UPDATED November 23
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