Where to stay on Koh Chang comes down to which beach you pick, because every part of this island feels completely different. We’ve just stayed at The Retreat Koh Chang and Sol Beach Koh Chang, and we went to have a look at some of the other big Koh Chang hotels while we were here.
Below I’ll tell you which areas of the island to know, the two hotels we stayed at and the three that weren’t for us. You’ll also learn about the beach where we’d stay next time, the other hotels in Koh Chang to look at, what it all costs and what there is to do.
I have to say, Lonely Beach was the biggest surprise of our trip. It’s the best beach I’ve seen by a mile, and it’s where I’d stay next time. If you want somewhere calm and upmarket, I’d pick The Retreat, and if you want to walk straight out of your room and into the sea, I’d pick Sol Beach.
We paid for our stays ourselves so this is not a sponsored post.
Koh Chang hotels at a glance
| Hotel | Area | What it’s like | Would I stay? |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Retreat | Kai Bae | Upmarket and calm, mostly couples in their mid-thirties from the UK | Yes |
| Sol Beach | Klong Prao | Right on the sand, with fitness people, families and couples | Yes |
| KB Resort | Kai Bae | Felt like being in Malaga | No, not for us |
| KC Grande Resort | White Sand Beach | Same again, with lots of Russian and German guests | No, not for us |
| Santhiya Tree | Klong Prao | Haunted house vibes, with a mixed bag of people | No, we left immediately |
| Nest Sense | Lonely Beach | Small boutique resort with private pool villas | Next time |
| Sylvan | Kai Bae, near Lonely Beach | Big hillside resort with a private beach | Possibly next time |
Koh Chang areas to know
Koh Chang is largely mountainous and covered in jungle, and most of it is Koh Chang National Park, properly called Mu Ko Chang. So nearly all the accommodation, from budget hostels to luxury resorts, is spread along the road down the west coast. It took me a long time to figure out, but every beach has its own personality.
Driving south from the ferry, these are the areas to know:
- White Sand Beach: The first main beach you get to, and the most developed part of the island, with the most hotels, bars and shops. It’s got soft white sand, and it’s a much nicer beach than the one at Sol Beach.
- Klong Prao Beach: The longest beach on the island at about 3km, with a river splitting it in two. There’s plenty of space on the sand, lots of resorts, and Klong Plu Waterfall nearby.
- Kai Bae Beach: Halfway down the coast, with a relaxed feel, cafes, street stalls and massage places. It has some of the island’s 5-star hotels, but the beach wasn’t our cup of tea.
- Lonely Beach: Further south, and known as the backpacker area, with a relaxed vibe and much less commercial development. This is the one we loved except it wasn’t really a backpacker vibe, more like a proper Thai vibe.
- Bailan Beach: A small beach just past Lonely Beach. The bay has stones, so it’s not ideal for swimming, but the bungalows are great value.
- Klong Kloi Beach: On the southern tip of the island, just east of Bang Bao Pier. It’s a short stretch of soft sand with laid-back beach bars, it’s known for being family friendly, and it can get busy with day trippers.
- The east coast: Fewer tourists and more jungle, with mangroves and fishing villages. You’d want your own transport, and I’d stick to the west and south coasts for a beach holiday.
Everything is spread out, so pick your area carefully. We got a local taxi from Sol Beach to White Sand Beach for 100 baht each, and then it was 700 baht for the rest of our day out to Lonely Beach and back.
I’ve also written a full guide on how to get to Koh Chang from Bangkok. It’s a long day, so have your travel insurance sorted before you set off.
The Koh Chang hotels we stayed at
The Retreat Koh Chang
The Retreat Koh Chang is the upmarket one, near Kai Bae Beach. It’s an adults only boutique hotel with 38 rooms, and the people we saw there were mostly couples in their mid-thirties from the UK. It’s a beautiful hotel and a lovely place to switch off, and once you’re inside, you feel like you’re in your own little private oasis.
We got the cheapest room, an upstairs balcony room, and it was really spacious with a beautiful Japanese inspired bathroom. Next time I’d book one of the pool access rooms downstairs, because they’ve got their own little swimming area that flows out onto the main pool.
There’s no beach of its own, but there’s a great swimming pool and a deck that flows out to the ocean. There’s no breakfast buffet either, because you order anything you want off a massive menu, and we sat there for an hour and a half. It’s a great location too, with a 7-Eleven and cheap street food about a two minute walk away.
The only thing that annoyed us was the noise of people working around the hotel, and I think we only noticed because we live in the country. We paid AU$270 a night just before high season started on 1 November, when the rates went up to over AU$400. If you’ve got kids, look at its family friendly sister hotel, The Chill Resort, which is also on Kai Bae.
See prices and availability at The Retreat Koh Chang
Sol Beach Koh Chang
Sol Beach Koh Chang couldn’t be more different. It’s 16 bungalows at the northern end of Klong Prao Beach, with lots of fitness people, families and couples. It feels like it’s run by people our age, who were in Thailand back in the day when it was all about partying, and they’ve brought it up to date with a gym, a sauna and an ice bath.
We stayed in Luna 1, a family room with two king size beds. You just open the door, and bam, you’re straight onto the sand, and we could be in the sea in like 30 seconds. The food is exceptional, from poke bowls to Thai food, and it’s the best we’ve had on this trip. Sitting on the sun loungers at sunset with the DJ playing was a proper pinch me moment, and they do a fire show at dinner as well.
There’s no swimming pool and you can’t just walk out to the shops. We paid AU$220 a night without breakfast, which was really good but cost us about 800 baht for two. It took me a little while to get used to it after The Retreat, but it really grew on me. I’ve compared the two properly in The Retreat vs Sol Beach Koh Chang.
See prices and availability at Sol Beach Koh Chang
The Koh Chang hotels that weren’t for us
Plenty of people love these three hotels, and local guides rate them highly, so they might be perfect for you. I’m just telling you how they felt to us. We didn’t stay at KB Resort or KC Grande, we just went to have a look, and we left Santhiya as soon as we got there.
KB Resort, Kai Bae Beach
KB Resort is right on Kai Bae Beach, just around the corner from The Retreat, so we had a look while we were staying there. It has a pool near the beach, a mix of rooms and villas, and restaurants nearby. One local guide calls it one of the best value beachfront options on Kai Bae.
But it wasn’t for us, because it felt like being in Malaga with high rise apartments. It was also high tide when we went, so we didn’t really get to see much of the beach.
KC Grande Resort, White Sand Beach
KC Grande Resort Koh Chang was one we’d considered, so we went to see it on our day out. It’s a big place with 208 rooms and four pools, split in two by the main road. If you want to walk onto the sand, book the beachfront side, like a deluxe room, a Beachfront Deluxe Villa or a Paradise Beachfront Villa.
At first we were like, oh, this looks really nice. We had a quick dip, and there’s something quite nice about sitting in a pool right on the seafront. It’s a really nice beach too, way nicer than the one at Sol Beach.
But with the swim up pool bar, the random music and the little high rise, it felt like Malaga again. A lot of the guests looked to be Russian and German, the sun loungers were a bit cheap and it didn’t have a great vibe. I was glad we didn’t stay there.
Santhiya Tree Koh Chang Resort, Klong Prao Beach
Santhiya Tree Koh Chang Resort was the biggest shock, because we were supposed to stay here and we left immediately. It’s between the river and the sand at the northern end of Klong Prao Beach, and it’s known for its traditional Thai wooden architecture, with carvings all over it, river views and plunge pools in most of the rooms.
But it had very haunted house vibes, and it was definitely not for us. It really feels like it’s out in the middle of nowhere, and there was a mixed bag of people staying here. If you love traditional Thai wood and want to hide away from everyone, it might be exactly what you’re after.
Where I’d stay on Koh Chang next time
Lonely Beach is where I’d stay on Koh Chang next time, for sure. It’s pitched on the internet as a backpacker place, but I don’t think that’s right. It should be pitched as the real Thailand we remember.
You go over a big hill and down through the jungle, and when we got there, we were both gobsmacked. We were like, oh my God, this is the Thailand we remember from 15 years ago. There were reggae bars, makeshift bars and people sitting on plastic seats, and everyone looked a bit stoned. It’s such a beautiful beach, the water is so clear and clean, and I felt like we were in heaven. The town feels more traditional Thai as well, with no big resorts.
We haven’t stayed at Lonely Beach yet, so the hotels below are from my research and not from a stay.
Nest Sense Resort, Lonely Beach
Nest Sense Resort is the small boutique one, with 18 rooms on the rocks at the far end of Lonely Beach village, away from the main bars. There are deluxe rooms with a private balcony, sea view villas and private pool villas, plus a shared infinity pool and a restaurant doing Thai food and Western food.
The one thing to know is that there’s no sand at the hotel itself. The beach is about a 10 to 15 minute walk away.
Sylvan Koh Chang, Kai Bae Beach
Sylvan Koh Chang is the other one on my list, but it isn’t actually in Lonely Beach. It’s on a hillside at Kai Bae, a short drive away over the hill. It’s a big 5-star resort with 159 rooms, two swimming pools, a private beach, stunning sea views and a kids’ club, so it would be a very different holiday to sitting on plastic seats. I’d look at this one if you want a luxury hotel and you’re happy to go to Lonely Beach for the day.
Staying on the sand at Lonely Beach
If you want to be right on the sand, Nature Beach Resort is on the main stretch. All the bungalows have air conditioning, but it has a lively bar, so ask for a garden view if you want to sleep. There are also fan bungalows and dorms around the village, which are some of the cheapest rooms on the island.
Other hotels in Koh Chang to look at
This one came up when I was looking for the best hotels on the island. I would have definitely booked this one, but we didn’t go and see it on this trip so I can’t tell you whether it had good vibes or not.
The Dewa Koh Chang, Klong Prao Beach
The Dewa Koh Chang was on our shortlist before we booked. It’s at the southern end of Klong Prao Beach, with rooms from 54 sqm to 126 sqm, including private villas, and a massive black tiled pool. One review I read says to go for a pool view, because the garden view rooms can feel cramped.
What Koh Chang hotels cost
Koh Chang hotels cost a lot more from 1 November, when high season starts, so your dates matter as much as your hotel. The rainy season runs from around May to October, and that’s when the rates are lower. We stayed at The Retreat at the end of October, and there was hardly anybody there.
Food and drinks at the hotels add up as well. An Aperol Spritz was 450 baht at The Retreat and 300 baht at Sol Beach, and our 2 day stay at Sol Beach came to over 8,000 baht in food and drinks. If you want to keep your costs down, stock up at 7-Eleven and look for the street stalls.
Things to do from your Koh Chang hotel
Visiting Koh Chang gives you plenty to do beyond the sun loungers, although you’ll need a taxi for most of it.
- Waterfalls and hiking: Klong Plu Waterfall is the one for a swim, and there are hiking trails in the national park.
- Snorkelling and diving: A lot of the boat trips leave from Bang Bao Pier, and you can go out to islands like Koh Wai.
- Kayaking: You can explore the coastline by kayak, and hotels like Aana have their own.
- Yoga: The Retreat and Sol Beach both run classes.
- Food: You’ll find everything from street food to upscale restaurants, with Thai food and Western food all over the island, good restaurants at Kai Bae and seafood at Bang Bao. Older guides send you to the White Sand Beach Night Food Market, but some recent reviews say it’s closed, so ask at your hotel first.
- Nightlife: It’s pretty relaxed, with beach bars and live music on White Sand Beach and Lonely Beach. Oasis, a traveller resort at Lonely Beach, runs pool parties with a DJ on selected Fridays in the season.
If you’re planning a hike or a boat trip, check your travel insurance covers it.
So where should you stay on Koh Chang?
If I was coming again, I’d mix it up and stay in a couple of different places, and this time I’d add Lonely Beach. Here’s who I think each area suits:
- Couples who want to switch off: The Retreat
- Walking straight onto the sand, with a gym and an ice bath: Sol Beach
- Families: Sol Beach if you don’t need a pool, or The Chill Resort (The Retreat’s sister hotel), or Sylvan
- The Thailand you remember: Lonely Beach
- A tight budget: Lonely Beach or Pajamas
- Shops, bars and the most going on: White Sand Beach
You can also see what it’s like in our reels on Instagram at @itsannieandsteve.
See prices and availability at The Retreat Koh Chang
See prices and availability at Sol Beach Koh Chang
If you’re booking a trip to Koh Chang, sort your travel insurance when you book your flights.
Have you stayed on Koh Chang? Let me know where you stayed in the comments below.
Check out our Koh Chang travel guides
If you’re looking for more inspiration, check out our Koh Chang travel guides below to help you plan your trip.
