Thailand (Lonely Planet, 13th Edition) - China Williams [205]
KaTi (08 1903 0408; Ban Khlong Prao; class per person 1300B) also offers culinary classes, with a mother and daughter team demonstrating family recipes. Classes are Monday to Saturday from 10am to 3pm. You’ll also need to book ahead.
Jungle Way (08 9223 4795; www.jungleway.com) offers tuition in the subtle art of reiki (Japanese healing). An eight-hour course held in a relaxed forest setting costs 5000B. Jungle Way also hosts numerous yoga and massage retreats; check the website for specific dates.
If you wish to learn a new discipline in a lagoon-side setting, head to Baan Zen (08 6530 9354; www.baanzen.com) on the lagoon at Ao Khlong Prao. In a breezy pavilion beside the water, courses are held in yoga and natural healing techniques (weekend course 4000B, three-day course 5500B).
DIVING & SNORKELLING
The seamounts off the southern tip of the island stretch between Ko Chang and Ko Kut, offering a new frontier of diving opportunities in Thailand. Hin Luk Bat and Hin Lap – rocky, coral-encrusted seamounts with depths of around 18m to 20m – are havens for schooling fish. Both Hin Phrai Nam and Hin Gadeng (between Ko Wai and Ko Rang) are formed by spectacular rock pinnacles and have coral visible to around 28m. Southwest of Ao Salak Phet, reef-fringed Ko Wai features a good variety of colourful hard and soft corals at depths of 6m to 15m.
By far the best diving, however, is around Ko Rang. Protected from fishing by its marine park status, this place has some of the most pristine coral in Thailand. Visibility here is much better than near Ko Chang and averages between 10m and 20m. In the area, Ko Yak and Ko Laun are both shallow dives perfect for both beginners and advanced divers. These two small rocky islands can be circumnavigated and have lots of coral, schooling fish, puffer fish, morays, barracuda, rays and the occasional turtle. On the eastern side of Ko Rang, Hin Kuak Maa (also known as Three Finger Reef) is probably the top dive and is home to a coral-encrusted wall sloping from 2m to 14m and attracting swarms of marine life.
Diving trips typically include two dives with all guiding, transport, equipment and food, and cost around 3500B. PADI Open Water certification costs 11,500B per person.
Many dive shops close during the off season (June to September) as visibility and sea conditions can be poor. The following are some of the more popular outlets:
BB Divers (0 3955 8040; www.bbdivers.com) Based at Bang Bao, though it has another office at Hat Tha Nam.
Scuba Evolution (08 7926 4973; www.scuba-evolution.com) This newer business has three offices: Hat Sai Khao, Hat Kaibae and Hat Tha Nam. The instructors come highly recommended.
ELEPHANT TREKKING
There are several elephant camps on Ko Chang where you can get up close and personal with former working elephants. Of these, the award-winning (2007 TAT eco-awards for community involvement) Ban Kwan Chang Elephant Camp (08 1919 3995; changtone@yahoo.com; 8.30am-5pm), near Ban Khlong Son, is the best. In a beautiful setting the owner stresses the importance of seeing elephants in the wild, and he delivers informative and educational programs. A one-hour ‘experience’, involving feeding, bathing and an elephant ride, costs 900B; a 40-minute ride costs 500B.
Chang Chutiman (08 9939 6676; Ban Khlong Prao; 8am-5pm) offers a similar deal in a less dramatic setting. A one-hour ride costs 500B; two hours costs 900B. Kids under five ride free. The camp is in Ban Khlong Prao, opposite Blue Lagoon Resort.
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COVER UP ON KO CHANG
Nudity and topless sunbathing are forbidden by law in Mu Ko Chang National Marine Park; this includes all beaches on Ko Chang, Ko Kut, Ko Mak, etc.
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Transfers are included in these prices, but make sure you book in advance. Most places to stay can arrange these elephant treks with a day’s notice.
HIKING
A combination of steep terrain and year-round streams creates a wealth of scenic waterfalls on Ko Chang. A