Thailand (Lonely Planet, 13th Edition) - China Williams [209]
HAT THA NAM (LONELY BEACH) & BAILAN BAY
South from Hat Kaibae is Hat Tha Nam – more commonly known as Lonely Beach. A backpacker fave, it’s moving upmarket with flashier resorts moving in and a pumping nightlife scene flourishing in the tiny village. If you’re looking for peace and quiet you’re in the wrong place. Just south, Bailan Bay is still nicely low-key.
Paradise Cottages (08 5831 4228; Hat Tha Nam; r 300-500B; ) There’s no real beach out front and the thatch huts are simple affairs with cold-water showers, but Paradise lives up to its name with a hip yet relaxing chill-out area. Individual dining pavilions are decked out with lazy-day hammocks and sea views, while a sleek fountain adds class. Cool beats further separate Paradise from the usual Jack Johnson/Bob Marley beach soundtrack, and the crowd tends to be a mellow one.
P & Nico Guest House (08 4362 6673; Hat Tha Nam; r 400-800B) Small tidy huts decorated in summertime blue and yellow are across the road from the beach, but well placed for bars and restaurants.
Magic Garden (08 3756 8827; www.magicgardenresort.com; Hat Tha Nam; r 500-750B; ) Mix Thai island style with an Ibiza groove and add a touch of the Burning Man festival. The Magic Garden’s not for everyone, but this place is perfect for sociable 21st-century neo-hippies. Two-story round bungalows resemble tree houses; the smaller huts are your basic backpacker model. All have en suite bathrooms with hot showers.
Siam Beach Resort (08 9161 6664; www.siambeachkohchang.com; Hat Tha Nam; r 1000-2500B; ) The spacious, though somewhat tatty, air-con huts that gaze down on the water are the cheapest accommodation here. Fan and air-con bungalows cluster on the beach, and there are also new ‘deluxe’ air-con rooms right on the water. If you’re really counting your baht, the same outfit runs Siam Huts just down the coast with simple, ramshackle huts (500B to 700B), complete with backpackers swinging in hammocks from the small verandas.
Mangrove (08 1949 7888; Bailan Bay; r 1000B) Here’s proof that not all bungalows are created equal. Cascading down a hill to a private beach and an architecturally designed restaurant, the bungalows are round and spacious, with skylights and accordion doors that open to the views. Open-air, Bali-style attached bathrooms complete this laid-back, jungle paradise.
White House (08 1409 8307; www.whitehousekohchang.com; Bailan Bay; r 1200-1500B; ) Bright white bungalows surround a small pool at this mid-sized beachfront resort. The beds are size XL but the best feature is the sunken bathrooms, decked out with clean white tiles. Less-expensive hotel-type rooms are set back from the beach and pool, but have less restaurant noise.
Warapura Resort (08 9122 9888; Hat Tha Nam; r incl breakfast 1500-3500B; ) Bringing Hat Tha Nam up a notch (but on a contained scale), these sculpted concrete bungalows are whitewashed and bright. All have open porches, and a few are seafront. A sleek dining area has eating pavilions with traditional Thai tables as well as a few hammocks, and a pool was being built when we visited. The faux-wood floors at reception sort of kill the vibe, but it’s still a posh spot.
BAN BANG BAO
Though any trace of the original fishing village has been obliterated by dive shops, guesthouses and seafood restaurants, Bang Bao is still picturesque and charming to visit. The village teeters on stilts above the water, and is beautiful in the late afternoon sun. Some good accommodation options and the early-evening retreat of day-trippers makes a night or two here appealing, especially if you’re headed to smaller islands south of Ko Chang.
Bang Bao Cliff Cottage (08 5904 6706; www.cliff-cottage.com; r 300B) Partially hidden on a verdant hillside above the Nirvana resort are a few dozen thatch huts that are nicely spaced out. Most have good views of the small cove down the hill, and a couple offer spectacular vistas.