Thailand (Lonely Planet, 13th Edition) - China Williams [211]
Tonsai (08 9895 7229; dishes 40-150B; lunch & dinner) Settle down on the funky cushions in this tree house/restaurant built in a sturdy banyan tree (ôn sai in Thai). There’s a good selection of Thai and Western eats amid a nicely relaxed ambience. Make an afternoon of it.
Oodie’s Place (0 3955 1193; pizza 170-260B; lunch & dinner) Local musician Oodie runs a nicely diverse operation with excellent French food, tasty Thai specialities and live music from 10pm.
Invito (0 3955 1326; dishes 250-550B; lunch & dinner) Probably the best place to splash out on the island, Invito is pricey and authentic. Wood-fired pizzas and hand-made pasta are the signature dishes and there’s a full wine cellar. Be sure to finish your meal with Italian coffee and moist tiramisu. It’s at the southern end of Hat Sai Khao.
AO KHLONG PRAO
With a couple of cooking schools and a laid-back crowd, Khlong Prao has some decent dining options.
Blue Lagoon Resort (08 1940 0649; dishes 60-220B; breakfast, lunch & dinner) With a cooking school on the premises, you know the food has to be good. Even better are the private eating pavilions perched over the lagoon and joined by wooden walkways. The service is friendly and dishes are creatively presented.
KaTi (08 1903 0408; dishes 60-120B; lunch & dinner) Another Thai cooking school, another safe bet. The Thai food is what you’d expect from someone who teaches how to cook it, and your request for ‘Thai spicy’ will be respected. Also on the menu are a variety of unique smoothies, including lychee, lemon and peppermint. It’s on the main road 50m across from the entrance to Blue Lagoon Resort.
Barracuda Bar (08 1448 2187; dishes 70-150B; breakfast, lunch & dinner) A small place that is consistently good and popular with local expats. The prices are a little high since most of the guests come from nearby resorts, but it’s not too overpriced. The few beachfront tables are where it’s at.
HAT KAIBAE
Hat Kaibae is also developing a good bar and restaurant scene. At the time of writing, the always-evolving area included a French restaurant, a Muslim vegetarian eatery and a good Indian curry house. See what else you can discover.
Kharma (08 1663 3286; breakfast, lunch & dinner) Eclectic music, a wide-ranging menu featuring Thai, Mexican and vegetarian food, and a few inflated blowfish are all good reasons to head to this gay-friendly spot. The cocktails aren’t to be sneezed at either.
BAN BANG BAO
A handful of excellent seafood restaurants line the pier in Bang Bao.
Ruan Thai (08 7000 162; dishes 80-300B; lunch & dinner) The seafood is a little pricey, but it’s about as fresh as it gets (note your future dinner swimming around as you walk in) and the portions are large. The doting service is beyond excellent – they’ll even help you crack your crabs.
Near Ruan Thai, Chow Talay and the Bay offer similar food.
Getting There & Away
Three piers in Laem Ngop serve Ko Chang: the main one, at the end of the road from Trat, is Tha Laem Ngop (also called Tha Krom Luang Chumporn or Naval Battle Monument pier); another 4km northwest of Laem Ngop is Tha Ko Chang Centrepoint; while Tha Thammachat is located at Ao Thammachat, further west of Laem Ngop.
During the high season, Tha Laem Ngop is the main pier to many of the Ko Chang National Marine Park islands. There is a passenger (backpacker) ferry that runs a rusty fishing boat to Ko Chang hourly (100B, one hour), but it’s often overcrowded and not the safest option.
From Tha Ko Chang Centrepoint, there are hourly ferries to and from Ko Chang’s Tha Dan Kao from 6am until 7pm daily (one way/return 80/160B, 45 minutes). This is also a vehicle ferry – cars and motorbikes can ride it free with every paying passenger. This is a faster, cheaper and safer option than the backpacker ferry and will drop you off closer to the main beaches. A srng·ta·ou from Trat to Tha Ko Chang Centrepoint costs around 60B per person, though be wary of drivers who don’t want to take you straight to the