Koh Chang Grandview Resort

The beach is lovely, and Makro is right across from the hotel. There’s also a 7 11 nearby with an ATM booth. The hotel is old but kept clean. We stayed in a beach villa, where there was quite a lot of sand, and we saw one cockroach. The rooms were cleaned whenever we asked. Breakfast was pretty average, just sausages and eggs. We had to leave a 1000 thb deposit even though we’d paid in full through Agoda, but we got it back.

That beach is just perfect. Walk its whole length, try the swings, and explore. The first massage place on the right, on the same side of the road, was a great Thai massage spa. It wasn’t luxurious, but the massage was high quality, $15 per person for an hour. To the left there’s another shopping plaza with an experienced hair stylist who gave me a great personalized woman’s bob for 200 bhat. Across the road, there’s a fabulous Italian restaurant, plus a Macro and 7/11 directly to the right. No lemon shandies, disappointingly. The hotel is older, but comfortable, with spacious rooms. Everything looked a bit dated, though clean. Keep doors closed because the mosquitos are crazy, and watch out for aggressive ants. Keep food out of the room, or at least don’t eat on the bed and leave crumbs. The morning breakfast had omelets and eggs, toast, jam and a few local Thai stir fries. We went off season and got a steal. Kho Chang reminds me of Kauai, with the mountains, beautiful water and lush forests, plus hiking and waterfalls. Songtaeos charge ridiculous prices and won’t negotiate much. If you aren’t renting a scooter, this beach is the best area to stay because everything is well situated. Be ready to pay for songtaeos or rent a scooter if you’re staying longer. The hills and curves are serious, so riding can be a challenge if you’re inexperienced. We saw plenty of people unable to get up some hills, and walking is hard in the intense heat. Songteos will meet you at the dock, so be ready to bargain, and remember to smile, you’re on vacation.

We spent three weeks here while sea wall repairs were underway. The construction was disruptive, but it needed to be done. The staff couldn’t have been more helpful throughout our stay, even though they and the guests seemed to come second while the owners had major work going on. I saw the owner during our visit, and she didn’t smile at anyone. Once the work is finished, this hotel is going to be a cracker, especially with the staff they have. We’ll definitely return next year.

We stayed in two different room types, and both were actually pretty good. The place was quiet, which I liked best. There was also a fire show at the beachfront bar at night, a great experience. Breakfast had lots of options, the sea views were beautiful, and the rooms were clean and tidy. Staff were really friendly too.