ccc

I'm starting to plan next summer's family trip - need to start a long way ahead of time when you need six frequent flyer seats - and was thinking of Koh Chang as a place to go for a few days of relaxing and doing nothing. I know summertime is supposed to be a good time for the Gulf of Thailand, Koh Samui, etc. but was confused by the fact that the nicer hotels on Koh Chang call this time low season. What's up?

rhkkmk

ccc---just some hotel notes for you...many of the places to stay on chang are very rustic...in fact the place next door to the barali, where i stayed, is all huts...some are two stories and we saw one three story...they are very very rustic from the outside---all grass/thatch buildings with what looked like a bath at the back...might be neat for the kids but pretty rustic...it is the property just to the north of barali--i don't know the name...

barali is nice ---all bungalows...food is not good but there are good options at tropicana next door....

amari emerald cove is the nicest we saw and the food is excellent...it just opened this year...great stretch of beach...

rhkkmk

to answer your question, i was there in june and it was basically nice with a few showers that last for one hour or less...i think the frequency increases into september when it rains quite a bit...

ccc

Bob, The fact that it's not totally developed yet is just what appeals to me. It's funny, looking at the map it looks as though it would be subject to the same weather patterns as Samui, which doesn't appeal to me. Guess I'll have to keep thinking/reading/asking for suggestions. Thanks.

JamesA

If you can give us an idea of what you are looking for, you can be as wildly specific as you want I am sure you will gets lots of ideas.

Tell us how you want to spend your day, around the pool, swimming in the sea, spa and massage(if important ), take tours or liunge around your resort, do you want to visit temples, perhaps sea trips, anything in the way of sports? Golf/tennis or whatever, in the evenings do you just want a quiet dinner at your hotel or perhaps shopping in local markets, quiet or lively restaurants, are you after just a few places for a quiet drink or once in a while a lively bar(?), is entertainment any concern.
I am not saying we will find your 'ideal spot on place' but we should get close !

Many on thise board have traveled entensively throughout Thailand and some of us live heear, so be bold and damanding of us!

rhkkmk

i would think chang similar to samui but they are quite a distance apart...they do not compare in development in any way....both have things that kids would like...samui is more sophisticated i think in many ways...chang is like going to small town maine, while samui is like going to martha's vineyard (without the clintons)....

ccc

JamesA, Thanks for the offer. To be more specific, we're looking for a place for a few days of down time during next summer's trip. My wife and I spent our first anniversary 15 years ago in Krabi and loved the atmosphere and vibe so if I really had to pinpoint it, I'd say I'm looking for something akin to Krabi 15 years ago. The only catch is that this will most likely be in the July-August time frame, so I know weather in a lot of places is not optimal.

JamesA

That's a perfect description! Oh how I remember when there was really a beach at Ao Nang and the Ao nang resort was about the only decent place to stay, long tail to the islands and hardly a soul!....memories!

Anyway, back to reality, I 'was' going to suggest that perhaps you looked at some on the small island resorts around Phang Nga/Krabi but then noticed time of year, well Summer is rainy season, so based on that you really need to stick to the Gulf area. Koh Chang is a possibility but another area you could think of is Koh tao and Koh Phangan ( Koh Phangan is famous for the Full Moon parties but outside of those few days it tends to be not that busy ). Top get to those places you either fly to Koh Samui and take a boat or depending if you still that adventure spirit you van take an overnight train or an express bus to Chumphon and then take the Jet-Catamaran. Koh Tao is very much a place for divers but slowly it is catering to a wider 'clientele'. If you fancy island hoping by boat it's not a bad area to be in.

here are some photos and some ideas of what these days is available on those Islands:

Koh Phangan - Green Papaya Resort:
http://www.r24.org/huahin.20m.com/ko...paya/pictures/

Koh Phangan - Panviman Resort:
http://www.r24.org/huahin.20m.com/ko...iman/pictures/

Koh Tao - Coral Grand:
http://www.r24.org/huahin.20m.com/ko...rand/pictures/

Koh Tao - Sensi Paradise: This has family houses and the kids would probably enjoy it:
http://www.r24.org/huahin.20m.com/ko...ensi/pictures/

This site shows you those locations and also the route operated by the Jet Catamarans, if you are really adventurous they do a bus/Jet-Cat service direct from Bangkok, overnight or a very early departure in the mornings:

http://www.lomprayah.com/E/route.html

If you wanted to overnight on the way you could nightstop in Hua Hin or Chumphon( Chumphon Cabana resort is the only good place in Chumphon area )

But if you want to hop on a flight to Trat to get to Koh Chang that takes just 40 mins, Bob was there recently. I think if you are harking back to idylic days around krabi you would find those island off Chumphon about the closest, and it is not too far if you wanted to take a day or so down to Krabi, as that time of year is not too busy you could book a few days in one place and if the weather looks good head down to krabi area for a look see and you can say "I remember when......"

ccc

JamesA, Excellent! This looks like a great solution as well as being relatively straightforward to get to (yes, I've definitely outgrown the days of overnight trains and buses wherever possible). Do you think Koh Tao and Koh Phangan would have better weather than Koh Chang in the July/August time frame?

Re Krabi, we do have such incredibly excellent memories that I'm afraid going back would be a real letdown, especially in what I perceive to be its current incarnation.