Koh Chang THAILAND

Perched at the bottom of the western side of Koh Chang, Bang Bao is the island's diving mecca and a jumping-off point for other islands in the area. Tourism has all but replaced fishing as the village's main industry, but it's still not so busy as the beaches in the north and Bang Bao retains a laid-back, breezy feel to it.

Most of the action is on a long pier stretching out into the same-named bay. The pier is lined with private houses, shops, restaurants and guesthouses -- all on stilts; until about half way out. Beyond that the pier has been extended in recent years to allow for larger boats to moor safely.

Once the morning madness has subsided and the dive/snorkel boats have embarked for the day, Bang Bao can make for a pleasant place to unwind -- the end of the pier sports a cute light house and stunning views looking back to the island, and the abundance of Sea Eagles diving for sprats in the shallows are a photographer's dream.

Time and an over-abundance of travellers and day-trippers have resulted in Bang Bao shifting from being a fairly charming little fishing village into a bit of a tourist trap with overpriced seafood restaurants and no shortage of trinket shops. Despite this rising commercialism, Bang Bao remains interesting -- at least for a short visit. There is a photogenic collection of colourful fishing boats moored at the end of the pier, both genuine working boats and those for tourists' pleasure.

A number of restaurants specialise in freshly caught seafood, though watch your wallet as prices can be very high; most places display a menu out front so be sure to have a browse if you are budget conscious. Aside from eating, other activities include fishing, snorkelling and diving boat trips -- there's even a real estate broker here.

To the south-east of the pier area are a few lovely stretches of quiet beach. In front of the gallery at D.Jambe House is a very cute but diminutive beach the locals have recently started calling Haad Sai Noi -- there's a simple bar/eatery here which does good trade but no accommodation. Keep on another km or so and cross a narrow bridge over a lagoon and you're at another beach, Kong Gloi.

Kong Gloi is one of the area's highlights, and the beach has a few huts where you can get a massage and have a snack underneath the palm trees. The beach looks over neighbouring islands and back to the pier at Bang Bao. The beach is very narrow at high tide, with barely a few metres to walk on. However venture here on one of those days when the tide is low all day and you'll be in for a treat, particularly if you value seclusion. There's a small motorbike lay-by for parking on the opposite side of the road from the bridge. Carry on a few km down the road and you'll eventually come to the sprawling metropolis of the Grand Cabana Resort.

Orientation
Bang Bao is a small place, and you'll find just about all the services you could need on the pier.

Internet shops are found on the pier, (1-2B a minute) and a few of the cafes around the square have a computers available. There is also a couple of ATM machines, the easiest to find is the one at the entrance to the pier, where there is also a money changer.

Bang Bao is connected to the rest of Koh Chang by songthaews. They arrive and depart from the base of the pier, in the small town square.

from : travelfish.org