Bang Bao Bay

Bang Bao Bay (Ao Bang Bao) is a well protected bay at the southwest end of Koh Chang. It measures about 1 kilometer in width and in length. The quaint fishing village Baan Bang Bao is built on stakes far out into the bay and has become quite a popular attraction.

Roughly a kilometer southeast is a viewpoint, which offers a beautiful view into the bay and the village. Directly behind there is a beautiful sandy beach where there was still no accommodation in 2002. But today Bang Bao Bay has lately become a resort and recreation area with bungalows built on selected scenic sites. The beach at Bang Bao has clear waters with rocks and corals off its shores usually quite quiet. A good place to fish, snorkel and swim.

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. There are plans to widen the pier by 1 meter, extend it by another 250 meters and create a covered walkway, but this might not materialise for another two years.

Many seafood restaurants offer a rich selection of fresh seafood and small shops sell souvenirs or refreshments. 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. Aside from eating, other activities include fishing, snorkeling and diving boat trips.

To the east of the pier area are a few lovely stretches of quiet beach. In front of the gallery at D. Jambe House is a beach the locals have recently started calling Haad Sai Noi. Keep on walking and cross a narrow bridge over a lagoon and you are at another beach, Kong Gloi. One of the area's highlights, this 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.