Koh Chang

Getting to Koh Chang from Siem Reap was a full day. It was an easy and efficient trip but a roundabout one. Thankfully Deb bought us plane tickets, but we had to fly to Bangkok, then to Trat, then bus to the dock, then take a ferry over to the island, then drive around the island to the far side where we stayed at a fishing bay. On our six hour stop over in Bangkok we even managed to store our extra luggage and cab into the city for lunch.

Our stay on Koh Chang was unexpected in many different ways. First off, Marina and I spent a wonderful month there almost 5 years ago. It was a sleepy island, with beautiful beaches, welcoming locals, winding roads, and large hills of dense rainforest. We drove scooters from one end of the island to the other and passed exactly 6 other riders on the entire drive. Speed boats were the only means of reaching the island. It was all hammocks, cold beer, thatched huts, and warm, clear blue waters.

Fast forward. We arrived on the island via one of two ferries, packed with vehicles, themselves packed with Thai families. It is a holiday weekend. There are more cars on the one ferry then there once was on the entire island. As we drive around the island we pass Sandy Beach, the short developed street where we once stayed. But our thatched huts were gone. Everywhere there were resorts. And the tiny stretch of resturants and shops kept going. And going. And going. The clinic that once was a ways out of "town" passed by and the buildings kept passing on and on. It was dizzying. It was a little like driving into Vegreville and finding Reno.

And it rained and rained. The wind blew and the precipitation ranged from drizzle to downpour.

But Deb, Marina's mother, kindly set us up in the Tropicana Resort. So we could hide out in a lovely room and play cards and eat dinner sheltered beside the pool. We no longer had to rely on a plastic bucket of ice, the 7-11 and a couple of 2 dollar hammocks for our leisure time. Room service! Thanks to Deb for saving the day.

It was a bitter-sweet time. We realized that you can't always return to the same place twice.