The Fam Part V: Koh Chang, The First Few Days

After a tasty buffet breakfast at The Davis, we hopped in a sleek and spacious van for the five hour trip to the Aiyapura on Koh Chang (Elephant Island). The trip, on divided highways most of the way, was smooth and quick, delayed only slightly by having to take a ferry across to the island itself. Even from afar the island was gorgeous and much larger than either Koh Russei or Koh Tonsay off Cambodia’s southern coast. The shoreline was sandy at points, rocky at others and tall, craggy peaks dotted the inland portion of the island.

The road from the ferry to the hotel was a taste of what the island as a whole was like: windy and steep, but lush with greenery and small rubber plantations. Upon arriving at the Aiyapura, we were greeted with cold, fresh coconut juice and orchid bracelets. The view from the resort’s restaurant was breathtaking: sandy and rocky beaches, palm trees, the aquamarine waters of the Gulf of Thailand, and the series of hills from which Koh Chang got its name. The resort complex was so large that we were taken to our room by electric golf cart. My sister and I immediately made a pact to “borrow” one before our departure (sadly this did not happen).

Our accommodation was incredible. We had our own private gate which opened to a courtyard and a narrow walkway between two small villas. At the end of the walkway was our own private pool. To the left was the “kids’” villa, complete with a terrace with a similar view to the restaurant, a hot tub, big open room with beds for me, Shanti, and my sister, a large bathroom, and an indoor as well as an outdoor shower. My parents’ villa had an even larger open room, an even bigger bathroom (complete with bathrobes and slippers), and a private sauna. Let’s just say we ended up spending a good deal of time just hanging out in our seaside villas.

Once settled we had a delicious lunch at the Aiyapura’s seaside, as opposed to balcony, restaurant next to a small, man-made beach. As we dined, we noticed a handful of peacocks, male and female roaming the grounds. This place was ridiculous! After finishing our meal, I caught a tiny crab on the beach. We headed back to our rooms to relax, read, and enjoy the beautiful scenery and fresh air.

For dinner, we took a van up and down an incredibly steep and windy road to White Sand Beach. Though the ride was only ten minutes, it gave us a good taste of the island’s geography. White Sand Beach itself was an interesting spot, a mix of backpackers and resort-goers; it felt like it could have been a strip of beach on the American east coast. The two-lane road leading to the beach was lined with bars, restaurants, souvenir shops, and guesthouses. Wandering down to the beach for dinner, however, we immediately realized that this was one of the nicest beaches – soft, cool, powdery sand – we had ever been to. We dined with our feet sunk deep in the sand. We caught a “taxi” – a pickup truck with seats in the bed of the truck – back to the Aiyapura much to my mother’s horror.

On our first full day at the Aiyapura, Shanti and I took a kayak out, crossing the bay to the string of hills that look like an elephant. The trip over was fairly smooth – we had a good rhythm and the tides with us. Once we arrived on the other side, however, the wind had picked up and the water was much rougher. Though it wasn’t as difficult as either of us anticipated, it was more of a workout than expected. After a good buffet breakfast, we took towels and books to the pool. A few hours later, we took the resort shuttle to White Sand Beach. We had a tasty lunch on the beach and then set up shop on the waterfront. The water was so warm, clear, and shallow. Wading out a hundred yards, half our bodies were still exposed and we could see a handful of striped fish interested in our feet.

We took the 5:30 shuttle back to the resort, which turned out to be a mistake as we had to leave the beach just as the sun was setting. We promised ourselves we would return on our last night. Exhausted, the kids villa ordered room service and crashed while the ‘rents went down to the waterfront restaurant for a snack.

The next day was a day of relaxation (as if what we had done already was strenuous). We spent time reading on the terrace of our villa, in the hot tub, and down by the pool. For lunch we ordered at the pool bar, which was literally in the pool. There were stools built into the water and a bar sunken below pool level where food and drink was served. After more relaxation by the pool, we had a drink at the pool bar, courtesy of Shanti. It was a rough couple of days…