Koh Chang PT. 2 - Stuff You Face

Thai food, it is so much more than curry or spice. While dinning in Thailand I found myself overwhelmed with the choices of food on the menus at every place I went. Sure, some places are going to better than others, but the key is to have a good understanding of what to order. One thing I can guarantee is that you will enjoy some of the best seafood ever.

First and most important for someone like myself is.....Coffee! Where can I get a good quality made latte or cappuccino? I have previously worked for Starbucks, but left the company with quite a distaste for their coffee. I actually will sometimes go without coffee than to give in to buying a cup of coffee from "BigBucks." In Koh Chang I found "Marin Coffee." With two locations on opposites ends of White Sand Beach ya can't lose. They only have one size for most of their drinks, but I must say the latte I had each day was delicious. They also have some good Thai candies. 
Ok, enough crazy coffee talk, lets get into the food. Most importantly is to have a decent understanding for how to pick out fresh seafood, especially fish. Every place you go will have seafood. My good friend and I ate BBQ fish every night as well as grilled squid. In addition the vegetables are a must, with things like Morning Glory sautéed in Thai spices(Warning this dish can be quite spicy). Another big favorite of mine is the Green Curry Soup that you can find almost everywhere as well. This is a semi-spicy dish made with Green Curry, plenty of coconut milk, green eggplant, lemongrass, and tastes best with chicken or shrimp. I had this dish at every restaurant until I found the best one. Nong Bua Seafood had the best Green Curry I had in Koh Chang, however the overall food was only so so. This place is always busy for dinner and don't get me wrong, the food was great, but I had better nights before. Right next door was however the best meal I had on the island. Kai Mun a.k.a Boogie Chicken, had some of the best roasted BBQ chicken, Thai fried rice, morning glory and many others. This was actually the only place I at dinner at multiple times. If you are on Koh Chang and in White Sand Beach...This place is a must stop-eat-spot. If you find yourself exploring the island and make it down to Baan Bang Bao be sure to take a walk down the long wooden pier. Located halfway down the pier is NokNoi seafood. Located on the water surrounded by nice scenery and topped with great seafood you will not want to leave. After a seafood lunch of grilled Red Snapper, BBQ Squid, Thai Fried Rice, Oysters, Crab, Green Curry Soup, some sort of Thai Chicken dish, a huge plate of sautéed veggies and plenty of Singha Beer my friend and I just couldn't leave. Not only because of the view, but because we couldn't walk. During the 11 day trip there was plenty of more food, but only one other place is worth mentioning and it is not exactly worth mentioning because of the food...Bamboo Restaurant was above average with a very very good Pad Thai, but what the best thing is the location. Located on the beach you can grab a couple of beach chairs at 10am and enjoy the beach until the night rolls in. I spent more than 8 hours each day at this place with plenty of beer and food as the sun baked all of the tourists. The drinks are good and like I said the food is not bad, the kicker is that for about $35-45USD( 1,000-1,300baht) you can enjoy the whole day with the price of the chair include. I think to rent the chair was about 30baht($1.02) and with a huge lunch and cocktails...this location is well worth the money.
On a final note, be sure to check out the street food, especially during the night. There is a few guys running a pancake/crepe item from their motorbikes. This is a good sweet snack, but be sure to look for the guy who has loud dance music going. He is great, dancing and singing as he makes the food for each customer. Also located on the main road in the evenings near a bar called "Sand Bar" is a long stretch of food vendors. If your in the mood for a drink with your street food, keep your eyes and ears open for Lambada Bar. Lambada is a bar that is made out of a VW Van. Fully loaded with a great sound system, light show, and of course FULL Bar...you will not be disappointed with the experience. The rest is up to you to explore. Enjoy...

Koh Chang PT. 1- Getting There

February 2013 marks the second time I holidayed in Thailand. On this adventure I chose a little more less "Crazy" Thai experience and took a journey to lovely Koh Chang. Koh Chang is one of the largest Thai islands and gets its name from the islands shape. Chang is the Thai word for "Elephant" and the island is shaped just like an Elephant.
Traveling to Koh Chang from Bangkok is a little different than most people's vacations. You can opt for a flight on Bangkok airways for as low as $70(one way). The flight is about 45 minutes and will take you to the city of Trat. From there you will need to source a taxi or bus to the ferry station in order to travel to the island. Total ferry trip is about 45 minutes. My good friend and I decided on a Bus ride from Bangkok to Koh Chang. For 800baht($27usd) you get a round trip ticket that will go direct from the Bangkok airport to the ferry in Trat the to Koh Chang. Suggest to find bus #392 on the 1st floor of airport. The bus trip is about 5 hours with a 30 minute stop for a simple yet delicious lunch. The bus is scheduled to leave at 7:50 am, but expect delays because they don't want to leave until they can fill the bus. We left at about 8:45 arriving at about 4:45. Once on the island the van company will drop you at centrally located areas near the beach your hotel is. I was staying on white sand beach. This is the biggest of the beaches, with the most activities like shopping and dinning very close. Once you've checked in I highly suggest renting a motorbike. Safety is a big concern because they drive on the left, Koh Chang is quite hilly and being a defensive driver is key. Motorbikes generally will cost you anywhere from 200-250baht a day(less than $10). I opted for 250baht because my bike was newer with good tires, breaks and easy to handle. While driving around I would avoid the North part of the island near the ferry, the hills are VERY steep even for experienced riders. However venturing south to the pier is a enjoyable ride with a view large hills but easy to accomplish if you stay slow and keep your wits.. Now that you've arrived enjoy yourself and let loose.