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BAILAN BEACH, A RELAXING PIECE OF KOH CHANG
Bailan Beach is the first beach you find south of Lonely Beach and yet it’s a beach where it is still nice and quiet. Why? Bailan Beach isn’t among the best beaches on Koh Chang. The beach is narrow and there are rocks on the seabed, meaning you only can swim at high tide. That’s the reason that quite a few hotels located on the beach have a swimming pool where you can take that refreshing dip.
So Bailan Beach is not the place to be for the most beautiful beach but it’s great for that authentic relaxed atmosphere and tranquility. And don’t worry, the popular Lonely Beach is nearby. By songthaew or scooter it only takes 15 minutes. Make sure you have some scooter experience because the roads are narrow and steep. Driving to the south it also takes 15 minutes to get to the Bang Bao Pier. This pier is known for its stores and restaurants. In short, there is plenty to do in the near vicinity, while you spend the night in the tranquility.
Spending the night at Bailan Beach
The accommodations at Bailan Beach compensate for the narrow beach with a pool and sunbeds. The Mercure Hideaway goes even a bit further, it even built a piece of private beach!
Besides 4 star resorts, there is a wide range of 2 and 3 star accommodations at Bailan Beach. Most of them are a bit further from the sea, but there are a few top ones right by the sea. The Koh Chang Elephant Bay Resort is one of them, including a swimming pool. From the resort you have great views of the most beautiful sunsets.
The modern Koh Chang Bailan Beach Resort has bungalows in various price ranges. It offers simple, almost nostalgic and cheap Thai style bungalows that can be found at Jungle Garden.
Good eats and drinks in the Bailan Beach area on Koh Chang
The village of Bailan Beach is not very large, but offers more than enough choice of restaurants. For a beer there is the beer garden of the 3 Trees Guest House, where you can even stay overnight. But it usually doesn’t get really late or noisy at Bailan Beach because bars can be counted on one hand. So don’t expect rows of souvenir shops, but do expect to find a supermarket, travel/tour agencies, massage and pedicure salons, an ATM and a scooter rental shop.
A nice place to get some food and beverages is the atmospheric restaurant Lisca Beach. It’s located on a beautiful small bay. We find this to be a nice place to watch the sun set and have a nice shake or cocktail. The owners are Thai and Italian so in terms of food it’s also good! The Mangrove Hideaway sits right at the other end of the bay, this restaurant and resort has a beautiful wooden deck overlooking the sea and is perfect for a romantic dinner.
One of the most famous restaurants in the small village is the simple Tamarin. You can eat tasty burgers there but of course you can enjoy authentic Thai dishes there as well.
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