After a few days, we moved from Bao Bao to a new hotel further north on the west cost of Koh Chang in the little town Kai Bae. Because we could first check in afternoon, we decided to rent a scooter that. In Kai Bae, there are plenty of places to rent a scooter. We found a place just a couple of meter down the road of our new hotel. For one day, the rent was 200TB. Koh Chang is a very hilly road and therefore the streets a quite steep and winding. But already after a short while you get used to it and the street conditions good. On the east side of the island the streets are also flatter and there was almost no traffic.

Than Mayom waterfall

Our first stop was the Than Mayom waterfall on the east coast. It was a beautiful small waterfall with no other tourist around. To get to the waterfall you have to pay an entrance fee of 200 Bat and then take small walk for about 15 – 20 minutes. If you want you can also take a swim in the river but don’t get too close to the waterfall otherwise the guard will stop you. The cold water was a blessing, because it was so warm. It was really hard leaving the waterfall to continue our tour around the island.

Mangrove forest – Ban Salak Kok

We continued along the ring road towards the mangrove forest Ban Salak Kok. On the way, we drove through little charming villages and palm tree forests. The ride was just so calm and peaceful – it was simply amazing. It was the complete opposite compared to the west side of the island. The reason for this are simply the lack of hotels. Hopefully it continues to be this way but every now and then we passed a sigh introducing a new planed hotel.

At some point, we left the main road and turned on a little gravel road. After a while, we parked our scooter and continued by food. The first goal was to find a restaurant, which was not hard at all. On a small peer, we found a little Thai restaurant. To get to the restaurant you have to walk of sometime through the narrow streets of the villages, which allows you to get some insight of the daily lives of the families living here.

After our delicious meal, we decided to head back to our hotel because dark clouds were gathering at the sky. We should not have arrived one minute later at the hotel because just when we arrived it started to rain cats and dogs. When the rain moved on, we went to the beach and tried to photograph lightning.

For dinner, we went into town again and ate whole grilled fish, half a kilo of shrimps and some rice. What a dream! Why can’t every day end like this?!

Tips for a scooter tour on Koh Chang

• Check your scooter carefully before you start and show the damages to the rental agency
• Insist on a helmet! We saw some accidents on the way.
• Take the time and drive to the East Cost of Koh Chang – it’s really worth it! The roads are empty and driving is really relaxed.
• If you are unexperienced ride a scooter than it is better to drive during the day because at night the roads are not lighted.
• Remember to bring an international driver’s license, it might be required when renting a scooter.