Koh Chang Thailand

After making it through the gong show that is the Poipet/Aranyaprathet border we had to arrange our transport to Koh Chang.

We were on a strict time crunch and needed to made the last ferry by 5pm so we weren’t stranded on the mainland without accommodation. Prior to coming on this trip, this was the one day that worried me most.

The Koh Chang ferry terminal (Laem Ngop) is a 4 1/2 hour drive from the border and we had three options to get here. We could rent a private car/driver, hop on a mini bus or the class A city bus.
Both the mini bus and city bus were scheduled to make stops along the way and that meant we had to change transportation in Chanthaburi to get to Trat and the mainland ferry terminal.

It seemed like so many things could go wrong with only 7 hours until the last ferry and because were already shaken and stressed from the border experience,we asked our buck tooth Cambodian guide to arrange us the private driver/car to the ferry.

It was the most expensive option at 2700 Baht (or just over 100 bucks). All five of us were loaded into a Toyota Tacoma like truck, our back packs barely fit in small bed and you couldn’t swing a cat with us squished in the font cab but, we were excited to make the trek and ready for some serious beach time.
It is to bad that our driver did not speak any English so the only communication we had were a few words regarding the ferry tickets. It made for a very long ride. I find taxi drivers to be the best tour guides so I felt very sad that our driver couldn’t converse with us during the long trip. It also made me realize how ignorant I was and how I needed to learn another language.

Logan- pretty much every time we have to get in a car, on a bus or a plane…

Crossing over from Cambodia to Thailand is seriously like jumping ahead 75 years. In the 25 steps it took to cross from one country to the next I seriously felt like I had time travelled.

It was THAT different.

The first thing I noticed was the garbage cans and recycling bins. There were paved roads and sidewalks (imagine) and stop lights. Cars looked much newer and the roads had less mopeds with 6 people loaded on then. Some people even wore helmets!

Immediately, you could also feel the presence of the western world everywhere. KFC, Dunkin Donuts and signs offering lattes and americano’s – it boggled my mind.

Chai tea (our driver to the Cambodian border) would never know (or care) what a latte was and I am sure he would think an americano was his usual customers to the border and not some fancy coffee.

I also noticed how much more expensive things were in Thailand and although by our standards things are still considered cheap, Thailand is not as cheap you think. I loaded up on a few items for our road trip, 5 bottles of water and a box of 5 donuts it was 400 baht or 11 dollars. In Cambodia I bet it would have been less than 1/2 that price minus the brand.

The ride was pretty uneventful and I only thought I was going to die about 3 times. Our driver was such a tailgater and because I am prone to getting car sick I got the front seat.
I swear I hit the floor boards and gasped so many times that I was stressing him out. He kept putting his arm across my chest and telling me “Lady….Lady no worry”

The truck we rode in was brand new but like most taxis it was converted to propane so we had to stop every 150km to fill up. The trip ended up taking closer to 6 hours and my anxiety rose with every stop but when we pulled into the ferry terminal with exactly one hour to spare I high-fived my driver like I always knew we’d be fine.

We made it! GOLD STAR to the Lay family! Once again we felt like team number one on the Amazing race.

The ferry was old and the terminal nothing special (not even a toilet) but the ride over was peaceful (with monks behind us) and more importantly it uneventful. We drank beer and leaned over the side of the ferry to take too many egocentric selfies, breath in the warm humid ocean air and simply relax.

Ferry and terminal to Koh Chang

On the ferry to Koh Chang.
First beer in Thailand-Leo

Once arrived, chaos ensued, negotiations started and we were forced into the back of a truck with 13 other people before being dropped off at the beautiful AWA hotel.

Beautiful it is.
We heard it is one of the fanciest hotel on the island and after staying at the Golden mango inn and being in Cambodia it feels a bit excessive, extravagant and honestly unnecessary.

View from our room at the beautiful Awa Hotel

We spent the first two days here literally doing nothing. Nothing, other than swimming drinking and basking in the sun. We met a nice couple (Josh and JoAnn) who live in Pattaya. They are teachers from Canada who have been living abroad with their children for more than 13 years now. I think they are doing things right. They seem content and happy to be experiencing the world. They had so many stories to share with us about living in different countries and they seemed to be lacking nothing. With no plans to return home to live any time soon, they spoke about buying their first home here in Thailand. I felt very jealous.

We ate Mexican food on our first night on the Island and Thai food in a Greek restaurant on the second (go figure).
We meandered through the streets bartered a bit on a few knock offs and slowed our pace to that of island life.

Yesterday, we ventured out to the beautiful Khlong Phlu waterfall. We hiked up for about 45 minutes before reaching the beautiful cascade. The water was fresh and much colder than the ocean which is 86 degrees and almost the same temperature as the air. The cool pond we swam in was full of the same little fish that naw at your feet in the stalls on pub street. It felt so great to jump in and cool off but super creepy to be swarmed by so many fish who were literally nipping at you.

It costs 200 baht to get into the park and the waterfall is considered protected so if you pack a picnic be prepared to pack out your garbage. If you ever come to Koh Chang it is well worth the trip. Don’t take the tour. It is a rip off. You can easily take a cab to the entrance and do it yourself. I imagine it is much better that way.

At the Khlong Phlu waterfall

Panoramic of swming hole at Khlong Phlu waterfall

After two hours at the waterfall we jumped into another cab and headed to an area known as Lonely beach. It was the highlight of our day and If I (when I) come back to Koh Chang this is where I will stay.

Apparently it is considered the backpackers haven and things are not only cheaper down there, they are a lot more fun. The hotels are no where near as swanky but the music is booming, the bars are flowing with drinks and the beach is sandy and shallow.

The water is crystal clear and you can walk forever and still see the bottom but there are also quite a lot jelly fish so you have to be careful. Ouch. Both Brody and I got bit- lucky by small ones.

Where we are staying is beyond gorgeous and we are grateful for such nice accommodation but honestly, it is boring as hell. For us, we prefer a bit of fun and action. AWA is almost spa like, the pool side music consists of very quiet and slow versions of Kenny G and Celine Dion over and over again. Painful.

The first couple of days we appreciated the tranquil ambiance of this place but now we are ready to amp it up a bit. Have some fun, play some beach ball, order up some cheap drinks, and maybe get a bit tipsy but at 180 baht each (or 7 dollars) for a beer it is not happening at AWA.

We may be becoming cheap, or maybe just a little more local. Travel does that to you.

So, for a second time today we are going to forgo the fancy loungers and expensive cocktails and lay on towels at Lonely beach.

Drinks on Long Beach

Beach ball for hours on long beach

Lounging at Lonely Beach

The girls prefer Lonely beach over Kai Bae (where we are staying) as it caters more to families. Lonely beach has a much younger vibe.
So last night when they asked to take a taxi and go back in the evening for dinner and some fun, Jared and I only had one rule. Stay in touch.

Although the drinking and apparent age to get into bars is 20 here, you get mixed answers from the locals and the Internet. Some say it is 18, some say 21 but it is clear if you are a foreigner rules are very loosely enforced.
I read that if you get caught under age in a bar you are in big trouble. Up to 6 months in jail and 10,000B fine minimum. Josh and JoAnn (our new friends from Pattaya) told not to worry, they told us the girls would be fine, but telling me not to worry is kind of like telling me not to breathe.
So, I told the girls they could go off on their own with only one rule, they had to stay in touch.

When they got to Lonely beach they needed to find wifi so I could contact them. The last thing I needed was a trip to a Thai jail to pick up my little sweethearts.

Needless to say at midnight last night when I hadn’t heard from them in over four hours I was pretty much eating my own hair. One of my biggest down falls, likely the result of PTSD from 10 years of childhood cancer is I am a worst case scenario person.

I couldn’t sleep, the girls weren’t home and I knew they were in some funky bar miles down the island
I woke Jared up, dragged him out of bed and jumped into taxi and together we made our way to the local bar scene in back packers haven.

And there they were.
Happy as heck, having a dance party.

All we had to do was follow the music. It was the loudest bar and Loggie and her friend Dani were front and center right beside the speakers in all their glory busting out their best moves.

One look at me and they knew…..
OH SHIT.
“Mom….there was no WIFI…”

OH SHIT for them- WIFI or not they were coming home.

I wasn’t angry. They weren’t doing anything wrong, it was just the two of them and they actually seemed to be having the time of their life. To be honest, I felt a bit sad for breaking up their fun but I needed to set the ground rules. No contact with the mommy for 4 hours in a bar on a Thai island and it meant that she was coming to find you.

Sucky for them, I am still young enough to know where to look.

They were a bit shaken that I was upset, or maybe just pissed that I pulled them off the dance floor during their favorite song but one thing is certain, they need to know,

It sucks being the parent too.

I always thought I’d be ‘that’ parent. You know the super cool one who lets their kid do anything they want- lets them experience the world, be older than they should, take chances, and have all the freedom in the world but really I am not ‘that’ mom at all.

I’m a cancer mom. I get that things can go seriously wrong when you least expect it so that also makes me the mom who will come looking for you in a Thai bar.

I told them one day they would be thankful for my over protectiveness. I know that day won’t be soon.

And don’t think I don’t realize I have spent so much of my life watching, monitoring and managing every part of Logan’s life that I don’t know how to let her go and trust that she will be ok on her own. I know there will come a time when I have to give her a bit more freedom. There are just so many worries. Medications, brain tumors, dizzy spells, headaches, and my poor Loggie’s memory and understanding of things is not always as good as it should be.
How do you not worry? especially in Thailand?

Anyhow, all is well that ends that ends well. The girls got back to our fancy hotel and they are safe and sound. My nerves are a bit shot, so a glass of wine was in order. I am happy to report I found a local wine shop selling less shitty wine than I’ve become accustomed to so I am feeling more content.

Today we are heading back to Lonely beach, maybe heading further up the island to a local market and pier (Bang boa) and after that we are going to see the Elephants before we leave this paradise for Bangkok.

The girls just told me that they plan on going back to Lonely Beach and ‘out’ again tonight….I nodded…..One thing I can guarantee-
They will find WIFI.

I LOVE Koh Chang.