Hitting Chang Island

It was definitely a hit and run. Nonetheless, nothing tragic happened in fact it was an experience worth doing over and over again.

SCHOOL TOUR:

It is an annual activity for many of the public schools here in Thailand. They allocate a huge budget for this yearly tour for teachers scheduled usually during summer break. For this three-day tour, each of the teachers has only have to pay a thousand baht which would cover the food, accommodation and the transportation. Last year's destination was in Prachuap Khiri Khan while this time, we hopped on the island of Chang or popularly known here as Koh (means: island) Chang.

KOH CHANG:

Rocky Beach at Chang Island

Koh Chang, Trat’s largest island, is the second largest in Thailand, behind Phuket. The interior of the island is  mountainous and covered with tropical rainforest.

It may not be as famous as Phuket but this island is also a favorite to many tourists who doesn't like to be with so many people. It has many white sand beaches where tourists would have a treat to various water-related activities such as swimming, diving, snorkeling, speed boating, among others. As it is one of the many summer destinations in this country, it also has a wide choices of hotels and restaurants and many shopping centers as well. 

VIP BUS:

The VIP Buses

Think of a traveling home. A VIP bus is so much like it. Traveling by it gives every traveler the comfort and ease while on the road. This bus features on-board entertainment such as movies (but are usually dubbed in Thai), music, karaoke with really good quality of microphones and speaker systems. The reclining chairs give every passenger the needed movements for stretching. The air-condition is at its best so passengers will never have to complain about the heat inside the bus. On the other hand, too much coolness is never a problem too because every passenger is provided with a warmer blanket. Aside from that, this bus features toilet, bar space and complimentary food and snacks. 

LONG DRIVE:

We departed from Phitsanulok at around 9 o'clock in the evening (April 2) loaded in two big VIP buses. It was a long drive but it wasn't a "long night" at all. Taking a deep sleep in the bus wasn't that hard because the trip was a smooth one. The best thing about traveling by bus here is that you will never have to be bothered by bumpy roads. There maybe some winding parts but they are all plain even those streets going to the smallest towns.  It is also worth mentioning that sleeping passengers here in Thailand never get to be disturbed with loud horns in the streets. Drivers seldom blow their horns thus giving everybody a peaceful rest. So, after 10 hours of travel I woke up at Trat Province where Koh Chang is part of. After a hearty breakfast, we hit the road again off for the group's main island destination. 

HIT and RUN:  

Enjoying Sunset at White Sand Beach

Upon arrival and settling down at Alina Grande Hotel and Resort, we directly took a 15 minute-drive heading to a smaller island for snorkeling activity. There was not much to see though except for those small blue fish which were really beautiful. The corals aren't that amazing anymore because I have seen much better in the Philippines before. I caught a view of the sunset at the Koh Chang White Sand Beach right in front of the hotel where we stayed and it was beautiful. There were several people swimming in the beach and several others on the sea-shore bars having dinner or just having drinks. Others were taking photographs of the majestic view while others were simply enjoying the calmness and the serenity of the moment. 

Sumptuous Dinner at Alina Grande Hotel and Resort

Next, was the superb dinner hosted at the hotel.  It was a seafood dinner. It was superb. It was unfortunate though that I did not totally enjoy the food because I had a stomach trouble since I came home from my Laos travel. So instead of staying longer with the group for the karaoke and drinking party, I went out to take a walk at the enliven sea shore. The night was alive in there. I would have wanted to stay longer but my stomach just wanted me to go back to the hotel for some medicines.

The next day I left the island with quite a heavy heart because I wanted to extend but then again also excited because I was to hit the road not going back to Phitsanulok but to another island adventure. 

KOH CHANG AGAIN?   

Playing with the Sunset:  Lovely Laura and Cerys Bennett from United Kingdom.

Officially, we only stayed in Chang Island for one day and one night which makes my stay very brief to tell you more about the whole place. But there is one thing that I am sure of, I would definitely go back in there and this time for a much longer stay and for a longer and better story.