One of the fabulous things about Thailand is its nature. I visited Kho Chang, (which means Elephant Island), last week for a few days and was bowled over by the stunning scenery! Laying in the southern part of the Gulf of Thailand, near the South China Sea, the island is one of the largest of the thousands islands in Thailand and considered one of the most exclusive. It’s very mountainous and only has one road around the perimeter. Most of the centre of the island is a National Park and contains mountains, gorges and spectacular waterfalls. The whole island is covered in primeval jungle, which has never been touched, except for the creation of foot paths for us to have access to the glorious scenery.

Once you leave the white sandy beaches with crystal clear blue waters, you enter the interior, which has not changed since the age of the dinosaurs! There you can see the trees, plants, fungi and insects of millions of years ago! Exotic flowers are everywhere you look. The many rivers and rapids are teaming with fish of all colours and sizes. This is one if the World’s finest examples of ancient rain forest, full of mahogany, ebony and teak trees. Wild banana trees are everywhere, as are palms of all descriptions, some baring fruit and some displaying their flowers. Armies of ants, treck across your path, on their way to and from who knows where?

Kho Chang is surrounded by smaller islands, some with white sandy beaches, others with rocky shorelines, but all covered with coconut palms and ancient vegetation. People canoe out to these islands and spend the day exploring their interiors, or just luxuriating on the beaches, as the only people there! The Caribbean has nothing on this! Kho Chang is almost untouched and awaits your visit!

We rented a motorbike to get around on, at £3 a day! You can also rent cars and 4X4’s, but I think a motorbike is the best way to see everything. Hotel accommodation is available in all the villages, around the beach areas of Kho Chang and rooms vary from about £5 per night up to over £20, depending on the level of comfort and luxury you choose! But for me, the biggest jewel in the Kho Chang crown is its seafood restaurants. Mussels, Giant Prawns, Tiger Prawns, Sea Bass and Scallops, all fresh from the sea, are available at ludicrously low prices! We ate all of these at one meal and the bill came to less than £15! Everything is cooked to perfection, as only the Thais can do and presented with sculptured vegetables and Orchids adorning the dishes.

Elephants wait to take you trekking at various locations. The charge for this unique way to see the interior is around £7.50 for half and hour, or £15 for an hour! What better way of seeing the primeval rain forest, than sitting atop one of the World’s most ancient animals! This is one of the most beautiful islands in the World. It’s Paradise!

Go Chang! Go Kho Chang!

Tags: Travel Beauty Elephants Hotels

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