The journey to Koh Chang from Pattaya took about four and half hours in a minibus then ferry boat across to the island.

On getting off the ferry there was loads of taxis which looked a bit like the baht buses in Pattaya but are called schwangs here and are much more expensive. We jumped on one which said it was going to white sand beach where we wanted to stay. Nobody seemed to know what they were doing though and they made a canadian couple get off and on to a different taxi even though they were also going to white sand beach???? We just have to go with the flow. The roads are well built but the island is hilly (and when i say hills they are very steep and windy!).

We got dropped off in the middle of the village and straight away a lady asked if we needed somewhere to stay and showed us her rooms but they were too expensive for our budget. She pointed us in the direction of the cheaper bungalows on the beach so that's the way we went. Taking the final step from the protection of the trees onto the white beach was breathtaking. The island is everything you imagine a tropical island to be. Pure white sand, clear blue and green waters and tall palm trees lining the coast line. We had an idea of where we wanted to stay and thought we could see the place in the distance but before we reached it a friendly, lanky gentleman came out from Pen's bungalows and asked if we needed a room. The bungalow was basic but had a bed and a private bathroom (everything you need when you don't intend on spending much time in it!) and for 200baht a night (around 4.50) we were sold.

We have just left Pen's bungalows today and come further south of the island to lonely beach (where it is aimed more at backpackers) but really didn't want to leave.

I will update on our Koh Chang exploring experiences soon xxx