Koh Chang - No, the other Koh Chang

Early in the morning - no one could tell us when or if the buses would leave - we went to the 'bus stop'. There can hardly be any talk of an official bus stop. There are no timetables or signs. The bus also does not stop automatically. This only happens on a hand signal. So far, so good. Recognizing the right bus from a distance was more difficult than expected. Solution to the problem: When a larger bus is sighted, stand on the street and wave. The tactics worked perfectly. The second bus was ours.

After a wait of about 90 minutes, we finally set off for Ranong at 7.30 am. We spent the 4-hour journey on the local bus - air-conditioned at least - mostly standing, as all the seats were already taken. The bus was mainly occupied by Burmese people working in Thailand. We made our first acquaintance with Burmese politeness on the bus. Those who could sit squeezed together so that a third person could somehow find a place on the double seats. This was not comfortable, but we were still glad to have found a seat for at least one buttock. Shortly before arriving in Ranong, the bus was stopped by the Thai military. The search was mainly for illegal Burmese workers, as they paid no attention to our passports.

We arrived at the bus station in Ranong around noon. Together with several Burmese people, we took a shared taxi, a so-called songthaew. Space was also limited here. There was no more room for Mättu - he had to, or rather was allowed to, ride on the footboard. ;-) For this, the 6-km ride only cost one franc per person.

We boarded the longtail boat to Koh Chang at around 1.00 pm. The crossing took about two hours. Since we were sitting right behind the helmsman, we had to endure the deafening noise. The propulsion is provided by combustion engines without an exhaust. However, the sea journey was beautiful in terms of landscape. The ship stopped directly in front of our bungalows on the beach and we jumped into the knee-deep water.

After checking in, everything runs very casually on the island, we moved into our deluxe bungalow with a sea view. The luxury refers more to the surroundings and the tranquility. There is no air conditioning or fan, but also no windows. At night, a breeze provides cooling. Thanks to the mosquito net, there is no need to fear mosquitoes either. We liked it here right away.

Koh Chang is a quiet island that is not very touristy yet. The audience was very mixed. Younger and older individual travelers who only spend a few days here, but also those who live here for several months a year. However, mainly people who seek and love peace and seclusion.

We spent our time on Koh Chang with a hike through the 'jungle', fishing (unfortunately only small fish bit), sleeping, reading, and eating. After three nights, our journey continues. We leave Thailand and travel to Myanmar.