Who can resist a major discount on a four-star hotel in Koh Chang? We know we can’t! Koh Chang, Thailand, has been on our travel checklist. As a family living in Thailand, it’s a dream to explore other provinces beyond the major must-see destinations, such as Krabi, Phuket, and Chiang Mai. As one of the most prominent hotel groups in the country, Centara seemed like a good choice for a 4-day, 3-night stay in the province.
Read about our family guide to Koh Chang here.
Our Centara Koh Chang Tropicana Resort Experience
Centara Koh Chang received numerous positive reviews for its location, accommodations, and friendly staff. While others may not completely agree, our little family of three enjoyed its spacious rooms, multiple pools, and proximity to the beach.
Having travelled during the low season, Centara Koh Chang in July was moderately quiet yet well-staffed. The resort is vast and filled with lush plants. There is plenty to see just staying in Centara Koh Chang Tropicana Resort. Still, it is also accessible enough to explore other local restaurants and attractions.
Centara Koh Chang’s Rooms
Centara’s rooms and overall feel are reminiscent of designs popular in the 1990s. Still, compared to newer hotels, they are more spacious. The quality of materials is substantial, so we didn’t hear any of our neighbors at night. The rooms were quite dim, mainly due to the gloomy season. We wished there were some bright lights we could turn on when we needed.
Centara Koh Chang Tropicana Resort’s Breakfast Buffet
If you’re like us, one of the highlights of a hotel stay is the breakfast buffet. The restaurant offers seats with a view of the beach, serving a selection of modest local Thai and international breakfast items. The Thai food offerings include various stir-fries, Jok (Thai rice porridge), and a charming Thai tea and Thai Coffee cart where staff prepare your drinks in front of you.
International selections include pastries, yogurt, sausages, bacon, and pancakes upon request. Kids have their own little spread of kid-friendly meals, including chicken nuggets and finger foods.
The Beach Front at Centara Koh Chang
Centara Koh Chang’s beach is a long stretch of sand and sea shared among hotels. It’s convenient to take a swim and build sandcastles right after breakfast, and then spend the whole day relaxing in hammocks, beach chairs, and swings. Unfortunately for us, the tide is perennially low during our stay, and the shoreline is filled with sharp rocks, shells, and debris. To be honest, I didn’t enjoy swimming on the beach and spent most of the time dipping our toes in what little water we could find and playing with the sand. If I were being brave, I would have gone further for a better chance at swimming, except that the sharp rocks with empty oyster shells were all over the area. The deeper waters were slapped by big waves. If we wanted to enjoy the water some more, we should have booked an island tour or worn swimming socks to protect ourselves from injury.
In terms of swimming criteria, we were better off swimming at the pools or driving a short distance to White Beach, which we saw had finer sand (although with still huge waves).
Sand Flies in Koh Chang
We understand that the sand fly concern is outside Centara Koh Chang’s control. My husband and I had bad sand fly bites just by staying around the beach. We were wearing rash guards and were pretty much covered up, but we weren’t spared from the nasty bites. They were incredibly itchy, which made it hard to resist scratching. We rushed to the nearest drugstore to purchase some ointment and took antihistamines to manage the symptoms. After the trip, the rashes continued to worsen, so we consulted a doctor for medical intervention. It was the one thing that dampened our trip. So, do cover up and try to get some sand bug repellent if you can.
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Mark x Abi 