Ramayana Resort Kochang ( Bangkok)

Resort

Koh Chang , where this exotic resort is situated is the second largest island in Thailand.It is some 315 kilometers from Bangkok,and The Ramayana Koh Chang Resort is located on the central tip of Koh Chang Island .. The only draw back here is that the Hotel is not located on the beach.The beach is a little distance away at a place called Dewa.However it is well connected with regular mode of transportation to and fro to the beach . The island of Koh Chang has many streams and rivers which are fed by the rainfall collected on the mountain slopes of the island. Due to the great amount of rainfall here these streams are very clean and supply water all year round and there are some lovely waterfalls -Than Mayom, Khlong Phlu, Khlong Nonsi to name a few..

The Flight from Bangkok took just about 45 – 50 minutes by the Bangkok Airways flight which has a flight every day.The Resort is only 30 minutes drive from the airport and Koh Chang island is great to explore ,has plenty of high mountains and cliffs and an Abundance of tropical grenery, with the many waterfalls i mentioned earlier. The major attraction here being the highly reputed long sandy beaches which have remained quite excluisive so far. But i am told that is not the case now, because this resort and the place has become quite popular and there is a flood of tourists there all through the year.. The Ramayana Koh Chang Resort , is situated on the western side of Klong Prao beach, and the island has the best long stretch of sandy beach. It is the most ideal place to laze around and witness those magnificent sunsets taxi koh chang.

~~About the resort~~

I was amazed when i saw this place for the first time.It is surrounded by Lush tropical trees and vegetation and looked heavenly.The staff in lovely traditional Thai silk sarongs and the very well done up reception area , everything looked very inviting and top class.

There is a wide range of facilities at the Resort including a magnificent, quite well maintained swimming pool, a shuttle bus service to tourist attraction areas, a well equipped bar, and a range of restaurants serving a good variety of food. It was a pleasue walking through the resort garden and the lanes outside and the beach.There is no rush outside as there isn’t much around here, except the few resorts that are spread out on the island and the beach and the locals who mainly cater to the needs of the tourists.It is all very peaceful and relaxing.

The long stretch of the white beach is absolutely beautiful with a lot of lush greenery and pure blue water.Personally i preferred walking to the beach, as it was just 6-7 minutes from the resort .It was a pleasure walking through the lush surroundings and the tree filled lanes. There are 64 luxurious rooms in the resort , Suite and family suite, all come with private patios, which offers sea view from most rooms, at least ours did. There are 5 restaurants in all. There is ‘ Sritandorn ‘ where the daily buffet breakfast is served from sunrise until nearly noon.

There is a poolside bar, which sems to be the most popular place for guests , having an open terrace Offering snacks & drinks. ‘Kantamas’ Restaurant, the main Eating joint ,so to say ,has a selection of International & Thai cuisine .A nice selection they have there especially the Thai dishes, with a lot of varieties of rice, like rice cooked in coconut milk, steamed rice with fresh root ginger and lemon grass , a great accompaniment to one of their fiery hot prawn or chicken curries called ‘ Gaeng pet ‘ and ‘ Massaman’ .It was really delicious. There is an outdoor BBQ terrace which remains open throughout the day right until midnight and here too one can get drinks, cocktails and barbecues snacks, sandwiches and salads..

Then there is ‘Krairas’ Restaurant which has a wonderful selection of bakery products along with tea and coffee. There is a library here and an Internet corner , a very nice place to relax with some hot puffs, cakes and a cup of hot Coffee and a book while it is raining heavily outside. There is a gym and a spa which according to the other guests who tried it is good but on the expensive side.

~~What to do here~~

The weather here is lovely and more or less the same all round the year except during the monsoon . The best season to visit the island would be between October to May when it is slightly cool and the vegetation at its best soon after the tropical rains.

We were there in July when it rained, rather poured all day!!. It did hamper us in a way, but at the same time, we got to see the resort and the whole island looking its very best, especially soon after a heavy shower, when all the dust got washed away and everything looked clean and fresh. The weather was extremely pleasant and i was surprised to know that they had 70% occupancy even during rains. I am sure at least some of them were availing the off season discount , just like we did. But as i said, that too had its own charm, especially if one was looking for a quiet relaxing holiday.

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