Nature Beach Resort in Koh Chang, Thailand

We have to admit, we felt pretty lucky after randomly stumbling upon the Nature Beach Resort in Koh Chang. Little did we know that staying at this resort turned out to be the best decision we could have made for an awesome and relaxing vacation on one of Thailand’s islands. For a mere 35 USD a night for a beachfront bungalow, we’d recommend this to anyone who’s visiting Koh Chang.

As seasoned travelers, accommodations play a big role in making us happy during our trip. We usually stay in places that cost around 30 or 40 USD a night and look for something clean and simple, with hot water, but with a certain level of conveniences.

Koh Chang has a wide selection of accommodations from backpacker huts to high-end beachside resorts. All the really nice looking resorts we looked at online were going for 50 USD or more.

We were in for a big surprise when we stumbled across Nature Beach Resort during a leisurely ride around the island’s perimeter. We spotted some bungalows from the road and decided to take a look. Fifteen minutes later we had a key to our room for the next four nights. It turned out to be the best decision we could have made.

We were totally impressed by its design, on-site restaurant, and unbeatable beachfront bungalows. The Nature Beach Resort is home to about fifty bungalows of varying ages and amenities. They are clustered among palm trees and tropical plants and run right up to the beach. The resort is incredibly clean, lively, and provided us with a relaxing yet fun retreat and easy access to the gorgeous beach nearby.

Beach Front Bungalow

We treated ourselves to a beachfront thatched roof bungalow. A few steps lead up to a small balcony with chairs and a place to hang our beach clothes out to dry. Greeted by huge sliding glass doors, these open wide to a room showcasing smooth industrial concrete floor, soothing décor, and simple furniture.

We loved sprawling across the large bed with big fluffy pillows and comforter after a day at the beach. There’s a narrow table that’s home to a flat screen TV and a small recessed area to hang clothes. With the dark curtains open, plenty of natural light streams in and when closed they offer complete privacy. And there’s an AC unit pointed right at the bed.

There are other bungalows, some old and some new, that are only equipped with a fan and no water heater. During the low season (April through October), these go for 450 to 550 baht (15 to 18 USD) per night, with a garden or beach view, respectively.

There is also a family suite, with two bedrooms and two bathrooms, that rents for 3,500 baht (115 USD) a night.

Bathroom

Walking directly to the other side of the room is a set of frosted glass doors with homemade wooden locks that open into a very spacious bathroom. It sports a clear glass sink and a huge mirror with recessed lighting. The roof is opaque, making the bathroom even brighter than the bedroom. We liked that the bathroom has two screened areas above the toilet and the shower that allowed a refreshing cross breeze.

Fresh towels, shampoo, conditioner, and bars of soap are provided on a daily basis. Our bungalow was equipped with a hot water shower, but we only wished the water pressure was better. And for you tall people, prepare to do a Matrix backbend to get your head under the spout!

Nature Rocks Restaurant

The Nature Beach Resort has its own restaurant called Nature Rocks, which is open from 7:30am to 10:00pm. They serve a variety of both Thai and Western meals for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The food was great and we ate several meals there that averaged a total of 300 to 400 baht (9 to 12 USD). There are plenty of tables for small groups of people and the tiered design of the restaurant floor allows all diners to have a great view.

Each morning we woke up and happily took only a few dozen steps before seating ourselves for breakfast overlooking the water. We managed to enjoy the gorgeous view each morning by ourselves since it seemed that most hotel guests didn’t roll out of bed until past 9:00am.

For breakfast, we recommend the banana and coffee mixed smoothie and banana pancakes. Evidently, banana pancakes are a pretty hot item in Koh Chang!

If you are in the mood for Thai food, Nature Rocks’s chili and basil stir-fry with seafood (pad graprao talay) is delicious. If you are looking for Western food, their cheeseburger is really good, too.

The restaurant also has two more beach front decks with short tables and small cushions to sit on. Either is a perfect place for drinking beer or fruit smoothies, or for laying back and watching people walk by on the beach.

Night Life

Nature Beach Resort made it easy to hang out there in the evenings. Nature Bar has a small bar area and dance floor that are right beside the restaurant. We loved the mix of reggae and beach music that constantly flowed from the speakers. Three nights in a row they even had several fire dance performances.

When we wanted to go out, a ten-minute walk took us to Lonely Beach where there are plenty of bars to hang out at. We had to be careful though because the road is a bit dark at night and there is no shoulder or sidewalk to walk on.

Nature Massage

Neighboring the restaurant is an outdoor massage shop where massage services are provided in an open-air shaded room with a fan. Guests can relax on beds facing the beach. To allow everyone a view, there are no privacy curtains. The masseuses make sure to cover you up appropriately when getting a massage and ladies can keep their bathing suit top on.

We were able to walk right up without appointments and both get head, neck, and shoulder massages. For 300 baht each. On the beach. In a tropical paradise. It doesn’t get better than this!

Service

Our bungalow was quite close to the beach, which also meant it was near to the restaurant. Even though music and bar activities were a short distance away, the sound of music and flow of guests walking by our room did not keep us up at night.

The cleaning staff did a great job cleaning our room, providing extra water on request, and getting every last bit of sand we brought in on the floor from the beach.

In fact, all areas of service were excellent. Our unscheduled check-in was received smoothly by the receptionist and the restaurant staff was particularly friendly and attentive. The resort staff also did an excellent job maintaining the property, picking up trash, cleaning tables, trimming plants, sweeping leaves, etc.

Nature Beach Resort Amenities

• Restaurant open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner; Western and Thai
  
• Optional water heater and air conditioning
  
• Laundry facility; toiletries for sale near lobby
• Massage shop
  
• Snorkeling and kayaking rentals
  
• Excursion booking
• Wifi available in lobby area
• Queen size bed; additional bed available on request

Suggestions

Wifi is not available in the rooms but it is available in the lobby and restaurant areas free of charge. However, we noticed it was not password protected, so if you are working with sensitive information or pictures, use with caution.

Overall Stay

The Nature Beach Resort went above and beyond our expectations. We loved that it satisfied our needs for food, entertainment, massages, and beach fun. And of course, it was an amazing place just to sit back with a fruit cocktail and relax.

It had everything we needed, and when we wanted to explore another area of town, we could easily get a taxi. There are several different areas on the island each with a different vibe and good nightlife. When we vacation in Koh Chang, we will be sure to come here again!

Location and Contact Information

Address: 98 M4, (Lonely Beach) Koh Chang Trat 23170
Email: nature_kohchang@hotmail.com
Phone: (081) 803-8933

The Nature Beach Resort is on the southwest side of Koh Chang Island, just north of Lonely Beach. An immediate right turn exiting the hotel leads to Lonely Beach and the downtown area with convenience stores, clothes shops, bars, and restaurants, and an ATM. The walk is approximately 10 minutes.