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White Sand Beach today is the center of tourism on the island. Literally hundreds of smaller and bigger shops catering to all sorts of needs are located along the stretch of the ring road that passes the White Sand Beach area. Along the road, there are also dozens of middle class hotels and beach resorts, and hundreds of restaurants and bars nestled in and between them.
The beach itself boasts a white powdery sand that can be found only in a few places on this planet.
Towards the evening, the beach turns into restaurant outlets with tables and chairs on the sand; sumptuous dinners, open air barbeques, with the feet in the sand.
Visitors and residents alike gather on the beach to watch the colors of the daily sunset in the sea. Strolling along the sandy beach past the many venues is a very popular evening activity for many visitors.
Later in the night, the discos, bars and show people start their action and the beach becomes a center of night life activity.
The very special ambiance of this place can hardly be described in words, and many visitors come back again and again since they get hooked to this special place. Apart from White Sand Beach, other beaches and villages are starting to develop on the island.
Klong Son which is home to the Siam Royal View Property is a
fishing village partially built over water. Many small shops, hotels from simple guesthouse to high end resort, restaurants and fresh sea food, a clinic and petrol station as well as a Convenience Store and a Market can be found there. The village and particularly its extended valley are rapidly developing into the islands premier residential location.
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Klong Prao - Kai Bae is the next major stretch of beach south of White Sand Beach. Many new exclusive resorts have opened there and many more are planned or under construction. The Amari Emerald Bay Resort & Spa and the Dusit Princess are among the larger chain hotels there. The villages along the ring road are thus growing in line with development, with shops, conveniences and restaurants, bars and clubs opening for business. A bit further down the coast,
Lonely Beach used to be an insider tip for a secluded beach, now beginning to line with high end resorts.
Bang Bao in the south of the island boasts a unique fishing village built into the bay on wooden stilts. All the houses and structures are interconnected by wooden bridges. Small bars and great sea food restaurants, numerous dive shops, conveniences and other small shops line the walkways. The outline off Bang Bao Bay is increasingly being developed. Bang Bao is the gateway to the southern islands of the archipelago. To the north of the island from Ao Sapparod to Dan Kao the ferry terminals and supply shops dominate.
On the east coast Klong Nonsi is the largest "local" village on the island, host to the government offices of the Koh Chang Subdistrict Administrative Organisation, the police station and one of two public hospitals.
Salak Phet and Salak Khok bays form the southern most part of the east coast.
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