Long Beach, Koh Chang
The verdict
- Best for: Travellers who like to go further, snorkellers and anyone after a genuinely quiet cove and clear water away from the west coast strips, willing to earn it with a rough track or a boat.
- Best spot: The clear water over rock and reef close to shore in calm dry season conditions, mask on, with the cove largely to yourself.
- Know this: This is a remote beach reached by an unpaved track or a boat, with minimal facilities, so it rewards the effort only if you want quiet and snorkelling. For easy sand, stay on the west coast.
Published 17 February 2026. Last reviewed 11 May 2026
Long Beach, or Hat Yao, is the beach you reach when you have decided the west coast is too easy. It lies at the remote southeast tip of Koh Chang, well off the main strip, a small quiet cove of sand and rock with clear water and patches of reef close in. There is no road that simply delivers you here. You earn it, either on a rough unpaved track that suits a confident scooter rider or a four wheel drive in the dry season, or by boat from Bang Bao or Salakphet. That difficulty is the whole point: it keeps the cove almost empty and the snorkelling among the best you can reach from the island itself.
What you get for the effort is stillness and water. In calm dry season conditions the sea is clear over the rock and reef, and you can snorkel straight off the shore with the cove largely to yourself, which is a rare thing on a busy island. It is a beach for swimming and looking under the surface rather than for lying on wide sand, and for the kind of traveller who would always rather go one valley further, it is the highlight of Koh Chang. The quiet is real, the scenery unspoilt, and the reward proportional to the trouble of arriving.
The honest note is to go in with eyes open. The track is genuinely rough and can be impassable after rain, the facilities are minimal and not guaranteed, and there are no lifeguards, so this is a self sufficient day. Bring your own water, food and snorkel gear, go early, check conditions and have your way back sorted before you set out, and do not attempt it in the green season when the track turns and the sea roughens. If you want easy sand and a lounger, Klong Prao or White Sand will serve you far better. But if you want a quiet snorkel cove that takes real effort and pays it back, Long Beach is the one that rewards going further.
What is here
Long Beach is a remote cove with little or no service rather than a club beach. We describe the setting factually and route enquiries through our directory; we never invent venues, prices or amenities.
Simple bungalow operation
At times a simple bungalow operation with a basic bar or kitchen runs at the cove, but it is small and not guaranteed open, so do not rely on it for food or drink. Whether it is operating, and any rates, are set by the owner and to be confirmed.
Boat trips from the south
The easiest way to enjoy the snorkelling here without the track is on a boat trip from Bang Bao or Salakphet that includes the southern coves. Operators, routes and prices are independent and to be confirmed, and trips depend on the season and the sea.
Long Beach sits at the remote southeast tip of Koh Chang, well beyond the west coast strips. There is no easy road in. The two realistic ways are a rough unpaved track that suits a confident scooter rider or a four wheel drive in dry conditions, or a boat from Bang Bao or Salakphet on the south coast. You still reach the island first by car ferry from the piers near Laem Ngop in Trat province, roughly five to six hours from Bangkok, then cross and make your way south and east. The track can be impassable after rain, so check conditions before you commit. Conditions are typical and never guaranteed.
Treat this as a self sufficient day out. Go early to have the light and the calm water, and sort your way back before you leave, since few people pass this way to help if a scooter fails. Bring plenty of water, food, reef safe sun protection, insect repellent, your own snorkel gear and sturdy footwear for the rock and the track. Mind the rock and current in the water, do not snorkel out alone or in poor conditions, and skip the southeast entirely in the green season when the track turns and the sea roughens.
Plan a snorkel day to Long Beach
Tell us your date and party and we will point you to the right west coast base and a southern boat trip to pair with a Long Beach snorkel day around Koh Chang, with the quiet cove and clear water the southeast is known for. No charge to enquire.
Common questions
Is Long Beach on Koh Chang worth the effort to reach?
If you want a quiet snorkel cove away from the west coast scene, yes, Long Beach, or Hat Yao, rewards the trip out to the remote southeast tip with clear water over rock and reef and far fewer people. If you only want easy sand and a lounger it is not worth the rough track, and Klong Prao or White Sand are the better call. It is a beach for those who like to go further.
How do you get to Long Beach on Koh Chang?
Long Beach sits at the remote southeast tip of the island, reached by a rough unpaved track that suits a confident scooter rider or four wheel drive in the dry season, or by boat from Bang Bao or Salakphet. The track can be difficult after rain and in the green season, so check conditions, go early and have a way back sorted before you set out.
Is Long Beach good for snorkelling?
It is one of the better snorkel spots you can reach from the island itself, a quiet cove with clear water over rock and patches of reef close to shore in calm dry season conditions. Bring your own mask, since facilities are minimal, watch for rock and current, and the green season clouds the water. Conditions are typical and never guaranteed and there are no lifeguards.
Are there facilities at Long Beach?
Facilities are minimal. There may be a simple bungalow operation or a basic bar or kitchen at times, but you should not count on it, so bring your own water, food, sun protection and snorkel gear. This is a remote cove, not a serviced beach, which is exactly why it stays quiet.
When is the best time to visit Long Beach?
The dry season from November to April is the time, when the track is firmer, the boats run and the water is clear and calm for snorkelling. The green season from May to October makes the track difficult, the sea rough and cloudy and any small operation may close, so the remote southeast is best left for the dry months.
