The Monsoon
From about mid-May to mid-October Koh Chang experiences a time when not as many tourists visit.
This period goes by several names. Businessmen call it the low season, local residents call it the rains, meteorologists call it the Monsoon, whilst the PR-minded refer to it euphemistically as “The green season”.
And people can be very sensitive about it. You see it rains a lot. There. We said it. It isn’t that this is a big secret but some people would still have you speak about the weather at this time in hushed tones so that potential visitors aren’t scared away by the prospect of getting wet.
We respect your intelligence more than that. So we’re not afraid to tell you that it rains. Say it again. It rains.
BUT it doesn’t always rain. There are beautiful sunny days and weeks as well and it is a very unfortunate visitor who doesn’t get any good weather.
So let’s play devil’s advocate and tell you the reasons you might not want to come to Koh Chang during the monsoon.
- It rains. I think we mentioned this already.
- The sea may be rough so you might not be able to go swimming or take your boat trip on the day you want. You can still go out a lot of the time though so your patience will usually be rewarded.
- There are fewer visitors so if you’re frightened by long empty beaches then this isn’t for you.
Now here a few things that might make you interested in visiting Koh Chang during the Monsoon months.
- It’s cheap. Simple economics. Koh Chang has lots of nice hotels and resorts. When demand is low prices fall. So you can get rooms in the low season at a fraction of their high season rate. Treat yourselves.
- It’s quiet. If you really want to escape the crowds like in all the ads and the tourist brochures then this is the time for you.
- It’s still sunny a lot. If it rained 24 hours a day for six months then all the locals would have gills.
- Many seasonal waterfalls and rivers flow out of Koh Chang’s hills. This is a great time for a trek through the jungle followed by a cooling dip in a waterfall.
- Koh Chang is basically a big hump of rock festooned with tropical rain forest. So as you’d expect everything is growing like crazy at this time of year and the island is super verdant and beautiful.
- Social Anthropology – This is the time of year when the peculiar human creatures of all nationalities who make up the fabric of the Koh Chang community are at their most visible. Watch and marvel at their antics.
- It is never, never cold and warm rain is one thousand times better than cold rain.
- Some of the electrical storms are pretty cool. You can have lightning, thunder, rain like falling bullets – and then it clears and you’re sunbathing on the beach half an hour later.
- There are amazing sunsets at this time of year.
So now you have the facts you can decide for yourselves. We’ll see you soon.
