Chalok Lam Bay is a beautiful location at the Northern most tip of Koh Phangan. The area is very under developed with miles upon miles of coast filled with coconut and palm trees. The village folk very friendly and cheerful. The shoreline stretches for some 3 kilometres and the mountains frame the bay for its entirety. This was once a fishing village where industry dominated the seafront and activity until just a few years ago when the rows of drying squid were removed from the beaches to allow tourism to flourish. There are many Thai style restaurants and some new funkier bars in the village seafront with bungalows across the bay also offering food and drink.
There is an elephant trekking camp just south of the village near the Thai (Wat Pra Sanctum) and Chinese Temples. A diving school in the village offers pursuits for the aqua challenged and there are plenty of long tail boats for hire to tour the island or simply go fishing. A cooking school is also available just outside the village near the elephant training camp.
The bay in general is much more laid back than other parts of the island and traditionally people party in the south at the full moon party and then chill out in Chalok Lam. The villagers are helpful and there is a fantastic cool vibe to the place.
Recently I have noticed a lot more watersports featuring in the bay with paragliding from the bay center as one example. Koh Tao is visible in the distance and looks amazing when the storms hit with all the lightening strikes.
The taxi boat service to Bottle beach operates from the center of the island when the weather is good *Bottle Beach is only reached by boat).
Being an island the fish is fresh and excellent value. Chalok Lam has fish caught locally so this is a must.
The accommodation is plentiful and will suit most budgets with a range of different styles of bungalow from backpacker style to much more upmarket accommodation including a new hotel on the seafront in the village. Some examples are Fantasea on the eastern end of the bay which offers fantastic Disney style A frames with first class facilities - the bungalows are directly on the beach. Wattana Resort at the west side of the bay which is very spacious, cheap and offers a very quiet location. In the centre of the bay are other places such as Chalok Lam Bay Resort and many others.
There is another Thai temple in the village and ceremonies are held each day at 7.30 am with all welcome. The funeral ceremonies are very interesting and can last from 3 days to 7 days as the bereaved family keep the deceased company in advance of the cremation. Ceremonies are held daily in the morning and evening with a feast every evening as villagers and islanders arrive to pay their respects. The villagers take great pride when tourists attend. Dress well - nothing daring for the ladies and long shorts for the men - just be respectful.
At Wat Pra Sanctum the head monk Pra Adjan speaks very good English and is very willing to include tourists within the meditation that he leads for the Monks.
