Lonely
Beach is, in fact, a
place. In order to understand why it has been noded as an idea, read on.
Lonely Beach is a stretch of sand on Koh Chang in Thailand. It was once virtually unknown. At that point in time, there was no place to stay on Lonely Beach; one had to hike there from the nearest bungalow establishment. A smallish trail starting at another beach, Kai Bae, led through the rainforest, going up, going down, and then, all of a sudden, going to Lonely Beach. Palm trees and sand and water. With no (or at least very few) people. Even during high season.
Most of this information could (and can) be found in guidebooks like Lonely Planet and Let's Go. The first surge in popularity led to some development.
Not all development is bad. Treehouse Bungalows was the first guesthouse-like establishment to stake a claim to Lonely Beach. Treehouse is not actually on the beach, and is run by a wonderful Danish lady whose name has been swept from memory into the swamp of forgotten things. To get to Treehouse, once must walk over a rocky outcropping and over a bridge of good make but rickety appearance. The bungalows are made of local materials. The food is wonderful. The hammocks are comfortable. The beer is cold. The sunsets are gorgeous. All in all, people have been known to spend far more time at Treehouse and Lonely Beach than they intended. Even with many guests entrenched, Treehouse and Lonely Beach are delightfully isolated and relaxing.
In the last year, however, Lonely Beach has been developed. The new bungalows are being built in the coconut groves just off the beach, which is not all that large. They are not made from natural materials, unless some brave trekker discovered a concrete palm tree and informed the resort community. The construction has led to the creation of the Lonely Beach Garbage Dump. The developers have paved the way from Kai Bae to Lonely Beach.
Many backpackers have a similar sob story. This one includes a suggestion. By December or so, the new bungalows will be open and advertised. To not take advantage of this beach, you should:
Go to Thailand. Go to Trat. Take a songthaew to the ferry terminal. Take the ferry to Koh Chang. Take a songthaew to the last stop. Walk for about 45 minutes. These directions should suffice.