Koh Rong
ASIA · FIESTA SIDE
Cambodia's big island: white sand, warm shallow water, backpacker bars at one end, near-empty beaches at the other, and plankton that glows.
The plan
Koh Touch and Long Set beach
The arrival village is the loud end: bars, hostels, boat tours. Walk 20 minutes north and Long Set opens into kilometres of empty sand.
Bioluminescent night swim
On a dark, moonless night the plankton lights up around you. Boat trips run from Koh Touch; go near the new moon for the best show.
📍 Map & photos · €€
Sok San beach
Seven kilometres of sand on the west coast, reached by boat or a jungle trail. Quieter, more resort-ish, and the best sunset on the island.
Snorkel and island-hop trip
Day boats take in reefs, a fishing village and a stop off Koh Rong Sanloem, usually with lunch and gear thrown in for a flat fee.
📍 Map & photos · €€
Koh Rong Sanloem day trip
The quieter sister island: Saracen Bay's curve of sand, plus Lazy Beach on the far side. Ferries link the two in about 20 minutes.
📍 Map & photos · €
Getting there
Ferry from Sihanoukville
Fast boats run daily from the Sihanoukville piers in 30 to 60 minutes. Most travellers transit straight through the port and don't stay.
Fly to Sihanoukville (KOS)
Sihanouk International connects to Phnom Penh, Siem Reap and regional cities. From the airport it is about 30 minutes to the ferry piers.
Bus from Phnom Penh
Four to five hours on the expressway to Sihanoukville, then the ferry. Book the boat for the same afternoon and arrive in daylight.
When to go
Best time to go
November to April: calm seas, reliable ferries, clear water for snorkelling.
Cheapest months
May to October, when monsoon swell cuts crossings and prices with it.
Priciest & busiest
Christmas and New Year, when the island books out months ahead.
If you've got one day
Morning
Swim off Long Set before the day boats arrive; the water is glassy early.
Late morning
Snorkelling trip out to the reefs, or the jungle trail across to Sok San.
Lunch
Grilled fish and a fruit shake at a beach shack, feet still in the sand.
Afternoon
Hammock, book, repeat. Or hop the ferry over to Koh Rong Sanloem for a few hours.
Evening
Sunset at Sok San, dinner at Koh Touch, then a boat out for the glowing plankton.
Nearby & day trips
Koh Rong Sanloem
Twenty minutes by boat: Saracen Bay for calm water and resorts, M'Pai Bay for cheaper rooms, Lazy Beach for the sunset side.
Sihanoukville
The mainland port you pass through. Worth an hour, not a night: casino towers, half-built blocks and a much-changed beach town.
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