Koh Rong is an island located in the Gulf of Thailand. It is the second largest island in Cambodia and best known for the stunning beaches with a jungle atmosphere. It is the perfect destination for a combination of relaxation and the great outdoors. With a vibrant night life, it is a great destination for many travelers. It is a popular spot among backpackers and they have a surprising number of expats living on the island. The residents are actively working towards building the island up more so it will likely be a popular place in the next couple of years.
The Details
How to Get To Koh Rong
When planning your trip, it’s important to know how to get to where you want to go. Koh Rong being a small island means there really is only one way to arrive and leave, by ferry. Many people fly into Phnom Penh, Cambodia’s capital, upon their arrival. From there it is roughly 3.5 hours to get to Sihanoukville to board the ferry. The ferry is then around 45 minutes. In total it will cost less than $50.
A second option is taking a flight directly to Sihanoukville. Depending on your plans before Koh Rong this could make more sense. It is an international airport.
Upon arrival the ferry will go to Kaoh Touch beach. This is the area we recommend to stay in, for reasons explained below.
We recommend using Expedia, 12Go, or Rome2Rio to book your transportation. Ensure that you are taking the ferry to Koh Rong, not to Koh Rong Sanloem. That is the island next door.
How to Get Around the Island
The island is very small but big enough that walking isn’t really an option if you plan to get to the other side. If you feel very comfortable on a motorbike, this is an option. Do note that the last mile before any destination is not going to be on a good road. There is a paved road that covers most of the island but not those last miles. Some of it is in the sand or dirt roads with big potholes. A bike will cost you around $5 a day. Ensure you have enough gas each morning before leaving as there is not a ton of gas options. We rented our bike from the hotel. There’s some people along the beach renting them too. Always wear a helmet and use your best judgement of your skill level regarding ability to traverse rough terrain.
A second option is renting an ATV/Go Kart/Dune Buggy. There are a few of the upper end resorts that offer these for rent. They would be useful for the most part and quite a bit safer. We didn’t rent one so unsure on the cost.
Usually in Cambodia we would recommend downloading Grab and using Tuk Tuks. In our whole time on the island we saw maybe 2 tuk tuks. They would not be ideal for many of the off road sections of the roads.
The Beaches on Koh Rong
Spending time at the beach is the best way to experience this island. Here is our list of favorite to least favorite beaches.
1. LongSet Beach
The absolute best beach we found was LongSet. Though it is one of the bigger beaches on the island, we found it to be mostly empty. There are a few places to stay very close to this beach and it is easily walkable if you plan to stay by Koah Touch. Expect to find only a couple of small beach bars with hammocks. If you like the party vibes, on Saturdays the Nestival is held on this beach. Expect to find a bit of shade under the scattered palm trees. The water here was perfect for playing in the waves. The beach is wide enough to really enjoy laying out.
There are a few places to stay along this beach that are average price.
2. Pagoda Beach
An interesting location is heading to the Pagoda Beach. Upon arrival you’ll notice that it is primarily behind a couple of nice resorts. When we arrived we parked at a resort and asked about the beach. They let us walk through their area to the beach with the only request of not using their beach chairs. The beach is very big and there’s a ton of beach way beyond the resorts. The water here was perfect and it was shallow enough to enjoy walking out pretty far. It was pretty empty beyond the few people staying by their resorts. We did encounter a few jellyfish but nothing terrible. Overall it was very clean. There is one section further away that a lot of trash has collected in the trees.
A couple of resorts are here that are on the more expensive side. This is also where the dune buggies were available to rent.
3. Long Beach
Not to be confused with LongSet, Long beach got it’s name due to being the longest beach on the island. Another name is Sok San beach. It is the perfect beach to enjoy sunset and spend some time laying out. The water is decently shallow. Parking is closer to the road and will require walking down to the beach. Overall it is a clean area. Many of the boats that do the bioluminescent plankton trips (check out our other post about that!) come by this area in the later evening. Our boat also stopped at this beach for swim time.
4. Coconut Beach
One of the less accessible options is Coconut beach on the east side of the island. During our visit they were actively working on completing the road that leads to this beach. So it should be more accessible soon. The beach itself is on the smaller side. There are a couple of old resorts that are no longer being used on the beach. If you are looking for extreme budget accommodation, there are tents right on the edge of this beach in the jungle for $5 a night. The restaurant was a very good price with good food and of course coconut smoothies.
5. Lonely Beach
Lonely Beach is on the north side of Koh Rong. There is a couple of hotels here but we do not recommend staying here. It is hard to get to and only accessible by motorbike which is difficult when carrying your bags. It is also extremely far from the two ferry drop off points. There is very little in this area. The beach is very narrow. This is the beach we encountered so many itty tiny jellyfish stinging us that we stayed in the water less than 10 minutes. If you don’t have the time, leave this one off your list.
6. Koah Touch, the best known beach on Koh Rong
This is the best beach to stay at and the worst beach for a relaxing chill day. It is also the best beach on Koh Rong to experience night life. The ferry drops here making it very accessible upon arrival. The beach primarily has bars and restaurants along it. Due to there not being a road in this area, motorbikes ride along the beach to get from LongSet to the other side of Koah Touch. There are a lot of stray dogs and tons of shops. This is where a lot of the hostels are located. Which they get together and do a fun pub crawl at least once a week. It’s a great area for everything besides a relaxing beach day.
General Recommendations for Beaches on Koh Rong
It is recommeded to stay on Koah Touch for a great time and easy access. Expect to ride a motorbike to get anywhere but expect rough roads. There is not a hospital on the island. There is also only one place to get your money (similar to an ATM) and they have insanely high fees. Plan to bring enough money ahead of time. They use US dollars and Cambodian Riel. The ferry is super easy to access and use. Any question you have is easily answered by your accommodation. Here is a quick list of things we always recommend having for beach time:
- Waterproof phone case
- GoPro or Insta360 with a waterproof case for underwater shots
- Microfiber towel
- Sunglasses, hat, sunscreen (it is hot hot hot on the island)
- Solid sandals (like Chacos or Tevas)
