Koh Rong was my favorite place that I visited in Cambodia. I spent 5 days there during the rainy season, and then regretted that I didn’t stay longer! This island is super charming and lowkey. I loved the small island feel and the plethora of both land and sea activities. In this post, I have written about everything you need to prepare for the best trip to Koh Rong.
Best Things To Do On Koh Rong
Have a Beach Day
There are so many great beaches to choose from on Koh Rong, as they lie along the coastline of each of the villages and resorts. On Koh Touch and Longset Beach, there is a nice offering of beach bars, too. If you are down for a bit of adventure, you can access more secluded beaches (such as Lonely Beach on the quieter northern side of the island) via motorbike.
Go Snorkeling
This can be done directly from a few points around the island, especially near Koh Touch and Longset Beaches. For the best information about conditions and where to snorkel, ask your accommodation or scuba rental provider. Otherwise, you can book a snorkeling tour which will come with a boat trip, a guide, and some of the coral reefs around Koh Rong that aren’t accessible directly from the shore.
Learn How to Scuba Dive
As to be expected, any place with coral reefs typically has at least a couple of dive operators. The main scuba schools are in Koh Touch Beach and Longset Beach, and they offer a range of services from “discovery dives” to Open Water Scuba Diving courses and fun dive trips for those who are already certified.
See the Bioluminescent Plankton
Seeing the bioluminscent plankton while visiting Koh Rong was such a unique experience that I would recommend to everyone! There are many operators providing tours for seeing the plankton, which you can find along Koh Touch and Longset Beach. If you’d like to see them on your own, the best places to see them are at either end of Koh Touch (near Police Beach or Treehouse Bungalows) and at the end of Longset Beach closest to Koh Touch. The best way to see the plankton is to go swimming after dark and away from light pollution. Bring a snorkel mask for seeing them better underwater and splash your hands and feet around, because they only glow when agitating the water.
Book a Day Tour
There are a few tours that can be booked directly from Koh Touch or Longset Beach, or from your accommodation. The most popular day tour on Koh Rong is a snorkeling tour, which includes a boat, a guide, snorkel gear, lunch, fishing, a stop at the beach on Koh Rong Samloem, and a night swim with the bioluminescent plankton! Scuba diving courses or fun dives (for certified divers) can be booked from the dive centers in Koh Touch and Longset.
Take a Trip to Koh Rong Samloem
This smaller nearby island is less visited than Koh Rong, but has many of the same gems. Boats leave from the pier at various points throughout the day and cost anywhere from $5-$15. The cheapest option is to take the supply boat rather than a ferry. Tickets can be purchased anywhere near the piers at tour agencies or ferry companies. Good places to stay on the island include Saracen Bay (the busiest and most built up), M’Pai Bay (backpacker oriented), and Sunset Beach (more rustic).
Rent a Motorbike
While not all the roads are paved yet, Koh Rong is still best explored by motorbike. The loop that goes around the island takes a couple of hours, but there are plenty of cool spots along the way to make this a fun day trip.
The best places to stop include Long Beach, Sok San Village, Prek Svay fishing village, Longset Beach and Koh Touch. I highly recommend a lunch stop at Natural Kitchen in Prek Svay, owned by a French-Khmer couple. It’s a bit pricey, but the food is all homemade (including their coconut milk), the portions are large and very tasty, and the view of the river and mangrove forest combined with the homey ambience make it feel like a magical little spot. This place serves only a couple of options on the menu and they change daily based on their fresh meat and produce on hand.
I also recommend going to Lonely Beach and the Prek Svay Waterfall on the northern side of the island during the dry season. (During the wet season, the road to these two stops is currently unpaved, so it gets extremely muddy and nearly impassable or at least not enjoyable.)
Go Kayaking
There are numerous outfitters that rent kayaks around the beaches in Koh Touch and Longset. It’s also possible to rent kayaks around the main beaches, but in particular I would recommend kayaking through the mangroves along the river in Prek Svay fishing village, where you might spot monkeys or river otters.
Lounge in a Hammock
A hammock with a view is my kind of chill day. If there isn’t one at your accommodation, there are several hanging up around the beach bars on Koh Touch!
Hang out in Koh Touch
Koh Touch, being one of the main villages on Koh Rong, has tons of restaurants, bars, and shops, as well as a beautiful beach. Here you can sample different eateries, go snorkeling, rent kayaks, hang out, or indulge in one of the many adorable beach bars.
Party it up at Nestival
Nestival takes place every Saturday at Nest Beach Club, tucked away at the end of Longset Beach on the side closest to Koh Touch. This is the place to go on Koh Rong for live music, DJs, and a good party. While Nestival is their main attraction, they typically have events going throughout the week.
Where To Stay On Koh Rong
There are four main areas to stay on Koh Rong, each with their own unique vibes and attractions. There is truly something for everyone.
Koh Touch Beach
I absolutely loved Koh Touch. It’s small enough to be quaint but big enough that there are so many great options for lively beach bars and good restaurants. This place is good year-round, as it is the main village on Koh Rong and thus easier to meet people. When I was there in July, there weren’t a ton of other backpackers but I did befriend a group of expats. In terms of amenities, this beach has it all, including plenty of options for hostels or higher end accommodation, lots of bars and restaurants, bike rentals, a tattoo shop, a scuba shop, snorkeling tours, and more! At night on Koh Touch, street vendors take over the beach pierside with stringlights, plastic tables and chairs for their beach dining guests, while the beach bars on the eastern end light up, play music, and the bars fill up with people who want to chill out, dance, and have fun.
Longset Beach
Longset is a little more what you would expect from your stereotypical island vacation: a long stretch of sand lined with palm trees and beach chairs, unhindered by the resorts, which sit further back behind the treeline. Here, they cater to couples, families, and those seeking more of a resort experience. Longset Beach has a lot of amenities to offer anyone, such as plenty of options for accommodation, including budget friendly hostels, a variety of restaurants, a scuba and snorkel shop, boat tours, bike rentals, and the like.
Sok San Village
This village is more traditional, while the latter two offer more western options in terms of vibe and food. If you are looking for a less touristy, more traditional Cambodian feel and still want some solid beach time, Sok San Village is a good option. There are several guesthouses on this beach with a range of local food restaurants. The beach is less busy and also really beautiful! When I was there in the rainy season, there were very few tourists there, which felt a bit lonely while I was biking through, so I wouldn’t recommend it for that time of year if you want to meet other travelers.
Prek Svay Fishing Village
For something different and even more off the beaten path, Prek Svay fishing village has a few accommodation and food options. The village is SUPER cute, and here you can fish, kayak through the mangroves, swim, or just lounge around. I would recommend having a motorbike here though so that you aren’t too isolated. I would not recommend staying here during the slow season, however, as it felt just as lonely and empty as Sok San when I biked through.
Other Beaches
Here are a few other areas where resorts and guesthouses occupy their own semi-private beaches, away from the other villages.
Coconut Beach – Coconut Beach is really small with just a handle of budget-friendly accommodation providers. It’s conveniently situated close to Longset Beach, but a motorbike or tuk tuk will still be needed to get around.
Pagoda Beach & Thansour Beach – Both of these beaches exclusively offer resort experiences and are far away from the other options. These would be better suited for a bit of island luxury far away from the tourist hubs.
Some Tips for Visiting Koh Rong
How to Get Here:
There is not (yet) an airport on Koh Rong, so the only way to get to the island is by ferry. They have package tickets you can book from Phnom Penh, Siem Reap, and other places around Cambodia. I was able to purchase a package overnight bus and ferry ticket to Koh Rong from Siem Reap, which cost around $35. This also included a return ferry from Koh Rong to Sihanoukville. (If booking an overnight bus by yourself, be sure to clarify that you want a single bed, as sometimes they will put passengers together on the larger bed without telling them they will have to share with a stranger!)
I booked a package ticket because I wasn’t sure if my bus would arrive on time to get the ferry in the morning, and because the price I found in Siem Reap wasn’t much different from booking online. Normally, I use 12go, so it’s worth a shot to book on there as well if you find better deals. I advise asking around at different places because prices can vary significantly.
No matter where you come from be sure to ask where the bus drops off, and if you have a package ticket, ask if tuk tuks are included to get to the pier, etc. For my group, when we got dropped off in downtown Sihanoukville, only one of us knew that the tuk tuks were included in the price and were expected to take us to the pier. The tuk tuk and bus drivers all pretended that it wasn’t included and were trying to weasle extra money out of us. Thankfully, one of the guys from my bus was informed and so we all banded together to get our included tuk tuk ride to the pier for no extra cost.
To return, you can buy ferry tickets at any of the piers on Koh Rong (if your return ticket isn’t already included). If your return ticket is included, you’ll just need to let the company know the day before that you plan to use your return ticket the next day. You can also buy connecting buses from these same companies, or you can purchase them at the Sihanoukville pier when you arrive there.
Money:
The entire island of Koh Rong does NOT have ATMs (for now)! I’m sure this will change with the growing tourism industry, but at the moment, everyone coming to the island needs to bring all of the cash they will need for their trip. If you get in a pinch, you can do cash outs at a few places, but the fee for this service is high.
In Cambodia, they use Cambodian Riels and US Dollars interchangeably, and 1 USD is equal to roughly 4000 Riels. Cambodians are very picky about the quality of the dollars they receive; for example, an old, wrinkled or stained dollar bill will not be accepted as valid currency in most locations. They do not have preference for the quality of the Riels, and for this reason I personally preferred using Riels over USD. However, since the two currencies are used interchangeably all over the country, at times you may give Riels and receive USD as change or vice versa, or you may receive change in a combination of both currencies. In any case, try to keep any dollars you have in crisp condition.
If you need things like a sim card, toiletries, or other personal items, it’s best to buy them before you get on the ferry to Koh Rong because they will be marked up higher on the island than on the mainland.
Transportation:
Koh Rong, being a small island with several villages all spaced out, is best explore by motorbike. While there are tuk tuks available, they will be much more expensive per trip than having a motorbike at your disposal, which can be rented for $8-10 a day.
If you do get a motorbike here (or anywhere in Southeast Asia), be sure to test that the bike works properly (breaks, spedometer, etc.) and take photos of the bike *before* you drive away with it. The photos will help prevent you from getting scammed by untrustworthy vendors, who might claim that you caused a dent that was already there. The bike testing will help prevent you from getting in an accident that could be avoided with a properly working bike. I once rented a motorbike in Siem Reap whose spedometer didn’t work at all and whose breaks were weak, but I didn’t check this before driving away. I have heard other stories about people getting unreliable bikes and whatnot. It’s better to be safe than sorry, so check over your bike! If there is anything wrong with it, tell the vendor and ask for a different bike.
Wear a helmet. Just do it. I’ve seen many, many tourists get scraped up (including myself) from renting a motorbike in Southeast Asia. Some parts of the road around Koh Rong aren’t yet paved and you’ll pass very rocky, bumpy patches, sand, mud, and gravel. Protect your head!
You will need an international driving license here and elsewhere in Southeast Asia. These need to be obtained prior to arrival. While many travelers opt to rent motorbikes without them (and none of the vendors check beforehand), having one will save you from getting a ticket if you get stopped by police. If you have travel insurance (which you should), then you will need an international license in the case of any accident or injury if you want your insurance to cover it.
When to Visit:
I visited during the rainy season in July. While my first two days were pretty rainy and the rest of the week had spouts of heavy rain here and there, I still really enjoyed my week on Koh Rong. I was able to take a snorkeling tour, ride around the island on a motorbike (albeit with a poncho and a perfectly timed lunch stop to avoid an afternoon downpour), and hang out on the beach. I stayed in Koh Touch, which is ideal for slow season, because it’s small enough that it’s super easy to meet people. In my case, I met and befriended some of the expats who call Koh Rong home. Koh Touch in particular has a special charm that I think is good any time of the year.
However, if the gloomy skies and intemittent rain would put you off, then the best time to visit Koh Rong would be during the sunny dry season between mid-November to May. This is when the island will be busiest and most expensive, but it will also have the best weather!
Have an amazing time on Koh Rong! Please drop a line below to let me know how it went.
For further reading on travel in Southeast Asia:
- Here Are 8 Reasons to Visit Koh Rong, Cambodia
- The Most Unique Adventure In Laos: The Bolaven Plateau Loop
- Chasing Waterfalls & Finding Ghosts In The Bolaven Plateau
- The Kong Lor Cave: How To Visit Without A Motorbike
- A Backpacker’s Guide to Peninsular Malaysia
- A Budget Backpacker’s Guide to Singapore
- How to Get from Pai, Thailand to Northern Laos for Half the Price
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