What to do in Koh Rong, Cambodia: 10 things to do + tips

Off the coast of Sihanoukville, Koh Rong is the perfect island for beaches and sunshine on a trip to Cambodia. Neither too big nor too small (15 km long and 9 km wide, or about 9 by 5.5 miles), it still has a few authentic villages and offers plenty of things to do to fill a few days.

We really wanted to spend a few days by the sea during our trip to Cambodia. As soon as we saw photos of Koh Rong’s dreamy beaches, we knew this was where we would drop our backpacks for 4 days. And since we can never sit still, we explored the island from end to end.

So, what to do in Koh Rong? In this guide, we share the best things to do, the beaches to swim at, our favorite places to eat and all our tips so you can make the most of this little paradise.

What to do in Koh Rong: our 10 favorite things

1. Lonely Beach

Let’s start strong with our favorite beach on Koh Rong: Lonely Beach.

In the north of the island, Lonely Beach is a wild beach of golden sand, surrounded by coconut palms and tall trees. As the name suggests, it’s very peaceful and quiet, as it’s far from the tourist areas. It’s ideal for relaxing (there are even a few hammocks!). There’s a small restaurant run by a woman from Brittany (it actually belongs to her hotel), where you can even play pétanque (French boules). We’ll come back to it later, but it’s also a great spot for snorkeling!

The only downside is that it’s not very easy to reach. Once the paved road ends, it turns into a bumpy dirt track (potholes, ruts, sand, etc.). We’re no scooter experts, but with patience and caution, we made it all the way to the end.

If you don’t feel comfortable, you can leave your scooter earlier at one of the paid parking areas (just a few cents) and walk the last mile (1.5 km). But it’s worth it!

2. Prek Svay, an authentic fishing village

Also in the north of the island, close to where we stayed, Prek Svay is an authentic fishing village. There are hardly any tourists here: the village moves to the rhythm of its residents, with dogs and chickens running across the road. It’s a colorful little village that we really loved, and we recommend it if you’re looking for authenticity (there’s another fishing village, Lototray, in the south).

We highly recommend having lunch at Natural Kitchen(note that it’s not open in the evening). The restaurant is run by a Frenchman who fell in love with Cambodia and cooks generous French-Cambodian dishes with local ingredients (about $15 per dish). The icing on the cake: a little otter lives nearby, and you might be lucky enough to spot it like we did (the first one we’d ever seen in the wild ♡).

You can also rent a kayak and paddle between the colorful houses. Ask at Firefly Guest House to do this.

3. Long Beach

Looking for fine white sand (so fine it squeaks underfoot?) and crystal-clear turquoise water? Head to Long Beach! Photos of this beach are what made us want to visit Koh Rong in the first place, and we weren’t disappointed.

It’s a huge bay, 7 km (4.3 miles) long. Much of it is uninhabited, and the rest is home to resorts. Going to a resort beach, like the one at Sok San Beach, can be a good option if you want to rent a sun lounger and have somewhere to eat or sip a juice.

We really liked this spot, where the water was calm and the beach was clean. Unfortunately, apart from this spot and the areas in front of the resorts, we found a lot of trash on the beach…

4. Koh Toch village

Koh Toch (also spelled Koh Touch) is a backpacker paradise. It’s where the island’s social life and nightlife are concentrated, which is why it’s so popular with travelers.

We didn’t want to stay here for fear it would be too hectic, but we have to admit we enjoyed the atmosphere after dark. Restaurants and guesthouses fire up their barbecues and you eat with your feet in the sand for next to nothing (more on that below).

It’s also one of the island’s main ports, along with Long Set Beach. Our ferry dropped us off here, and many diving and snorkeling trips leave from Koh Toch.

5. Pagoda Beach

Another beach with fine white sand and turquoise water. You’d think we’d get tired of it (never).

This beach is mostly taken up by resorts, but if you walk a few yards north along the beach, you can enjoy this incredible water. There are a few rocks that give it a Maldives vibe and are great for snorkeling.

It’s not the quietest spot on the island, as lots of backpackers come here to lounge around, but like all Koh Rong beaches, it’s big! You’re sure to find a quiet corner for yourself.

6. Long Set Beach

Long Set Beach is a bit like Koh Toch beach’s little sister. It’s quieter than Koh Toch but still has several restaurants and bars. There are plenty of activities, like kayaking or paddleboarding, and it’s the starting point for many diving and snorkeling trips.

We went during golden hour, and it was beautiful!

7. Day trip to Koh Rong Samloem

Koh Rong Samloem (or Koh Rong Sanloem) is Koh Rong’s little sister island, about 45 minutes south of Koh Rong by speedboat. We wanted to discover this island, known for being wilder than Koh Rong. And it’s true that it’s barely developed: there are only dirt tracks here, no paved roads.

It was hard to do much in one day, as the first ferry leaves at 10 a.m. and the return is around 4 p.m. So it was a short day.

We still managed to discover two beaches: Sunset Beach and Saracen Bay.

Saracen Bay

Probably one of the most beautiful beaches in Cambodia! It’s the island’s largest beach, 3 km (almost 2 miles) long, and it has the winning combo: fine white sand, crystal-clear turquoise water as far as the eye can see and, above all, incredible peace and quiet. A real haven and one of our favorite spots.

We recommend settling in at Moonlight Resort, where we ordered a fresh juice and got access to a double sun lounger.

Sunset Beach

Sunset Beach is very different from Saracen Bay. It’s a wild beach of golden sand, known for its sunsets and snorkeling. Snorkeling was our goal, but we weren’t very lucky: it was cloudy and the water was less clear, so we didn’t see many fish…

The downside is that getting to Sunset Beach is tough. It’s about a 45-minute walk from Saracen Bay in the blazing sun, with lots of ups and downs. Exhausting in the heat. The last part goes through a small patch of jungle, on a slope. We don’t recommend it if you don’t handle the heat well or aren’t in great shape.

Our tip for a day on Koh Rong Samloem: spend the day at Saracen Bay, which is stunning. Don’t follow our lead and hike to Sunset Beach in the blazing sun. For a similar beach, we recommend Lonely Beach on Koh Rong, which we liked better.

How to get to Koh Rong Samloem: We took a speedboat with CMR from Koh Toch (booked on 12Go Asia). Expect to pay about $13 round trip per person, for a 45-minute crossing.

8. Go scuba diving

Scuba diving is very popular on Koh Rong. The surrounding waters are full of tropical fish, starfish and coral.

We didn’t go diving ourselves, but expect to pay around $90 for a discovery dive. Here are two dive centers you can contact: Koh Rong Dive Center or Khmer Dive Group.

9. Go snorkeling

If diving doesn’t appeal to you, you can also go snorkeling on Koh Rong.

We snorkeled at two beaches: Lonely Beach and the beach at Tree House Bungalows, north of Koh Toch.

At Lonely Beach, we saw lots of different fish and were thrilled! Head to the rocks near the Lily’s Beach Bungalows restaurant. We really recommend this spot!

We think the beach at Tree House Bungalows is also a good option, but the water was rougher and less clear when we went.

Another option: a full-day snorkeling trip. Lots of companies offer these trips, and they’re all pretty similar: departure at 1 p.m. to visit several snorkeling spots, fishing and a meal on the boat, sunset, then swimming with bioluminescent plankton. We looked into Three Brothers in Koh Toch, which offered the trip for $20, but reviews were mixed.

10. See the bioluminescent plankton

Koh Rong is famous for its bioluminescent plankton. But what is bioluminescent plankton? It’s made up of tiny organisms called “dinoflagellates,” which give off light when the water is disturbed, for example when you swim or stir the water. A bit like fireflies!

How can you see bioluminescent plankton on Koh Rong?

• Avoid light pollution: go to a beach with as little light pollution as possible. We tried at Plancton Beach and saw a few! But any beach without light pollution will do. If you can, avoid nights with a bright moon.
• Take a boat trip like the one mentioned in the snorkeling section. At the end of the day, once night has fallen, you can swim in the open sea with the plankton.
• Gently move your arms to make the plankton glow.

Our 4-day Koh Rong itinerary

Our 4 days were packed, and we found it was the perfect amount of time to make the most of this little paradise. If you don’t have 4 days, we think 3 days is the minimum.

Where to stay on Koh Rong

Koh Rong is a big island, and the vibe is very different from one end to the other.

We chose to stay in the north of the island, in a quieter, more authentic area far from the crowds. We stayed at Naroth Beach Bungalow, in a sea-view room. Falling asleep to the sound of the waves and waking up to golden sunlight was pure bliss. We won’t forget it anytime soon!

The property also serves breakfast, lunch and dinner, and rents out kayaks to explore the beach it’s on. A big plus for us: you can rent a scooter there (with free gas!).

If you want to be close to where all the boat trips leave and enjoy the nightlife, we recommend staying in the south of the island: either in Koh Toch, the most developed part of Koh Rong, with lots of restaurants and bars and even an open-air cinema (Soundgarden), or around Long Set Beach, which is quieter but also fairly developed.

Another option, if your budget allows, is to pick a nice resort on one of Koh Rong’s many beaches. We were recommended Secret Garden on Pagoda Beach, an exceptional beach.

How to get around Koh Rong

The island is big, so exploring on foot isn’t really an option. We went for a scooter: we love getting around by scooter for the freedom it gives us, and it made it very easy to explore every corner of the island. We rented ours for $10 a day from our accommodation, gas included. Very convenient!

If a scooter isn’t an option for you, you can easily get around by tuk-tuk. We took one when we arrived to get to our accommodation. Note that prices are higher on Koh Rong than in the rest of Cambodia: expect to pay $10 to $15 to cross the island. Grab isn’t available here either, so save a tuk-tuk driver’s WhatsApp number so you can call them when you need a ride.

How to get to Koh Rong

We traveled to Koh Rong from Siem Reap in two legs:

• An overnight bus to Sihanoukville (10 hours) with Giant Ibis, booked on 12Go Asia.
• A ferry from Sihanoukville (45 minutes) with CMR.

If you’re coming from Kampot, there’s a direct ferry from Kep that takes 2 hours 15 minutes.

If you’re coming from Phnom Penh, you can take a minivan and a ferry, for a total journey of about 4 hours (or longer if you take a bus).

We highly recommend booking all your transport on 12Go Asia to make sure you get a seat. For our overnight bus, for example, we booked about 30 days in advance to get a seat at the front of the bus, where the ride is smoothest!

Koh Rong or Koh Rong Samloem: which island should you choose?

This question gave us quite a headache when planning our trip! In the end, we chose Koh Rong and we don’t regret it.

After visiting both islands, here’s what we found:

• Koh Rong, a developed but unspoiled island. Tourism is concentrated around Koh Toch and Long Set Beach, and the rest of the island is still wild. Some say there are a lot of resorts, but that didn’t bother us, as the island is so big. We had no trouble finding quiet, uncrowded spots (especially in the north). The island’s concrete roads are a plus for us, as they make it easy to get around and explore.
• Koh Rong Samloem, a wild and barely developed island. We have a less complete picture of this island, as we only spent a day there. The roads aren’t paved and are in pretty bad shape, so getting around by scooter or tuk-tuk seemed out of the question. For us, Samloem is a good choice if you want to make the most of a nice hotel without really exploring.

Note that an airport is being built on Koh Rong, so tourism should increase in the coming years (although construction is moving very slowly…).

Where to eat on Koh Rong

Here are our favorite places to eat on Koh Rong.

In the north:

• Natural Kitchen: in the stilt village of Prek Svay, this restaurant is run by a Frenchman who cooks with local ingredients, blending French and Cambodian know-how. We had a wonderful meal in a beautiful setting by the mangroves (about $15 per person).
• At The Beach Kitchen: our favorite! This tiny restaurant right on the beach serves cheap local dishes. We had excellent curries there (about $5 per person).

In the south, in Koh Toch:

• Kabu: this fast-food restaurant served us a great burger. Recommended if you want a break from Asian food.
• Family Guest House: this guesthouse sets up tables and chairs on the beach after dark. We had a great amok and a barbecue with our feet in the sand. Lovely!
• Fruit Shake: a Koh Toch institution! This stand belongs to Family Guest House and makes delicious smoothies with lots of fruit to choose from.
• Ma Baker: if you’re missing good pastries and bread, head straight to Ma Baker! This bakery has plenty of treats on the menu; we went for a cinnamon roll and a chocolate brioche. Yum.
• Bella Vista: this little café overlooking Koh Toch harbor serves snacks and cold drinks. Perfect for a break in a pretty setting.

More tips (payments, Google Maps)

Finally, here are two more tips that might come in handy.

Payments: bring as much cash as possible before arriving on the island, as few places accept cards, and those that do charge a 2–3% fee. If you run out of cash, some places with a “cash out” sign let you withdraw money, but the fees are very high: 10%.

Google Maps: if you use Google Maps like we do, switch to satellite view. Some roads aren’t clearly shown on the standard map (especially on Koh Rong Samloem).

Is Koh Rong worth visiting? Our verdict

What else can we say, except that we fell head over heels for Koh Rong? The beaches are breathtaking, there’s just the right amount of civilization and infrastructure, and just enough to do so you never get bored while still fully relaxing.

For us, Koh Rong is a must-see in Cambodia. Go for it, you won’t regret it!

To discover more of Cambodia, check out our other guides to Siem Reap, Kampot and Phnom Penh!

Paul-Louis