Koh Rong

Until few years ago, Koh Rong used to be an undiscovered Island with only a few local families living from what the sea provided. There are about four small villages. Tourism slowly started around 2008, but the island remains deserted for the largest part. In 2012 new bungalow resorts and guesthouses pop up at Koh Tuich which is the main touristy destination.

The island has been sold to an investor planning to create an ecological resort, but the huge development probably won't start until 2020.

As the local villages and tourism sites mainly use the wood provided on the island, the local jungle is subject to severe deforestation due to the illegal logging, which will hopefully be stopped by the investors that plan to preserve about half of the jungle as a nature reserve.

The development of the small villages continued even heavier in 2013 with more and more guesthouses, restaurants and bungalow resorts popping up. Unfortunately almost all places seem solely interested in short-term profits: garbage and unfiltered wastewater are routed to the sea and one can watch the island getting dirtier every month.

If you are planning on visiting during Chinese New Year, you may want to book accommodations ahead of time as it is a popular vacation destination for Chinese families and guesthouses will fill up.

Koh Rong can be reached by a ferry ride from Sihanoukville. The ferries itself are pretty basic. There are wooden benches on either side of the ferry and plastic covers in case it rains.

Typically the roof is accessible, allowing you to stretch out and catch a quick snooze. Make sure you carry a hat and sunglasses for the ride, and use sunscreen if required.

As of 2012 there are two daily ferries leaving Sihanoukville at about 08:00 and 13:30 from the port. Both head to Koh Tuich. The return ferries leave at 10:00 and 16:00 from the island. The boats are quite slow, so the trip takes about 2 hours.

Not all ferries sell water or snacks, so it may be a good idea to carry some with you, especially if you are travelling with children. There is a small toilet on board the ferry which seems to be clean and in decent working condition.

To board and disembark from the ferry you will need to walk on an average sized plank of wood connecting the pier to the ferry. The process is not very efficient and can be a little scary the first time you try it, so bear this in mind if you have any foot injuries, have special needs, etc.

Ferries used to run to two opposite sides of the island.

• The Dive Shop and Monkey Island ferries pick you up at Monkey Republic near the Golden Lion roundabout at 12:30 (or if you arrange in advance at 13:00 at the bus station). The ferry leaves 13:30 and arrives at Koh Tuich at 15:30.
• The other ferry running to Sok-San bungalows may not be in operation as of 2012. However, from Koh Tuich you can take a fishing boat for US$25. Better is probably to pre-arrange your arrival when booking the accommodation.

Make sure that the ferry you are booked to take will drop you off at your destination. There have been instances of resort owners refusing to let guests take boats to the other side of the island (Sok-San to Monkey Island etc.), and insisting that you stay on their beach.

Prices seem to vary, depending on season and the place you book at. Expect to pay between US$10 to US$20 for the roundtrip including pickup in the main town area in Sihanoukville, so you should not have to pay extra for it.

There are also ships from Sihanoukville to Pagoda Beach. They can be booked via your hotel.

With 23 white sand beaches to choose from Koh Rong has plenty to see and do. For the adventurous there's plenty of trekking to be done through the relatively untouched jungle. Diving and snorkelling is excellent both off the beach and at sites nearby.

But above all the best attraction is the phosphorescent water which sparkles when disturbed like twinkling stars.

Best seen in around 4 feet of water and on a dark part of the beach. Because Koh Rong has minimal development and light pollution the conditions are perfect for the phosphorescent plankton and it can be seen every single night.

• Hiking. The walking man of Koh Rong (an Israeli guy called Gil, found at Paradise bungalows) has marked trails that lead from the beach closest to Monkey Island and Paradise Bungalows to other beaches but most of the island is still thick jungle. Gil knows the hidden trails of the island very well and offers trekking tours from 1 to 4 days (cost ~US10 per day per person and is worth every dollar). There is also a well-marked trail to Long Beach starting behind Sky Bar (~45 min one way). US$10 per person. Some of the trails are marked on OpenStreetMap. Mark others if you find other trails on the island.
• Dance, Police Beach (Just west of Koh Tuich, past Adventure Adam). 22:00-sunrise. EDM parties every W Sa night usually get started around midnight or 1. In the morning, a boat picks up survivors to go to the afterparty on another beach. Tix can be bought in advance from various businesses in Koh Tuich for US$10 or $12.50 at the event. (updated Feb 2018)

As of 2020, there is no ATM on the island. Several businesses in Koh Tuich can withdraw money for you but they will gouge you for it (~10%) because they know you have no other choice. Plan accordingly.

There are many restaurants available. In Koh Tuich, the cheapest ones are the Khmer restaurants in the village (mains US$2–3) that offer surprisingly good food. Each bungalow resort also has its own restaurant. While more expensive, these offer a nicer atmosphere. Various Restaurants offer the standard beach BBQ fare for US$4–6 at night.

Most restaurants also serve alcohol and cocktails. A can of Klang is typically about US$1.

Monkey's also has buckets and is often putting on a fire-show at night, so this is likely the place party activity will start. Most restaurants and bars will close by midnight. One or two bars will remain open and with electricity on until late depending on the crowd.

As electricity is mainly provided by generators, power is typically only available in the evening from around 18–22. Bathrooms are usually very basic, with water being provided by streams running down from the mountains, so the water may sometimes have a brown tone.

• 🌍 Coconut Beach Bungalows, Krong Preah Sihanouk (The Buva Sea Speed ferry directly takes to the Coconut beach. the other ferries take to Koh Toch. Coconut beach bungalows can pick up from there at US$5 per person.), ☏ +855 777 66 333, info@coconutbeachbungalows.com. Check-in: 12:00, check-out: 11:00. They are on a small hill by the beach. They have rooms as well as tents to sleep in. The rooms are on the hill and the tents are right on the beach. They have a whole set of books in their restaurant. They provide a facility to take the guests to see bio luminescent planktons at around 02:00 in the morning. They also provide a day long tour of the whole island with activities like snorkeling and fishing. They take you to the long beach and a barbecue dinner (along with beer and whiskey) is included as well in US$10 per person. Prices starting from US$7 per night per person. (updated Feb 2018)

In Koh Tuich, Wi-Fi is available at several restaurants.

Wi-Fi is available in most hotels. 4G and GSM work in some parts of the island, but not everywhere; for example, there is no reception on Pagoda Beach.

• Sihanoukville
• Koh Rung Sanloem