Things to do in Koh Rong
And where to stay, the best time to visit, what a day costs, and the traps to skip.
Best time to visit Koh Rong
• a note or something on ✦ an occasion worth the trip
Dry season and the best months: calmer seas, reliable ferries and the clearest water for snorkelling and diving.
Shoulder months: cheaper and quieter, with a real chance of storm days, reduced ferry schedules and some closures.
Rainy season: rough seas, ferry cancellations, stopped boat tours and diving, and rubbish washed up on beaches.
Best things to do in Koh Rong
Long Set Beach
The best all-round beach on Koh Rong, a long curve of white sand and clear shallow water just north of Koh Toch village.
Sok San Beach
Koh Rong's west coast giant by Sok San village, kilometres of pale sand on the sunset side of the island.
Saracen Bay Beach
Sanloem's main beach, a sheltered bay of white sand and calm shallow water lined with low-key resorts.
Lazy Beach
Sanloem's west coast sunset beach, reached by a jungle walk from Saracen Bay, with one bungalow operation and little else.
Lonely Beach
The remote north tip of Koh Rong, the island's most beautiful and least developed beach because reaching it takes effort.
Bioluminescent Plankton in Koh Rong
On dark, low-moon nights the water sparks with light as you move, but a full moon can wash it out and nothing guarantees it.
Senses Spa at The Royal Sands Koh Rong
The islands' one true luxury spa, inside the Royal Sands resort on Sok San Beach, far above beach massage stalls in price.
Where to stay in Koh Rong
Long Set Beach, Koh Rong
first trip, all-round base
The best balance of beach quality, restaurants, rooms and ferry access on Koh Rong, at the quieter end away from Koh Toch.
Sok San Beach, Koh Rong
luxury and quiet sunsets
Home to The Royal Sands Koh Rong and the island's longest sunset beach, beside Sok San fishing village.
Pagoda Beach, Koh Rong
quiet couples resort stay
A calm cove beyond Long Set with design-led mid-range resorts and little nightlife.
Saracen Bay, Koh Rong Sanloem
calm water, families and first Sanloem stay
Sanloem's main bay, with the island's widest choice of resorts, hostels and restaurants on one sheltered beach.
M'Pai Bay, Koh Rong Sanloem
village life and budget stays
A working fishing village in the north of Sanloem, with guesthouses, cafes and boat operators rather than a resort strip.
Think twice about
- Koh Toch village main strip, Koh Rong
Bar noise into the night and the busiest, least calm beach on Koh Rong. Visit for food and ferries, sleep on Long Set if you can.
- Sihanoukville
Treat it only as a transit point between transport and the ferry pier, in daylight, and avoid walking alone after dark.
Best restaurants in Koh Rong
The Ocean Restaurant
The splurge dinner on Koh Rong, Khmer and international dishes in the Royal Sands' beachfront setting on Sok San Beach.
Sara Resort Restaurant
Saracen Bay's best-known resort table, serving seafood, barbecue and Asian dishes on the beach at Sara Resort.
Cita Pizzeria & Italian Restaurant
Italian-run pizza and pasta at Cita Resort on Saracen Bay, the change of pace after days of Khmer food and barbecues.
Enocafe
The Koh Toch village Italian, a small highly praised restaurant priced above the Khmer canteens around it.
White Rose Guesthouse & Restaurant
The Koh Toch workhorse, a big beachfront menu of Khmer and Western food in generous portions at backpacker prices.
Sigi's Thai Food
A tiny Thai kitchen behind the White Rose in Koh Toch, cooking large plates of Thai street food for about two to three dollars.
The Big Easy Koh Rong Samloem
The M'Pai Bay hangout, a bar-restaurant with Western and vegetarian-friendly food and the most social tables on Sanloem.
Seapony Bungalow Cafe
A small cafe in M'Pai Bay with healthy breakfasts, coffee and vegetarian plates, and the village's best slow morning.
Outdoor things to do in Koh Rong
Adventure Adam
The best-supported full boat day from Koh Rong, with snorkelling, fishing, a sunset beach barbecue and plankton after dark.
Koh Rong Dive Center
The main dive operation on Koh Rong, with beginner sessions and fun dives on shallow, low-current reefs suited to learning.
Pirates of Koh Rong
A private boat charter around Koh Rong, built around your group with snorkelling, fishing and remote beaches.
Saracen Bay to Lazy Beach Trail
Sanloem's essential free walk, a clear jungle path across the island from Saracen Bay to Lazy Beach in about 20 to 30 minutes.
Karmakazi
The activity base in M'Pai Bay village, running boat tours, snorkelling and kayak trips on Sanloem's north coast.
Best hotels in Koh Rong
The Royal Sands Koh Rong
The benchmark luxury resort on Koh Rong, with villas, pools and a spa on a private stretch of Sok San Beach.
Song Saa Private Island
A private-island resort over two small islands north-east of Koh Rong, with pool villas over a marine reserve.
BeachWalk Koh Rong
A stylish small resort at the quieter end of Long Set Beach, a clear step above the Koh Toch guesthouse strip.
Tamu Koh Rong
A calm, design-led stay on quiet Pagoda Beach, for couples who want Koh Rong without Koh Toch's noise.
Eden Beach Resort By EHM
Sanloem's polished mid-range resort on Saracen Bay, with a pool and a more conventional hotel feel than the bungalows.
Sara Resort
The reliable Saracen Bay all-rounder, with beachfront rooms, a pool and one of the bay's better-known restaurants.
Nest Beach Club
The social budget base on Koh Rong, a beachfront hostel off 4K Beach known for its Saturday Nestival party.
Onederz Koh Rong Sanloem
The consistent budget hostel option on Sanloem, with dorms and privates near Saracen Bay from the Onederz group.
Is Koh Rong expensive? What a day costs
| Budget | $40 a person |
|---|---|
| Classic | $110 a person |
| Splurge | $650 a person |
A day of food, drink, sights and getting around, before the room
What to book ahead
- Senses Spa at The Royal Sands Koh Rong: a few days ahead
- Adventure Adam: a few days ahead
- Koh Rong Dive Center: a few days ahead
- Pirates of Koh Rong: a few days ahead
- The Royal Sands Koh Rong: weeks ahead
- Song Saa Private Island: months ahead
- BeachWalk Koh Rong: weeks ahead
- Tamu Koh Rong: weeks ahead
- Book ferries and the better rooms ahead from November to April, and reconfirm your return ferry on the island a day ahead.
- Book The Royal Sands Koh Rong and Song Saa Private Island weeks to months ahead in high season.
- Never plan a same-day international flight after a ferry; rough weather cancels sailings, especially from June to October.
Is Koh Rong safe?
- There is no hospital on either island, only basic clinics; serious cases go by boat to Sihanoukville and onward, weather permitting, so carry evacuation insurance.
- Use coconut oil as a sandfly barrier on quieter beaches, ask locally about jellyfish before swimming, and treat coral cuts and infected bites early.
- In Sihanoukville, pass through in daylight and avoid walking alone after dark; do not physically resist a robbery and do not accept drinks from strangers.
Koh Rong travel tips: tourist traps to skip
- Tour posters promising guaranteed bioluminescent plankton; a full moon can wash the glow out completely.
- Booking a hotel without checking its pier; the wrong pier can mean a long boat ride or an expensive taxi boat.
- Relying on island ATMs or card machines; cashback fees run around 5 to 10 percent and machines can be empty or offline.
Getting around Koh Rong: public transport and more
- Buy ferry tickets from the ferry companies, not touts, and book the pier nearest your hotel on Koh Toch, Long Set, Sok San, Saracen Bay or M'Pai Bay.
- On Sanloem you walk the jungle paths or take taxi boats between Saracen Bay, Lazy Beach, Sunset Beach and M'Pai Bay; agree the price before boarding.
- On Koh Rong, movement is on foot, by taxi boat, by rented scooter or by hotel transfer, with new roads slowly linking more beaches.
Who Koh Rong suits
| Solo travellers | Great |
|---|---|
| Groups of friends | Good |
| Couples | Great |
| Bachelor parties | Good |
| Families | Good |
| Bachelorette parties | OK |
Make Koh Rong your trip
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