Koh Rong is a famous Cambodian party island paradise, with a popular, lively Backpacking scene and some of the most beautiful beaches on the planet.
But don’t be fooled, the entire island isn’t a bass filled drinking destination, quite the opposite. Most of this tranquil island is covered by jungle and powdered white beaches where the only noise you’ll hear is the squeak of your footsteps in the ultra fine sands and gentle lapping of one of the bluest seas in all of Asia.
These undisturbed beaches are home to small clusters of sleepy Cambodian fishing villages complete with small restaurants serving the freshest of fish from that days catch.
To me this island feels much like Koh Tao 25 years ago, before it became the well known buzzy tourist destination it is today.
This complete backpackers guide to backpacking Koh Rong Island will help you discover the best beaches, places to eat and stay and of course bars to dance each night away in!
Getting to Koh Rong
I took a 12 hour bus journey from Siem Reap to Sihanoukvile for $13 (£10), grabbed a ticket from the port tourism pier for $14 (£11) and took a 45minute boat over to Koh Rong.
Slowly the Sihanoukvile apartment blocks and brown port water will disappear and turn into a a horizon of jungle canopy and aquamarine blue ocean.
A quick word of warning, the night buses arrival time is not guaranteed. We arrived 2 hours early, where they dropped us in downtown Sihanoukvile at 4am… Quite literally left in the dark we then had a 3 hour bus stop wait ahead of us.
Where to Stay in Koh Rong
For partying – Long Set Beach or 4k Beach
This is the most popular beach for Backpackers on Koh Rong and is only 5minutes away from the pier at Kaoh Touch. This beaches powdered white sands stretch for 4kilometres and have a range of hostel accommodation options available. By night this relaxing beach transforms into fireshows, drum and bass, and light displays that draw in backpackers looking to dance until the sun reappears.
Our Choice – Stay at Nest Beach Club to be in the heart of the partying scene. But if you are looking for a good night sleep stay a little further away from the beach clubs.
For couples – Sok San :
You can divide Sok San into the beach and the main village. The beach is home to luxury accommodation and expensive resorts whereas the fishing village offers one of the best authentic tastes of the islands Khmer culture. Inside the village you can stay in some very basic but homely style Asian guesthouses for next to nothing.
Our Choice – Stay at The White Sand Ark and you won’t be disappointed. This is well worth spending above your budget on and in our opinion is by far the best accommodation for a clean and comfortable stay in.
For a secluded escape – Coconut Beach :
To getaway from the crowds and nightly chaos of Long Set Beach consider staying at Coconut Beach for a night or two instead. This serene paradise is everything Backpackers imagine when they hear ‘tropical beach’. Spotless uncrowded white sands, and a crystal clear turquoise ocean await your arrival and will greet you each morning as you stroll a couple metres onto the beach.
Our Choice : Stay at Coconut Beach Bungalows for accommodations options ranging from a tent and teepee all the way up to a more expensive villa.
The most beautiful beaches in Koh Rong
All the beaches in Koh Rong offer a perfect tropical island colour palette, with bright white sands, every shade of blue in the ocean and a dark emerald green backdrop of jungle.
Lonely Beach : In our opinion Lonely beach holds the title of the most beautiful beach on Koh Rong island. As the name suggests it is a very secluded spot only accessible via a long dirt road or jungle trek. The lack of human interference means that this is a haven for nature to takeover. This means two things, first up the snorkelling is an underwater panorama where thousands of marine life from green sea turtles to spinner dolphins and bioluminescent plankton have been spotted and the jungle ecosystem is just as abundant; full of monkeys, all kinds of reptiles, horn bills, sea eagles, kingfishers and even flying squirrels. You can stay at this beautiful beach at Lonely Beach resort a basic place to stay but in an unrivalled palm tree lined location.
Long Set Beach/ 4k Beach : Nightlife aside, we ranked this beach so highly on our list because it is not only a gorgeous beach in its own right but is one of the only beaches to have a buzzy social vibe in the daytime. Backpacking is not just about exploring undiscovered wilderness but meeting new people and there is no better place on Koh Rong to do that than Long Set Beach.
Coconut Beach : A quiet escape that draws in Backpackers looking for a more laid back adventure while discovering Koh Rong. It is also one of the best beaches to explore the underwater world take a snorkelling tour or keep your eyes peeled for bioluminescent plankton that gets washed up on these shores. You can get here via boat transfer or Tuk Tuk from Koh Touch.
Sok San : A beautiful mix of authentic Khmer village lifestyle and unspoilt talcum powder beaches that curve around the bay. Spend you days lounging in the shade, jumping in off the piers and exploring the nearby fishing village. Unfortunately some of Koh Rong has swapped its original Cambodian charm for a tourist focussed party escape but the small fishing village of Sok San still allows a sneak peek into the original way of life of those native to Koh Rong Island
Vietnamese Beach : Known for the colourful starfish that line the shallows the Vietnamese Beach is a true undiscovered paradise which can only be accessed via a jungle hike or by boat. To reach this beach walk to the far side of Long Set Beach and walk 20 minutes or so along the coast through the jungle until you spot this beaches white sands.
Nature Beach : An increasingly popular stretch of sand that showcases plenty of wildlife both in the jungle and just a few metres off the shoreline. Here you’ll get another chance to explore Koh Rong’s deserted coastline but be quick as there is lots of development at the nearby Nature Beach resort.
Where are the best party’s in Koh Rong
Nest Beach Club – Undoubtedly the best backpackers party hostel in Koh Rong. Nest beach club regularly hosts jungle and beach party’s which feature everything from live DJs, free shots, beer pong, every beach drinking game imaginable, hog roasts, $1 beers and other speciality entertainment for as little as $4 entry. Most evenings there is a relaxed social vibe where backpackers sit together watching the beautifully views of the bays over an ice cold cocktail at happy hour 6pm-9pm.
Police Beach Party Zone – This has always been the biggest party on Koh Rong and is Cambodias answer to the infamous full moon party’s of Koh Phangan. They nicknamed this all night party the ‘Police Beach Party’ because of the nearby police station that reportedly takes a cut of the profits to turn a blind eye to some of the backpacker antics that take place during this all nighter. Every Wednesday and Saturday this night kick off, with admission costs $7.50 on the door. Book in advance to get in for just $5. This beach venue also hosts Koh Rong’s full moon party which features a similar mix of live DJs blasting drum and bass, techno and deep house until the very early hours of the morning
Sky Bar, Koh Touch – Potentially the best predrinking spot in Koh Rong, Sky Bar has different deals on certain drinks every night and a happy hour from 6pm each night. The bar sits up a steep concrete staircase which open up into the bar which has stunning views of the bay. Don’t peak too soon here or those steps will be a blurry nightmare and an accident waiting to happen.
Bunna’s place – A favourite with Koh Rong’s locals, Bunna’s place is about as close to a club as you’ll get in Koh Rong. The bar starts off with a chilled vibe in the early evening before cranking up the volume for a night of drum and base, beer pong, flip a cup and shirtless Cambodian men.
Vagabonds – Who can turn down a free drink on arrival? Backpackers flock to this chilled out spot at happy hour where they enjoy unlimited free beers.The deals don’t stop there, afterwards there is a buy 2 get one free deal on cocktails and large discounts on shots. To sum up if you want to have the room spinning without an empty wallet this is your best bet.
Best places to eat in Koh Rong
The island offers a range of restaurants offering authentic Khmer food and a few western options too. Don’t necessarily expect to be blown away by the dishes here and expect to pay slightly more than you would usually on the mainland.
That being said we found 3 restaurants that left us really impressed with the dishes:
Moon Restaurant, Sok San : A great place to try local Khmer food, Moon restaurant is an affordable beach bar that offers fresh ingredients from the local fisherman and farmers in Sok San village.
Bamboo Pizza Restaurant, Koh Toch : Delicious Italian food pleasing our European taste buds with something a little more familiar. Any of the pizza and pasta here is brilliant and the selection of coffees are also some of the very best on the island.
Lilys Riverhouse, Preaek Svay: Although a bit of a journey from Koh Toch Lily’s Riverhouse restaurant is Cambodian cookery at its best. Here we tried some of the best fish Amok we had in our entire time in Cambodia.
How to get around in Koh Rong?
The best way to get around Koh Rong is on a moped. The island is almost completely flat and most of the main roads have recently been retarmaced creating a super easy driving experience on a moped. You can rent mopeds for around 10$-15$ for the day. If you’ve been too nervous to try out a moped on your travels this may we’ll be the best chance you’ll get!
If you’ve got your bags with you your best bet is to either get a water taxi or tuk tuk. But be warned. Unlike the rest of South East Asia Tuk Tuk on Koh Rong arent that common and are pretty expensive especially from the main pier where a short journey can cost $10 to $15
Top Tips before backpacking Koh Rong
- Bring Cash to Koh Rong
There are no ATM’s on Koh Rong so be sure to bring cash before you arrive. To make this issue even worse most accommodations only take cash payments…
They have ATMs by the ticket offices at Sihanoukville port. BUT we suggest heading to a bank to get smaller dollar bills in Sihanoukville before you leave as ATMs only give $100 notes which can be very hard to change in Koh Rong.
- Accommodation is not great here
Unfortunately you are going to struggle to find nice, clean and comfortable accommodation in Koh Rong for less than $20 a night. So backpackers be prepared to stretch your nightly budget or sleep in a pretty dingy, dark and bug filled room.
There is a massive contrast in Koh Rong’s accommodation on the one hand you have luxury island escape style resorts and on the other hand you have tents and seriously underdeveloped hotels/hostels.
- Tuk Tuks are uncommon and expensive
Unlike everywhere else in Cambodia and pretty much all of South East Asia, Tuk Tuk’s are few and far between and because of this the charge is anywhere from $10-$15 to get across the island.
- Koh Rong Sanloem is even more beautiful than Koh Rong
After visiting Koh Rong you may feel like it’s surely Cambodias most beautiful island escape but just over 20km away you’ll find Koh Rong Sanloem the little introverted brother of its rowdy bigger sibling. This smaller island somehow tops the natural beauty of Koh Rong and adds a distinct charm that instantly makes you slip into a relaxed state of awe while exploring the island. If you can try and make time for both Koh Rong and Koh Rong Sanloem they may only be minutes apart but they have very different characters.
- Not all Cambodian Sim Cards work in Koh Rong
Use Metfone or Smart for the best reception and 4g coverage while on Koh Rong. These are the only two phone networks that will work while on both Koh Rong and Koh Rong Sanloem.
If you need to make a call back home then try out Talk 360. A mobile app that calls landlines, and mobile numbers using wifi.
- Watch out for snakes on Koh Rong
Koh Rong is estimated to have 13 species of poisonous snakes including a variety of cobras and pit vipers including: Kong Cobras, Indochinese spitting Cobras, Malaysian vipers, White lipped pit viper, Russell’s Viper, Banded Krait and Malayan Krait. Luckily the locals assured us almost all sightings occur in Koh Rong’s thick jungle so watch your step if you are doing any hikes into the wild.
- Don’t have Ice in your drinks
Unlike many bars and restaurants in Siem Reap and Phnom Penh it is not advised to have any Ice on Koh Rong or Koh Rong Sanloem. Buying in ice from the mainland is impractical and expensive for the restaurants in Koh Rong so most simply freeze the tap water. This is a big red flag for backpackers so avoid it at all costs even if it means sending a drink back.
So is Koh Rong worth it as a backpacker destination?
Koh Rong’s well deserved title of a party paradise for backpackers just scratches the surface of why it is such an incredible island to explore. Yes it’s a bit rough around the edges and the accommodation certainly isn’t the best but anyone who has been will tell you about the beaches and nightlife of this island paradise and why it is a must visit destination on every backpacking trip to Cambodia.
If Koh Rong is on your backpacking bucket list be sure to go as soon as you can. It is only a matter of time before it’s rustic charm and undisturbed beauty is replaced by an overdeveloped party island.
