Exploring Koh Rong Where to stay How to get around Top tips How to get to Koh Rong
If you’re visiting Koh Rong soon, you’ve come to the right place. After reading this guide, you’ll know which area to stay in, where to find the best restaurants and how to get around this paradise island in Cambodia.
What to expect in Koh Rong
Have you been dreaming about those paradise islands that are sprinkled with white-sand beaches and shallow turquoise waters? Well, Koh Rong is pretty close to that idyllic image.
Koh Rong is located in the Gulf of Thailand, a short boat ride from Sihanoukville, but it feels a world away from mainland Cambodia.
With nearly thirty beaches on the island, you’re spoilt for choice on where to spend your day soaking up the sun and rejuvenating your body in the sea. And if you want to explore the waters a little more, there is some great snorkelling and diving around the island.
Is Koh Rong worth visiting?
That being said, the entire island isn’t a tranquil paradise. The main village, Koh Touch, has earnt itself a lively party reputation. Backpackers flock to the island to join the beach raves, drink cheap alcohol and recover from their hangovers on the beach.
Luckily, if you head to one of the other beaches, you wouldn’t even know that this was happening!
Koh Rong feels like Thailand thirty years ago, but things are developing and changing here too. With transport improving to the Koh Rong, it’s become more and more popular. Get there before it’s too late!
How many days should you spend in Koh Rong?
To make the journey to Koh Rong worth it, we recommend a minimum of three days on the island. Though we suspect that if you can, you’ll want to stay longer. Everyone does!
This gives you a few days of relaxation and time to explore the islands, embarking on the top things to do there. If you can’t get enough of island life, we recommend hopping over to Koh Rong’s little brother, Koh Rong Samloem.
To help you make the most of your time in Koh Rong, we’ve put together a list of the top things to do in Koh Rong.
Where to stay in Koh Rong
With its luscious jungle taking up most of the interior of the island, getting around Koh Rong isn’t the easiest thing to do. That means choosing where you’re going to stay is pretty important as it’s likely that you’ll spend most of your time in that place.
Some questions you need to answer are whether you’re there to party or looking for a relaxing beach getaway. We’ve covered our three favourite places to stay in Koh Rong that give you a taste of everything.
Location #1: Sok San Beach — a remote and relaxing getaway
Best for: experience what life is like in a small fishing village on Koh Rong. Sok San is situated on the west side of Koh Rong, a boat trip away from Koh Touch.
Who is it for: those looking for peace and relaxation, whilst being able to learn about Cambodian culture by exploring the area.
Don’t miss: the white-sand beach in Sok San that almost feels like you’re walking on snow.
Biggest downside: it’s more remote than Koh Touch, so there aren’t a ton of restaurants and bars to choose from like there is there.
Accommodation in Sok San Beach
In Sok San Beach you’ll find a number of upscale resorts that are only seconds from the sea. Golden Beach Resort is our favourite resort in Sok San Beach with it’s incredible location, refreshing swimming pool and spacious bungalows.
If that sounds too far out of your budget, don’t worry there are still a number of budget friendly bungalows and guesthouses here.
Private rooms start from around $20 per night.
Location #2: Koh Touch — the party hub of the Koh Rong
Best for: partying the day and night away. The town of Koh Touch feels like a constant party, with bars and nightclubs pouring cheap alcohol all day long to the pumping beat of non-stop music. Koh Touch is also convenient as it’s where you’ll likely arrive on the island.
Who is it for: in Koh Touch, you’ll mainly find backpackers that are looking to release their energy with a bit of partying.
Don’t miss: the bar crawls and beach parties that happen in Koh Touch.
Biggest downside: you’ve probably already guessed the answer to this one. If you’re not on the island to party, the revellers and the loud music can get a bit annoying after a while, especially when you’re trying to sleep.
Accommodation in Koh Touch
As this is mainly a backpacker’s hub, you’ll find some of the cheapest accommodation on the island here. There are plenty of hostels, guesthouses and beach bungalows that won’t break the bank.
For those that are keen on staying in Koh Touch, but don’t want to be at the epicentre of the parties, there are a few resorts in the area that provide some relaxation. If that’s the case, Happy Elephant is situated slightly further up the hill and escapes the majority of the noise.
Private rooms in Koh Touch start from around $10 per night.
Location #3: Long Set Beach — 4 km of perfect sandy beach
Best for: beach time! Long Set Beach is also known as 4K beach due to the 4km of white-sand beach that’s on offer. And there’s not a ton of development, so it feels mainly untouched.
Who is it for: those looking for a happy medium between Sok San Beach and Koh Touch. You still get the remote beach vibes, but you’re just an hour’s walk from the hustle and bustle of Koh Touch.
Don’t miss: BeachWalk Koh Rong! This hotel is the kind of place that most of us spend our days dreaming about. There’s an infinity pool overlooking the perfect white sand. What more could you ask for?
Biggest downside: you’ll have to arrange your own transport from Koh Touch when you arrive on Koh Rong, or get your accommodation to organise it as that’s the closest port.
Accommodation in Long Beach
There aren’t as many accommodations to choose from in Long Beach. All of them are situated on the beachfront, and luckily, not too many have plagued the beach and made it too developed yet.
This does mean that finding cheaper options is a little harder. Private rooms start from around $20 per night.
If you have the cash to splash, we highly recommend staying in BeachWalk Koh Rong.
Best places to eat in Koh Rong
Koh Rong has more restaurants than you’d expect an island to have, and a surprising number of Italian restaurants! You’ll find most of the restaurants situated around Koh Touch, where the main pier can be found.
On the other main beaches such as Long Beach and Sok San Beach, you’ll find that a lot of hotels and resorts have their own restaurants.
Here are our three favourite places to eat on Koh Rong:
Enocafe Coffee & Italian Restaurant — convenient and delicious
It’s likely that you’ll be a little hungry when you arrive in Koh Rong. If you want to stop for some food, Enocafe is right by the pier. This stylish little restaurant serves some pretty good Italian food considering it’s thousands of miles away from Italy.
Treat yourself to some creamy pasta, crispy pizza, a sandwich or a burger. Their menu is huge, so there’s plenty to choose from.
White Pearl Beach — the best Thai food on Koh Rong
If you’re staying in Long Beach, we’re sure that this will become your go-to spot. Those visiting Long Beach for just the day, you have to eat here too! White Pearl Beach Restaurant serves the best Thai food in Koh Rong, maybe even the whole of Cambodia?
Here you can enjoy delicious and flavourful Thai food with your toes in the sand. You can’t ask for a much better view either. Make sure to try one of their spicy salads. Or the chicken cashew is a winner too.
Beach BBQ — cheap and delicious food cooked before your eyes
Those looking for a cheap but tasty meal should wander along Koh Touch beach after sunset. You’ll know where to find these beach BBQs by the giveaway smoke that floats into the air.
Here you’ll find all kinds of things, fillets of barracuda, BBQ chicken and other varieties of meat cooking on a stick. Whatever they do to the food, it’s irresistible.
How to get around Koh Rong
By foot
Walking will only get you so far on Koh Rong. The interior of the island is packed with luscious and thriving jungle that is almost impenetrable. Your own two feet are great for exploring the area you’re in, but beyond this it can get tricky.
You are able to walk between Long Beach and Koh Touch though. This will take you around 45 minutes to 1-hour.
By boat
Boats will be your main mode of transport whilst on Koh Rong. You have two options when it comes to the boats — private longtail boats or the shuttle services.
If you’re by yourself, the shuttle services are a lot cheaper, ranging from $5-7 per person each way. The only downside to the shuttle services is that they run at certain times, so you’ll need to plan your day around them.
If there are more than four of you, hiring a private longtail boat can be a better option. It gives you more flexibility and can actually work out cheaper. Private boats range from $15-60 each way.
By bicycle
The roads around Koh Rong really aren’t great! They’re dirt tracks with a lot of pot roads, but they are getting better. You can rent a bicycle to ride between Koh Touch and Long Beach.
By motorbike
One way to get between some of the beaches is to hire your own motorbike. This is definitely an adventure as you’ll have to be pretty skilled to navigate the tricky roads. We wouldn’t really recommend hiring your own motorbike though as you can only use it on a small proportion of the island.
Hiring a motorbike for the day will cost around $10.
Another alternative, albeit an expensive option, is to hire a motorbike driver to take you between destinations.
Top tips for visiting Koh Rong
No ATMs on Koh Rong
There are no ATMs on Koh Rong and nowhere accepts card. You need to bring enough cash with you from the mainland to pay for everything on your trip.
If you realise that you didn’t bring enough money with you, there are a few convenience stores that have payment terminals offering card-to-cash transactions. This usually comes with an eye-watering 10% fee, so only use these in an emergency.
How much cash do you need for your trip on Koh Rong?
We recommend planning what you want to do before getting to Koh Rong to work out a budget. At the lower end, we suggest $15-$25 per day if you’re keeping it basic.
If luxury and activities are what you’re after, you’re probably looking at around $40-$50 per day. This includes accommodation.
Buy a sim card
You’ll find Wi-Fi in most hotels and guesthouses, but it’s not always great. If you need to be connected to the outside world, we recommend buying a sim card on the mainland before visiting Koh Rong.
Smart and Metfone are two companies that we recommend using in Cambodia which can be recharged in Koh Touch.
How to get to Koh Rong
In summary
Now that you’ve finished reading this guide, you’re almost ready for your adventure in Koh Rong. The next step is to create your personalised itinerary with our top picks of what to do in Koh Rong. Simply choose your favourite activities and places to visit, and you’re all set to make lasting memories in Koh Rong.
