Along with its representative landmarks such as Angkor Wat and Killing Fields, Cambodia also bears its untamed nature site placed in the southern part of the country. Located near the coast of a city named Sihanoukville, Koh Rong consists of islands that will soon become widely known tourist destinations.
When starting from Siem Reap, a city renowned for its wide selection of heritage, taking a night coach to Sihanoukville and entering the island by boat is the most common way. Typically, night coaches in Cambodia come with bunker beds along with blankets and pillows. Although the bunkers may not be the most ideal place to sleep in, it is still worth trying if looking for a touristy experience. After about a ten-hour-long journey, the coach takes you from the northwestern part of the country to an island that can be only described as a paradise.
One of the most special and must-do activities at the island would be a plankton tour. Departing after sunset, the wooden boat drops you off in the middle of the ocean. After diving in, waving your hands and feet activates a chemical reaction and the ocean turns luminous. At first, it might be terrifying to jump into the dark ocean, but once planktons start glowing, the experience will be treasured as a once-in-a-lifetime memory. The planktons also emit light when the waves break, so make sure to keep your eyes open during the boat trip as well.
Another beauty of Koh Rong is its ambivalent surroundings. While it is striving to attract more visitors by building an airport, resorts, and contemporary infrastructure, it also conserves its indigenous charm. For example, at Inn the Village which is a small fishing village located in Daem Thkov, you can meet the local fisherman families and their households with fishing nets installed. Although witnessing day-to-day authentic Cambodians’ lives can be a novel experience, strolling around a residence where you find slopes made of dumped plastic pieces at every corner of the village is upsetting. Similarly, Preaek Svay Village also showcases the intact lifestyle of the locals. Children learning how to drive boats, students playing football barefoot, and inhabitants relaxing on the floating homes are the most common views of the village, making the overall ambiance more rustic. Unfortunately, it seemed like the town was still struggling with the aftermath of COVID-19 as there were not many travelers, and some of the commodities expired years ago.
Prek Koang Kang Ecotourism Community is a mangrove forest built around the island’s mangroves. A single wooden bridge connected all over the forest shows different directions throughout the forest, and the path eventually takes you to the seafront. Thanks to densely concentrated trees, the forest provides a relatively cooler climate compared to the humid and scorching weather of Cambodia, making it a perfect place to chill.
Sok San Village is one of the best vacation spots and the second-largest tourist reception area on the island at the same time. Due to a lack of visitors, there is a limit in the variety of facilities and only luxurious accommodations are waiting for tourists. Since the area is not too crowded, a lot of couples and families looking for a private atmosphere stay here. Although the beach around Sok San is not the cleanest, it still presents clear water and purple-colored sunset.
Like many other tropical islands, Koh Rong has multiple spots for sunset watching. For instance, Long Set Beach attracts the highest number of tourists every evening with its purple-pink sunset. Also well-known as a party place, with lots of backpackers and hotels lining up along the coast, each accommodation at Long Set Beach hosts its own party every night where visitors make new friends and memories. Long Beach and Koh Touch are other great options to enjoy the sunset, not to mention being the closest to the main pier and their pristine white beaches.
Given the island’s reputation of being a party island, not every part of Koh Rong is overly bustling or noisy. Except for the main road, the island is overall serene and its residents are hospitable. Koh Rong truly is worth visiting when traveling to Cambodia.