Many people don’t even know that Cambodia offers luxurious and idyllic islands. Cities on the coast offer a wide range of activities for all types of budgets and desires.
Many people don’t even know that Cambodia offers luxurious and idyllic islands. Cities on the coast offer a wide range of activities for all types of budgets and desires. In fact, Cambodia seems to be the ideal beach destination for families, adventure lovers, leisure addicts and people interested in Khmer culture. You can easily spend a week discovering the beaches of Kep, Kampot, Sihanoukville or even Koh Kong.
1. Kep beach
Kep was the ideal seaside resort during the French protectorate and is still an ideal place to relax and enjoy the sun, away from the crowded Siem Reap. It will also be an opportunity to discover the Kep National Park and the surrounding islands. But the main attraction of the Kep is the famous Crab market, where you could try the crab dishes and delicious Cambodia seafood. Kep also has incredible landscapes thanks to the beach, the salt fields, the national park, and you would have the opportunity to discover them, why not ride them! This province is a neverland for children, thanks to the Rabbit island, the butterfly farm, and various beach activities.
2. Kampot beach
30 minutes from Kep by car, we find Kampot, a small but very lively city with beautiful colonial architecture. Today it is perhaps the most multicultural city in Cambodia, where many expatriates live, work with Khmer people and enrich life in this city. This city is living with the rhythm of the river, which allows many activities such as kayaking, sunset cruises, boat trips. It is perfect for families, groups of friends and lovers. Kep is also a great city of culture, and Kampot is definitely worth a walk around just to have a look at the architecture and have a unique feeling.
3. Sihanoukville beach
To show the Cambodian coast in a complete way, we move to Sihanoukville, located 2 hours from Kampot and 3 hours from Phnom Penh. Beyond a backpacker destination, Sihanoukville also offers Cambodia’s most beautiful islands, such as Koh Rong and Koh Rong Samloem. Unlike in Thailand, where idyllic beaches are popular, Cambodia gives you the chance to enjoy those places as a privileged place because they are still preserved by mass tourism. Sihanoukville also offers the opportunity to relax for families, friends or even groups, thanks to many activities such as quads, buggies, boat or horseback excursions.
4. Koh Rong beach
Not so long ago Koh Rong was a melancholy island. There are only a handful of bungalows with wild jungle and beautiful white-sand beaches.
There is still an incredible path for trekking on the island in parts of the jungle that have not been destroyed by logging but in recent years dozens of low-cost housing have been built and Koh Rong has become a second Shangri-La step by step.
Although Koh Rong remains surprisingly underdeveloped, at least compared to the standard of the Thai islands, its inhabitants are notoriously friendly and always ready to keep the music until the small hours and offering live DJs and free beer at happy hours.
The bars are open 24 hours a day and a permissive attitude of using ganja has made the island an ideal place for travelers who want to enjoy the sun, burn themselves on the beach all day and have a romantic dinner at night.
How to get there: high-speed ferries depart from Sihanoukville (Cambodia Speed Ferry, Serendipity Beach Road, Sihanoukville), it takes 50 minutes from the coast and costs $15 return.
5. Koh Rong Samloem
Koh Rong Samloem was a favorite place of expatriates in Cambodia, who come to this tranquil island to enjoy the precious weekend time at the “Lazy Beach”, the only accommodation facility on Koh Rong Samleom.
More recently, a dozen new structures are built on the opposite side of the island, “Saraceno Bay Resort” is located at a heart-shaped inlet with turquoise surf and beautiful beaches.
Fortunately, new businesses are determined to avoid mistakes made on some of the neighboring islands and are promoting sustainable tourism with low impact. The result is clean white sand beaches that visitors can have the most authentic experiences possible. There is not much to do on the island, but it is worth going to this pristine island. You can enjoy the beauty of the sea under the tropical sun with paddle-boarding, snorkeling or relax under a palm tree with a good book.
How to get there: From Sihanoukville, many of the Cambodia Speed Ferry ferries to Koh Rong also stop at Koh Rong Sanloem for the price of $ 20 return.
6. Koh Totang
Koh Totang is the favorite island for those who want to completely disconnect from their daily life and become a professional beachcomber (a vagabond who collects rubbish and debris on the beach).
The beautiful island has only one place to stay, called Nomad’s Land, which has only five bungalows!
Visitors will be required to take a break completely by e-mail or Facebook because there is no internet in Koh Totang. Furthermore, the bungalows use solar energy and have no noisy generators. The island is purely silent!
The water resources you use for showers are rainwater, all you can do is just: lying in a hammock, enjoying the view and banishing every thought of life at home.
How to get there: From Phnom Penh and Sihanoukville take a taxi to Yopon Then, the fishing village on the mainland costs $100, or takes a bus from Phnom Penh and Sihanoukville to Andong Teuk and then a local minibus from there. Nomad’s Land (+855 11 916 171) will take guests by boat to Poi Yopon.
7. Koh Ta Kiev
The secluded beaches of Koh Ta Kiev are probably the last place you’d expect to find a bar with absinthe.
Yet this is the place that you will find Syn Assenzio, an operation with only one employee who does five types of craftsmanship, absinthe small lots.
Visitors can take a tour of the distillery and discover the whole process, from the abstraction process to having a type of bitter oil with its psychoactive properties to fermentation and bottling. Here is the story of an often forbidden drink.
The tour ends with a tasting that is served in a traditional way, with a lively flame, caramelized sugar, and cold water.
It is best to visit the island only for the afternoon because the beaches are not large, but the beautiful ones also require a couple of days of attention so you can play the coconut bowling at sunset.
Those who want to stay here can stay in one of the Ten103 Treehouse Bays tree-top bungalows near the distillery, but it is better to book in advance.
How to get there: Syn Absinthe will offer one boat per day – The Green Ferry, for the island specifically for high season excursions to come. (Syn Absinthe, +855 97 569 7614). Currently, there is one boat per day for Ten103 Treehouse Bay (+855 88 5044192) from Sihanoukville to $ 6.50 each way, or private boats per day can be booked at local travel agencies, including Best Beach Travel (+855 15 678 924).
8. Song Saa
The nickname of these two small private islands means “sweethearts” in Khmer. Surely your girlfriend will be very happy to be brought here, with the price of a villa at $3,000 a night!
The resorts on the island of Song Saa offer an experience on the most exclusive island of Cambodia. This experience started with a bottle of champagne awaits you at check-in.
Champagne is included in the price and almost everything else is in the same way, from shore transfers and yummy meals made from local foods, the mini-bar in the resort and free international calls from your villa.
Even better, Song Saa is a sustainable development model in Cambodia.
The resort is helping the local community develop education and waste management programs and has engaged in various conservation actions, including a marine reserve covering 50,000 square meters around the islands.
How to get there: There are speedboats twice a day for Song Saa departing from the port of Sihanoukville which are free for guests, or private boats can be arranged for $660 or helicopter for $1,320.
9. Koh Thmei
Located within the Ream National Park, Koh Thmei is the home of monkeys, owls, lizards, more than 100 different species of birds and several species on the brink of extinction, including the fishing cat - a feline in a wetland area which makes its home near streams and mangrove forests.
The island has only one hotel structure: Koh Thmei Resort and the term “resort” is used cunningly: it is little more than nine simple wooden bungalows, but it is eco-friendly and they use solar energy.
Koh Thmei Resort is the only place to stay on the island of the same name. Guests can go hiking, bird watching, snorkeling or kayaking for two. In the resort, there is also a stall where there is the baby horse that the children can ride.
Next to the temples, Cambodia has a lot to offer, it is also an ideal destination to enjoy the beautiful sunshine, warm water, and its crystal clear waters, all accompanied by the friendly and helpful Khmer people.
