Koh Rong and Koh Rong Sanloem

Getting to Koh Rong and Koh Rong Sanloem

Koh Rong can be reached by a ferry ride from Sihanoukville. The ferries itself are pretty basic. There are wooden benches on either side of the ferry and plastic covers in case it rains. Typically the roof is accessible, allowing you to stretch out and catch a quick snooze. Make sure you carry a hat and sunglasses for the ride, and use sunscreen if required.

Worth seeing

With 23 white sand beaches to choose from Koh Rong has plenty to see and do. For the adventurous there's plenty of trekking to be done through the relatively untouched jungle. Diving and snorkelling is excellent both off the beach and at sites nearby. But above all the best attraction is the phosphorescent water which sparkles when disturbed like twinkling stars.

Things to do

Hiking. The walking man of Koh Rong (an Israeli guy called Gil, found at Paradise bungalows) has marked trails that lead from the beach closest to Monkey Island and Paradise Bungalows to other beaches but most of the island is still thick jungle. Gil knows the hidden trails of the island very well and offers trekking tours from 1 to 4 days (cost ~US10 per day per person and is worth every dollar). US$10 per person.

Where to eat

There are many restaurants available. In Koh Tuich, the cheapest ones are the Khmer restaurants in the village (mains US$2–3) that offer surprisingly good food. Each bungalow resort also has its own restaurant. While more expensive, these offer a nicer atmosphere. Various Restaurants offer the standard beach BBQ fare for US$4–6 at night.

Getting around Koh Rong and Koh Rong Sanloem the local way

Everything reaches the two islands by sea from one place – the tourist pier at Gate 1 of Sihanoukville Autonomous Port, where five or six speedboat operators run a combined 300-odd sailings a week to a dozen named beach piers – and once ashore there are no taxis or public roads for visitors, so you move by scheduled longtail taxi boat, by private charter off the beach, or on the jungle paths that cross each island.

1. 01
   Speed ferry, Sihanoukville to Koh Rongspeedboat

   Sihanoukville tourist pier to Koh Touch Port, Long Set (Longset) Beach, Sok San Long Beach and Coconut Beach

   Where

   The port address is Sihanoukville Autonomous Port – Gate 1 (Tourist Pier), Street 529, Preah Sihanouk. GTVC's own address is 'Tourism Pier, Preah Sihanoukville', and Wikipedia records that the licensed operators all depart from the GTVC pier next to the Autonomous Port. Some older guides and some operators still say Serendipity / Ochheuteal pier, so check the pier printed on your ticket and show the taxi or tuk-tuk driver that name, not just the word 'port'. Arrive 30 minutes before departure. Tell the counter the exact beach you are staying at – the boat that says Koh Rong may only call at Koh Touch.

   When

   GTVC 08:00, 11:00, 14:00 and 16:00; Island Speed Ferry 08:00, 09:00, 12:00, 15:00; Koh Rong Star Express 07:30, 10:30, 13:30, 16:30; Romny Tour Express 09:30, 13:00, 16:15; Vireak Buntham Speed Ferry 09:45, 11:30, 14:30, 17:00. Direct Ferries lists 28 sailings a week each for Island Speed Ferry and GTVC and 21 a week for Speed Ferry Cambodia. Nothing runs after dark – the last boats are around 17:00.

   Fare (2026)

   US$17–18 one way; about US$25 for a return. The provincial government fixed the island fare at US$22 return and US$12 one way, plus a US$2 coastline conservation tax, and operators price above that.

   Takes

   42 to 45 minutes to Long Set and Koh Touch, 55 minutes to Sok San; about an hour if your pier is not the first stop

   Season

   Year-round, but the dry north-east season December to March is the reliable one. June to September brings stronger winds and rain; ferries keep running between squalls but a bad-weather day can stop them, and the operators decide on the morning.

   Booking

   Online through the operators, BookMeBus (which runs GTVC's ticketing), 12Go or any guesthouse. In high season buy at least the day before – boats fill on long weekends and holidays.

   Sources: directferries.com (2026-09) · cambodiatrains.info (2026) · en.wikipedia.org (2026-09) · confidence high

2. 02
   Speed ferry, Sihanoukville to Koh Rong Sanloemspeedboat

   Sihanoukville tourist pier to Saracen Bay (Orchid, Soon Noeng and Freedom piers), M'Pai Bay (23 Village Beach) and Sandy Beach

   Where

   Same pier as the Koh Rong boats. Saracen Bay has several piers – Soon Noeng, Orchid and Freedom – and Freedom is used only when the waves are heavy, so tell your resort which company you are on so they meet the right one. M'Pai Bay has a single pier but only some companies call there, and only on some runs. Boats often serve both islands on one loop and pick the order by where the passengers are going, which is why the same crossing can take 40 minutes or two hours.

   When

   GTVC 08:00, 11:00, 14:00 and 16:00, 28 sailings a week; Buva Sea 3 sailings daily, 21 a week; Island Speed Ferry 28 a week; Speed Ferry Cambodia 21 a week to Soon Noeng

   Fare (2026)

   US$17 one way and US$30 return on GTVC as of August 2026; the government-fixed reference is US$22 return and US$12 one way. Saracen Bay tickets are commonly sold as open returns, so you fix the outbound day and come back when you like.

   Takes

   45 minutes to Saracen Bay, M'Pai Bay, Orchid and Sandy Beach; 55 minutes to Soon Noeng; up to an hour or more on a multi-stop loop

   Season

   Year-round. The island's dry, still season is December to March; June to September is the windy, wet half and Freedom pier exists precisely because Saracen Bay gets rough.

   Booking

   At the pier on the day, or online through the operators, BookMeBus or 12Go; book ahead December to February

   Sources: en.wikivoyage.org (2026-08) · directferries.com (2026-09) · en.wikipedia.org (2026-09) · confidence high

3. 03
   Slow supply boat from Pier 52 (Bora Pier)cargo boat

   Pier 52, Sihanoukville, to Saracen Beach, M'Pai Bay and Koh Rong, carrying the islands' cargo

   Where

   A traditional wooden supply boat, not a tourist service, leaving from Pier 52, also called Bora Pier – a different place from the tourist pier, so name it to your driver. It takes passengers at roughly half the speedboat fare and leaves once a day in the early afternoon. There is no schedule board: it goes when the cargo is loaded, and the crossing stretches with the load and the weather. Wooden benches, a plastic rain cover, a roof you can sit on and a basic toilet; bring water, a hat and sunscreen because not every boat sells anything.

   When

   Once daily, departing 14:00

   Fare (2026)

   US$5 one way

   Takes

   2 hours 30 minutes to 4 hours 30 minutes depending on cargo and weather

   Season

   Year-round in principle, but it is the first thing to stop in rough seas and it is not professionally run to tourist-ferry standards – one island guide explicitly does not recommend the cheap slow boats

   Booking

   None, pay at the pier

   Sources: en.wikivoyage.org (2026-08) · en.wikipedia.org (2026-09) · visitkohrong.com (2026) · confidence medium

4. 04
   Scheduled taxi boats from M'Pai Bay, Koh Rong Sanloemwater taxi

   M'Pai Bay to Saracen Bay, M'Pai Bay to Koh Rong, and the afternoon west-coast loop to Lazy Beach and Sunset Beach

   Where

   There are no cars or public roads on Koh Rong Sanloem, so this is the island's bus network. The scheduled boats leave from the main arrival pier area at M'Pai Bay: 10:30 daily for Saracen Bay, 12:00 daily for Koh Rong. The west-coast sunset loop leaves from Bong's Guesthouse at 13:00, calls at Lazy Beach and Sunset Beach and comes back to M'Pai Bay after sunset around 18:00. Outside those times, look for the beachfront signs reading 'Boat Taxi' next to the piers and hire on the spot.

   When

   Saracen Bay 10:30, Koh Rong 12:00, west-coast sunset loop 13:00 returning about 18:00 – all daily

   Fare (2026)

   US$5 per person in high season on the scheduled boats, rising to US$7–10 in low season when there are fewer passengers. A private charter to Saracen Bay or Koh Rong averages US$25, varying with distance and the weather on the day.

   Takes

   Roughly 20 to 40 minutes between bays depending on sea state

   Season

   Year-round but weather-dependent; in rough seas the charter price rises and the crossing may not run at all

   Booking

   None – turn up at the pier, or negotiate on the beach for a charter

   Sources: en.wikivoyage.org (2026-08) · en.wikivoyage.org (2026-08) · en.wikivoyage.org (2026-08) · confidence medium

5. 05
   Longtail beach-to-beach boats on Koh Rongwater taxi

   Koh Touch pier to Long Set Beach, Sok San, Coconut Beach, Daem Thkov and Prek Svay

   Where

   Hire a local fishing or longtail boat at the Koh Touch pier – there is no counter, you ask at the pier or through your guesthouse. Resorts on the far beaches run their own pick-ups: Coconut Beach Bungalows meet guests off the Koh Touch boats for US$5 a head, and Pura Vita on Long Set runs a water taxi for arrivals. Daem Thkov village on the east coast is reached only by longtail from Koh Touch. Be aware that some resort owners have refused to let guests take boats round to the other side of the island – confirm with your own accommodation rather than the boat owner.

   When

   On demand through daylight hours; nothing runs after dark

   Fare (2026)

   Resort transfers from the pier around US$5 per person. Wikivoyage's older figures are US$5–10 for a private boat from Koh Touch to Long Set and US$25 per boat to Sok San (Bai Tau); treat these as a starting point, not a tariff.

   Takes

   10 to 20 minutes to Long Set, about 40 minutes round to Sok San

   Season

   Year-round in daylight, weather permitting; the exposed southern and western coasts are rough in the June–September monsoon

   Booking

   Arrange through your accommodation before you arrive if your beach has no pier service

   Sources: en.wikivoyage.org (2026-09) · en.wikivoyage.org (2026-09) · visitkohrong.com (2026) · confidence medium

6. 06
   Jungle and beach paths that replace the boatwalking trail

   Koh Touch to Long Set on Koh Rong; Saracen Bay to Lazy Beach, Sunset Beach and the old lighthouse on Koh Rong Sanloem

   Where

   On Koh Rong, turn right out of the Koh Touch pier and follow the shore – about 15 minutes brings you onto the open beach, and the resorts at the Long Set end are roughly 4 km and an hour away. The path is easy to follow but leaves the sand for forest in places and crosses a stretch of water near the lagoon. On Koh Rong Sanloem, signposted paths cross the narrow middle of the island from Saracen Bay to Lazy Beach in about 30 to 40 minutes, with branches to Sunset Beach, Military Beach and the lighthouse. Do not try Saracen Bay to M'Pai Bay on foot: it is a minimum three-hour strenuous trek on unfinished, hazardous ground, and the interior is big enough to get lost in.

   When

   Any daylight hour; start back before dark, there is no lighting

   Fare (2026)

   Free. A guided two-hour trek from Saracen Bay is about US$5 and a five-hour lighthouse jungle tour about US$25.

   Takes

   Koh Touch to Long Set resorts about 1 hour over 4 km; Saracen Bay to Lazy Beach 30–40 minutes; Saracen Bay to M'Pai Bay 3 hours or more

   Season

   Year-round; the paths are muddy and the streams high in the wet season May to October, when the Freedom Waterfall at the north end of Saracen Bay actually runs

   Booking

   None for walking; guided treks at resort receptions

   Sources: visitkohrong.com (2026) · en.wikivoyage.org (2026-08) · en.wikivoyage.org (2026-08) · confidence medium

7. 07
   Sunset and night plankton boatsboat

   Short evening runs off Koh Touch, Long Set and Saracen Bay to dark water away from the village lights

   Where

   Booked at guesthouse receptions and beach bars rather than any office. On Koh Rong Sanloem, the west-coast taxi boat from Bong's Guesthouse at 13:00 doubles as the sunset trip, returning about 18:00. The bioluminescence is visible on a dark night in roughly a metre of water, so the trips run late and on moonless nights; some places also run a pre-dawn plankton outing – Coconut Beach Bungalows take guests out around 02:00. You can also see it wading off an unlit stretch of beach for nothing.

   When

   Nightly in season, weather and moon permitting

   Fare (2026)

   Sold per person at guesthouses; no consistent published price found. The Sanloem sunset loop is the scheduled taxi boat, so US$5 per person in high season.

   Takes

   1 to 2 hours for a plankton trip; the Sanloem west-coast sunset loop runs 13:00 to about 18:00

   Season

   Best on dark, calm nights; Koh Rong's minimal light pollution means it can be seen most nights, but boats do not go out in rough weather

   Booking

   At your guesthouse the same day

   Sources: en.wikivoyage.org (2026-09) · en.wikivoyage.org (2026-09) · en.wikivoyage.org (2026-08) · confidence low

8. 08
   Day boat trips and chartered longtailstour package

   Island-hopping loops round Koh Rong, Koh Tas and the outer reefs; Sihanoukville day returns to Saracen Bay and Sunset Beach

   Where

   A private longtail for the day is arranged by asking at Koh Touch when you arrive – roughly US$100 for the whole boat, up to ten people, best started early, calling at Sok San fishing village, Lonely Beach, Palm Beach, Song Saa and Daem Thkov. From Sihanoukville, the Dive Shop boat to Sunset Beach on Koh Rong Sanloem meets at their Serendipity Beach Road office beside Monkey Republic at 07:00, tuk-tuks you to the Royal Pier and reaches Sunset Beach about 10:15, leaving again at 15:30. The Motor Yacht Sun runs a day return from Victory Beach Pier, boarding 09:30 and leaving at 10:00, snorkelling at Koh Tas, mooring in Saracen Bay and back at 17:00. On Saracen Bay itself, kayak tours leave at 08:00 and 13:00.

   When

   Daily in season, subject to numbers and weather

   Fare (2026)

   Private longtail about US$100 for the boat for the day, up to 10 people. Dive Shop open-return transfer to Sunset Beach US$20 per person including breakfast. Motor Yacht Sun day trip US$25 including buffet lunch. Four-hour kayak tour US$25; kayak rental from about US$10 for the first hour.

   Takes

   Full day, roughly 08:00 to 17:00; the Dive Shop boat is 07:00 to about 19:00

   Season

   Reliable November to early May; in the May–November wet season the trips run between squalls and cancel outright in rough seas

   Booking

   Longtails on the spot at Koh Touch; the Sihanoukville day boats need at least a day's notice and a signed liability form

   Sources: visitkohrong.com (2026) · rongsamloem.com (2026) · rongsamloem.com (2026) · confidence medium

Not yet confirmed: Correction to the brief and to Wikivoyage: the English Wikivoyage Koh Rong article is stuck in 2012 and its ferry times (08:00 and 13:30 from 'the port', 2-hour crossings, Monkey Republic pick-ups) are wrong. Use the Koh Rung Sanloem article, which was rewritten in August 2026, plus the operator and Direct Ferries listings – https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Koh_Rong; The pier question is genuinely unsettled in the sources. Direct Ferries and Wikipedia put every licensed operator at the tourist pier by Gate 1 of Sihanoukville Autonomous Port; rongsamloem.com and cambodiatrains.info say Serendipity / Ochheuteal pier; visitkohrong says either. Likely both names refer to overlapping facilities and pier use shifts with construction and season. Always go by the pier name on the ticket.; No operator publishes a per-sailing fare table that could be read without going through a booking flow. speedferrycambodia.com returns a Wix domain error and buvasea.com renders nothing without JavaScript, so their fares here come from aggregators, Wikipedia and island guides rather than from the operators themselves.; There is no published rule about boats stopping in bad weather, only consistent practice: ferries do not sail after dark (last departures around 17:00), and visitkohrong notes that in the rainy season some companies keep running when the rain pauses, so the call is made by each operator on the morning. No source gave a wind speed or wave height threshold, and no government suspension notice was found.; The GTVC and Buva Sea beach-pier fares to individual piers (Orchid, Soon Noeng, Sandy Beach, Coconut) were not obtainable; the US$17–18 one way figure is the general Koh Rong rate.; Koh Touch to Sok San and Koh Touch to Long Set boat prices rest on Wikivoyage figures that predate the current guide and are not corroborated by any 2023-or-later source. Ask two or three boat owners at the pier.; Plankton and sunset boat prices could not be confirmed anywhere; they are sold informally at guesthouses. Ask on the beach the same day.; A 70 km road network across Koh Rong began construction in 2020 and Koh Rong Sanloem has an unfinished path being built between Saracen Bay and M'Pai Bay; neither has a current completion status in any source found, so overland options on Koh Rong may have changed since. There is also still no ATM on either island – bring small-denomination US dollars from the mainland..

The field note on Koh Rong and Koh Rong Sanloem reads this entry in full, one option at a time, with every source beside it.