Koh Rong Samloem (also spelt Koh Rong Sanloem), is a tiny island paradise in the south of Cambodia. Skipped by many travellers on the typical Southeast Asia backpacking route, Koh Rong Samloem is a quiet island perfect for relaxing. With no cars, proper roads, motorbikes or even ATMs, Samloem feels very different to the rest of Cambodia. This guide will cover how to get there, how to get around, where to stay, what to do, nightlife and how many days you spend here.
How many days to spend in Koh Rong Samloem
Koh Rong Samloem is not an island you visit to do many activities, it is the perfect place to chill. How long you spend in Koh Rong Samloem depends on how many days you want to relax and enjoy the slow pace of life on the island. For that reason, many travellers skip Koh Rong Samloem if they feel they don’t need a few days to chill or they prefer fast-paced travel. If you are taking the time and effort to get to Koh Rong Samloem, stay at least two days to make it worthwhile.
Other people stay closer to a week and view it as a “vacation” from the fast-paced culture of travelling. I spent closer to a week here, waiting for my Vietnam E-Visa to be approved as it was nicer to stay on an island than wait in Phnom Penh. The one important thing to consider in determining how long you stay is how much money you have in cash. There are no ATMs on the island and a lot of places don’t accept credit card, so you need to have taken out enough cash for however you plan to stay before leaving mainland Cambodia.
How to get to Koh Rong Samloem
Koh Rong Samloem is a small island in the South of Cambodia, just beneath the bigger Koh Rong Island. There are direct ferry/ speedboat transfers from Koh Rong Island and Sihanoukville Port. While Sihanoukville city isn’t a recommended place to visit or stop, you can easily get overland to Sihanoukville from Phnom Penh or Kampot and then easily make your way to Koh Rong Samloem on the same day. All transportation (except from Koh Rong) can be booked online at 12GOAsia.
TIP: If you are coming from somewhere where you are catching a van and then a ferry, do not book the ferry in advance. Van transfers are notoriously late and many people miss their boats due to this. Either book the ferry in person when you arrive at the port or when you are in the van and almost at Kampot town. For more transport tips and what to expect on ferry/van transfers in Cambodia, read my full transport guide here.
How to get to Koh Rong Samloem from Koh Rong
A few boats are running every day between Koh Rong and Koh Rong Samloem. These aren’t available to book online, but you can book virtually anywhere in Koh Rong, like shops, restaurants and hostels. Boats cost $5 USD and will pick up and drop off at multiple locations on both islands. There’s no official schedule online (I believe it changes as per demand). When I was there, there was an early morning boat at 8 am, a midday boat and an afternoon boat at around 3 pm. This boat went directly from Nest Beach Club Hostel on Koh Rong to Saracen Beach Pier on Koh Rong Samloem. There are other boats from Koh Rong Pier (also called Koh Toch Beach), with drop-offs on Koh Rong Samloem at Lazy Beach, M’Pai Beach and Saracen Beach Pier.
If you are catching the boat directly from Nest Hostel, be warned, that you must walk/swim out to the boat in waist-deep water at high tide. Most people have to put their big backpack or suitcase on their head to try and avoid it getting too wet. Honestly, it can be a bit of a nightmare, especially with the waves or if you have electronics! If you are travelling this route, try departing at low tide or walking to the pier to get a boat to Samloem.
How to get to Koh Rong Samloem from Phnom Penh
If you’re coming from Phnom Penh, you’ll need to get a van transfer to Sihanoukville city centre, then get a Tuk Tuk to Sihanoukville Autonomous Port and then get a boat to Koh Rong Samloem. Reminder: don’t book your boat to Samloem in advance in case the van is severely delayed. Van transfers run super frequently between Phnom Penh and Sihanoukville starting from 1 am with the last transfer departing at 7 pm daily.
Sihanoukville is not the nicest city to stop off in overnight, so I would be taking a transfer no later than 10 am if you want to guarantee being in Koh Rong Samloem on the same day. Departing any later you run the high risk of the van being delayed, missing the last ferry and having to stay overnight in Sihanoukville. The van transfer takes around 5 hours and costs between $10-$17 USD depending on bus company and time of day.
The van will drop you in the city centre, but the boats depart from the port. From the city to the port, you have a 15-minute Tuk Tuk ride which should cost around $7 USD (split between however many people you share with). Boats depart regularly from the port to Koh Rong Samloem from 8 am to 5 pm. The journey can take anywhere between 45 minutes to 1 hour and 15 minutes. Every boat will stop at Saracen Beach Pier as it is the main drop-off, but you can also speak to ticketing staff at the port about alternative drop-offs at M’Pai Beach or Lazy Beach. Expect to pay between $14-$24 USD depending on the boat company and type of boat. Overall, the journey from Phnom Penh to Koh Rong Samloem should take around 7 hours and will cost between $26-$48 USD.
How to get to Koh Rong Samloem from Kampot
If you’re coming from Kampot, you’ll need to get a van transfer to Sihanoukville city centre, then get a Tuk Tuk to Sihanoukville Autonomous Port and then get to a boat to Koh Rong Samloem. Reminder: don’t book your boat to Samloem in advance in case the van is severely delayed. Van transfers depart Kampot at 8:30 am and 10:30 am daily. The journey takes around 3 hours and will cost around $8 USD. From the city to the port, you have a 15-minute Tuk Tuk ride which should cost around $7 USD (split between however many people you share with).
Boats depart regularly from the port to Koh Rong Samloem from 8 am to 5 pm. The journey can take anywhere between 45 minutes to 1 hour and 15 minutes. Every boat will stop at Saracen Beach Pier as it is the main drop-off, but you can also speak to ticketing staff at the port about alternative Koh Rong Samloem drop-offs at M’Pai Beach or Lazy Beach. Expect to pay between $14-$24 USD depending on the boat company and type of boat. Overall, the journey from Kampot to Koh Rong Samloem should take around 5 hours and will cost between $24-$39 USD.
How to get around Koh Rong Samloem
Koh Rong Samloem is a tiny island where there are no cars, motorbikes or Tuk Tuks permitted. The only forms of transport are walking or taxi boats. Koh Rong Samloem is so small you can walk from the northernmost point to the southernmost point in 2 hours. The majority of travellers will stay on Saracen Beach in Koh Rong Samloem, from here you can easily walk to Sunset Beach, Lazy Beach and the old lighthouse. There are also many restaurants and bars within walking distance (no more than a 15-minute walk) along Saracen Beach.
If you want to visit the north of Koh Rong Samloem (M’Pai Beach) for snorkelling or don’t fancy walking the 30-minute walk to the east (Lazy Beach and Sunset Beach), you can get a taxi boat. However, not many backpackers do this, as the walks are so short and more of an adventure. Walking around Koh Rong Samloem feels incredibly safe, even if you are alone and it is night-time. The trails between beaches are pretty well-trodden and given how small the island is, it would be difficult to get too lost.
Where to stay in Koh Rong Samloem
The majority of accommodations and popular hostels are on Saracen Beach on the east of the island. There are a couple of hostels on the north of the island at M’Pai Beach. The Saracen Beach area is much busier with more backpackers, bars and restaurants. However, the actual Beach itself isn’t the nicest or cleanest of beaches. From Saracen Beach, you are within walking distance of much nicer and cleaner beaches and the lighthouse hike.
M’Pai Beach is much quieter and cleaner beach, but the area itself is much more secluded. While you could walk to the south of Koh Rong Samloem to visit Lazy Beach, Sunset Beach or the lighthouse hike, it is much further so needing to get a water taxi would be more likely. M’Pai Beach area seems to be more popular with couples or those wanting a secluded beach getaway. While the Saracen Beach area isn’t “busy” compared to most other Southeast Asian island standards, the hostels are lively with events and music. You can book all hostels and accommodation here.
Onederz Hostel– best social hostel
With the closure of Mad Monkey on Koh Rong Samloem, Onederz is probably the closest thing to a party hostel you can find. But even then, it’s pretty tame. They have a bar and restaurant on site, where they do happy hour specials and have heaps of bar games like a ping pong table, pool tables, a giant Connect 4 board and board games. Even if you don’t stay at Onederz hostel, it is one of the most lively spots to visit at night on the island. Onederz was right on Saracen Beach with lots of swing seats to chill on, if you didn’t wanna hang out at the bar/restaurant.
The rooms are basic but very comfortable. There were no curtains on the bed, but they had comfy and clean bedding, A/C and plugs by the bed. The bathrooms were clean but (understandably) always pretty sandy and there wasn’t always hot water, but that seemed like more of an island problem, than specifically the hostel. Overall, it’s definitely one of the nicer hostels on the island in terms of comfort and amenities, but if you’re more of a flashpacker kind of traveller, book a budget private room in a hotel/resort nearby and just visit.
Big Easy Hostel– best budget hostel
Just down from Onederz and also right on Saracen Beach is Big Easy Hostel, which is a great budget alternative. The beds were comfortable with curtains for privacy and they had A/C turned on during the night-time only. They are a smaller hostel so they don’t have common areas that aren’t the bar/restaurant. The bathrooms, general cleanliness and amenities are pretty basic, but you can still get a good night’s sleep here and save a bit of money. The food and drinks at the restaurant are great, but there isn’t much of a vibe and it was harder to make friends as a solo traveller. Even if you don’t stay at Big Easy, you can still visit for food and drinks or even their trivia night on a Wednesday.
What to do in Koh Rong Samloem
Koh Rong Samloem is not the place you come to do many activities, so if you are the kind of person who always needs to be doing things, this island is probably going to bore you. It is the perfect place to come to relax and rejuvenate yourself before heading to busier destinations in Cambodia.
Spend the day relaxing at Lazy Beach and Sunset Beach
Lazy Beach and Sunset Beach are two of the nicest beaches on Koh Rong Samloem Island. Both beaches are located on the western side of the island, in small bays. If you’re staying in the Saracen Beach area, it is a short 30-minute walk along a path through the jungle to either beach. The walk is not strenuous at all (I did it barefoot) and it is partially shaded. From Saracen Beach, just walk around 2 minutes south of Onederz Hostel to find the path to Lzy Beach. If you pass Leng Meng Beach Bungalow, you’ve gone too far. Once you start walking down the path, there are no resorts or restaurants really, you’re mainly passing locals’ houses and vacant land. About 10 minutes in, you get to a fork in the road. For Sunset Beach, head right and for Lazy Beach head left.
Lazy Beach vs Sunset Beach
Both beaches are perfect for swimming, snorkelling, relaxing and watching the sunset. Lazy Beach is the busier of the two and they have an established bar and restaurant on the beach. Despite Lazy Beach being the most popular, it did not feel crowded at all, with plenty of space on the beach and trees providing shade. The restaurant here also does snorkel rentals for around $2 USD for a few hours. Sunset Beach also has a resort where you can buy food and drinks, but I would try to eat lunch at Lazy Beach instead. Sunset Beach is even quieter than Lazy Beach, but otherwise, these Koh Rong Samloem beaches are very similar.
Despite the name, Sunset Beach doesn’t actually have any better view of the sunset than Lazy Beach. The sunset at either beach is stunning and well worth staying for and walking back in the dark to Saracen Beach is super safe. To get between Sunset Beach and Lazy Beach, you need to walk back to the fork in the road, there’s no access to walk between the beaches along the coast. The walk between the two beaches via the jungle trail is around 20-30 minutes.
Hike to the old lighthouse
If you fancy getting some physical activity in or get bored of relaxing on the beach, you can do the popular hike to the old lighthouse. This is located in the southernmost point of the island and takes around 90 mins to hike to. The “hike” is fairly easy, as the trail to follow is flat and you continue straight along the same trail the whole way until you see the lighthouse. When you arrive at the lighthouse, if you want to walk to the top to see the panoramic views of the island, you have to pay $1 USD to the owner.
Pre-warning, expect a very hot and sweaty walk though as most of the trail is not shaded. The hike is best completed early in the morning and make sure you bring plenty of water as the trail goes through the jungle so there is nowhere to buy water on the way. To find the trail, simply walk south of Saracen Beach, all the way to the end past Paradise Villas, where you’ll see the inland trail begin.
Join a boat tour
Another activity on Koh Rong Samloem is to join a boat tour around the island. Most hostels can book this for you with tours departing daily. Tours usually include multiple snorkel stops, cliff jumping and visits to the beaches around Koh Rong Samloem. I did not opt to join a boat tour on Koh Rong Samloem, as it featured similar stops to boat tours on Koh Rong Island. Most people I met didn’t do this tour either, as they came to Koh Rong Samloem to chill.
Where to eat in Koh Rong Samloem
Koh Rong Samloem is such a small island so there aren’t many restaurant options, with most of the restaurants also being accommodation. You’ll find the greatest selection of restaurants on Saracen Beach, but there are also resorts on Lazy Beach, Sunset Beach and M’Pai Beach which serve meals.
Sara Resort
This is probably one of the best restaurants on the island! They do a seafood BBQ on the beach most nights, but they also have great Cambodian dishes if you don’t fancy BBQ. Their BBQ menu is a bit on the pricier side, but it is worth it for fresh seafood or meat cooked in front of you!
Onederz
Onederz Hostel has a good restaurant on-site and a great bar! They serve basic breakfast/brunch options until around midday. After that, they serve a combination of Western foods and various Asian cuisines. The food is pretty decent, with the main selling point being you can pay on card (one of the few spots on the island that isn’t cash only).
Big Easy
The Big Easy is both a hostel and restaurant known for great burgers and Western food. Big Easy also do pretty good brunch food during the day. They also have a pretty decent bar on site and run a trivia night every Wednesday, which is worth joining!
Koh Rong Samloem Nightlife
There isn’t really much in terms of nightlife in Koh Rong Samloem. Most people are drinking in one of three places: Onederz Hostel Bar, Big Easy Hostel Bar or Lucky Sun Hostel/ Reggae Bar. Luckily these bars are all within a 3-minute walk of each other on Saracen Beach. Big Easy Bar is best on a Wednesday for their trivia night. Onederz Hostel Bar is pretty good most nights and they have lots of games around like a Jumbo Connect-4 Board. Lucky Sun Bar is more of a reggae/ chill vibe and tends to get busier later in the night. Most of the bars are busy from around 8 pm to midnight. Koh Rong Samloem isn’t really a place where backpackers come to party so lots of people have a few drinks but then get an early night.
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