Koh Rong Samloem Travel Guide – Visit Koh Rong Samloem – Budget Travel In Cambodia

Visit Koh Rong Samloem, Cambodia for the true tropical island experience. It has a similar vibe to its neighbour ‘Koh Rong’ but without the all-night parties.

After visiting the capital city, Phnom Penh, and then enjoying the smaller towns of Kep and Kampot, it was time to experience the Cambodian islands, starting with Koh Rong Samloem.

We could not decide between Koh Rong Samloem or Koh Rong so we decided to visit both, as we had enough time and had learned it was easy to move from one to the other. For more information about visiting Koh Rong, visit https://flyingdogtravel.com/cambodia/koh-rong-and-sihanoukville/.

How To Get To Koh Rong Samloem From Kampong

There are many travel companies in Kampong that will take you directly to the islands. We chose one in the centre of town and haggled the price down to $23. That included the cost of the ferry tickets both from and returning to Sihanouk.

Skip Sihanouk!

Originally, we were going to stay a couple of nights in Sihanouk but everyone we spoke to told us to miss it completely. Arriving in Sihanouk, it was easy to see why. Sihanouk has been torn apart by Chinese investors building casinos and hotels and the whole city looks like a building site. Driving through the city, it was clear that we had made the right choice skipping Sihanouk.

Taking The Bus From Kampot to Sihanouk

The bus arrived on time and we had ample room. The same cannot be said for the driver.

Ferry To Koh Rong Samloem

At the ferry port, we exchanged our tickets for a laminated card to wear around our neck. We then waited about half an hour for the speedboat, provided by ‘Speed Ferry Cambodia’. The reviews of this company were pretty poor and it was incredibly chaotic. The journey was very bumpy with many passengers reaching for sick bags along the way. The young staff seemed to enjoy this speedy, bumpy ride and it was a relief when we pulled in at the island. However, the boat pulled in at Koh Rong and we had to change to another boat. Getting on and off the boat was no easy task, especially with a backpack. I was afraid I was going to fall in as they pulled me up onto the pier.

Thankfully, the next boat was a calmer journey and within an hour of leaving Sihanouk, we were on Koh Rong Samloem island.

Arriving on Koh Rong Samloem Island

As soon as we stepped from the pier, we were on the beach. There were no roads or paths and the town just seemed to expand from the beach.

THINGS TO DO IN KOH RONG SAMLOEM | FOOD AND DRINK IN KOH RONG SAMLOEM

Where To Stay In Koh Rong Samloem

CLICK HERE TO VIEW ALL ACCOMMODATION IN KOH RONG SAMLOEM!

These are some of the best budget hostels in Koh Rong Samloem, according to user reviews. These are affiliate links to the Agoda web site. I found Agoda to be much better than booking.com in Southeast Asia. I receive a small amount for any bookings made through these links at no extra cost to you.

• Onederz Koh Rong Samloem
• Mad Monkey Koh Rong Samloem
• The Cliff Hostel
• Robinson Bungalows

M’Pay Bay Village

We decided to stay in M’Pay Bay Village as it was much cheaper than other places on the island, which seemed to be mainly resorts. M’Pay is a local community where fishing co-exists alongside tourism as the main income of the locals.

Ing Ing Guesthouse

We chose to stay at a relatively new place called ‘Ing Ing Guesthouse’ (map). The location was perfect; literally a one-minute walk from the pier.

The guesthouse was basic but the WiFi was better than we had been led to believe was possible on the island. The bed was comfortable and the hosts were very welcoming and friendly. The rooms were above a restaurant, run by the same people, and the food was really good.

There was no hot water (common on the island) but it was so hot, we didn’t miss it.

Click here to book a stay at ‘Ing Ing Guesthouse’.

Food And Drink In Koh Rong Samloem

There are many restaurants and bars in Koh Rong Samloem considering its size. As well as Cambodian dishes, you can also find western dishes using actual western ingredients. Vegans can eat happily here.

Babagannus

Babagannus serves middle-eastern food right on Koh Rong Samloem beach. I had the kofte wrap which was a real lunchtime treat. The meat was delicious, as was the hummus. Map.

Bong’s Guesthouse & Bar

As soon as we stepped from the pier, we came across ‘Bong’s’. It is a guesthouse and bar and also does decent western food. It was the first and last place we ate. The second time I had beans on toast which was a real home comfort food experience (Heinz beans, too)! Look out for happy hours and offers. Map.

Chai Tent

The place to go if you are looking for vegan food in Koh Rong Samloem. Chai Tent is a super-chilled, vegan restaurant that also offered tattoos and yoga classes! The breakfast was good, as was the coffee. Map.

Chill Inn

Situated at the most northern point of the beach was Chill Inn. It was very quiet with only a few customers but it certainly lived up to its name. Expect a few pungent smells from this bar! Map.

Ing Ing Guesthouse

We decided to have some food at our guesthouse and the food was very good and reasonably priced. I had the Cambodia dish ‘Lok Lak’ which I had become very fond of during my travels. Map.

Mermaid

A seafront restaurant with the kind of service that might leave you scratching your head but is all too common on the island. Luckily, we were very chilled by the time we came to have food so we didn’t care as the beer was cold. I had a decent chicken curry from here. Map.

Old Souls’ Guesthouse

We had our morning coffee and delicious pancakes in this little shack cafe. Overlooking the beach, it really made us feel like we were in a truly wonderful place. Map.

Seapony Bar & Bungalow

Just behind the seafront restaurants was this hostel and cafe. We came for a coffee and a healthy breakfast and it was delicious!

Two Ducks

A decent bar that had a fondness for reggae music. They had a small menu and we ate there once. The food was basic American (hot dogs, burgers) but did the job nicely. Map.

Yellow Moon Hostel

This looked like the party hostel on the island, though it did shut at midnight. A cool bar and a big area with hammocks, swings, bbqs, etc. They held a full moon party whilst we were there which was nice. Map.

Things To Do In Koh Rong Samloem

Well, we didn’t really do anything! 🙂 We pretty much spent the whole 4 days relaxing. There were excursions to other beaches such as Lazy Beach and other parts of the island but we were more than happy lazing around, reading a book or playing the ukulele! This is not a place to be busy!

Koh Rong Samloem Beaches

Our favourite beach was about 10 minutes walk from the main pier. From the pier, we turned left and walked past the ‘Yellow Moon Hostel’ where we discovered a long beach that was very quiet and had places to laze in the shade. The sea was metres away and was warm and clear. This was also the spot to see luminous plankton.

Watch The Sunset

According to most, the best place to watch the sunset was at the ‘Cliff Hostel’ (map). We ventured up there to do just that and it was stunning. The view point was beneath the bar so had to buy a drink. It was definitely worth it to see the sun disappear over the Cambodian sea.

Koh Rong Samloem Or Koh Rong?

Koh Rong Samloem is a stunningly beautiful island, and we only saw a tiny part of it. If you are undecided whether to come here or Koh Rong, I would advise you to do both. Boats leave many times a day connecting the two islands. There was more opportunity for late-night parties on Koh Rong, whereas here it was a great place to relax. We both loved our time here and highly recommend you add it to your Cambodian itinerary.