~Everyone should frame life so that at some future hour life and your dreams meet~ wise words of Victor Hugo struck me when I woke up from a dream into a life that I was dreaming about, on Koh Rong Island!
Ever been to a paradise? Ever seen a paradise? Ever experienced a paradise? Yes? Then you know what I’m talking about!! That unrealistic beauty that you dream about and pinch yourself to snap out of it? Where nature and the people are the only luxury around? Where you realize the turquoise blue water beach is not a myth, it’s for real? I found such a paradise in Cambodia’s remote island, Koh Rong!
What is so special about Koh Rong Island?
The fact that it’s 353 Km away from the party city of Siem Reap, 250 km from the busy city of Phnom penh and 58 km from the collapsing city of Sihanoukville is special enough! A small quaint island you can escape to after you are done partying on the pub street of Siem Reap, exploring the diversity of the country, and devouring delicious Khmer food!
Apart from serving as one of the best getaways of my life, this island is a perfect example of how beautiful the perks of minimalism can be. Simple people, small floating houses, small businesses, crystal clear water that you can effortlessly bask in while sipping a beer, moonlight from the movies, plankton’s, fireflies, boat taxi’s for commute, an uninterrupted view of sunset and I can just go on!
How to get to Koh Rong Island?
It isn’t a very straight forward journey to the island and that’s something else that makes it special!
If traveling from Siem Reap
Getting an overnight bus from Siem Reap to Phnom Penh (6 hours) and then from Phnom penh to Sihanoukville (5 hours) would be the cheapest option. All the ferry’s to the island leave from Sihanoukville.
Another option would be a direct flight from Siem Reap to Sihanoukville and then a Ferry to the island. Flight would cost around $44 one way! You can find the flight options here.
Bus costs around $22 one way! You can find the bus options here.
If traveling from Phnom Penh
You can catch a bus or a flight to Sihanouvkille! And a ferry from Sihanoukville.
From Sihanoukville
You have three ferry options. The Palmbeach boat departs from Royal Pier everyday at 1:00 PM. Speed ferry Cambodia departs at 1:30 PM from Serensibity Pier and Preksway Supply boat departs at 2:00 PM (ideally it should be departing at 2:00 PM, but in reality it leaves at 4:00 PM after stuffing the boat with all the supplies) The Supply boat takes around 8 hours to get to PrekSway Village which is the last stop. Journey from Sihanoukville to Koh Rong Island is a 3 hour journey. You can then decide which village you wish to stop depending on your bookings!
Koh Rong or Samloem?
I haven’t been to Samloem so I am not sure what to expect on this part of the island but I have heard it is suppose to be the party island! However, Koh Rong Island has a good mix of both. You can party in the south and enjoy the bliss in the North! There are 4 villages on this Island to explore from.
What to do in Koh Rong Island?
A small island and so much to do!
Koh Rong is a small fishing island comprising of four villages: Koh Tuich, Doeum D’keuw, Prek Svay and Sok San. Fishing and tourism is what the island makes money from.
Sunset at the Long Beach is a must! This was the moment I didn’t believe I was in cambodia?
Where do you find plankton’s in Cambodia? I have heard you can see them on long beach when there is no moon light. However, in the north we saw it under a bridge in Preksway village. Our host Johnny tried covering the light coming from the crevices of the bridge after which we could see a few plankton’s. Nonetheless the bright moonlit night on the beach was magical!
Kayaking at night around 10:00 PM to see Fireflies is another experience I would recommend everyone to have!
You cannot miss the scrumptious food at Fireflies hotel. After our host Johnny’s mother, this place has the best food on the island.
How many days are enough?
Days aren’t enough, months aren’t enough, one life isn’t enough! Alright I’ll stop exaggerating. But for real, since it is difficult and time consuming to get on this island, it makes no sense to be here just for a weekend. You have to spend at least a week. Our host had a mandatory requirement of 3 nights and thanks to him we realized the importance of it. If it were me I would make a week as a minimum stay requirement on all the hotels in the island!
How to get around the Island?
Since the roads are not developed on the island, getting around is a bit tricky. There are taxi’s on the island to get you around. Although expensive ($15/person one way), it will definitely be a ride of your life!! It’s easy to get a taxi on the island if you ask around.
Where to stay?
If you decide to stay to the south, there are plenty of good hotels and Airbnb’s you can choose from. North part of the island has my heart and I have two favorite places that I would recommend: 1) Firefly guesthouse and restaurant and 2) Preksway Eco-tourism Airbnb run by Johnny. We stayed with Johnny and ate at fireflies!
If in Cambodia, I wouldn’t recommend anything more than this Island! I love the other cities in Cambodia but no other place can ever beat Koh Rong Island. Hop on to my other blog to read on my experience of this beautiful island!
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