Koh Rong: Long beaches and late nights

Koh Rong is the bigger of Cambodia's two main islands and the louder one. Koh Touch, where the ferries land, is a strip of hostels and bars that runs late; walk twenty minutes in either direction and you're on sand with nobody on it. That contrast is the whole island: pick your beach and you pick your holiday.

The Beaches

• Koh Touch — the arrival village, the cheap beds, and the bars; loud until late
• Long Set (4K Beach) — four kilometres of white sand a short walk east, largely empty
• Sok San — a long stretch on the west side, quieter and increasingly built up with resorts
• Police Beach — the party spot proper, with fire shows and events
• Boat trips take in snorkelling and fishing, usually finishing with a plankton swim

Plankton and Nights

The bioluminescent plankton here is the island's other draw: swim after dark on a moonless night and the water lights up around you. Trips run most evenings, though sightings depend on the moon, the season and luck — go when the moon is new and don't book the night you arrive if you can help it.

Nestival

Nestival is the beach party at Nest Beach Club, on the main beach by the ferry pier, and it was one of the best nights of our trip: great fun, with plenty going on through the day as well as after dark. It runs every Saturday, so if you can, plan your days on the island so that you're there for one. Check the date before you commit, as the schedule can change.

• Accommodation regularly books out for Saturday night, so reserve your bed before you get to the island
• Nest's sister hostel, Nest Jungle, has included a Nestival ticket with a stay — worth checking when you book
• The Wavy Sailor is the closest hostel, but see below before you book it

Best Hostels on Koh Rong

We stayed on the island for just over a week and moved between a few hostels. Only one was a clear winner. Both of the first two are on the main beach by the ferry pier, a few minutes' walk from each other and from Nest Beach Club.

1. Onederz — our rating: 5/5

The best night's sleep on the island. The rooms are kept spotless and, unusually for Koh Rong, free of sand. The beds are sturdy enough not to creak when the person above turns over, the air conditioning works properly, and every bunk has a good curtain and a locker for your things. The vibe is chilled, and if you do want a big night, Mad Monkey is just along the beach.

• Pros — clean, sand-free rooms, solid quiet beds, strong AC, privacy curtains and lockers
• One of the few places on the island that takes card payments, which helps when your cash is running low and the ATMs aren't playing along
• Cons — the food isn't the best, so eat elsewhere
• It is frequently fully booked, so reserve ahead rather than turning up on the day

2. Mad Monkey — our rating: 3/5

The social choice. Outside of Nestival, Mad Monkey runs some of the best activities and socials on the island, and it has a good food menu, but the rooms let it down. It makes a good backup if Onederz is full.

• Pros — great activities and socials, a good food menu, and comfy beds
• Cons — sand gets everywhere in the rooms, the AC struggles, and the lockers are poor, so keep valuables on you

3. The Wavy Sailor — our rating: 2/5

One of our least favourite stays on the island, and the worst value for money. When we stayed in 2025 the beds were some of the most uncomfortable we slept in anywhere in Southeast Asia, rocking about like the sailing boat in the name. Its one real advantage is location: it's close to Nest Beach Club, which is handy around Nestival. The beach right by the hostel isn't one you'd want to swim from, though, so you're better off staying elsewhere and walking over.

• Pros — close to Nest Beach Club, and the lockers are fine
• Cons — wobbly, uncomfortable beds, bugs in the rooms, an expensive bar, and an unswimmable beach on the doorstep

Getting Around

Hire a scooter. The island is surprisingly large, at around 15 kilometres end to end, and a bike gives you the freedom to explore it at your own pace instead of being tied to tuk-tuks. Rentals are easy to find around Koh Touch and the pier.

The roads are fine on the whole, but long and winding, and the beaches are too far apart to walk between easily. The exception is the track to Lonely Beach, the small beach at the very northern tip of the island: deep, loose sand that is not for the faint-hearted. Only try it if you're a confident rider, and expect to get off and walk the last stretch.

Getting There and Practicalities

• Fast ferries from Sihanoukville take around 45 minutes; buy a flexible return as departures shift with the weather
• Power and water can be intermittent, and wifi is patchy outside the main village
• Bring cash: ATMs exist but are unreliable and charge heavily
• Check your travel insurance covers scooters before you ride; many policies don't without a motorbike licence
• Sandflies are a genuine nuisance on some beaches; repellent and a sarong to sit on help

Koh Rong for the nights, Koh Rong Samloem for the quiet. They're 30 minutes apart by boat, and doing both beats choosing.