A guide to Koh Rong Samloen
Even though Koh Rong Samloem isn’t big, with so many beautiful places to choose, one may gets confuse where to stay. Let’s have a look of the different parts of the island and share some tips for Koh Rong Samloem!
Saracen’s Bay
The boat from Sihanoukville arrives in Saracen’s Bay, a long gorgeous beach where the sand is whiter and the water is bluer. A bit less quieter than other parts of the island but with the advantage of having more access to basic necessities. For example:
- Simple supermarkets with basic (but pricey!) stuff
- A cute Police Station located in a Bamboo hut
- A row of accommodations and restaurants along the beach
- Good WiFi coverage over the area
- Majority of places include Wooden bungalows or cool resorts for all types of budgets
Trendy architecture in Saracen Bay’s resorts.
For the younger crowd
For the younger crowd a better option may be M’Pai Bei. A place with a less beautiful beach comparing to Saracen Bay but with a more backpacker oriented atmosphere coupled with a village feeling. Tourists can find cheaper accommodation and places to eat for two dollars a meal. In addition to this if interested tourists can find fisherman available to bring you on a day trip to Koh Kun, an inhabitant island just in front of the beach.
Visiting M’Pai Bei
M’Pai Bei is an adorable fishing village filled with cute houses on stilts and friendly families. Easiest option to get there is by a boat which is around 5 dollars from Saracen Bay depending on your negotiating skills, although it is possible to reach there by foot through a nice trek through the jungle. Pro-tip: A part of the path has to be done through water, so you should make the trip during low tide.
The jungle is calling you.
Sunset beach
Sunset beach is a digital detox paradise with just a couple of hours of electricity per day and no wifi or mobile coverage. It’s quieter than the rest of the places as well as great for diving, snorkelling or just sun bathing and swimming in the spotless ocean. There are a couple of good restaurants, some pleasant bungalows and five dollar dorm beds compose the setting. By and large making this beach those kind of places where a person goes for a couple of days and end up staying for a couple of weeks. It’s a 40 minutes walking from Saracen Bay, just ask around where is the beginning of the path. Don’t forget to bring a flash light if you plan to (still) be there in the evening!
The quietness of Sunset beach.
Lazy beach
Even easier to get from Saracen Bay and maybe the reason for the name, lies Lazy beach. It’s just a 20 minutes walk along a sandy path, ending in a beach. With just one hostel and a kind of “private beach” feeling – perfect as well for the ones looking for getting away from civilization. In addition to this guests can also find a path leading to a lighthouse and another isolated beach with a small fishing village. All in all some nice trekkings in case you feel like exercising.
The options are many, not forgetting as well water sports such as kayaking and stand-up paddle, diving (various places on the island offer PADI courses) or even just snorkeling, this island has lot of wonders to offer. Hope we clarified some of the available places to stay here, and if you are already convinced to come and try for yourself, have a look on Camboticket website where you can find a combined ticket of bus + ferry from Phnom Penh to Koh Rong Samloem.