Not sure what sort of paradise could wait us on the other side (if any!) but, if it looks anything like this, I truly hope to get a place with a good view!
Koh Rong Samloem is a small island, 45 minutes by speed ferry (or 1,5/2 hr with the slower ones) from the coast of Sihanoukville in Cambodia. When we visited Cambodia back in February 2014, we noted that the majority of people in the area were choosing to stay on its sister island Koh Rong, just 4 km away, bigger and with definitely more services, including a more active party scene (I suppose I was already getting old at that time by choosing a much more isolated beach….no regret!). At the beginning of 2014, accommodation on Koh Rong Samloem was pretty scarce to the point that we had been told that you could not board the ferry without a valid room reservation. In the last couple of years though, plenty of new accommodation options have opened making it more reachable to more people but, at the same time, inevitably spoiling it to some degree. Also Internet – which was nonexistent when we visited – seems to have landed too.
Most tourists choose to visit the tiny island as a day trip from the mainland, on the so called party boat: for $25 round trip the boat leaves Sihanoukville harbour around 9.30 AM, arrives at Saracen Bay on Koh Rong Samloem in the late morning, stay for a few hours and then gets everyone back to mainland by 5 PM. When I was staying on Koh Rong Samloem I was just waiting for the party boat to go to be fair since the beach peacefulness was finally restored and only a handful of people remained on the beach 🙂 Bear in mind that there are some other more secluded beaches on the island so if you truly want to get away you can opt for somewhere else, where not even the party boat will reach you 🙂 Lazy Beach or Sunset Beach for example (both offer accommodation and they are both connected through a jungle path to Saracen bay); they are worth a visit but – I have to be fair in this – I still prefer the sand and the water in Saracen Bay.
I still haven’t seen a better beach than this: white powdery sand, crystal shallow warm water, affordable accommodation right on the beach and above all: PEACEFULNESS. We had initially booked only 3 nights but as soon as we got off the ferry it took us less than 5 minutes to understand that we wanted to extend our stay. I am sure there are plenty of stunning beaches all over the world but if you want to sleep right on the beach and you are on a certain budget, unfortunately plenty of them are off limits.
We stayed at the BEACH ISLAND RESORT and for the price you pay it was great value. They have several sleeping options (dormitory, small bungalow, standard bungalow, deluxe bungalow, VIP bungalow) but they do sell out pretty quickly, particularly in peak season. Accommodation started at $12 for a double bed in a dormitory up to $40 for a VIP bungalow. We spent 3 nights in a deluxe bungalow (with private bathroom) at $35/night and 3 nights in a standard bungalow with shared bathroom at $25/night. In both cases you are just a few steps from the beach; on the plus sides, the deluxe bungalow has got a great view, an outside area and private sunbeds.
As far as the beach goes, I suppose pictures speak better than words in this case but imagine a pristine bay where you could walk for a long while without meeting a single soul except a couple of harmless stray dogs, a couple of water buffalo with their herder and hundreds of tiny crabs digging the sand and creating amazing natural shapes on the shore, which I could spend hours watching. I suppose now with more accommodation options there will also be more people but I am sure it’s still pretty quiet.
The resort has a restaurant, a bar and plenty of outdoor seating and chill out areas that are perfect if you don’t fancy spending all day in the blazing sunshine, including a lovely chill out area with hammocks up in the trees with a good book and gorgeous views over the bay.
Now, the “less positive” side of the accommodation option that I suppose justify some of the poor reviews that this place gets on TA and Booking.com: management was nonexistent so when guests had any issues or questions it was a struggle, the restaurant area was always quite a mess, never properly cleaned and unfortunately tables were always covered in flies that made the whole eating experience a bit frustrating. To top it all, staff were always busy in doing something else except working. In my opinion, the beauty of the place makes up for absolutely everything so if you are prepared to enjoy the experience for what it is (an unforgettable corner of paradise on earth and I personally don’t need much else to be happy), I would definitely recommend you to stay at the Beach Island Resort. If not, taking into account the new options that have opened in recent years, have a look at Trip Advisor suggestions to find some other good alternatives – the rule is always the same: book in advance. The whole beach is lovely but my favourite spot was the central and southern part, let’s say from Beach Island Resort looking out to the sea to the right (no rocks, just flat shallow sea and amazing white powdery sand) but that would be being very picky….you can’t really find many faults on a beach like this!
Just some advice before boarding the ferry…
- Book your accommodation well in advance in order to avoid disappointment.
- Bring DEET with you, not so much for mosquitos but for the infamous sand-flies. We barely saw any (it depends from the season) so it wasn’t an issue but if you are bite-prone, better safe than sorry!
- On the island there are no ATMs so bring an adequate amount of cash to survive for a while.
- There are a couple of shops but they are of course a bit more expensive than usual since almost everything needs to come from Sihanoukville. If you are on a budget, you always have the option to bring some food and drinks from the mainland.
- A small and basic medical kit (which should be in any backpack, as one of my good travel friends taught me from day 1!) is always a good thing on a place like this. I cut my foot badly (and fainted too…always like a bit of drama! 🙂 ) on the bay during a morning walk and I was pleased to have everything available in my bungalow, it saved me (and my boyfriend) time and hassle 🙂
Other than this, bikini, shorts and sarong are all you need…Looks like this chair is waiting for you 🙂
HAPPY TRAVELS!
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