Talking to other travellers, we found out that Cambodia has few heavenly islands in the south of the country, with white sand and clear waters, a bit wild but offering the basics for a dream holiday. One of them is Koh Rong.

After months inland, we decided to reward us with a beach holiday!

Well, that sounded too good to be true, but perfectly in line with our idea. We searched on the web and were really surprised to see the islands’ images.

There are also Koh Rong Samloem, Koh Ta Kiev, but they are completely wild, perfect if you are looking for a Cast Away adventure.

Koh Rong, the biggest island, seems the one offering a bit more when talking about accommodation, restaurants and activities. So we decided to go there!

 

How to reach Koh Rong

It is not difficult.

First, you need to reach Sihanoukville. We went there by bus (Mekong Express), from Phnom Pehn. Their service included also the transfer from Mekong Express office to the pier, and the ferry’s ticket. The total cost per person was 12 $ for the bus (1-way) and 22 $ for the ferry (with open return).

Once at Sihanoukville’s pier, you will receive a badge for the ferry and then you just need to wait together with other hundreds of people.

There are several ferry companies going to both Koh Rong and Koh Rong Samloem. Mekong Express booked us with the Speed Ferry Cambodia.

Someone at the pier will check your badge and will tell you the number of the stop where you need to get out. There are 4-5 stops, the first ones are in Koh Rong Samloem, and the others in Koh Rong. We went out at the 4th one, in Koh Rong Koh Touch.

As always in South East Asia, when you jump into a boat, your backpack will be taken away from your from the personnel and you will get it back when you reach your destination. Be careful and keep an eye at your luggage because sometimes the process is messy, and your belongings will be unloaded by mistake while you are still onboard. It happened a couple of times during our trip to the island.

The trip, if the ferry stops in Koh Rong Samloem first, will last about 2 hours. It is a bit bumpy (you will receive a vomit plastic bag upon departure), but manageable…

When you arrive at the destination, well… you feel you are dreaming!

 

Where to stay

As you will read in my next post, the accommodation in Koh Rong is not very nice. It is actually almost terrible!

We stayed in several guest houses and bungalows, but I can recommend only one of them: Paradise Bungalow. They offer several bungalow’s categories, from budget to standard. They also have a restaurant preparing tasty dishes, and a cool chill out area.

If you have a high budget, you can opt for one of the 2 or 3 resorts on the island.

 

What to do

Relax, relax and relax. Enjoy the white beaches and clear, warm water.

If you are on the right side of the island, you can admire wonderful sunsets.

If you are looking for more active days, you can book a full day tour with one of the agencies on the island. Usually, the tour includes a boat trip to Koh Rong Samloem, snorkelling, lunch, visit another beach and a Grand Finale with the bioluminescent plankton. The cost is around 25 $.

You can find also evening boat tours (approx 1 hour) for the glowing plankton for 5 $.

 

The bioluminescent plankton

This is one of the main reasons why we decided to go to Koh Rong, where this phenomenon is very present.

What is this phenomenon about? This bioluminescent plankton is a small organism producing light when disturbed, but it doesn’t glow all of the time and not everywhere. It happens only during the night, where there is no pollution in the ambience, and when there is no moon (cloudy sky).

In the past, you could see it on the shore, but now you need to go offshore by boat.

Don’t get fooled by the pictures that you see online and by the agencies…

… it will never be like that!

 

We went 2 times to watch the plankton.

The first time we were not totally aware of the “plankton’s rules”, so we joined a tour even if there was the moon in the sky. And we couldn’t see anything.

The second time it has been magic!

It was 7 pm and there was a rough sea. We got into the boat with a non-English speaking captain and other 10 people. He left the shore and after a few instants, the trip became a nightmare due to the high waves and the unstable wooden boat. We travelled in the dark for 30 minutes, and then the captain suddenly stopped the boat and switched off the lights. It was completely dark, without moon and without stars. We all got a mask and snorkel and were ready to go into the water. We did it, but many of the other passengers stayed onboard because they were seasick.

The particularity of the glowing plankton is that it glows when you move the water. So, we jumped from the boat into the water and we were instantly surrounded by a glowing cloud. The more you move, the more it glows. The kind of fear of the dark suddenly disappeared, and the adrenaline came out. It has been really magic and we highly recommend this experience to everyone (the ones not afraid to be in deep waters, in the dark)!

The bad news is that it is impossible to capture pictures or videos about this phenomenon. Even with the best equipment, the phenomenon cannot be recorded…

Well, not a big issue. It will always be stored in our mind and heart 🙂

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