Everyone raves about the beaches in the Maldives and Thailand, but what about Cambodia?! I was taken away by the beautiful white sand and crystal turquoise waters, plus all the random swings and hammocks that you could wish for!

You can easily move from the mainland to the surrounding islands by speedboat. A return ticket is only 22$ and it takes about 30mins to 1 hour to get to either Koh Rong or Koh Rong Samloen.

If you’re also planning on visiting Angkor Wat, make sure you check out all my top tips!

SIHANOUKVILLE

Sihanoukville is the main coastal town in Cambodia. It’s easily accessible from Phnom Penh and is bustling with hotels and restaurants.

Ochheuteal beach is the strip right near the centre of town. This then stretches out into Otres beach which has a selection of resorts scattered down the beach, apart from by Otres Village where the hotels and restaurants are down a road, thus the beach here is a lot more beautiful (pictured above)!

Make sure you check out the sunset whilst you’re there, as it sets just behind the ocean.

KOH RONG

The cheaper and more backpacker friendly island. You will arrive into Kaoh Touch beach which is full of bars, restaurants and hotels.

I decided to book a resort with a private beach in order to avoid the crowd. I stayed at Nature Beach Resort, it was only 15$ a night for a cabin (but warning theres no bed – just mats on the floor), the resort also offers even cheaper tents and then higher quality cabins. Something to suit every budget!

When booking a resort make sure you check out if they have a free pick up service. Otherwise you will need to fork out for a taxi boat (which could be more expensive than the room itself).

Nature Beach Resort offers a free pick up service and also has a couple of swings and kayaks on the beach. Only downside was the food which wasn’t that amazing.

KOH RONG SAMLOEN

The smaller and more “luxury” island. Expect to pay a lot more for accommodation here but this also means less noise and less crowds.

You can take a boat between Koh Rong and Koh Rong Samloen for just 5$. It drops off at M Pay village and Saracen Bay.

I stayed at Sandy beach resort which had it’s own beautiful private beach! Cabins are 50$ a night (including a bed this time! As well as ensuite private bathroom) and they have 10 cabins, which means only a maximum of 20 people can be at the 500m long beach at one time, paradise! They also offer a free boat pickup service.

The Cambodian islands won my heart especially staying in a resort with private beaches – they were basically empty! The beaches were also a lot cleaner and greener than the neighbouring beaches on the mainland. If you only have a few days definitely go for the islands!

If you’re interested in learning more about my spendings for my 7 month trip, check out my blog “How to Travel on a Budget in Asia“.

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