Koh Rong & Koh Rong Sanloem: Which Island, Which Beach

White sand beach on Koh Rong — The white sand is the real thing — pick the right beach and it's as quiet as this.

Two sister islands sit off Sihanoukville with the same white sand and warm sea — and almost opposite personalities. Koh Rong is the big, lively one; Koh Rong Sanloem (also spelled Samloem) is the quiet one. The mistake most people make is choosing the island by name and the beach by luck. This guide compares them honestly — party strip versus hammock, piers, ferries, cash, power cuts and all — so you land on the right sand.

Last updated: October 19, 2026

Quick answer

Pick Koh Rong for choice: lively Koh Touch if you want bars and people, Long Set (4K) Beach or Sok San if you don't. Pick Koh Rong Sanloem for quiet: Saracen Bay for the easy, pretty base, Lazy Beach for sunsets and silence. Both are reached by speed ferry from Sihanoukville — about 45 minutes, typically $12–15 one way. Neither island runs on plastic: there are no ATMs on Sanloem and Koh Rong's are unreliable, so bring US dollars in cash. The best months are November to April.

The two islands at a glance

	Koh Rong	Koh Rong Sanloem
Vibe	Bigger, busier, more developed — a party village plus genuinely quiet beaches	Smaller, sleepier, lower-key — a slow-down island
Main beach	Koh Touch (arrival village, bars, hostels)	Saracen Bay (long white crescent, most resorts)
Quiet escapes	Long Set / 4K Beach, Sok San (Long Beach), Lonely Beach	Lazy Beach, Sunset Beach, M'Pai Bay village
Nightlife	Yes — beach bars and late nights at Koh Touch	Essentially none; dinner and an early night
ATMs	A few in Koh Touch — unreliable, high fees	None. Cash only.
Getting around	Boat taxis between beaches; a rough island road; walking	Walking and boats only — no roads across the island
Best for	First island trip, groups, variety, budget beds	Couples, readers, swimmers, doing nothing well

Koh Rong: the big, lively one

Koh Rong is Cambodia's second-largest island, and most of it is still jungle. The development clusters on a few beaches, and which one you choose decides your holiday:

Koh Touch — the main village and arrival pier on the southeast corner: hostels, bars, fire shows, late nights and the island's few ATMs. It is fun, scruffy and loud near the centre. If your idea of island time involves other people and a bucket or two, stay here; if it involves sleep, stay a beach away.
Long Set Beach (4K Beach) — a long, pale sweep northeast of Koh Touch, walkable or a short boat hop away, with a calmer, more resort feel and room to breathe. For many visitors this is the sweet spot: quiet sand, swimmable water, and Koh Touch reachable when wanted.
Sok San / Long Beach — the west coast's big sunset beach: kilometres of sand by a fishing village, reached by boat taxi or a jungle path from Koh Touch. Come for the sunset at minimum; stay if you like your beaches long and your evenings simple.
Lonely Beach and the north — the far end of the island: a handful of bungalows, serious quiet, and the glowing plankton on dark nights (both islands have it; the less light pollution, the better it shows).

There is more to do on Koh Rong than on Sanloem — snorkelling and diving trips, a zipline, boat tours around the island — and more range in price, from dorm beds to proper resorts. The trade-off is that the infrastructure creaks: everything arrives by boat, and it shows in prices and maintenance.

Koh Rong Sanloem: the quiet one

Sanloem does less, more slowly. There is no party strip, no ATM and no road across the island — and that is precisely the appeal.

Saracen Bay — the main beach, on the east side: a long crescent of fine white sand and calm, shallow, swimmable water, lined with the island's best spread of resorts and restaurants. The main ferry pier lands here, which makes it the easy base. Sunrises, not sunsets.
Lazy Beach and Sunset Beach — on the west coast, reached by a jungle walk of about 40 minutes from Saracen Bay (or by boat). Rougher, wilder water, a couple of laid-back resorts, and the sunset show the east side misses. Many people day-walk over for lunch and the afternoon, then walk back before dark — bring a torch if you are staying for sunset.
M'Pai Bay — the fishing village at the island's northern tip: cheaper guesthouses, a local feel, its own pier on some ferry routes, and good sunsets. The backpacker base on Sanloem, and livelier than Saracen Bay without being loud.

Snorkelling off the beaches, paddleboards and kayaks from the resorts, the walk to the lighthouse at the island's south end, and long lunches cover most Sanloem itineraries — ideally. If a day with nothing in it sounds like a problem rather than the plan, choose Koh Rong.

Ferries from Sihanoukville

Every visit starts the same way: a speed ferry from Sihanoukville, the mainland port city. Four main companies run the route — Buva Sea, GTVC, Speed Ferry Cambodia and Island Speed Ferry — with several departures a day roughly between 8am and 5pm.

Detail	What to expect
Crossing time	About 45 minutes to Koh Rong's nearer piers; up to an hour or so with multiple stops or to Sanloem
Price	Typically $12–15 one way; around $25 for an (often open) return — prices checked October 2026
Piers	Boats call at different beaches — Koh Touch, Long Set, Sok San and others on Koh Rong; Saracen Bay and M'Pai Bay on Sanloem. Tell the company your beach or hotel when booking and again at check-in
Booking	Book ahead in high season (Dec–Feb) and around holidays; arrive at the pier 30–60 minutes early
Weather	Wet-season seas cancel boats. Never plan a same-day flight out of Phnom Penh off a morning ferry

About Sihanoukville itself: be clear-eyed — it is a transit point, not a destination. A decade of casino-tower construction has left a city most travelers pass through between the bus and the pier, and that is the right way to treat it: arrive, ferry, leave. If your timing forces a night, stay near the port. Getting there from Phnom Penh takes about 2.5–3 hours by bus on the expressway, or you can ride the southern-line train into Sihanoukville by early afternoon — our Getting Around hub has the routes, and the tuk-tuk guide covers the pier transfer without the surcharge games. Coming down the coast from Kampot instead? The train links them too — see our Kampot & Kep guide.

Island reality check

Cash is king — plan for it. No ATMs on Sanloem; Koh Rong's Koh Touch ATMs are frequently empty or down and charge high fees when they work. Withdraw US dollars on the mainland and bring more than your budget says. Bigger resorts may accept cards, sometimes with a surcharge — a fallback, not a plan.
Power cuts happen. Islands run on generators and solar hybrids; cuts and scheduled generator hours are part of life, especially on Sanloem and in the quieter bays. Charge devices when the power is on, and expect fans rather than air-con at the budget end.
Medical care is basic. There are small clinics; anything serious means a boat to Sihanoukville and a hospital in Phnom Penh beyond that — weather permitting. This is the single strongest argument for proper cover: read our travel insurance guide and make sure medical evacuation is in the policy before you go.
Sandflies are the islands' main souvenir. Some beaches, especially at dawn and dusk, host biting sandflies whose itch outlasts the trip. Regulars swear by coconut oil as a barrier; whatever you use, use something, and don't scratch.
Water and wifi. Drinking water comes from refill stations and bottles — a filter bottle cuts plastic and cost. Wifi and mobile signal are fine for messages, patchy for video calls; download your entertainment on the mainland.

When to go, and where to stay

November to April is the season that matches the photos: dry, calm seas, reliable ferries — with December to February the busy peak (book ferries and beds ahead). May to October trades those certainties for lower prices and emptier beaches: expect rainbursts, rough crossings, some cancelled boats and a number of businesses closed for the season. Shoulder months — late October, April — split the difference.

For nightlife and budget beds: Koh Touch, Koh Rong.
For quiet sand with comfort: Long Set / 4K Beach on Koh Rong, or Saracen Bay on Sanloem.
For the full disconnect: Lazy Beach or Sunset Beach on Sanloem, or Lonely Beach on Koh Rong.
With a week: split it — two or three nights on each island beats five rushed ones on either, and the boats between them make it easy.

Frequently asked questions

Koh Rong or Koh Rong Sanloem — which island is better?

It depends on the trip you want. Koh Rong is bigger and livelier, with the Koh Touch bar strip, more beaches, more places to eat and stay, and more to do. Koh Rong Sanloem is smaller, quieter and prettier in a low-key way — Saracen Bay's calm white sand, no party strip, earlier nights. Party and variety: Koh Rong. Hammock and silence: Sanloem. With a week, do both — boats run between the islands.

How do you get to Koh Rong from Sihanoukville?

By speed ferry — there is no other way. Buva Sea, GTVC, Speed Ferry Cambodia and Island Speed Ferry run several boats a day (roughly 8am to 5pm) from Sihanoukville's port piers, taking about 45 minutes. Tickets typically cost $12–15 one way or around $25 return. Boats stop at different piers, so tell the company which beach or hotel you are staying at before you board.

Are there ATMs on Koh Rong and Koh Rong Sanloem?

There are no ATMs on Koh Rong Sanloem at all. Koh Rong has a few ATMs in Koh Touch village, but they are often empty or out of service and charge high fees. Treat both islands as cash-only: withdraw US dollars in Sihanoukville or Phnom Penh and bring more than you think you need. Bigger resorts may take cards, sometimes with a surcharge — do not rely on it.

When is the best time to visit Koh Rong and Koh Rong Sanloem?

November to April is the dry season: calm seas, reliable ferries and the clearest water, with December to February the peak. May to October brings rain, rough crossings, occasional cancelled ferries and murkier water — but also lower prices, emptier beaches and some closed businesses. If your dates are fixed in wet season, build a buffer day around your return ferry.

Can you visit both islands on one trip?

Yes, and it is a popular pairing. Ferries and tour boats run between Koh Rong and Koh Rong Sanloem, and the hop is short once you are out there. Give each island at least two nights — one-night stands waste half a day on piers and boats. Book inter-island legs a day ahead in high season, as the smaller boats fill.

Is Sihanoukville worth staying in?

For most travelers, no — it is a transit point, not a destination. The city is dominated by casino towers and construction, and almost everyone passes straight through between the bus or train and the ferry pier. Overnighting only makes sense if your arrival is too late for the last ferry (about 5pm); in that case stay near the port and leave in the morning.

Pairing the islands with the coast? Our Kampot & Kep guide is the classic before-or-after, or browse the Places hub for the rest of the country.