Koh Rong

 

Koh Rong is located about 25 kilometers from Sihanoukville, in the Gulf of Thailand. The island has 43 km of beautiful sandy beaches along both its Eastern and Western shores; its main attraction. Most visitors stay in guesthouses and bungalows situated along the beach at Koh Tuich Village (Tui Beach). There are isolated resorts on other beaches. The atmosphere at Koh Tuich is very relaxed and beach-focused during the daytime, followed by beach restaurants and partying when the sun sets. Travelers looking for isolation or peace and quiet should consider accommodation at the far end of Tui Beach or on other beaches.

 

Get around

There are no roads on the island yet so the only way to get around is on foot. The walking man of Koh Rong (an Israeli guy called Gil) has marked trails that lead from the beach closest to Monkey Island and Paradise Bungalows to other beaches but most of the island is still thick jungle. He has since left. Some other guy at Paradise Bungalows supposedly offers trekking tours, but not to the beaches and charges $20. The main well-known hiking path is the one to Long Beach (also known as 7KM Beach, Sok San Beach). The only other option is to hire a local fishing boat to take you around the Island. Be advised that nowadays guesthouses / hostels will lie to you saying the walk to Long Beach is "too dangerous" (which is not true!) so that they can take you there for $10 on a group boat trip that they all offer every day which includes snorkeling, fishing and mediocre BBQ.

 

Koh Rong's Climate 

 

Between the end of November and the start of March the hot dry weather comes from the north-east direction, while between June and September the rain and wind come from the south-west.  As such, Koh Rong temperatures in direct sunlight are much higher.

 

Average Temperatures on Koh Rong

To give you a rough idea of the average temperatures over this past year (note: these are the average temperatures in the shade – temperatures in direct sunlight can be much higher):

Middle of November / December / January / February: Warm and dry. 25°C daytime.
March / April / May: Hot and dry. 35°C daytime.
June / July / August: Hot and wet. 35°C daytime.
September / October / Early November: Warm and wet. 25°C daytime.

 

We would say that the best time to visit Koh Rong and its sister island Koh Rong Samloem is between the middle of November and the start of May. During these months you’ll have beautiful hot days (25°C – 40°C) with very little cloud and low humidity.

Things to do on Koh Rong

Go Snorkeling

There are many beautiful snorkeling points around Koh Rong and heaps of fish to discover. Try your hand at spotting any of the sergeant fish, seahorses, parrot fish, diamond fish, jumping fish, squid, yellow boxfish, diamond fish, needlefish, blue-spotted ribbon tail rays and goatfish in the waters around the island. You can either walk to nearby rocky ocean areas from where you stay or take one of the snorkeling day trips with Adventure Adam Tours.

Do the Blob Jump

 

Brave revellers can jump from a height of four or six meters onto a giant blow up “blob” on the water. You’ll then move to the opposite end where a friend can bounce you back up in the air and into the nearby water.

Blob Jump is located on the far north end of Sok San Beach on a wooden pier.

If you’re walking from the south end, you’ve got 7 more kilometers of white sand to traipse. Otherwise, if you’re done with all the walking just grab one of the local boats.

Take the Boat Back from Sok San to Koh Toch Beach at Sunset

The best way to get back from Sok San Beach is to take one of the local fishing-turned-tour boats. Doing it at sunset means you get premium unobstructed ocean sunset views that you just don’t get on the inhabited parts of the island. Once the colours begin to light up the sky, wave down one of the boats sure to be waiting near the shore and in 45 minutes you’ll be back on the main beach.

 

Cost: Prices change depending on the boat operator. Barter for around $15

 

Go Diving with Koh Rong Dive Center

Koh Rong Dive Center offer fun dives as well as PADI training courses from the island. The prices are cheap but the visibility around the island isn’t the best. BUT, if you go at the right time of year there’s a chance you could spot a whale shark! Koh Rong Dive Center is located on the ferry pier on Koh Toch main beach.

Cost: $80 (2 fun dives) – $380 (Open Water Certificate)

Kayak over to Koh Toch Island


Koh Toch (or Small Island) is also sometimes known as Pagoda Island because the island consists only of a pagoda, a couple of monks and a small walking track. But being in such close proximity to Koh Toch Beach in the main area of Koh Rong, this island is a great little day trip in a kayak. You can also try kayaking to some of the other beaches on Koh Rong, but keep in mind that the island is too big to get around entirely in one day. Kayaks can be rented from the beachfront restaurants on Koh Toch main beach.