Koh Rong Or Koh Rong Samloem: Which Is BEST (2026)

Now, you may’ve heard Koh Rong and Koh Rong Samloem. Even though they sound similar they’re quite different, so let’s find the best for you.

If you’re backpacking Cambodia high chance you’ll have plans to visit the islands. And if you don’t… Change that ASAP!

Think clear blue water and fine white sand that squeaks. Seriously it’s heaven.

Now, I’ve traveled a lot, and the beaches here are among the best. However, if you don’t have enough time do you visit Koh Rong or Koh Rong Samloem?

Well, I’ve spent about 3 weeks on these islands figuring out figuring out the differences with some swimming and tanning thrown in for good measure as well.

Sure, they are both beautiful. Though depending if you’re keen to go with the flow or looking for something luxe will affect your decision.

Basically I’m asking do you need air conditioning, power, access to an ATM, and activities?

This is why I’ve written a full comparison of everything and anything you’ll need to know. That way, you can easily choose what is best for you.

🚗 How I Book Cheap Transport In Cambodia: 12Go Asia

The Basics Of Koh Rong

Koh Rong is the larger of the two islands off the coast of Cambodia. You’ll find plenty ferries running here from Sihanoukville. It’s super easy to get to organise!

When you arrive your first stop will be Koh Toch Village (the island’s main township). Here you’ll find shops, tour agencies, restaurants, and cafes.

In Koh Toch theres some local guesthouses if you’re on a budget. However, if you’re keen to check out the 5 star resorts or budget hostels, you’ll need to head to a different part of the island.

Now it’s worth noting the roads around Koh Rong and just dirt and are definitely quite basic. Most locals travel by motorbike instead of car and they’ll constantly be dodging potholes.

Many people will get to their accommodation on another boat from Koh Toch village rather than getting a taxi.

Sok San Beach Resort Enjoy beachfront living in luxury. Rooms here start from $70.00 per night. BOOK NOW	Nest Beach Club One of the best party places on the island. Dorm rooms here start from $5.00 per night. BOOK NOW
Coconutbeach Bungalows Party Hostel Located on a quieter part of the island. You can find a seaview tent here for $11.00 per night. BOOK NOW	Tree House Bungalows Lovely bungalows a short walk from long beach. Rooms start from $60.00 per night. BOOK NOW

The Basics Of Koh Rong Samloem

Next door to Koh Rong, you’ll find its sister island, Koh Rong Samloem. It may be smaller, but I can promise you it is equally as incredible! Or maybe even more…

Now, if you flashback 15 years ago this was definitely the quieter spot. However, as tourism increased, this secret spot isn’t so secret anymore.

When you arrive you’ll jump off the boat in the main area called Saracen Bay. Though if you’re staying elsewhere, there aren’t any roads, so you’ll need a taxi boat.

Because of this most travelers stick to Saracen Bay. Luckily, it’s a huge beach and never seems crowded. Just know it’ll be a sandy walk from the pier to your hotel.

However, if you’re keen on a deserted island experience, this is your spot! With some research, you’ll find off the beaten track guesthouses. Just remember, you’ll need a boat to get there or do the jungle trek.

When doing research, you’ll quickly notice random spellings of Samloem. It’s a whole lot of map history issues, nevertheless, all spellings areused interchangeably. So, no stress.

Sleeping Trees A glamping-style hotel on an excellent snorkeling beach. Prices from $20.00 per night. BOOK NOW	Onederz Koh Rong Sanloem A popular hostel right on the beachfront. Dorm rooms start from $14.00 per night. BOOK NOW
Sara Resort My top choice. Rooms start from $36.00 per night with air-con, 24/7 power, and awesome wifi. BOOK NOW	The Big Easy An affordable hostel on the main beach of Saracen Bay. Dorms start from $6.00 per night. BOOK NOW

Who Has The Best Beaches?

There are some incredible beaches in both Koh Rong and Koh Rong Samloem. So much so that I wouldn’t say one is better than the other.

However, if you want accommodation where you can get straight from the ferry and check in on a beautiful beach, then Koh Rong Samloem is the winner, hands down.

This is simply because Koh Touch on Koh Rong is a lot more built up, so the water straight in front isn’t clean enough to swim in. Oh, and there can be some interesting smells.

Though head 5 minutes down the beach you’ll find people lapping up the waves, including myself.

You’ll be able to snorkel on both islands. Though the best beaches for this aren’t the picture-perfect ones you see all over Instagram.

Instead, the best snorkeling is along cliffs or in rocky spots where the fish have places to hide, and the coral can grow.

I actually swam with stingrays over on Sunset Beach in Koh Rong Samloem.

🚗 How I Book Cheap Transport In Cambodia: 12Go Asia

What Island Has The Best Accommodation?

Both Koh Rong and Koh Rong Samloem have a bunch of different types of accommodation. Hostel vs 5 Star anyone?

However, there are definitely some differences between the two islands worth knowing.

Whether this is the amenities and facilities on offer, plus theres certainly more options on one island, so let’s get into it.

The Best For Hostels

Now both Koh Rong and Koh Rong Samloem have hostels! Though you’ll find a wider variety over on Koh Rong… Especially if you’re looking for a young party backpacker vibe.

Though, no stress, this isn’t all of Koh Rong, so if you’re looking for a chill place, it’s for sure possible.

Recently, more and more hostels have been popping up over on Koh Rong Samloem, and you can actually find a lot of well known Cambodia hostel chains here, such as Onederz and Mad Monkey.

Regardless of island, hostels here offer everything you could need under one roof, in a a nearly resort style fashion. This includes dorm rooms, onsite restaurant, and plenty of activities.

This is because on both islands, depending on the beach you’re on, food options may be limited. So to get guests to stay, the hostel needs to have their own restaurant.

The Best For Resorts

Now, if you prefer something a tad more luxe you’ll be able to find resorts on both islands. Though on Koh Rong, you’ll be absolutely spoiled by the number of 5 star resorts! It’s a bit crazy.

This means a pool, onsite restaurant, air conditioning, wifi, and all the amenities. My fav part is a lot of the prices here are so affordable compared with the same thing back home!

In contrast, Koh Rong Samloem definitely still has these luxe resorts, but theres not actually too many of them, and they aren’t as large.

Nevertheless, you’ll still be in a paradise destination on one of the best islands in the world.

Who Has Better Facilities?

Now I know this is unlikely something you often think about when traveling. However, trust me, here you’ll want to consider the facilities available.

Depending on where you stay, will affect your how easy it is to access wifi, electricity, restaurants, cash, and air conditioning. Seriously.

Wifi

Now, depending on where you stay, you may or may not have wifi. Some areas of each island have it available, while others don’t.

If you book a nicer resort or accommodation, it’s likely available.

Also, if you’re staying in the main areas of Saracen or Koh Toch, decent chance you’ll have access as well. Alternatively, you can always visit the restaurants here and use their Wi-Fi.

I recommend looking at reviews before booking to see whether your hotel has wifi or if it’s fast enough to even be usable! There’s nothing worse than it being too slow to connect!

However, if you do have a Cambodian SIM or eSIM, you’ll likely have reception at all the main beaches around the islands.

Electricity

Now I know this may seem crazy, but depending on where you stay on Koh Rong or Koh Rong Samloem affects whether you’ll have electricity.

Some resorts and hotels only have solar panels and they can’t make enough electricity for 24/7 use. Therefore, you’ll commonly see electricity available only between certain hours.

If you’re staying in Koh Touch good chance you’ll have electricity 24/7. Yay… Though power cuts do happen quite regularly, especially if there’s a storm.

I’ve stayed in both Koh Rong and Koh Rong Samloem where electricity has been limited, or we’ve had zero access to it at all. It’s def not somewhere you go for a working holiday.

Honestly, it is not the worst thing in the world. You just need to prepare to disconnect and embrace those deserted island vibes.

Restaurants

Okay, so depending on where exactly you stay will also affect how easy it’ll be to get to restaurants. However most places, whether that is a hotel, hostel, or resort, do have restaurants onsite.

This means that as long as the place you book has a few different accommodation options around within walking distance, you should have a small handful of restaurants to choose from.

If you’re going to stay 3 nights in a rather isolated hotel, the onsite restaurant options can get boring. And if you have dietary requirements like me, then it’ll be super repetitive.

Though for variety stay over in Koh Toch or Saracen Bay, and you’ll be absolutely spoilt. This is awesome as you can mix up your meals and cuisines quite a bit.

Access To Cash

Now, one thing that stumped me, and also a lot of other travelers, is the inability to access cash. This basically means what you bring over from the mainland is how much you have.

Oh, and a very, very, very small number of places here accept credit cards. These are essentially just pricey hotels and resorts.

There is a mix of information online about cash and atms, so I am just going to speak from my experience and struggles.

Basically, we were traveling for 6 nights, 3 on Koh Rong and the other 3 on Koh Rong Samloem.

Unfortunately, we greatly underestimated the amount we would need. But no worries, heaps of online articles say how easy it is to get cash in Koh Rong, even though you have to pay rather large fees.

Unfortunately, we had zero luck getting any cash out on Koh Rong. This may have been because we were traveling during the Songkran holiday. But everyone we asked said no.

Luckily, I found a pricey resort we could stay in Koh Rong Samloem that would accept credit cards for booking. This means we could use our cash to eat rather than pay for accommodation.

Air Conditioning

Now I know I may sound bougie saying this, but like seriously sometimes I need my air conditioning. As you’d imagine, being on a rather undeveloped island, having AC is quite a luxury.

Even though you can spend your days swimming in the wonderfully warm waters and relaxing beachside.

Nothing is better than coming back to an air-conditioned room, having a shower, and not immediately becoming covered in a layer of sweat.

Now, as you may have guessed, having AC here is not the norm. Rather, only a select few fancy hotels and resorts have this on offer.

However, if you’ve traveled to Southeast Asia or Cambodia, staying strictly in AC rooms, then I highly recommend splurging somewhere since that also has this.

This is especially so if you can’t afford a beachfront room with the sea breeze.

🚗 How I Book Cheap Transport In Cambodia: 12Go Asia

Which Island Has The Best Vibes?

I know “vibes” may sound silly, but seriously depending on what you are expecting will change which island you’re best to stay on.

Do you want a deserted island experience, a party atmosphere, or a bit of the local culture?

Deserted Island Experience

Now, if you are looking at getting away from it all, then both islands offer this. With minimal electricity, no wifi, no cell phone reception, etc.

However, you won’t find this in the main area of Koh Toch or Sacaren Bay.

Instead, you’ll need to get to these isolated locations where you can find these secluded bungalows for your true deserted island experience.

As Koh Rong is a rather large island, you can find plenty of places to do this kind of thing.

Generally, they are also easier to get to with roads making the bays accessible and plenty of boats who will happily transfer you for a price.

A popular spot for this kind of experience is called Lonely Beach. Here you can find beautiful but simplistic bungalows and no wifi.

This is also an experience I’ve done on Koh Rong Samloem at Sunset Beach.

We stayed at Sleeping Tree’s in one of their glamping tents, and it was a true deserted island experience. However, we did have some luxuries, such as a few places to eat and very nice shared bathrooms.

This is also an awesome snorkeling beach where you can see some of the tour boats come and visit.

However, remember that it’s much harder to reach these isolated areas in Koh Rong Samloem, and you’ll need to either do a jungle trek with all your luggage or hire a boat.

Party Atmosphere

Perhaps you’re keen to party away on the beach and basically live your best life.

Well, you may be surprised both islands cater to exactly this. Though it’s only small areas of the island or during certain times of the month.

Basically, don’t roll up expecting to find a party without doing any research.

In Koh Rong, there are two places where you will find this party atmosphere. This is either in Koh Toch, where the beach basically turns into a dance floor, or along Long Set Beach.

Personally, I would choose Long Set Beach as it’s an easy walk from the main pier and one of the most incredible locations I’ve ever seen. The water is calm, shallow, and super warm.

Koh Rong Samloem definitely has less of a party culture than Koh Rong. Though, you’ll find the occasional Full Moon Party, usually held in the jungle.

Local Culture

Perhaps you want to visit to experience some of the local cultures in Cambodia.

Well, I’ll be honest, these islands are set up for tourism, so you won’t find much local culture without searching for it. Though nevertheless it is around and can be found if you know where to look.

First off is Koh Rong, which is the largest island and definitely has quite a lot of locals living on it. The best place to experience this is Daem Thkov Village.

However, this spot isn’t super accessible unless you have some sort of transport, such as a motorbike.

On Koh Rong Samloem, the local part is known as M’Pay Bay. This is a bit easier to as the ferry from Koh Rong to Koh Rong Samloem or Sihanoukville stops right here!

You can also find quite a few affordable hotels and restaurants here. However, the beach at this spot isn’t nearly as amazing as Sacaren Bay.

What Island Has The Most Things To Do?

Now you’ll find both islands are more set up for relaxing beachside and swimming rather than adventure activities.

Koh Rong is def the island with the most things to do. This is simply because it was once the most popular, so infrastructure started there first.

This includes:

• Scuba Diving
• Zip Lining
• High Ropes Park
• Paddle Boarding
• Jet Ski Rental

In comparison, in Koh Rong Samloem, you’ll only really find scuba diving and other basic water sports.

If you’re down for a late night swim, one of the most popular things to do on both islands is a bioluminescence tour.

They are super affordable costing $5.00- $10.00, and super easy to book in the main towns of Koh Toch or Saracen Bay. You’ll see signs everywhere.

It’s a unique experience and pretty crazy plunging into pitch black water. However, I, and all the people on my tour, had a great time!

FAQs About Koh Rong VS Koh Rong Samloem

Wrap Up: So Which Is Better, Koh Rong Or Koh Rong Samloem

Now you should know it isn’t the fact of visiting a particular island cause it’s better than the other. Instead it’ll be because it’s better suited for you.

Whether this means AC (hell yeah), restaurants, electricity, or wifi.

Sure, if you’re down for a completely disconnected chill experince go for it. But if you’re visiting more to relax and to enjoy island life in comfort, these are some beautiful spots to splurge.

Regardless which island you end up choosing, no doubt you’ll have an amazing experience on some incredible beaches!

Want more Cambodia Inspiration? Check out….

• 2 Weeks In Cambodia Itinerary
• Cost To Travel Cambodia & How Much I Spent
• Backpacking Cambodia Travel Guide
• Best Hostels In Siem Reap
• Best 4 Days In Siem Reap Itinerary
• Backpacking Siem Reap Travel Guide
• Angkok Wat Grand Circuit & Angkor Wat Small Circuit
• Siem Reap To Bangkok & The Thai Cambodia Border Crossing
• Phnom Penh To Sihanoukville
• Best Hostels In Phnom Penh
• Ho Chi Minh City To Phnom Penh & The Vietnam Cambodia Border Crossing
• Is Sihanoukville Still Worth Visiting?
• Sihanoukville To Kampot Transport Guide
• How To Travel From Sihanoukville To Koh Rong
• Koh Rong To Koh Rong Samloem
• Koh Rong OR Koh Rong Samloem: Which Is Better?
• Best Beaches On Koh Rong & Best Beaches On Koh Rong Samloem
• Top Hostels On Koh Rong & Koh Rong Samloem
• Best Hostels In Kampot
• Battambang Bamboo Train Guide