Let me set the scene for you. I’m on one of the most beautiful beaches I’ve ever seen in my life. The water is crystal clear, the sand is soft, the sun is — well, intermittently — out. And I am absolutely floored with what I’m now fairly convinced was COVID.

That is my Koh Rong experience in a nutshell.

And here’s the thing: I would still go back. Genuinely. Because even through the fog of feeling dreadful, I could see exactly what Koh Rong is — and it’s special. I just didn’t get anywhere near the version of it I should have had.

So this is my honest review. The beautiful bits, the hard bits, and what I’d do completely differently if I went back.

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How to Get to Koh Rong

Getting to Koh Rong is a two-part journey and it’s more straightforward than you might think. From Phnom Penh I took a Giant Ibis bus to Sihanoukville — I’ve written a full post on why Giant Ibis is the only bus company I trust in Cambodia here — and from Sihanoukville the ferry to Koh Rong takes around an hour to an hour and a half depending on which service you take.

The ferry itself was totally fine — nothing dramatic, no seasickness situations unlike some of my Thai island crossings. GTVC and Buva Sea are the main operators running ferries between Sihanoukville and Koh Rong. You can book in advance, or directly with the operators when you actually arrive at the port. I travelled in low season so it was very quiet and we were fine to book a ferry ticket when we got there.

One thing worth knowing: Sihanoukville itself has changed a lot in recent years and is not really worth spending time in. Get your ferry connection sorted and move on to the island.

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What Koh Rong is Actually Like

The first thing that struck me about Koh Rong — even feeling as rough as I did — was how different it feels from the Thai islands. It’s less built up, more remote, rawer. There are no 7-Elevens on every corner, no perfectly manicured beach clubs, no constant stream of organised tours departing every hour. It feels genuinely wild in a way that Ko Tao and Koh Phangan simply don’t anymore.

That’s a positive and a negative depending on what you’re after.

If you want infrastructure, convenience, reliable WiFi, good medical facilities and a wide range of food options — Koh Rong will frustrate you. If you want an island that still feels like an island, with jungle-backed beaches and a slower pace and a genuine sense of remoteness — you’ll love it.

Long Beach, where I was based, is genuinely one of the best beaches I have ever been on anywhere in the world. I mean that. The sand is impossibly soft and white, the water is warm and clear, and it stretches on long enough that it never feels overcrowded. Even feeling terrible I could appreciate how beautiful it was, which tells you everything.

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Nestival at Nest Hostel

The reason I chose Koh Rong at this particular time was Nestival — a festival organised by Nest Hostel on Long Beach. It’s a backpacker beach festival with music, parties, events and the kind of atmosphere that exists specifically on islands like this where everyone is a traveller and everyone is up for it.

I can’t give you a proper first-hand account of Nestival because I genuinely couldn’t participate in any of it. I was ill from day 2 of my arrival and spent the majority of my days horizontal rather than dancing on the beach. From what I saw and heard around me though, it would have been absolutely brilliant. The atmosphere around the hostel was electric even from my very limited vantage point. However, what I would say is don’t stay at Nest Hostel itself unless you intend on wanting no sleep for the whole weekend.

If you’re thinking about timing your Koh Rong trip around Nestival — do it. Just make sure you’re not secretly incubating COVID when you go. Learn from my mistakes.

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The Honest Bits Nobody Talks About

Medical facilities

This was the thing that genuinely concerned me. When I was ill — properly ill, not just a bit under the weather — there was no real medical support on the island. There’s a small medical shack but that’s about it. For anything serious you would need to get the ferry back to Sihanoukville and then travel from there.

I want to be straight with you about this because I think it’s important: if you have a medical emergency on Koh Rong, getting proper care takes time. That’s the reality of a remote island. It didn’t put me off the island but it did make me very glad I had travel insurance — and it made my friend’s bout of food poisoning (also acquired on Koh Rong) considerably more stressful than it needed to be.

Get travel insurance before you go. Specifically, get insurance that covers medical evacuation. I used True Traveller for all my backpacking trips — it covers a wide range of situations including medical emergencies in remote locations and it’s what I personally rely on.

Food options for vegans

The food situation on Koh Rong is improving but it’s still limited, and for vegans it’s genuinely not easy. The island runs on fresh seafood and standard backpacker staples and plant-based options are thin on the ground — especially on Long Beach. I was already not eating well because I was ill and the limited vegan options made that harder.

If you’re vegan, bring some snacks from the mainland and don’t assume you’ll be catered for in the way you would be in Chiang Mai or Hanoi. It’s getting better but it’s not there yet.

Cost

Koh Rong is more expensive than you’d expect for Cambodia. Once you’re on the island everything costs more — food, drinks, accommodation — because everything has to come over on the ferry. Budget more than you would for mainland Cambodia and don’t expect to eat as cheaply as you would in Phnom Penh or Siem Reap. It’s not Thai island prices but it’s heading in that direction, especially during events like Nestival when demand spikes.

Weather and timing

I visited during the wet season. It wasn’t as bad as I’d feared — we didn’t get heavy rain, it stayed warm, and the beach was still beautiful — but the sky was often overcast and the light wasn’t the golden sunshine you see in every Instagram post about the island. The dry season runs roughly November to April and that’s when Koh Rong is at its best. If you have flexibility, go then.

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Koh Rong vs the Thai Islands

Having done both, here’s my honest comparison.

The Thai islands — Koh Tao, Koh Phangan, Koh Lanta — are more developed, more convenient, easier to navigate, better for food and medical access, and have a more established backpacker infrastructure. If it’s your first time in Southeast Asia or you want a smooth, easy island experience, Thailand wins on logistics.

Koh Rong wins on rawness and beauty. Long Beach is genuinely one of the most beautiful beaches I’ve visited and the island has a wild, unspoiled quality that the Thai islands have largely lost to tourism.

If you’ve already done Thailand and want something less polished and more adventurous, Koh Rong is the natural next step.

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Would I Go Back?

Yes. Without hesitation.

I genuinely feel like I didn’t visit Koh Rong — I arrived there, got ill, and watched it through a window. The island I saw in brief glimpses between feeling dreadful was beautiful enough that I want to go back and actually experience it properly.

Dry season. Not secretly ill. And with proper snacks.

Enjoy your travels!

Em x

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