Two Cambodian islands 40 minutes to an hour by boat from Sihanoukville: Koh Rong's white-sand Long Set (4K) and Sok San beaches and lively Koh Touch village, and Koh Rong Samloem's clear-water Saracen Bay and Lazy Beach. Glowing plankton in the sea at night, snorkelling, jungle walks — hardly any cars, a slow and calm holiday. There are almost no ATMs and only small clinics, so bring US dollar cash and insurance. No direct flights from Ulaanbaatar — reach Sihanoukville (KOS) via Bangkok, Guangzhou or Ho Chi Minh City. Mongolians need a $30 tourist visa (e-visa or on arrival).
🛂 Visa: e-Visa · 30 days✈ Flight: 10h☀ Best months: December, January, February, March
Orange — daytime average, blue — night, grey bars — rainfall, green — sea temperature. Best months: December, January, February, March.
Things to see (12)
📍🧸 for kids
Long Set Beach (4K Beach)
BeachFree24 hours
A ≈4 km white-sand beach reached on a 30–45 minute walk from Koh Touch along the shore and jungle path. Shallow, clear water with cafés, small hotels and a campsite — a calm place to swim with children away from the Koh Touch bustle. Some ferries stop here directly.
BeachFree; tuk-tuk from Koh Touch ≈$15 or boat ≈$624 hours
A 7 km stretch of powder-white sand on the west side of the island, where Survivor was filmed. Stunning sunsets and few people; Sok San fishing village sits at the northern end. Reach it by tuk-tuk on the new concrete road or by boat.
Travel guide
Like a well-travelled friend for a first-timer: before you go, landing, SIM, transport, money, food, safety, manners, apps, leaving — step by step.
🧳Before you goMongolians need a Cambodian visa, but it is easy to get; there are almost no ATMs on the islands, so sort out cash in advance.+
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Visa: $30 tourist e-visa
Mongolian ordinary passport holders need a visa (the visa-exemption agreement covers only diplomatic and official passports). A tourist (T) e-visa on evisa.gov.kh costs $30, arrives as a PDF in ≈3 working days and allows a 30-day stay. Or get a visa on arrival at the airport for $30 (US dollar cash, passport photo). Your passport must be valid for 6+ months.
Tip: Only evisa.gov.kh is official; look-alike sites charge extra.
Within 7 days before your flight, complete the free Cambodia e-Arrival on arrival.gov.kh: immigration, health and customs declarations in one form. It is separate from the visa.
There are hardly any real ATMs on the islands, and card cash-outs carry a ≈10% fee, so bring all your US dollar cash from the mainland. Clinics are small, so insurance with evacuation is a must. In the monsoon (May–October) ferries can be cancelled because of waves.
Tip: Bring plenty of small notes ($1, $5, $10) — change can be hard to find on the islands.
🛬Landing and getting to the islandsFrom the airport you first go to the Sihanoukville port, then take a speedboat to the islands.+
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KOS airport to the port
From Sihanoukville's KOS airport to the port: taxi ≈$20–30 or shuttle bus ≈$4, 30–40 minutes. Arriving at Phnom Penh's Techo (KTI) airport, a bus or van down the expressway takes ≈4–5 hours for ≈$15.
GTVC, Buva Sea, Island Speed Ferry and Speed Ferry Cambodia mostly leave from Sihanoukville Autonomous Port; an open return is ≈$25 and the trip takes 45 minutes to 1 hour. They stop at Koh Touch, Long Set and Sok San on Koh Rong, and Saracen Bay and M'Pay Bay (GTVC and Buva Sea only) on Samloem.
Tip: Show the taxi driver the pier address on your ticket — companies can leave from different gates.
Ferries fill up in peak season, so buy tickets online the day before. Check in early; on choppy days keep your phone and passport in a waterproof bag.
📶Phone and internet+
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Buy your SIM on the mainland
Smart, Cellcard and Metfone tourist SIMs at the airport or in Sihanoukville cost ≈$5–10, registered with your passport. Smart and Metfone 4G covers most bays on the islands; signal is weak on remote beaches.
Koh Rong is connected to mainland power but outages happen, and Wi-Fi is slow in some bays. Bring a power bank and a torch, and download maps and translation for offline use.
Tip: If you need video calls for work, stay in Koh Touch or Saracen Bay.
🚇Getting around the islandsThere are almost no cars on the islands: walk, take a boat, or a tuk-tuk on Koh Rong.+
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Koh Rong: tuk-tuks and water taxis
From Koh Touch to Sok San a tuk-tuk on the new road costs ≈$15, or a boat ≈$6. Walk to Long Set Beach along the shore and forest path in 30–45 minutes. A private longtail to distant beaches can cost up to ≈$60.
From Saracen Bay it is a 25–40 minute walk on a paved path to Lazy Beach and a steep ≈35 minutes to Sunset Beach. Longtails between bays are expensive, so agree the price first.
Most speedboats stop at both Koh Rong and Samloem, so you can combine the two islands in one trip. When buying tickets, check carefully which beach you land on.
Prices are in US dollars, with small change given in riel. Torn or worn dollar notes are refused. Cards work only at some larger resorts; most cafés, boats and bungalows take cash.
A few guesthouses in Koh Touch and on Saracen Bay give cash on a card, but with a ≈10% fee. Island prices are higher than on the mainland, so budget with a buffer.
🍜FoodIsland food is simple, but fresh seafood is plentiful.+
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What to eat
In the evening the Koh Touch shore grills fresh fish, crab and prawns. Try amok (fish in coconut milk), lok lak, fried rice and tropical fruit shakes. For children there is fried rice, grilled chicken and pizza.
Tip: Have grilled seafood weighed and ask the price before ordering.
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Water, ice and hygiene
Don't drink tap water — use bottled or filtered water; many guesthouses offer refills. When the power cuts out, be careful with seafood that has sat in the fridge.
Samloem's bays have only a few small shops with limited stock. Buy baby food, special items and medicines at a Sihanoukville supermarket before you go.
There are only small clinics around Koh Touch; serious cases go by boat to Sihanoukville and on to Phnom Penh. Bring a first-aid kit, insect and sandfly repellent and sunscreen.
Don't let children swim alone on beaches without lifeguards, and beware of monsoon waves and currents. Don't swim at night after a party and never leave your drink unattended. Carry a torch on dark forest paths.
Koh Touch, Sok San and M'Pay Bay are real fishing villages: cover shoulders and knees when you leave the beach and don't walk through the village in swimwear. Ask before photographing people or homes.
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Look after nature
Waste disposal and recycling are limited: cut down on plastic and take your rubbish back to the mainland. Don't stand on or touch coral, and don't take starfish or shells.
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Manners and the law
Greet with palms pressed together in a 'sampeah'. Don't touch people's heads or argue loudly. Drug penalties are very harsh — don't be fooled by the islands' relaxed vibe.
Boats can be delayed or cancelled by the weather, so return to Sihanoukville or Phnom Penh the day before your flight. Confirm your return boat with an island agent the day before.
The 30 days of your visa count from the day you arrive; overstaying means a daily fine on departure. Spend leftover riel before heading to the airport.
Koh Rong's main harbour and a lively village: seafood barbecues, Khmer and Western restaurants, small shops, tour operators and the clinic line the shore. Fishing boats by day, live music in the bars at night — most tours start here.
RelaxFree (party entry extra)24 hours; parties at night
A small quiet beach a few minutes' walk south of Koh Touch — lovely for a swim by day. At night it hosts the island's biggest DJ parties, so for families it suits daytime only.
On a dark, moonless night, move your hands in the water and tiny plankton sparkle blue-green. Boats from Koh Touch take you to an unlit bay to swim, or watch it yourself on the dark shores of Long Set or M'Pay Bay. Life jackets are a must for children.
Half-day trips from Koh Touch pier: snorkel on the reefs of nearby islets, try fishing, barbecue on a beach and watch the sunset, usually ending with the plankton. With children choose a boat with life jackets and shade.
NatureTrail free; private boat from Koh Touch ≈$60 one wayStart early in the morning
A hard-to-reach, almost empty beach at the island's northern tip. Walk narrow jungle trails towards Sok San and Lonely Beach with a guide and spot monkeys and hornbills. Trails are slippery and poorly marked, so take water, proper shoes and a guide; not suitable for young children.
A 3 km crescent of white sand on the east side of Koh Rong Samloem: calm, shallow, clear water with bungalows and restaurants along the shore. No parties and very quiet — the best beach for families; ferries stop here directly.
BeachFree; Lazy Beach slow boat ≈$10 one way24 hours
A quiet, powder-sand beach on Samloem's west coast, famous for its sunsets. Walk 25–40 minutes from Saracen Bay on a paved path through the forest. Snorkel around the rocks and relax in a hammock.
A small west-coast beach reached on a steep, rocky ≈35-minute forest walk from Saracen Bay. A few hotels and hardly any people; the sunset and clear water repay the walk.
A fishing village at Samloem's northern tip: wooden lanes, cheap guesthouses, family cafés and village life. The shore is dark at night, so the plankton shows well. GTVC and Buva Sea ferries come here directly.
NatureFree; boat from M'Pay Bay ≈$5 one wayDaytime
An almost deserted beach east of M'Pay Bay with water as clear as its name. Reach it by boat or on a ≈1.5-hour walk along the shore and through the forest. There are no shops or restaurants, so bring water, food and shade.
