“What if we stayed two more days?”
That’s the question we end up asking ourselves after a few days on Koh Rong, Cambodia. With its white-sand beaches, turquoise water and little bars right on the sand, the island quickly wins us over. We came for a few relaxing days, but feel so at home that we decide to extend our stay by two nights.
To reach Koh Rong from Phnom Penh, we book a combined bus and speedboat transfer, crossing from Sihanoukville. On the boat, we unexpectedly run into a couple we met months earlier in Komodo, Indonesia. It’s lovely to see them again, and we even get to have a drink together on the island. The boat drops us at Long Set Beach, about a ten-minute walk from our hotel. We discover a lovely sea-view room, an infinity pool and, above all, a beautiful beach that makes us want to jump straight into the water.
We arrive on a Monday, fully intending to have a quiet, alcohol-free evening. That is, until we discover Onederz, a place right on the beach. The moment he sees the atmosphere, Matthieu gives in: “Ah, this is such an island vibe, we have to party!” It’s hard to resist a drink with our feet in the sand. Our quiet evening turns into a few drinks overlooking the sea, followed by a fire show on the beach. There’s music, travellers chatting and exactly the laid-back atmosphere we love. We return almost every night, sometimes to dance when a DJ takes over, sometimes to play pool, or simply to enjoy the evening.
Our bungalow attracts some unexpected visitors too. One morning, returning from breakfast, we find several monkeys on the roof, with a few sitting right outside our door. They look completely at home! We watch them for a while, amused by the encounter, before returning to our usual beach-and-pool routine.
On Koh Rong, we soon settle into a little routine. On days when we aren’t exploring, we often start with a workout at a local gym, then go out to eat, sit in a café or relax by the beach and pool. Nothing extraordinary, and that’s precisely why it feels so good. When you travel for months, transport, bookings, research and planning the next stops take up a surprising amount of time. Here, we find a simpler rhythm, almost as if we had moved in for a few days.
But Koh Rong also deserves exploring. We rent a scooter to discover its different beaches. Another travelling couple tells us that just a few years earlier there were barely any roads around the island. It’s hard to imagine now, as riding around Koh Rong on two wheels is so enjoyable, even if some access roads remain tricky.
Lonely Beach, in the north, is one example. From Long Set Beach, it takes us around thirty minutes to get there, including ten on a genuinely difficult track of mud, rocks and sand. But when we arrive, the beach is stunning. Turquoise water, exceptionally clean white sand and a narrow strip of beach with palms and tropical forest starting immediately behind it. There are very few people, a handful of discreet little places to stay and a peacefulness we really appreciate. We spend hours swimming and enjoying the view. Lonely Beach is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful beaches we’ve found on our trip.
We continue towards Sok San and Long Beach, where the beaches are longer, just as beautiful and almost deserted. We stop to eat, enjoy the sea and discover the downside of this idyllic setting. Between mosquitoes, sandflies and tiny creatures that seem to sting us in the water, we get absolutely eaten alive! Matthieu ends up with more than fifty bites in less than a day. It’s funny to think we’ve rarely loved a place quite so much while being bitten quite so badly.
On the way back, we also make a short detour through Koh Touch, a fishing village that contrasts with the long, peaceful beaches we’ve just explored. We only stop for a few minutes to buy fruit and look around, but the place seems rather charming. We’d happily recommend stopping by, even just for a little walk or something to eat, to see another side of Koh Rong.
And then there are the tropical storms. On some nights, heavy rain sweeps across the island, with spectacular lightning illuminating the sky above the sea. Twice, we end up completely soaked! Luckily, these spells are brief and don’t stop us enjoying the days. We actually find the huge storms beautiful to watch, even if we sometimes wish we’d been better sheltered.
Another thing we love about Koh Rong is its atmosphere. The Cambodian people are welcoming, we meet friendly travellers and evenings easily stretch into another drink. We enjoy returning to familiar places, settling into our little habits and not having to plan every day. So when it’s time to leave, we decide to stay two extra nights. We move from our first hotel straight to Onederz, where we’ve already spent several great evenings. The rooms are clean, the property is right on the beach, and we get to enjoy a little more of the atmosphere we love.
We finally leave Koh Rong with a real pang of sadness. We haven’t packed our days with excursions or tried to do everything. We’ve simply enjoyed exceptional beaches, lovely encounters and a little routine that allowed us to slow down. Between the insect bites, the storms and evenings that didn’t quite go to plan, the island has left a few very visible marks on our skin. More importantly, it has reminded us that, when travelling, the moments when we do very little can sometimes be the ones we enjoy most. And if we did it again, we’d probably stay a few more nights.