Having booked a 15 day trek across Cambodia, we knew that we would be doing a lot of hiking in the heat. We wanted to end our visit to Cambodia with a relaxing time on a beach. We did a lot of online research to find a good spot. We’re not really into just sitting on the beach but we did want something beautiful, a place to rest and swim after our hiking adventure.
We talked to friends who had been to Cambodia and read lots of reviews on Trip Advisor and other sites. And while we were not looking for a luxurious beach resort, we did want something a step up from the very cheap beach cabins where, even in online photos, we could look outside through the planks and which often had no private bathroom.
Our lovely room right on the beach.
We picked Sok San Beach Resort on Koh Rong, off the coast of Sihanoukville. Sihanoukville is a big ugly city with lots of traffic and lots of (Chinese) construction of highrises and casinos. Koh Rong is the opposite - literally.
The only way to reach the island is, of course, by boat. A few rinky-dinky “ferries” offer a way to cross the water, the Bay of Thailand, to Koh Rong. But really the only safe option is the modern catamaran operated by the resort. I must say I find it strange that you have to pay US $20 per person per ride to get there and back. This effectively added another 80 dollars to our stay. I think the resort should provide transportation if they want you to come. But, that’s the way it is.
Room with a view!
We selected a seaview cottage, which was a good choice. The room is small but adequate. It’s nice that two lounge chairs are reserved in front of our room because all other chairs are claimed daily and occupied by towels all day long, even if no one uses them.
The other guests seem to be mostly French, some German and Italians, and some Chinese. China even offers direct flights to Sihanoukville.
Turns out this resort found its origins in the TV series Survivor. To accommodate the crew for Survivor Cambodia, they started what is now Sok San Resort.
You can watch that Survivor season here, to see the surroundings: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_9KMkP_frT8
The resort is quiet, no partying or loud music. The food is limited: small portions and fairly high prices (27.- for an Italian Buffet). We walked into the village for a few meals and paid 5.- for breaded pork and fries, even less for authentic local, Khmer food.
Paradise!
But it is the perfect place for us to veg out, swim in the warm blue sea, walk and even kayak. We joined some other guests for a 2 hour kayak session on a small mangrove river that ended at the beach on the other side of the island. Besides swimming and reading on the beach, we strolled along the coast and hiked across the island. But that was warm!
The resort has fairly good wifi so I was able to get writing work done while lazing around. It’s amazing how quickly our 5 days here went by. I could definitely stay much longer on Koh Rong.
RESOURCES: