Cambodia Day 4 – Phnom Penh to Koh Rong Island

Where and when: Koh Rong Island, Cambodia, April 2023

0815: Today we are leaving Phnom Penh and travelling to Koh Rong Island off the coast of Sihanoukville. Shinaoukville is a seaside resort about a 3 hour drive from Phnom Penh. The drive used to take 6 hours, but with the new highway from Phnom Penh to Sihanoukville the drive is much quicker.

1115: Arrive at Sihanoukville pier. Koh Rong Island is a 45 minute speedboat ride from here.

1130: We are travelling with GTVC speedboat service. There are a number of boats anchored at the jetty. We get our tickets and wait for the boat.

Tip: Koh Rong Island has many different beaches and there are a number of ferry services to the island. Select the ferry service based on where you are staying on Koh Rong and your travel schedule. The hotels on Koh Rong can usually advice on the best ferry services to use, but you can also see more details here.

1200: Our boat is due to depart at 1200 and that’s when the chaos begins. Several GTVC boats to Koh Rong leave at the same time and there is no indication as to which boat we should board. It turns out that the staff wait for tickets to be sold before allocating boats to destinations, based on how many passengers are travelling. So there is no advance notice on which boats are going where.  

It takes about half-an-hour to board a boat. After the passengers have boarded, the luggage is loaded. All loading and unloading done by hand which adds to the delay to departure.

1225: We are finally on our way.

Koh Rong Island is located in the Gulf of Thailand, about 25km (16mi) off the coast of Sihanoukville. It is the second largest island of Cambodia, having an area of approximately 78 square kilometres. 43km of the island’s 61km coastline are beaches.

1250: Approaching Koh Rong Island. Boat stops at Koh Touch pier first. This is the most populated beach on the island.

1300: Next stop is at Long Set pier. Our hotel has sent a vehicle to pick us up. The drive takes 15 minutes. We arrive at the Secret Garden Hotel on Pagoda beach to a very warm welcome. The view that greets us is heavenly.

After several long days of travelling this was the break we were waiting for. We spent the rest of the day relaxing by the water.

Secret Garden hotel is located on one end of the Pagoda beach. There is a mini estuary where a small stream joins the sea.

One of the best things about the hotel is its resident dog, who takes great pleasure in going swimming and paddle boarding with hotel guests.

2100: Dinner at the hotel. The food is excellent. A mix of Khemer, South Asian and Western cuisine.