Koh Rong was indeed the place of adventure and peril for the CBS show Survivor. A few years after it taped, we arrived.

Koh rong sits off the south-western tip of Cambodia, and is about a 45 min boat ride out. Now, up front, Koh Rong is thought of by many things; But being a party destination may show up more than others. We were into the vibe.

Koh Rong features mostly hostels, although, a few resorts are located away from the main area. Beach bars, full moon EDM raves and white sand beaches that are barely touched and available for everyone.

Most people would consider Koh Rong as off the beaten path. This would be a true assessment. So, if you’re not into trekking your own bags through the sand (sometimes the water), power shuts on and off regularly (think no air conditioning), and amenities (pharmacy) and no where near, this place may not be for you. For everyone else, let’s hop in.

Getting There

The south-western most tip of Cambodia’s mainland is where you will find the city of Sihanoukville. Most buses will tale you here from any major town. This is where you’ll depart for Koh

Mostly young tourists were lining up waiting for our boat to be prepped. The boats hold around 120 people - you can get a more expensive speedboat that takes half as long, with only around 20 people - but what’s the fun in that?

A few questions do pop in your mind before your embark.1) With no streets, only sand and beach, I wonder if we’ll find our hostel? 2) Looking around at all the other Millennials on this boat with me, is this place just one big party? 3) Should I be worried? Remember that vibe thing I was talking about above - no worries.

Koh Touch

Touching down, we found out rather quickly this was indeed a party place. Walking off the dock, vendors are ready with flyers offering snorkling, drunk boat cruises, midnight rave parties on a hidden beach through the jungle…

Everyone’s here for adventure and fun.

Koh Touch is also the main part of the island (small marketplace) and where the main Nightlife lives. Right as you get off the dock, the pathway splits three ways. MOst of the hostel accomodations are centered here. It’s a bustling place.

We traveled up the hill a little way while cute, open-air restaurants pop out along the way. A few hostels even have hammocks set up for you to sleep in for $5 a night 20’ from the ocean.

We did what everyone does; Threw our things inside our room, and ran to the water.

4K Beach

There’s plenty of info on the web about where to go once you get on the island. We asked around our hostel for recommendations. They did not disappoint.

The first beach we trekked to wrapped around the island passing through Disney-esque type boardwalks, beautiful scenery, and having to cross open water to get to the beach. This place is crazy!

Food & Drink

With Koh Rong being known for it’s nightlife, the bars here do not disappoint. Most are beach themed, but some have their own characteristics to them. My favorite was a wide open bar, set up outside, and away from everything else called Nest Beach Club. It had its own little tucked away spot. It has seats facing the water, volleyball set up by the beach, and firewood for people to set up at night for a fire.

Everything is extremely reasonable in price.

One of the best parts of coming to Koh Rong is meeting all the different people from around the world. Some people came and never left! It’s very easy to see why.

The food is very adapted to western tourists. You can find pizza and bbque fairly easy. Smoothie stands also line the beach. You can get a very cheap plate of Cambodian noodles for those on an extreme budget. Hey, they’re delicious!

There’s practically a bar crawl each night. Everyone is friendly and the more the merrier is a common theme on the island.

Long Beach

We heard Long Beach is a crazy trek through the jungle (literally monkey swinging on trees above you), and if you don’t watch out, it’s easy to get lost.

The story goes that an older backpacker from Israel set out to map the entire island. Flip-flops are used to give the direction you’re supposed to go…Crazy!

The trek takes about an hour and it’s hot. Very hot. There are ropes to help you get down some of the steep parts. You also need to watch your footing while traversing on steep rocks.

But then you can hear it…And then you can see it…The ocean ahead.

Crystal clear, calm water, and no one around.

The feeling of having a private, untouched, white, pristine beach to yourself, is one of immaculate happiness. It’s like you’re suspended in this other world and sounds just bounce off and continue on : )

You can’t Koh Rong here

: )

Listen, electricity comes and goes and air-conditioning can be hit or miss, but, the island is an experience in of itself.

Go to Koh Rong. Have an adventure. Be happy.

Welcome to Survivor | Koh Rong Island