It seems silly to me now, but before arriving on the coast of Cambodia I hadn’t anticipated beautiful beaches. I hadn’t really anticipated beaches at all. Imagine my surprise when I landed on Koh Rong Samloem and found Saracen Bay. One of the most beautiful beaches I have ever seen.

Koh Rong Samloem – Saracen Bay

Not to be confused with Koh Rong, Samloem’s larger (and noisier) neighbour. Samloem offers visitors a peaceful retreat just a 45-minute boat ride from Sihanoukville. We decided to stay at Saracen Bay where we felt we would have a larger choice of restaurants and that view. Crystal clear shallow waters that merge into the bluey green ocean.

As I sit here, waiting for my dinner on the beach, enjoying the sea breeze and watching a lightning storm in the distance. I think I might have found one of the loveliest beaches in the world.

Don’t let the lightning put you off though (unless of course, you’re terrified of thunderstorms), we stayed one week and only had rain one morning. There were a lot of thunderstorms, most of them conveniently happen at night. I love a good storm but even a few of the thunder rumbles had me on edge. But, the majority is lightening, up ahead overseas, so you can just sit back and enjoy the view.

Lightning was just part of the nighttime spectacle because, in addition, the stars here are insane. If you really want to blow your own mind, get on a boat after dark and swim with the bioluminescent plankton. It’s like floating in space with the stars above and seemingly below. A truly magical experience.

So what is there to do in Koh Rong Samloem?

You mean besides being blown away every time you look up?

Well, let’s see. You can relax, enjoy the view and relax some more. You get the idea.

There are ample lounging spaces, swings and even hammocks in the water.

Snorkelling is pretty good here too. We did a boat trip which took us round to Empire Bay and we snorkelled off the coast of Koh Koun. We then ventured on land to the fishing village of M’Pay Bay. Be prepared to walk along a wooden pier some planks of wood that look like they might collapse under your feet.

The aforementioned night swimming with plankton. If you’re planning a trip here, please, please DO NOT MISS OUT ON THIS! We did it in Otres and it was cool, but we heard it was more prominent here so we went for it again AND IT WAS WAY BETTER. I seriously wish I could show you a photo but it’s one of those things you just have to see with your own eyes. (Ah?! Ah?!)

Lazy Beach

From Saracen Bay, you can walk through to Lazy Beach. Lazy Beach is on the west side of the island and once you walk 20 minutes through the jungle to get there, it’s the perfect place to watch the sunset.

Speaking of walking through the jungle… This would be an easy walk (wearing trainers) were it not for the heat. There is a clear path to follow and wildlife to admire. I guess on such a small island I wasn’t expecting much in the way of wildlife but let me tell you this. In the 20 minutes, it took us to walk from one side of the island to the other, I heard more different bird calls than I did over 3 days in the jungle in Laos. We even saw a few monkeys. We heard a story of a woman who got into trouble with a wild buffalo after following it further into the jungle to get a photo of it… Basically, keep your eyes open. If you’re going for sunset, take a torch for your walk back. You will need it.

Tip: If you’re brave enough to do the walk back in pitch black, we’ve heard you can just swim out to the glowing plankton on Lazy beach – rather than paying for a boat trip.

Is there anything you don’t like about Koh Rong Samloem?

There’s no such thing as the perfect place. Believe me, if there is, and I find it, you will be the first to hear. The below aren’t necessarily bad things about the island, I’m just trying to give an honest account of our experience.

Cost

Firstly, we found Koh Rong Samloem to be expensive. We were warned before we came to the island that there was no ATM’s. We got out enough money to last us a week and then blew the majority of it on accommodation alone. Nothing flashy, just a hot room with a fan, mosquito net and private bathroom. This was double the price we were paying for air con in Otres.

Now I’m not going to moan about this because a conversation with a passionate local reminded me that if Koh Rong Samloem lowered its prices it would attract a different crowd and it wouldn’t be the island we love. It would be party central, dirty and loud. I’m simply bringing it to your attention in case you’re planning a trip here (and you should be!). Make sure you bring enough money or reap the consequences of the 10% charge to get your hands on more.

Insects

Again, I’m not going to complain because I would never let something like this deter me from visiting somewhere but I have had more run-ins with bugs here than anywhere else (so far!).

It is, after all, a tropical island and is to be expected. I think I’m just sensitive to bugs since I accidentally picked up that cockroach with my bare hands. Seriously.

Here are some of the wildlife we have encountered here (not just bugs!).

• Ants – not been bitten by any here
• Mosquitos – been bitten but it happens
• Hornet looking things – not come too close – thankfully
• Spider – not plural. Seriously we have 1 black and white, small, jumpy spider that hangs out next to our door
• Millipede – in our room one morning
• Scarab Beetle – on my leg
• Crabs – there are loads on the beach digging holes when the tide goes out 🙂
• Flies – so many flies. Big flies, small flies, some that won’t leave you alone
• Butterflies – beautiful butterflies!
• Geko’s – you hear them everywhere. Take comfort in their bug-eating abilities
• Puppies – adorable puppies
• Monkies – In the jungle

Should I visit Koh Rong Samloem?

Yes. Yes, you should.

It’s stunning. It’s laidback. It is the perfect place to relax on a beach. It is also close enough to mainland and Koh Rong that you can get a quick change of scenery if you want to. In fact, this is the kind of place that would be a perfect stop off on a 2-week island hopping holiday.

We haven’t left yet and we already can’t wait to come back.

“I’m always sad to leave paradise, but I leave behind the hopes of coming again soon”

-Irina Shayk

See It With Your Own Eyes: [yasr_overall_rating]