Koh Rong Samloem: Saracen Bay and Lazy Beach

Koh Rong’s quieter neighbour: a long crescent bay of turquoise water, a fishing village in the north and a west-facing beach made for sunsets.

Area

Islands & Ream

Start from

Sihanoukville

Distance

about 30–60 minutes by ferry

Time needed

2–3 days

Best season

November – April

Difficulty

Easy

Transport

Speed ferry from Sihanoukville

Tickets & rules

Ferry ticket

Why go

Koh Rong Samloem is smaller, calmer and greener than its big neighbour. Most visitors arrive at Saracen Bay, a crescent of soft white sand about three kilometres long on the east coast, where the water is so clear and shallow that you can see your feet when you are up to your shoulders. Low bungalow resorts are tucked behind the trees, and in the evening the bay goes almost silent.

On the other side of the island, Lazy Beach and Sunset Beach face west across the open gulf. They are quiet and a little remote, reached by forest trails or boat, and they live up to their names. In the north, M’Pai Bay is a real fishing village with wooden houses, children playing in the shallows and a few guesthouses.

It is the island for doing very little: swimming, snorkelling, walking forest paths between beaches, reading in a hammock and watching the sky change colour.

The story

Until the early 2000s Koh Rong Samloem was mostly forest, with a few fishing families and a lighthouse. Its name is usually spelled several ways, Samloem, Sanloem or Saloem, a sign of how recently it entered travellers’ maps. Small resorts opened one by one in Saracen Bay, most of them built from wood and thatch, and electricity long came from generators that switched off at night.

The island is part of a wider marine area where conservation groups have worked with local communities to protect seagrass beds and coral reefs. Seagrass meadows here shelter seahorses, juvenile fish and, more rarely, turtles, and in 2016 the waters around the Koh Rong archipelago were declared Cambodia’s first large marine fisheries management area.

M’Pai Bay village shows another side of island life. Families here have fished these waters for generations, and squid boats with strings of lamps head out in the evening. Some households now run guesthouses or cafés, but the rhythm is still set by the sea.

As on Koh Rong, bioluminescent plankton lights up the water on dark nights, and the quiet of Saracen Bay makes it one of the best places to see it.

Getting there

Speed ferries from Sihanoukville stop at Saracen Bay, often on the same runs as the Koh Rong boats; some also call at M’Pai Bay. The crossing takes roughly 30–60 minutes. Many resorts send a boat or a staff member to meet the ferry; tell them your arrival time. Check current timetables and book ahead in high season.

On the island there are no real roads. You walk on trails through the forest or take a water taxi between bays.

A suggested plan

1. Day 1Ferry from Sihanoukville to Saracen Bay; swim and settle into island time.
2. Day 1 eveningA dark-night plankton swim in the calm bay.
3. Day 2 morningWalk the forest trail across the island to Lazy Beach or Sunset Beach.
4. Day 2 eveningSunset on the west coast, then back by boat or with a torch.
5. Day 3Water taxi or trail to M’Pai Bay village, then the ferry back.

Where to stay

Saracen Bay has most of the resorts and the easiest ferry connections. M’Pai Bay suits travellers on a budget who like village life, and Lazy Beach is for those who want to be properly alone.

Good to know

• Bring cash; there are few or no ATMs on the island.
• Carry a torch for walking after dark.
• Pack light and be ready to wade to and from boats.
• Bring snorkelling gear if you have it; rental quality varies.
• Respect the quiet; it is the whole point of the island.