Life’s A Beach: Best Beaches In Cambodia
They say that life’s a beach and we can certainly agree that it is, especially when you’re backpacking around South East Asia! This edition of Life’s A Beach focusses on the best beaches in Cambodia.
Home to ancient ruins, you might not associate Cambodia with nice beaches, but you would be very mistaken! Hit up the Gulf of Thailand side and you will be pleasantly surprised.
Check out our team’s guide to Cambodian beaches below…….
Koh Rong
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As Koh Rong is an island, we felt it was only right that it got its own category in this feature. Koh Rong makes up one of the two largest islands situated off the coast of Sihanoukville, and it’s definitely an island full of great beaches;
- Long Beach – Long beach is everything that you picture when it comes to a dream beach. It’s perfect white sands stretch for 7km and is home to a lot of nice accommodation, bars and restaurants.
- Lonely Beach – Just as the name suggests it is a secluded beach, and although that might not sound appealing, it does mean relatively untouched by development leaving you to sometimes enjoy this paradise all to yourself! Better yet, if you visit during the night you might be able to witness some bioluminescent plankton light up the water!
- Koh Toch – Koh Toch is a lively beach and is the most popular destination on Koh Rong, with the area boasting bars, restaurants, accommodation and some nightclubs. Just because of this, it doesn’t mean that the beach has suffered! The beach itself is pristine white and is touched on by beautiful turquoise waters.
Pro Tip – As there are no ATMs on the island, make sure you have enough cash to survive!
Koh Rong Samloem
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Koh Rong Samloem makes up the second of the two islands off of the coast of Sihanoukville. Unlike its counterpart, Koh Rong Samloem is a much more quiet and relaxed island and is often described as Thailand 15 years ago due to its lack of mass tourism (for now).
Our top beaches on Koh Rong Samloem are –
- Lazy Beach – If a 40 minute trek through the jungle sounds like your kind of thing then this is the beach for you! What awaits you at your final destination is a pristine beach that certainly allows you to live up to the name of the beach. A perfect spot to kick back and spend a lazy day on the beach.
- Saracen Bay Beach – This is one of the more popular beaches on the island but it still affords you a perfect place to relax. Being more touristy it does mean that you do have shops to visit if you need to pick up any essentials for the day (beer of course 😉 )
- M-Pai Bay – Now, we will admit, this isn’t a beach that everyone will love. M-Pai Bay is more for the culture than for a secluded beach. Here you can immerse yourself in the local fishing community and learn about a new culture and way of life.
Pro Tip – Just like with Koh Rong there are no ATMs on the island so don’t leave yourself short of cash!
Otres and Otres 2 Beaches
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Both Otres beaches are based in Sihanoukville and the recent development of the area has seen travellers and tourists divide themselves across both beaches.
Both of these beaches offer a great place to catch a tan, but with Otres’ developments, it has seen tourists go to the nearby beach of Otres 2. Separated by a 30-minute walk (certainly not a walk to undergo in the dark) it offers the same idyllic backdrop but is more a flashpacker area with more up-market offerings than it’s counterpart Otres.
Serendipity Beach
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Serendipity Beach is a beach most suited to those who want a more touristy beach rather than a quiet beach to relax on. It’s home to lots of restaurants, shops, cafe’s and accommodation, additionally, it’s also just a few minutes walk to Sihanoukville City which means you’ll have more places to visit.
Although touristy, the beach itself is the largest in Sihanoukville and so whilst it will be crowded there are lifeguards, so there is a bonus safety feature to the beach.
Coral Beach
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Located in Koh Ta Kiev – a small island off the coast of Ream National Park and Sihanoukville – Coral Beach is by far one of the most beautiful beaches that Cambodia has to offer.
Picture everything that makes a beach great – untouched, palm trees, crystal clear waters and white sandy beaches – Coral Beach has it all!
So whilst you might not be able to get a WIFI signal, the views will more than make up for it. Grab some pics for the gram, put the phone away, kick back and enjoy the unbelievable views.
That’s All Folks!
What do you think? Have we whetted your appetite for Cambodian beaches? Or, have we missed out on some gems?
Let us know what you think in the comments
Want more information about Cambodia? Check out our guide to the Top 5 Bars In Siem Reap.
