How to Spend 2 days in Koh Rong Samloem: Ultimate Beach Guide

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Koh Rong Samloem is not the typical place that you’ll build an itinerary for, but rather a place where you will go to relax, do as less as possible and if you need to, disconnect from the online world.

Whether your previous stop was Siem Reap for visiting the incredible Angkor Wat, or the busy streets of Phnom Penh, taking a break to relax by the beautiful and peaceful beaches of Koh Rong Samloem will definitely be worth your time.

Once you’ve settled into your accommodation (we stayed at Onederz Koh Rong Samloem), here is a quick taste of how to spend 2 days in Koh Rong Samloem in the most relaxing way possible.

How to spend 2 days in Koh Rong Samloem

Beach Hopping & Jungle Trails

To experience Koh Rong Samloem’s beaches at their absolute best, plan your trip during the dry season (November to March) when the skies are clear and the water is calm.

💡Note: You might occassionally see some rubbish on the beach (we did too) but we noticed this was coming from the ocean, rather than something the locals were causing. If you happen to be there during a light tropical storm just keep in mind that it is normal to see some trash around. You could help the locals collect it, like we did, and clear up the beaches for everyone to enjoy 🙂

Speaking of beaches, there are 3 main beaches on the island worth exploring:

Saracen Bay: Where you’ll likely be staying. It is a wide, beautiful coast lined with scattered hotels, restaurants, and bars. There isn’t really a paved road here so you can walk from one place to another completely barefoot. Going barefoot for four days straight was our absolute favorite part of the trip and what each Saracen bay guide should promote.

Also, every few days, local spots like Onederz host beach fire shows that anyone can visit, even if you aren’t staying there. They do it after the sun goes down so it can be combined with a romantic dinner on the beach or just drinking a glass of beer or cocktail. It was the ultimate romantic thing for us.

Sunset Beach: To reach this beach you’ll need to walk from Saracen Bay (exact spot) for 20-30 minutes depending on your pace via a cross-island trail. The path starts out open past a few local houses before turning into a dense jungle track like the one you see in the images below.

Follow the signs and don’t forget to check in with your hotel before heading out as they might have some additional advice for you on whether the route has changed due to construction.

Sunset beach is famous for its, well, gorgeous sunsets and it’s a must-see when you’re in koh rong samloem.

❗️Tip: make sure to start walking back right after sundown because the trail has zero lighting and gets pitch black very quickly. Also make sure you have enough battery on your phone for flashlight use and wear comfortable shoes. There are a lot of tree branches around and walking with open shoes (like slippers) might be a little tricky and unfomfortable.

Lazy Beach: Shares the initial path toward Sunset Beach before branching off. Because there are no paved roads, it can be tricky to navigate the exact turn, but keep an eye out for handwritten signs showing you the way to each beach.

We also stumbled across other travellers or locals on our way so you can always tag along and follow the path together until you reach the beach. Everyone is super welcoming over there.

Try the local food

We ate quite a lot at our hotel as it offers a wide range of Cambodian, Asian and Western food and at very affordable prices. We had delicious seafood soups, rice & noodles with meat, fish amok as well as club sandwiches, pancakes for breakfast and more.

The fact that we could pay by card was a big plus because at most places cash is still king and since there are no ATMs on the island we wanted to be a bit cautious with our spending.

In Saracen Bay, there are a few more restaurants and bars worth checking out if you want to try something different. Some that we tried are:

• Coco restaurant
• By The Sea
• The Big Easy

Relax, and read a book

When I was looking how to spend 2 days in Koh Rong Samloem, all I was dreaming deep down was disconnect completely from social media and the online world.

I happen to be one of those people who really enjoys reading books, especially when I’m at the beach. I find it the ultimate pleasure and relaxation one can have, and this is exactly what we did.

My advice is to just let go, relax, listen to some music or go swimming if you’re not a fan of reading books, but do give yourself some quiet time because Koh Rong Samloem is all about this.

Take a boat tour

We didn’t spot any standalone water sports shops around Saracen Bay but our accommodation – Onederz Koh Rong Samloem – organized water activities and both half-day and full-day boat tours. There was a bochure by the reception and during check-in we were informed of all options available and their cost.

Since our main goal was total relaxation, we skipped the excursions ourselves. However, we met other travelers who booked the full-day trips and loved them.

They spent the day snorkeling, swimming, enjoying a boat lunch, and catching the magical bioluminescent plankton after sunset. This is basically a natural biochemical reaction that makes the water glow in the dark, which is why these tours time their return for after sundown.

Final thoughts on how to spend 2 days in Koh Rong Samloem

The real charm of this beautiful small island off the Cambodian coast is the fact that there isn’t too many things to do. It truly deserves a spot in your itinerary if you have enough time and you crave some peaceful and relaxing moments.

I hope this Saracen bay guide has given you inspiration and a rough idea on how to spend 2 days in Koh Rong Samloem. I’m curious to see how much it will change in the years to come, so do let me know if you go and notice anything different.