About the ride from Koh Rong to Sihanoukville
If you want to take the 32 km (20 mile) journey from Koh Rong to Sihanoukville, the ferry is your only option. A journey from one of Cambodia’s most popular islands back to the nation’s mainland, several companies service the route every day.
Both destinations offer white-sand beaches, cheap thrills and huge doses of infamous Cambodian party life. But while the island of Koh Rong is somehow both rustic and commercialized, Sihanoukville is much more developed. If you’ve been kicking back or partying on Koh Rong’s beaches, your next logical step is the relatively more-developed Sihanoukville, where you’ll have likely already been before embarking on your trip to Koh Rong.
Getting to Sihanoukville from Koh Rong is simple, affordable and easy. And because you only have one transportation option of how to take the journey - ferries - you don’t have to go through the stress-filled selection process of deciding between options; only which operator to choose.
One of Cambodia’s most beautiful journeys, the serene ride to Sihanoukville from Koh Rong is a short, single ferry ride, which takes you directly between two of Cambodia’s most high-thrills shoreline stops.
Once you get to Sihanoukville from Koh Rong, you’ll be greeted by a town which is seeing a huge amount of development and growth. Charming and quaint, it isn’t, but it offers high-octane nightlife in an archetypally-Cambodian way. Nowhere else quite combines quiet beaches with never-ending nights in the way that Cambodia does.
If that’s what you’re looking for in Cambodia, you’ll love Sihanoukville, with even bigger parties than the ones you’ll have already enjoyed in Koh Rong.
But you may already know all this by now, if you spent some time in the town before making your way to Koh Rong.
But in spite of its reputation, Sihanoukville isn’t all parties and pounding music. It also offers brilliant beaches, easy access to other island getaways, fantastic food and outdoor adventures.
What to see when traveling from Koh Rong to Sihanoukville
The ferry ride to Sihanoukville from Koh Rong is short but serene. Typically lasting 45-60 minutes, it takes you between the seas of two famous shores, with plenty to gawp and gasp at along the way.
For most of your journey from Koh Rong to Sihanoukville, you’ll be able to spot the istant shores of other lands, including mainland Cambodia, Koh Rong Sanloem and various other little slices of island life.
A laid-back journey of peaceful panoramas, the journey couldn’t contrast more with the mayhem and madness which reigns supreme on either side of your trip.
Along the way, you’ll pass other boats, from tourist ferries on the same journey as you, to rickety fishing vessels to busy locals making their way home.
The piers themselves are an adventure. Humble and rustic, Cambodian piers are rudimentary and rugged, packed with action and interest. From local fisherman to golden shores, they’re a fantastic insight into Cambodian island life.
Upon approaching Sihanoukville, from where you’ll likely have departed from to reach Koh Rong in the first place, you’ll be welcomed back to the rustic wooden humility of Serendipity Pier. Instantly, you’ll be transported right back into Sihanoukville’s action, surrounded by tuk-tuk touts, endless seafood, and drinks offers to tempt even the most sensible of travelers.
How to get from Koh Rong to Sihanoukville
Taking a ferry
The ferry ride from Koh Rong to Sihanoukville is a very short jaunt, but it still offers a little luxury, as all trips are sufficiently comfortable. Some ferries offer AC, toilets and English-speaking staff, while others are a little more basic.
Some ferries offer open air seats in smaller vessels, which are great for catching fresh air, enjoying idyllic island views and getting close to the surface of the sea. Other ferries are larger, so they’re a little less exciting, but a little more comfortable.
Whichever option you choose, you’ll get great views of your surroundings while you make your way to the mainland Sihanoukville.
While you’re enjoying your trip from Koh Rong to Sihanoukville, you’ll probably meet plenty of other travel buddies along the way. Ferry rides can be a great way to meet other travelers and swap stories of places you’ve been.
There’s something wildly romantic about sharing travel stories as you make your way over the ocean from one destination to another - and Cambodia is one of the best places to do it. The nation typically attracts a very sociable crowd of travelers from around the world.