a nice place to travel through, a nice place to stay.
Most people know Koh Kong as the passage town to and from Thailand, or a convenient stop-over for a visa run from Thailand. It’s generally a quiet town, but there many reasons to stay in and around Koh Kong for more than one night. Or even more than a week!
Located on the South-West corner of Cambodia, Koh Kong city, the capital of Koh Kong province, is a large forested area with mangroves, rivers, waterfalls and tropical islands. Around the town is the Bay of Thailand, Koh Kong island, many smaller islands, the country of Thailand, and mountains and jungles.
Koh Kong was recently listed by The Lonely Planet Guidebook as one of the best eco-tourism places in the world to visit. There are several eco-tourist lodges outside the town in the jungle and on the rivers, and hundreds of kilometers of unspoiled jungles for the real adventurer. Many destinations are only accessible by foot, boat, motorcycle or cow.
The people of Koh Kong, speak mainly Khmer (the Cambodian language), and most speak some Thai as well. You can also find many Chinese and Vietnamese speakers and well as a lot of broken English. A few Westerners have restaurants, bars, and tour services in Koh Kong, and they all speak English, as well as a host of other European and Asian languages.
Travelers from most countries can get a Cambodian visa right at the Cambodian border in Koh Kong for $36 for a 30 day visit. ASEAN countries get a free visa on arrival. More about Cambodian visas here…
And Koh Kong Island, right off the coast of Koh Kong City, has a few restaurants and bars on the beach. You can’t stay here overnight, but daytime, it’s one of the most unspoiled islands in Asia. Sparsely populated as the Cambodian military runs the island. But you will never see them here. This is an island the size of Hong Kong.
What to do in Koh Kong Fishing, swimming, drinking, eating, sleeping, touring, trekking, cycling, snorkeling, boating, and sightseeing. Other than that, there’s not too much else.
Eating & Drinking in Koh Kong Thai, Western & Vietnamese restaurants everywhere, and even a few Khmer (Cambodian) establishments. Lots of seafood restaurants as well. About a dozen foreigners have set up restaurants in the city, serving foods from their home countries.
Places to stay in Koh Kong From a $5 room to $250, Koh Kong has a wide range of accommodations.
Getting Around Koh Kong
Motorcycles, motorcycles everywhere. And even a few cars and vans.
Most travel around town is by motorcycle taxi or Tuk Tuk (a cart pulled
by a motorcycle.) 50 cents to $1.50 for most rides. The downtown is
small, so just walking or bicycling can get you quickly to most places
you need to go.
Traveling further out of town, you’ll have to go by boat to the islands. And of course to the Cardamom Jungle, mountains and resorts in the jungle, you go by road, and then by boat.
You can now (Starting Late December 2024) get around Cambodia much easier than before to and from here. And even Thailand and Vietnam. From the Koh Kong Port, you can go to Trat, Thailand… SihanoukVille, Cambodia…. Koh Rong and Koh Rong Samloem Islands in Cambodia (from the SihanoukVille Port)… Kampot, Cambodia….. and even Phu Quoc Island in Vietnam, from the Kampot Port. You don’t even need a visa to go to Phu Quoc by boat for up to 30 days!
Maybe it’s time for a visit to Koh Kong, Cambodia for pleasure, relaxation, adventure and fun.