The way from Phnom Penh to Koh Rong is not easy. You have to combine bus and ferry, adjust to times, and make sure that everything matches. Everything is even harder when you are a group of 22 people. But CamboTicket gave us the solution. Thanks to their new offering of private taxis in Cambodia, we were able to book two private cars and make our way from Phnom Penh to Koh Rong easy and fast.
Private Taxi Cambodia
We are a big group of friends in our mid-20s working in Phnom Penh, so we only have weekends to travel around the country. As we usually travel in big groups, we are heavy users of CamboTicket’s service of private transport in Cambodia. Private Taxi Cambodia is cheap (we have been living here for a while so we know the fair prices) and above all it is convenient and easy to book. In mid-September we got tired of the rainy season so we decided to head to Koh Rong for the weekend! (Click here if you want some help on the island dilemma: Koh Rong or Koh Rong Samloem)
Some people think that you can’t do Koh Rong in only one weekend. You get off work at 5PM, right when the last with Mekong Express from Phnom Penh to Sihanoukville leaves. Anyway, the last ferry to Koh Rong leaves at 3PM so it is impossible to make it on the day. But we have worked a way to get from Phnom Penh to Koh Rong in record time and to spend two days there, expat-style.
How to get to Koh Rong
We booked a private taxi from Phnom Penh to Sihanoukville, two mini-vans for 22 people. These cost 75$ each, which comes down to less than 7$ per head, which is less than the cheapest bus from Phnom Penh to Sihanoukville. As you can set the departure time and location as you wish, we set our private car for leaving at 3AM on Saturday morning and slept on the van. The sunrise on the way to Sihanoukville is a nice view to wake up to.
The way from Phnom Penh to Sihanoukville by taxi takes only 4 hours, but it is always better to have some spare time to make sure you catch the first Speed Ferry to Koh Rong which leaves at 9AM.
You can sleep there too.
With this travel plan you can be laying in the white sands of Koh Rong by 10AM on Saturday morning.
Said and done.
But paradise is not eternal. For the way back, you can take the last ferry from Koh Rong to Sihanoukville, which leaves at 4PM. The ferry ticket from Sihanoukville to Koh Rong with Speed Ferry costs 20$, which covers return. But make sure you book your return one day in advance to ensure availability, especially if you are a group of 22 people. In our case, we told our private driver to be at Sihanoukville Serendipity Pier at 5:30PM on Sunday. The ferry takes around 45 minutes, but it is always late, especially in rainy season. So you have to make sure you give yourself some time just in case.
Hope this is useful for any expats or travellers looking to spend a weekend in Koh Rong on a tight schedule. It certainly is for us! Private transport is the best option when you travel in groups. Even if you are not a group, CamboTicket also organises taxi shares if you ask them on Live Chat. Check, because you could be getting a private car for cheaper than a regular bus! Book Private Taxi Cambodia online now!