Plan your next beach vacation in Cambodia! Check out our guide to the top 5 beaches in the country, including stunning photos and travel tips.
What is the best time of year to visit Cambodia and it’s stunning beaches?
Cambodia’s dry season, starting from November to April, is the ideal time to visit the nations stunning beaches. During this period, the climate is cooler and the rainfall is lower, creating the perfect environment for outdoor activities and sightseeing. This time of the year is particularly suitable for discovering the many captivating temples, beaches, and other fascinating attractions the region has to offer. Read more about Cambodia’s climate.
What activities can I do on Cambodian beaches?
There are a variety of activities like swimming, sunbathing, snorkeling, scuba diving, and kayaking which can be enjoyed at Cambodian beaches. Some of the beaches even offer water sports like jet skiing and parasailing. If you’d like to do something different during your stay, why not experience a bit of local culture with a fishing trip, then BBQ the fish right on the beach when you get back. On Koh Touch, several places organize snorkelling trips to the most beautiful spots, where you can experience the wonderful miniature ecosystems, coral, seahorses, and nudibranchs that are abundant on the islands. To discover the ferry companies and schedules to the island check Camboticket.
Is it safe to swim on Cambodian beaches?
Yes, it is generally safe to swim at Cambodian beaches. However, be sure to check for any warning signs or flags indicating dangerous currents or jellyfish.
What is the best way to get to Cambodia beaches?
f you are staying locally the easiest way to get to Cambodia’s beaches is by taxi or tuk-tuk. You can also rent a scooter or bicycle if you’re comfortable with riding in Cambodian traffic. Some beaches may also be accessible by boat. If you are travelling from another province to visit Cambodia’s islands and beaches it is best to travel by bus or private taxi and then continue by ferry if required. Normally, the price for the bus and private ride depend on the boarding point you choose. However, the ferry from the port to the island cost 14$ for one way ticket and 25$ for a round trip. Find the best options are available with Camboticket now.
With around 443km of coastline along the Gulf of Thailand and over 50 islands in its territorial waters, Cambodian beaches are some of the best you will find anywhere in the world.
Here are the top five best beaches in Cambodia
1. Rabbit Island (Koh Thonsay)
This small, tropical island located off the coast from Kep in the Gulf of Thailand is the postcard image of a South-East Asian beach. The main beach at Rabbit Island is bordered by palm trees with authentic thatch bungalows set a bit further back at the edge of the rain forest.
This idyllic beach boasts white sands and turquoise waters with several restaurants and masseuses operating up and down the beach. Rabbit Island is the perfect place to unwind from the hustle and bustle of the Cambodian mainland and is a worthy entrant to this list of the 5 best beaches in Cambodia.
How to get to Rabbit Island:
Sitting just 4.6km, Rabbit Island is a $19 round trip with bus and ferry from Kampot to Rabbit Island with Vibol express. Return speed boat away from the mainland from Kep, normally taking 20-30 minutes. Return travel can be booked at most hostels or hotels in Kep and all travel agents.
The price normally includes transport to the pier as well which is a few kms out of town but it is always best to check this beforehand to avoid any nasty surprises.
You can travel directly from Phnom Penh to Kep and book your tickets on CamboTicket.
2. Otres Beach, Sihanoukville
Otres beach is an extensive stretch of stunning white sand lines with Casuarina trees located around 8km to the South of Serendipity beach and Sihanoukville town. This distance is the reason why the water here is still crystal clear, clean and perfect for swimming.
Whilst Otres beach is much busier than it was a few years ago, it is still quiet in comparison to any of the beaches closer to town. The beach is home to a number of quirky, unique bars (mainly run by expats) and is a great place to spend a few days or even just a few hours recharging your batteries.
How to get to Otres Beach:
The drive from Sihanoukville to Otres beach takes around 20 minutes via tuk tuk and costs around $10 each way (depending on your bargaining skills).
You can book direct bus tickets from Phnom Penh to Sihanoukville on CamboTicket.
3. Serendipity Beach
If you are looking for a quiet, relaxing day in typical, idyllic South-East Asian surroundings, then Serendipity beach is not for you. If you are a youngster or young at heart and looking for some excitement, then Serendipity beach is definitely a place you need to visit during your holiday in Cambodia.
Lined with bars serving cheap beers and cocktails and delicious seafood it is a great place to spend some time soaking up the rays in the afternoon. After dark, it becomes one of the most colorful party spots in Cambodia and makes it one of the best beaches in Cambodia.
What during the day seem to be restaurants, become nightclubs competing with each other to be heard, as well as to have the cheapest drink prices on the beach.
On Serendipity, parties are well-known for lasting until well after the sun comes up so make sure your hotel room is packed with water and don’t book early tours the following day, as you enjoy some of the best nightlife that Cambodia has to offer.
How to get to Serendipity Beach:
Serendipity beach is a short walk away from most of the hotels in and around Sihanoukville. If, however, you are staying a bit further out of town then a tuk tuk will be a fast, cheap option. All the drivers in the area will know the beach.
You can book direct bus tickets from Phnom Penh to Sihanoukville on CamboTicket.
4. Lazy Beach, Koh Rong Samoloem
On Koh Rong Samoloem, you could almost close your eyes, throw a stone, and be pretty much guaranteed for it to land on a beach that will leave you awe-struck.
Since we had to choose just one, we went with Lazy Beach although there are other spectacular beaches in the area as well and most of them deserve to be among the top 5 beaches in Cambodia.
Interspersed with pine trees, providing a much needed break from the sun, with a beach cleaned daily, it is the perfect place to spend a day forgetting about the outside world. Hang about afterwards for the stunning pink sunsets which on clear days are the equal of anything in the world for their beauty.
How to get to Lazy Beach, Koh Rong:
This is best part of the untouched beauty of Koh Rong Samoloem and is a mere 45 minutes away from Sihanoukville on the speed ferry. It is only $14 for one way and $25 for open return ticket of the ferry to this island. Tickets from Sihanoukville to Koh Rong can be booked on CamboTicket.
5. Long Beach (7 km beach), Koh Rong
Boasting 43 kms of white sandy beaches, it was difficult picking just one beach from this island off the coast of Sihanoukville to include on this list. Long Beach or 7 km beach stands out however, for its sheer length and beauty.
As you can probably guess by the name the sparkling, white sands of this beach stretch for 7 kms. With only one set of bungalows to date at one end of the beach, and no roads leading to it, this beach feels remote and travellers can often feel like they have got it all to themselves.
Trees ring the beach providing shade from the heat of the sun which is much needed as once you have made it to the beach it’s unlikely you will want to leave anytime soon.
How to get to the Long Beach, Koh Rong:
Due to the complete absence of roads on Koh Rong, Long beach is not easy to get to. Travelers wishing to experiences its untouched beauty have two options, a 1-2 hour hike through the jungle (journey times are correlated to your fitness levels) or a 20 minute boat from Koh Touch Village, the main settlement on the island.
It is only $14 for one way and $25 for open return ticket of the ferry from Sihanoukville to this island.
The fastest way to get to Koh Rong is the speed ferry which takes approximately 45 minutes from Sihanoukville to Koh Rong and can be booked on CamboTicket.
Whether you’re after exotic parties on gleaming white sand, or a simple afternoon spent lazing around with a good book, there is enough diversity in Cambodian beaches to allow you to plan the perfect holiday in Cambodia.
