Long Beach: Koh Rong Travel Guide (4.7★)

How this guide was made: Editor-reviewed, AI-assisted. Facts are pulled from live Google Places data; images are licensed or public domain. See our editorial policy.

Why go

Long Beach is what people picture when they imagine Koh Rong before it got busy. Seven kilometres of pale sand curve along the island’s west coast, backed by scrub and palm rather than bars and speaker stacks. The water is shallow and turquoise for a long way out, and past the small cluster of guesthouses near Sok San village, you can walk for twenty minutes without passing another person.

That emptiness is the whole point. Koh Touch, on the island’s other side, has the party hostels and the pier. Long Beach has space, silence, and a sunset that drops straight into the Gulf of Thailand with nothing blocking the view.

Getting there

Long Beach sits on the western side of Koh Rong, facing Sok San village. Most visitors reach it by speedboat from Sihanoukville, landing either directly near Sok San or at the main Koh Touch pier first.

From Koh Touch, options include:

• A long-tail or speedboat transfer around the coast to Sok San (fastest, usually arranged through your guesthouse)
• A motorbike taxi or rented bike along the island’s central dirt track — scenic but rough, especially after rain
• A guided tuk-tuk trip, common with day-trippers based in Koh Touch

There’s no paved road system here, so build extra time into any land crossing.

What to see and do

The beach itself is the attraction — walkable, swimmable, and largely undeveloped compared to the rest of Koh Rong. A handful of low-key bungalow resorts and beach bars sit clustered near Sok San, thinning out fast as you head south.

Worth building into your visit:

• Walk the full stretch at low tide, when the sand is firmest and widest
• Swim in the shallows near the village, where the seabed is sandy and gentle
• Watch sunset from the southern end, away from the resort clusters
• Snorkel just offshore in calmer weather, though visibility varies with season

Bring your own snorkel gear if you have it — rental options are limited outside the main resorts.

When to go

Dry season, roughly November through April, gives you calmer seas and reliable sun. December to February is the most comfortable weather-wise, with lower humidity and less rain.

As an under-the-radar spot on an island that’s otherwise seen rapid tourist growth, Long Beach still doesn’t get crowded even in high season. Weekday mornings and late afternoons are the calmest stretches, before day-trip boats arrive and after they leave.

Avoid the June-to-October wet season if you can. Storms roll in fast off the Gulf, and boat transfers get cancelled with little notice.

How to visit like a local

Come for the day or stay a night in Sok San — either works, but staying over lets you catch the beach at both ends of the light. Cash is essential; there are no ATMs on this side of the island, so bring riel or dollars from Sihanoukville or Koh Touch before you cross.

Pack out what you bring in. There’s minimal rubbish collection infrastructure this far from the main pier, and locals appreciate visitors who treat the beach as it deserves.

Wear sandals for the walk between Koh Touch and Sok San if you go overland — the middle stretch has rocky sections and roots. Locals and long-term expats use “Sok San Beach” interchangeably with “Long Beach,” so don’t be thrown if a boat driver or guesthouse only recognises one name.

The biggest mistake visitors make is treating this as a quick add-on to a Koh Touch party trip. Long Beach rewards slowing down — an afternoon here, unhurried, beats a rushed hour squeezed between boat transfers.