Island Travel Interviews- Cambodian Islands, Take 1 (Koh Rong Samleom)

Before we begin this week’s Island Travel Interview series on Koh Rong Samleom), here is a bit more information about the Honeymoon Backpackers, taken from their bio:

Mon and Dyl are newly wed Aussies, who quit their jobs and gave away everything they own, to travel the world on their endless honeymoon which began in May 2016. They’ve since witnessed the northern lights in Canada, surfed with dolphins in Australia, swam with whale sharks in the Philippines, bathed with elephants in Thailand, sand boarded down a volcano in Nicaragua, bungee jumped 147m in Costa Rica, conquered the world’s highest tandem skydive in America, scuba-dived with turtles in The Caribbean, snowboarded Canada’s Rocky Mountains, frolicked among the bio-luminescent plankton in Cambodia, swam in Mexican Cenotes and found the Moken Sea Gypsies in Myanmar!

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Now that is an impressive honeymoon!

Name and Blog Name/URL
Mon and Dyl Mac
Honeymoon Backpackers
honeymoonbackpackers.com
www.instagram.com/honeymoon.backpackers

Which Island Will You Be Talking About and Why Did You Choose This Island?

Koh Rong Samleom, it’s an off the beaten path island paradise off the coast of Cambodia. We chose this tropical sleepy beach island, as it is our favourite island in the world!

How Many Days Would You Recommend Staying on This Island?

We could stay forever, but you’d want at least 5 days in this tropical paradise. Make sure you bring your favourite book!

What Is Your Favorite Thing About/Memory From Your Trip to This Island?

Paddle boarding as we watched the sunset over the horizon as it reflects off the ocean with not another soul on the secret beach. Also swimming with the bioluminescent plankton!

What Is Your “Can’t Miss” Activity on the Island? What activities/opportunities does this island provide?

You can’t miss the bioluminescent plankton that appears after the sun goes down. We went skinny dipping in the ocean every night, mesmerized by the glowing sea. This natural phenomenon is something else!

Best Restaurant/Place to Eat?

We loved the Khmer food at Hubba Hubba restaurant on sunset beach. Delicious food right on the beach, with hanging chairs and botchy ball, what’s not to love?

What Surprised You About this Island?

The fact that there are no roads and pretty much no Wi-Fi surprised us. You’re living legit island life, cut off from the real word and surrounded by incredible nature. We hiked for twenty minutes across the island to reach Koh Rong Samleom’s Sunset Beach. The only way to get around the island is by hiking or by boat.

Any Travel Advice for those considering this island as a destination (e.g., where to stay, ease of getting there, how best to get around, language, money)?

Catch the speed ferry to Koh Rong Samleom, it’s worth the extra couple of dollars and saves you time! You get the ferry from Shianoukville and it drops you at Saracen Bay on Koh Rong Samleom.

Make sure you get cash out before getting to the island! There are no ATMs on the island and very few places accept card. U.S dollars or Cambodian Riel are accepted here. We’d recommend having both currencies on you, as sometimes it’s cheaper to pay in Riel as opposed to USD.

The best way to get around the island is by hiking! This may be a pain in the butt if you travel with your entire wardrobe. Your other option is to charter a boat, however this tends to be quite expensive. If you’re planning to stay away from Saracen bay, try organizing a boat pick up through your hotel.

The local people speak their native tongue, Khmer. Most people who’re working at the hotels and restaurants do speak English too. You will get by just fine with English, however they really appreciate it when foreigners learn the basics like hello and thank you.

Hello: Sues-Day

Thank You: Aw-Koon

There are many places to stay on Koh Rong Samleom like Saracen Bay, Sunset Beach, Lazy Beach and M’phey Bei. Sunset Beach was our personal favourite beach and place to stay on Koh Rong Samleom.

What kind of traveler is this island meant for?

Koh Rong Samloem is perfect for couples, backpackers and is a great non touristy/off the beaten path option. 

If my readers want to hear more about your island, do you have a link to your full article?

Yes we have a couples guide to Koh Rong Samleom, https://honeymoonbackpackers.com/koh rong samleom/

Many thanks to the Honeymoon Backpackers for all the wonderful information and lovely photos!