Amazing Koh Rong: Can this really be Cambodia? 🇰🇭 | & Journey to Koh Kood Island, Thailand 🇹🇭 (2025)
We’re John and Lisa and we’re spending
70 days eating our way across Asia. We’d been on the road for just over a month, and we were in dire need of
some proper rest and relaxation. And honestly, I couldn’t think of a
better place for it than Koh Rong. We’d be spending three nights in
the sleepy village of Sok San, before making our way to the Thai island
of Koh Kood. It’s only 86 miles away, but getting there wasn’t as
straightforward as we imagined. If you want to see more of our content, please remember to like the video
and subscribe to the channel. We’d been in Cambodia for just under 2 weeks, starting off in Siem Reap, exploring Angkor
Wat by tuk tuk. Then it was onto Phnom Penh, checking out the city and its food scene,
before heading down to the islands. First the stunning Koh Rong Sanloem, and now the
final stop of our Cambodian adventure – Koh Rong. We took a longtail boat from Koh Rong
Sanloem to Koh Rong for just 10 bucks, with one of the local operators
down at M’Pai Bay Pier. We were heading to Sok San Village, and there’s
a pier there too. But we could only get a boat to the main pier, Kaoh Touch, and we’d
have to make our own way from there… We’ve just arrived at Kaoh Touch, Koh Rong. The boat ride was interesting. It wasn’t
horrendous, but we did get a little wet. Yeah. It was a little choppy, but
not…I don’t know… on a choppy scale… like probably six and a half out of 10. Obviously it could’ve been a lot worse. It was no Irish sea ferry. No (laughter) We’re going to Sok San. So, we
need to get a tuk tuk connection. Our hotel’s email says it should
cost about $10. So, let’s see. Yeah, this is Kaoh Touch…
and that’s a speed ramp. It looks like you can buy onward tickets. Let’s see if we can find….
Oops, there’s another speed bump. The beach looks all right – for a town beach. Obviously, at one time, this beach
would have been absolutely glorious. Yeah. It looks like there’s like
restaurants on the pier as well. There’s quite a lot of shops and
restaurants here. Supermarkets. Right. So, we found a guy just
at the end of the pier. I asked him how much, and he said “$10”. So,
I’m like, “Yeah, okay. That’ll do.” That’s what the resort advised us
it would be. So, that seems fine. Yeah. They said about $10. So I’m okay. We’ll try not to run over any tourists. They’re not really helping themselves though. Well, there are bikes in the way. So, I think it’s quite a long way though…
isn’t it’s like almost 2 hours on foot? Yeah. It’s hard to say because Google
seems to think a viable route is to go through the sea. And that’s
that’s a lot quicker apparently. But your Google maps works better than mine. Mine
doesn’t show any route at all. It says no routes, which isn’t really helpful because
there are proper roads on this island. Yeah. So, we’re going to find out. Check. What
time is it now? See what time we arrived. It’s a bit of a nightmare to actually get going… 12:33. 12:33 – yeah. So, the boat took
about half an hour. It felt a lot longer because it was a bit choppy,
but you know, we’re here in one piece. A little wet, but fine. No sick bags needed. Nope. Not yet. Right. So, here we are. We made it to Sok San. Yeah. Was it 30 minutes in the tuktuk? Yeah. The first 8 or 9 minutes are a bit sketchy because the road doesn’t really
exist. It’s just a dirt track. But then there’s a proper
road all the way from there. This is Three Brothers
Restaurant. We’re here for lunch. It’s scorching hot at the moment.
So maybe that’s why no one’s eating. It’s 2:30pm as well. Yeah. The beach looks impossibly white. And we can see that Sok San beach stretches
all the way down. It’s huge. So, we’re going to have lunch, and
then go to the beach afterwards. Right. We’re the only people
eating at the moment. So, obviously the flies have been absolutely
frenzied since the food arrived. I’ve got squid and glass noodles, and
John’s got holy basil pork, with some rice. This should be good, I think. Yeah, looks pretty good. Happy. Nice. What a setting as well… Yeah, the setting is amazing.
And it’s not even expensive here. So I’m drinking my $1 beer. These dishes are like $5 each, and considering
the resorts and stuff, it’s all good. I want to try a little bit of this squid.
My first bite of seafood in Cambodia… Well, we had fish amok, but
we haven’t had any other…. We had that seafood at the
barbecue the other night. That’s true. Really nice. Tender, sweet. Mmm. I played it slightly safer, but
yeah, it’s pretty tasty as well. Maybe we’ll come back for barbecued
fish for dinner one night, too. Maybe so…. This is Sok San Beach. And yes,
it really is this beautiful. Miles of pure white sand, barely anyone else in
sight, water so clear it’s almost showing off. Honestly, this is the best
beach we’ve ever set foot on. Our original plan was to rent a bike
and go off exploring the island. But well, plans change and
doing nothing here somehow felt better than doing anything anywhere else. We’d found paradise, my friends,
and we didn’t feel like leaving. This is incredible. Just incredible. Look at the sand. The sea is just blue and calm. And
it’s John’s favorite squeak sand. Can you make it squeak? Probably not on demand. No, this bit’s not doing it. Oh! There we go. We first found this sand in, was it in Phu Quoc? Yeah. Phu Quoc. I don’t know what causes it. If anyone
knows in the comments, let us know. Well, I think it’s the fineness. It’s a bit
like talc. If you had talc, it would squeak. Yeah. This sand is white and fine. It all blows all over the island. It
just looks like patches of snow. Yeah. Look at this. You can stick the Maldives. Yeah. This is incredible. It really is incredible. And there’s probably less than 20
people on this whole stretch of beach. Yeah. And this beach is huge. You could walk
all the way down to the headland, over there. It’s baking hot. It must be well over 90° today. So, we’ve just picked a spot that’s semi-shaded, under a tree. And we’re just
going to get in the water now. So, yeah, you need to get to Koh Rong. You
need to get Sok San specifically… and you need to get here before they
build the international airport. Because it ain’t going to
be like this. Ever again. Yeah, exactly. We stayed on the beach till the sun went down.
We’d have probably stayed longer if we could. Right, pizza time. This place is Totò Pizza. It’s run by Italians.
And there are lots of Italian customers too. I’ve gone for sausage and mushroom.
And John’s gone for his usual Diavola. What do you mean “usual”? Your usual! We’ve got a little guest next to us as well.
We’re hoping he doesn’t really like pizza. There was one flying around earlier, and he
pretty much terrified half of the diners. I don’t know if you can see him, but it’s a little
cicada. Yeah. So, let’s hope he stays down there. Yeah. Anyway, this is a bit of a treat for us. Yeah. And my first glass of wine since
arriving in Asia. So, let’s get on. Yeah. It’s a bit of a treat day today. And how do you say enjoy? “Buon appetito” Nice. I know what you’re thinking.
Typical Western tourists, coming to Cambodia, eating pizza, drinking wine… And on this night, you’d be absolutely right.
The pizza was solid, too. 7.5 out of 10. Day two in Koh Rong. Very much like
day one. Look at it. Look at that. Honestly, if we taken the
camera with us on day three, it would have been very much the same again. So, we didn’t bother. Looking back, we both feel that we
have unfinished business on Koh Rong, and are planning on returning to
explore the rest of the island. But do we regret spending so much time on this
little stretch of beach? Nope… Not a bit. All right, it’s our second time
at Three Brothers Restaurant. This time for dinner because we
really like the look of the menu. It’s got a lot of things
on it. Adventurous things! It might not even be our last time, because
there aren’t many good restaurants close-by. Yeah, we tried we tried one next door
for lunch, and it was very disappointing. But anyway, moving on. Look what we ordered… This is beef tendon, stir
fried with tamarind sauce. I’m quite excited about that. And the
waitress tried to warn me off ordering it, but I was like, “No, no, we
know what it is. We want it.” This one is the barbecued fish…
allegedly, but looks kind of fried to me. But I mean, it doesn’t really matter. I
suppose if it tastes good, then it’s all good. We did debate ordering the fried fish, didn’t we? We did, but I saw a Google review
saying how nice the barbecued fish is. Anyway, we’ve got the pepper and lime dipping
sauce, to jazz it up. So, I reckon it’s all good. I want to try a bit of this
dish. You can try some too… Mmm tasty. It’s got a little
chew to it, but I like it. It’s got good flavour. Lemongrass. That’s pretty nice. Really good. There’s a little bit f chili coming through. Yeah, we love beef tendon. Maybe you would, too. Well, we’re getting up at 5:00 a.m. to go to
Thailand. So, yeah, we need a good feed. Mhm. Nothing too spicy because we’re getting
up early. It’s one of our top tips. Lisa likes to remind me that I once
said I could eat pizza every day. Well, if we hadn’t found Three Brothers Restaurant,
that might have actually happened here. There are plenty of other restaurants, but
if you like tasty homestyle food like we do, options are limited in this part of
the island. Thanks, Three Brothers. While we were here, we stayed at White
Sand Ark Resort. It’s a decent place to stay on a budget, and we got
serviceable breakfast every day. Also, hats off to the staff for being
so accommodating about our 5:40 a.m. pickup. They even made us a packed lunch. But how were we going to get to Koh Kood? At one point, we thought we might have to go
back to Sihanoukville and find our own way into Thailand. But after watching several
other people’s vlogs, we decided that this would be our last resort. To our relief, we
happened upon a ferry company called Boonsiri, which offers direct transfers from Ko
Rong to Koh Kood, as well as Koh Mak and Koh Chang. Although be aware that this
is only available between October and May. Morning. So, this morning we got up very early
because we’re going to Thailand. So, we were supposed to get picked up at
5:40, but it was actually more like 6:00. This is the fishing village because we’re
getting a ferry from here to Dara Sakor. Yeah, Dara Sakor… well remembered. Then we go onto the border, and then I think
they take us on another bus through to Trat, where we can get the ferry to Koh Kood. So nice 8 hour day. Let’s see how
it starts. It’s going to be a long day. We’ll tell you what it’s like and uh
maybe you might want to do in the future. Maybe not. Yeah, maybe. The crossing was bone crunching but
short. And we finally got to see a Cambodian sunrise after being
too lazy back at Angkor Wat. Okay, we survived the boat trip. Quite bumpy for the first
half, but after that was fine. QUITE bumpy!!! Yeah, they needed more like
seat cushioning, for me. A bit of a bone rattler. Anyway, yeah, it took about about 20 minutes. But it felt more like like 2 hours. This is Dara Sakor. It looks like there’s a lot of
construction going on here as well. There’s a nice beach. I remember
seeing it on Google maps. They also have luxury casino hotels, golf
courses… and lots of Chinese reviews. There are some big construction projects, alright. Yeah. Let’s hope it goes
better than Sihanoukville. Yeah. Alright. Let’s see where the next
bit takes us. Catch you in a bit. Okay. We’re on the bus now. I’m
not sure how long this journey is, but it’s an hour and a half
since we got picked up. Yeah, we’re making progress. We just left
the soon to be beach resort of Dara Sakor. Yeah, they’ve got quite a lot of stuff already
like a golf course and some casino hotels. Let’s hope the bus journey’s a
short one… but probably not. I don’t think it is. It goes to the border. So, we’re not sure
exactly. And then we change bus, I think. Okay. See you in a bit. It’s 11:42 a.m. and we
started at 6 a.m at Sok San. We’ve just departed. So, this
is the uh Cambodian border. This is the no man’s land between
the Cambodian and Thai borders. Yeah. So, we’re now going to walk through Thai
crossing now. Yeah. The bus ride was okay. About half the roads were paved and
the rest were sort of like dirt. But they’re in the process of building
new roads, and it’s not horrendous. Not like that bumpy. Not
compared to 20 years ago anyway! Not too bad. One thing I would definitely point
out, is that if you fly into Cambodia, don’t throw your boarding pass
away under any circumstances. And if you pay for the visa at the airport, keep that piece of paper too because they
they wanted it and they took it from us. Yeah. They stapled them together
and kept them for their notes. But they also wanted to see the boarding
pass when we bought the thing as well. Yep. They are very keen on
seeing boarding passes. So, it’s not like at home where
you can just chuck it away. I should probably switch this
off now, in case I get caught and it gets confiscated or whatever happens. Bye. So, this is the Boonsiri office in Hat Lek. About 10 minutes outside Hat Leck border crossing. Yeah. So, you collect your boat ticket here, and
the boat actually leaves from out the back here. They gave us our packed lunch that we pre-ordered.
They’ve got a really big seating area here. It’s a very plush office. There’s even
a bakery counter and coffee counter, and a shop that seems to sell
swimwear… which is interesting. Anyway, yeah, we’re quite hungry.
So let’s tuck into our lunch. So, do you want to eat this stone-cold Pad Krapow? Yeah, I’m up for it. Hungry. Better than nothing, and included in the price. Okay, it’s 12:40. We’ll be there shortly. Hooray. You should be aware that there are currently
heightened tensions between Cambodia and Thailand, and there are reports that the Hat Leck border
is currently closed to non-essential travel. Please check the current situation
before you attempt this journey. We’re just about to arrive. It’s 2:00 p.m. now,
and we’ve been on here for just over an hour. If you sit on the top deck, on the right hand
side, you’re probably going to get wet. We did. But it’s completely calm on the other side,
albeit quite sunny. So bear that in mind. A village on the other side. A fishing village. This is the arrival point. And lot
of people are waiting to get back on. Welcome to Koh Kood. We’re supposed to get a transfer from here
as well. So, let’s uh hang around for that, otherwise we’re very far from where we need to be. But yeah, this ticket takes you door to
door, which is quite impressive really. Oh, yeah. Because they have to cover the
whole island, haven’t they? People seem to be on the move, so let’s go. Okay, so we’ve got the uh
VIP seats inside the cab, because we were suspicious about which
vehicle we were supposed to get into. So there’s no seats in the back,
but yeah… nice. A proper seat. John’s even got a seat belt and intermittent
Aircon, so we’ll see how many drop-offs they make. But there aren’t that many people on here,
so it shouldn’t take too long, hopefully. Okay, here we are. We’ve arrived! Just over 7 hours door
to door, from Koh Rong to Koh Kood. Our time on the Cambodian
islands was unforgettable. Catch us next time to find out
what we thought about Koh Kood.
🌴 Koh Rong’s Dream Beach + Getting to Koh Kood 🇰🇭➡️🇹🇭
After more than a month on the road, we made it to Sok San Village on Koh Rong — and we think it might just be the best beach we’ve ever visited. Crystal clear water, powdery white sand, and hardly anyone else around. Pure paradise.
But all good things come to an end… and ours ended with a 7-hour cross-border journey to Thailand’s Trat Islands – specifically the one-time hidden gem island – Koh Kood.
Be aware that (as of July 2025) there are currently tensions between Thailand and Cambodia and the Hat Lek Border Crossing, where we entered Thailand is currently closed to non-essential travel.
Please check the current situation before booking this journey, and feel free to ask us any questions in the comments.
In this video, we…
– Arrive by longboat from M’Pai Bay (Koh Rong Sanloem)
– Spend 3 nights relaxing in Sok San Village
– Eat at Three Brothers Restaurant & a solid local pizzeria
– Begin our full-day transfer to Thailand via Boonsiri
– Take speedboats, buses, and songthaews from Koh Rong to Koh Kood
– Share tips on the Hat Lek border crossing (currently closed as of July 2025)
– Reflect on beach life, border crossings, and a surprisingly smooth journey
It was a long travel day, but honestly? Not as bad as we expected.
📍 Travel Notes & Tips:
– Local longtail boat from M’Pai Bay → Koh Touch Pier
– Accommodation on Koh Rong – White Sand Ark Resort:
https://maps.app.goo.gl/DPv7u3aBmnSRXtAB7
– Border: Hat Lek crossing currently closed due to tensions (19/07/25)
– Transfer: Booked with Boonsiri Ferry — https://boonsiriferry.com/en
– Includes hotel pickup, boat, border help, and drop-off on Koh Kood. If you book online, make sure you contact them by email or Whatsapp to arrange your pickup and drop-off, and pre-order your free lunch.
– Duration: ~7 hours total (Koh Rong → Koh Kood)
🍽️ Where We Ate in Sok San:
– Three Brothers Restaurant (we actually ate here four times!! It’s good.)
https://maps.app.goo.gl/kzrSbeFRsyD7Jeow8
– Toto Pizzeria
https://maps.app.goo.gl/qm3unKUS89sisdLp6
📌 Other Episodes You Might Like:
🌴 Koh Rong Sanloem → https://youtu.be/CEQV6zuXCLc?si=qXr0gN5CEXcn_7Qy
🌆 Phnom Penh → https://youtu.be/rI8BgIfE9-M?si=Jz_gGZQ6saGXMWPz
🛕 Angkor Wat & Siem Reap Food Tour → https://youtu.be/7dZ0iyEqmUo?si=cohrf7eqYvDDCYxU
🏝 Phu Quoc: Paradise or Overdeveloped? → https://youtu.be/uiSXtR8RYzE?si=B8CBI3QySzyWk7BW
⏱ Timestamps
00:00 – Intro
01:02 – Longtail boat from M’Pai Bay Pier, Koh Rong Sanloem → Koh Rong
01:23 – Arrival at Kaoh Touch (Koh Rong) and tuk tuk to Sok San Village
03:46 – Lunch at Three Brothers Restaurant
05:32 – Relaxing at Sok San Beach (spoiler: it’s stunning)
07:52 – Dinner at Totò Pizza
09:05 – Day two on Sok San beach
09:51 – Three Brothers Restaurant (part two)
11:55 – White Sand Ark Resort
Starting our 7-hour transfer to Thailand with Boonsiri…
12:20 – Planning the journey to Thailand
12:52 – Speedboat from Lototray Pier to Dara Sakor
13:45 – Coach to the Hat Lek border crossing
15:09 – Walking across the Cambodia–Thailand border (Hat Lek)
16:20 – Thai side: Boonsiri office + lunch
17:06 – Important info: Hat Lek border closure (as of July 2025)
17:29 – Catamaran to Koh Kood (Ao Salat Pier)
18:17 – Arrival on Koh Kood and songthaew to our accommodation
19:12 – Reflecting on the journey
Thanks for watching! If you enjoy this video, hit that 👍, leave a comment, and consider subscribing — we’ve still got much more to eat and explore.
#KohRong #KohKood #CambodiaToThailand #IslandHopping #TravelVlog #thailand #cambodia