7. Koh Rong Samloem
Just off Cambodia’s south coast lie a scattering of islands just as beautiful as their Thai counterparts to the west, but much less visited. Compared to the now very developed islands of Koh Samui and Phuket, Cambodia’s islands are a slice of laid-back tropical bliss, where sun and sand take center stage, and the big resorts have yet to make their mark.
Of all the islands, Koh Rong Samloem is one of the most beautiful, with the long, sandy Saracen Bay home to a dozen beach hut resorts that offer a welcome respite from the world. It’s really all about hammock-time here, but there’s plenty of scuba diving activities on offer for the more active.
You can access these islands from Sihanoukville.
8. Kampot
The laid-back riverine town of Kampot has oodles of old-world ambience. The compact central district is a joy to ramble around, full of surviving shop-house architecture, some of which has been painstakingly restored. Kampot’s charm lies in its exceedingly chilled-out atmosphere, and many a traveler finds themselves waylaid here longer than they expected, having succumbed to its easygoing pace.
For the more active though, this is also an excellent base for discovering the surrounding sights of the south. The old French summer getaway of Bokor Hill Station, with its abandoned church and eerie, empty shell of a once-grand hotel, is an easy day trip from town, as are the limestone caves of Phnom Chhnork and Phnom Sorsia, both with old temples inside.
