The 10 best beaches in Cambodia to escape to after Angkor Wat

For the longest time, travelers to Cambodia only had eyes for the temples of Angkor, but in recent years, the southern coastline has become one of the country's major attractions. Cambodia's best beaches deliver the full tropical package – powdery sands, swaying palms, turquoise waters and fresh seafood on tap.

Sunseekers are spoiled for choice in Southeast Asia, with legendary beaches tracing the shores of Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam and the Philippines. But Cambodia's beaches can compete with the best of them, spread along sections of the mainland coast and idyllic islands offshore.

If you're in the mood for a bit of Cambodian island-hopping, the scattered, sand-circled isles near Sihanoukville lure die-hard party people as well as folks seeking sun-smooched solitude. And getting to Cambodia's islands is easy, with regular ferries and longtail boats setting out from the mainland.

While development is coming to some of the islands, with big resort projects under construction on Koh Rong and Koh Rong Sanloem, Cambodia's finest beaches still preserve the kind of laid-back vibe that encourages visitors to check in and never check out.

Whether you crave a crowd or a calm escape, here's our guide to the best beaches in Cambodia.

The best time to visit Cambodia's beaches

It pays to consider the climate when planning a beach trip to Cambodia. From November to March, the beaches and temples bask under mostly dry skies, and temperatures are warm but not overpowering. This is also the best time to dive on the reefs around Koh Rong, but rates peak at Cambodia's beach resorts as visitor numbers climb.

Rainfall is moderate in April and early May, though temperatures can climb to uncomfortable levels, often reaching 35°C (95°F). The soggy monsoon months from June to September are not ideal for a beach day; it doesn't rain all day every day, however, and this coincides with the summer vacation season in Europe, North America and Oceania, so there are still plenty of visitors to the south coast.

If you're visiting any of Cambodia's islands on a family trip, bring essential supplies from the mainland, as shopping options are limited. Also use the ATMs in Sihanoukville to stock up on cash as there are few ATMs on the islands, though some stores with card payment machines can give cash advances.

1. Saracen Bay, Koh Rong Sanloem

Best beach for going barefoot

Blessed with endless sands and steamy jungles, Koh Rong Sanloem is Cambodian perfection, but its future may be dictated by mass tourism, with parts of the island set aside for the construction of large-scale resorts. For now, however, many parts of the island retain their original barefoot vibe.

There's no doubt that crescent-shaped Saracen Bay is the most beautiful spot, with a graceful curve of white sand hemming the island’s eastern shoreline. The bay is jewel blue, the sand soft and powdery, and boat tours can take you out to spot bioluminescence at night.

If you are weighing up the island against nearby Koh Rong, Koh Rong Sanloem is calmer and quieter – though for how long remains to be seen. Walking or chartering a longtail boat is the default way to get around the island, though paved roads are part of the development plan.

Planning tip: Resorts to suit every budget are strung along 2.5km of sand at Saracen Bay. This bay is well connected to Sihanoukville by high-powered speedboats, and ferries shuttle across to nearby Koh Rong.

2. Lazy Beach, Koh Rong Sanloem

Best beach for families

On the southwest coast of Koh Rong Sanloem, this hideaway is home to one of the most stunning beaches you’ll find anywhere. There is only one place to stay here, Lazy Beach – the agreeably rustic resort that gave the beach its name – and it still has an old-fashioned castaway vibe.

The basic bungalows have balconies and hammocks to take in the splendor of the sands, and the combined restaurant and lounge area is well stocked with books and board games, making this beach a good fit for families. As an extra plus, the bay is shallow and sheltered – ideal for less confident swimmers – and the resort has snorkeling gear on loan.

Planning tip: Get to Koh Rong Sanloem from Sihanoukville; the trip to Saracen Bay takes under an hour, then it's a short trip on a taxi boat, or a 40-minute walk.

3. Koh Tonsay, Kep

Best beach for a taste of the old Cambodia

On the mainland near Kampot, Kep was Cambodia's original beach resort, attracting the glamorous and beautiful in its heyday before the civil war. While a little of the polish has come off in the decades since, it's still an appealing hangout and a popular resort for locals, who are lured here by family beach fun and the city's famous peppered crab.

For a touch more peace, head to Koh Tonsay (Rabbit Island), about 20 minutes by boat from Kep. On weekdays, a tranquil mood pervades the island's sandy, palm-backed beaches, and there's decent snorkeling if you have your own gear. Locals gather for pocket-friendly seafood feasts on the weekends.

The Try Pheap group is creating an expansive tourism complex at the southwestern tip of the island, so focus your attention on the main beach, where a handful of bungalows offer chilled-out accommodation, inexpensive meals, hammocks to sway in and boat trips to tiny Koh Puos and Koh Svay, where you may spot dolphins.

Planning tip: Boats to Koh Tonsay depart from the Rabbit Island Pier near Kep's main beach. Note that boats are sometimes cancelled between August and October due to stormy sea conditions.

4. Koh Ta Kiev, Sihanoukville

Best beach for a quick island getaway from Sihanoukville

If your dream beach escape involves switching off and tuning out, then the little island of Koh Ta Kiev, off the coast near Ream National Park, will tick all the boxes. Although developers are circling, for the moment, the southern tip of the island retains its castaway mood, and it's only 30 minutes from the coast by fast speedboat.

On arrival, you'll find a clutch of delightfully bohemian and eco-friendly budget digs and the impressive Long Beach to sprawl on. This is where the backpacking vibe that once defined Otres Beach on the mainland lives on under the watchful gaze of high-rise Sihanoukville. Most of the laid-back resorts rent out snorkeling gear, and the waters here are crystal clear.

Planning tip: Resorts on Koh Ta Kiev arrange transfers for guests by longtail boat from Otres Beach or Ream Beach near Sihanoukville.

5. Long Set Beach, Koh Rong

Best beach for a low-key island experience

Koh Rong is the largest of the islands guarding the mouth of the Bay of Kampong Som near Sihanoukville. The government has plans to turn this once-serene island into the Cambodian equivalent of Vietnam's Phu Quoc or Malaysia's Langkawi, with large-scale resorts, golf courses and a new airport, but for now, the island still has pockets of calm.

On the south coast, lovely Long Set Beach is connected to busy Koh Tuch via a short forest walk, passing the appealing Tree House Bungalows. On arrival, you'll find a long strip of golden sand hemmed by clear waters that are great for swimming. This is a great place to see bioluminescence if the plankton are active; your best chances are on new moon nights.

At the extreme east end of Long Set Beach, behind Koh Rong Hill Beach Resort, a short path leads to nearby Nature Beach, another pretty spray of sand that feels more exclusive. However, the southern part of the island is marked for new developments, so check the latest news locally before you come.

Planning tip: Koh Rong is easily reached by boat from Sihanoukville, with at least five ferry operators covering the trip in 45 minutes to an hour. Get around on the island by taxi boat, tuk-tuk or rented motorcycle.

6. Koh Thmei, Sihanoukville

Best beach for unplugging

Koh Ta Kiev isn't the only idyllic island basking off the coast near Sihanoukville. Closer to the Vietnamese island of Phu Quoc than Sihanoukville, Koh Thmei has serene, sandy beaches backed by tropical greenery. Perhaps its greatest attraction, though, is the lack of roads, cars or a phone signal – perfect if you want to truly escape from it all.

The beaches are suitably dreamy, with shallow waters and uncrowded sands fringed by wispy trees that provide dappled shade, and there's just a single resort – an off-grid work of art, full of contraptions that minimize its ecological footprint.

Everyone gets their own hammock swinging on the front deck, and board games and listening to the sounds of nature are the main activities in the evenings. With no other settlement or businesses on Koh Thmei, there's every chance you’ll have the island to yourself.

Planning tip: The Koh Thmei Resort handles transfers from the pier by Ouchomna Market, about 35km from Sihanoukville, accessible via the minivans that run from Phnom Penh to Sihanoukville.

7. Lagoon Beach, Koh Kong Island

Best beach for pristine water

Just south of the Thai border, near the mainland town of the same name, Koh Kong rises out of seas so clear you can almost make out individual grains of sand in the shallow waters. Cambodia’s largest island has seven beaches arrayed along the west coast, backed by coconut palms and lush vegetation, just as you’d expect from a tropical paradise.

To visit, you'll need to arrange a boat tour to reach the sands. Several of the best beaches are at the mouths of little streams – we strongly recommend the sixth beach, known as Lagoon Beach, where a narrow channel leads to a hidden lagoon, edged by gleaming white sand dotted with small trees.

Planning tip: To access Koh Kong, arrange a boat tour in Koh Rong city or Tatai on the mainland; both are accessible by bus or minivan from Phnom Penh, Kampot and Sihanoukville. You can also get here from Thailand via the Hat Lek border crossing.

8. Long Beach, Koh Rong

Best beach for serenity

Hugging the western shore of the idyllic island of Koh Rong, Long Beach – also known as Sok San Beach – is the island's finest escape. So far spared from major development, this stretch of beyond beautiful sands runs for 7km. The squeaky sand is so soft that you might be forgiven for thinking there had been an explosion in a baby powder factory. It's great for swimming and basking, and the bay is shallow and serene.

Confusingly, the beach is sometimes known as 7km Beach, due to its length, and Royal Sands Beach, in honor of the resorts that lie at the northern and southern ends. In case the beachfront looks familiar, the strip was used as a key filming location for the US television series Survivor.

Planning tip: Motos (motorcycle taxis) can zip you around the island to other beaches, or you can charter a longtail boat for beach-to-beach transfers.

9. Koh Sdach Islands, Botum Sakor National Park

Best beaches for secluded snorkeling and diving

Northwest of Kong Rong, offshore from Botum Sakor National Park, the Koh Sdach archipelago is a cluster of 12 small islands, many of which have good snorkeling and scuba diving. The main island – Koh Sdach (King's Island) – lacks beaches, but it's a great place to experience island life without the crowds.

The reefs offshore are alive with corals, reef fish, and rarer species such as sea turtles and seahorses. Resorts on the island, such as the appealing Koh Sdach Resort and Koh Apikjun Resort, can arrange snorkeling and diving trips.

From Koh Sdach, you can also charter a boat to explore nearby islands with blissfully empty beaches, including Koh Totang, the sand spits of the Koh Ampil islets, and the long white beaches on either side of Koh Smach. This is definitely one for adventurous beachcombers.

Planning tip: Boats to the Koh Sdach Islands leave from the southwestern tip of Botum Sakor National Park. You can make arrangements with the resorts or agencies in Koh Kong city.

10. Lonely Beach, Koh Rong

Best beach for sustainable living

The Lonely Beach resort is a peaceful bolt-hole hidden away on a private beach at Koh Rong's northern tip, far from the new construction projects. There is a strong commitment to sustainability at this low-key eco-resort – the cute bungalows and open-air dorms are cooled by sea breezes and all water is dispensed via coconut-shell scoop.

High season sees the resort offer excursions to other islands, snorkeling trips and nightly banquets on the beach. And the beach itself? It's as lovely and uncrowded as you'd hope for, with unbroken greenery stretching far inland. Don't be surprised if you never want to leave; some travelers who end up here extend their stay by months.

Planning tip: The resort offers transfers for guests via a direct boat service, leaving from Sihanoukville's Royal Pier.