Koh Rong

Koh Rong (កោះរ៉ុង) was once little more than a jungle-clad wilderness rimmed by swaths of sugary-white sand, with a few beach-hut resorts speckling the shore around tiny Koh Tuch village. Today the Koh Tuch village street-strip that leads out from the pier is a bottleneck of back-to-back backpacker crash pads, restaurants and hole-in-the-wall bars blasting competing music. You'll either love it or hate it, but for young travellers who descend off the ferry in droves, Koh Rong (particularly Koh Tuch Beach) is a vital stop on any Southeast Asia party itinerary.

It's still possible to escape the mayhem, though. The further you walk away from the village, the more sedate it gets. The evening frog chorus overpowers the drifting bass from the late-night raves, phosphorescence shimmers in the sea and the island's natural charms, of head-turning beaches backed by lush forest interior, are clear to see.