Islands from Shihanoukville

Koh Rong and Koh Rong Saloem are connected by ferry to each other and to the mainland. Salolem is very quiet with entertainment amounting to people chatting over dinner etc. Rong tends to have a bit of partying around the pier on an evening but the rest of the island is quiet. Both have really beautiful icing-sugar type beaches. I prefer Rong as the opportunities to hike to isolated beaches is greater so more to do away from the sea. I also think the best beaches on Rong are more beautiful than the best on Salolem. I've not been to Ta Kiev, access is from a different part Sihanoukville and as far as I know there is no ferry connection from Ta Kiev to Rong / Samloem.

I have visited Rong and Kiev. On Rong I found the place dirty. Drug paraphernalia on the beach, stale water that was leaking into the sea and garbage. I couldn't get a cup of coffee or a coconut, they just want to sell the booze. The boom boom base starts at 2.30 in the afternoon. Its an hours hike through jungle to get to the otherside which you might have to yourself :)

Koh Ta Kiev is a different experience. I was there a few weeks ago. here are my photos https://asiajottings.wordpress.com/2016/03/24/cambodian-islands-2/

Koh Rong is $20 return by boat from Serendipity.

Koh Ta Kiev is $15 part of a day trip boat which you can leave and rejoin at any day. Kiev is expensive to stay, while Rong is cheaper.

hi SuriNhi!
the answer completely depends on what you're looking for! if you're looking for a full-on party atmosphere then koh rong is the best bet, but be warned, the place is very dirty and a lot of people come back sick from the island (not due to food poisoning, i'm convinced it's something in the water). personally, i wouldn't recommend going there unless you're sure you want to go on a bender for the time you're there.

on the other hand, koh rong samloem and koh ta kiev are much more relaxed atmospheres that are equally as beautiful. krs has sunset beach and lazy beach, both complete with azure waters and quiet spots for tanning or relaxing by the beach, these can both be reached after a trek through the jungle so keep your eyes peeled for monkeys (and snakes!) that might pop up! saraceen beach is also quite beautiful, but since it's the main beach there tends to be a lot more action and it's a little more loud than the other two. there's an option if you're looking for a backpackers party hostel too: the mad monkey opened up a location here last year and it gets pretty jumpy at night.

ktk is also gorgeous, but it's even less explored than the other two, which makes it a bit more expensive. i stayed at crusoe island (no power, no wifi, no running water. it was a liberating experience!) and had a wonderful four nights. there's a couple of trekking options, but to be honest i spent most of my time sitting on the beach or on the sunset boat that took us to elephant rock.

to reach krs you can buy a ticket at the speed ferry office. the return trip costs $20.

to reach ktk i bought my ticket directly through the crusoe island booking site and it cost me $13 round-trip. i recently saw a few offers on the road to otres beach that offerec $4 per trip on a speed boat, but i'm not sure how safe/true this is.

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