The more we slow travel the more we’ve come to appreciate the importance of finding places that match our rhythms. We crave those spots that attract interesting fellow travellers (as opposed to tourists), while at the same time fulfilling our desire for a sense of separation from the madness that all-too-often characterizes the world these days. We don’t want solitude per se; we do enjoy places that open a space for us to meet fascinating people, to contemplate life, and to appreciate the beauty that our world has to offer.
It’s increasingly challenging to satisfy these desires as more places are “discovered” and inundated with too many people seeking “recreation” and “adventure” (zip lines, river rafting, ATV trails, just to name a few), all of which often comes at the expense of genuine connection, contemplation, and peace — and leaves a growing environmental footprint on the very landscapes people claim to love.
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We experienced just such a loss about a decade ago when Sayulita, Mexico was well and truly discovered. The rapid development to service the flood of tourists shattered the amazing sense of connection we had with the jungle, with the ocean, and with the people of the town. We’ve been trying to find a suitable replacement ever since. And after years of searching we found just such a place on a six month trip to SouthEast Asia in 2023-24.
We fell in love immediately and returned for a month-long stay in December, 2024 – and a two month stay from December 2025 to February 2026.
Where is this magical place?
Koh Rong Sanloem is located 38 km (24 miles) off the south coast of Cambodia. You can reach the island by fast ferry from Sihanoukville in about 45 minutes (or even closer to 30 minutes if the ocean is calm and your ferry driver is young and rammy 😂).
When you first arrive at any one of the three jetties on Saracen Bay you’ll probably wonder about our judgement. The string of small guesthouses and somewhat larger resorts, the water taxis and beach tractors moving about, and loads of people sitting in bars drinking inexpensive Cambodian beer doesn’t make a good first impression if you’re looking for that special place.
But don’t be discouraged. There is a 2 km hike across the narrowest part of the island that takes you to Sunset Beach. Here you’ll find an absolute gem of a place called Robinson Bungalows. This is an amazing environment and a fantastic, off-the-grid experience.
Robinson Bungalows on Sunset Beach
Sunset Beach is far less developed than Saracen Bay, and it attracts a very different crowd. Most of the people we meet here are what we call “deep travellers”. Many people we meet are in the region for at least two months, with several doing even longer stints. It’s very common for people to book for a few days, only to extend for a few weeks.
And the people living there and running businesses there were the “Fuck it, I’m out” folks; people who splashed ashore on Sunset Beach intending to stay for a few days or weeks — only to be here twelve years later. Less interested in maximizing profits or capitalizing on trends, they’re far more invested in protecting an unplugged, tropical beach lifestyle rooted in simplicity and the here and now. It feels less like a strip of businesses and more like a community of like-minded souls who simply never left.
And the reasons for this are manifest the moment you arrive at Robinson Bungalows and soak everything in. The people – both staff and guests – are warm and open. The Khmer food in the restaurant is outstanding and reasonably priced (particularly when one considers the huge portions). The bungalows and tents are the perfect blend of simplicity and comfort, and the effort to blend into the natural environment warms your heart almost as much as the sun and the ocean breezes rustling the jungle palms.
The joy of reconnection
Perhaps most special in this manic, hyper-connected age, you’re pretty much off-the-grid here. There is no data, and the wifi is at best a vague notion. And that’s perfect for us. Putting the phone down forces you to engage with other people, with your environment, and with yourself. It’s very much central to the charm here.
Some notes on accommodations
There are several bungalows with private toilets and showers, but more common are the smaller bungalows (more accurately described as huts) as well as tents. On our first visit we booked a basic bungalow/hut which did not have its own washroom.
There is a collection of toilets and separate showers adjacent to the restaurant, as well as a standalone toilet/shower set off amongst some of the huts. When we had the hut chose to use the standalone toilet/shower (aka: a “prison shower”).
This was a perfectly comfortable arrangement for a short stay, but for our longer stays we’ve chosen to treat ourselves to one of the bungalows with a private toilet/shower.
Note: there is no hot water, but it didn’t take long to figure out that passive solar heating provides a room temperature shower most days in the mid- to late-afternoon.
And don’t worry about getting a good sleep. The nights here are gloriously quiet, the whole area shuts down by 10pm. Each bungalow (or tent) is a stand alone spot, spaced just enough away from others to give you a delicious sense of privacy. The tranquillity slowly seeps into your bones until the outside world seems to fade into a vague memory. Sleep comes easily here.
Best Khmer food in Cambodia
Robinson Bungalow’s restaurant is a beautiful indoor/outdoor space with lovely views of the ocean. There are big, comfy chairs where you can relax with a cocktail after your evening meal. The floor tables with cozy mats were our morning seating choice. After all, who doesn’t want to lie down as they wait for their breakfast to arrive and have another lie down immediately afterward?
The food in the is top notch. The Khmer ladies here take great pride in their dishes, many of which are made with recipes from a famous Khmer cookbook: “Nhum: Recipes from a Cambodian Kitchen”.
But be aware: the portion sizes are huge! We often order a vegetarian dish and one protein dish and share that for dinner. Lunch is generally a shared main with a fruit salad or dessert. They have a range of breakfast-specific options but the whole menu is available in the morning. We often chose to have one of their delicious noodle soups for breakfast.
But what about the beach?
The idyllic Sunset Beach location is one the best parts of staying here. Soft sand, lots of comfy, shaded seating just back from the beach, and clear, warm water for swimming.
If you’re so inclined Robinson has a nice little beach bar near the water with cheap beer and reasonably priced, strong cocktails. The bar opens around 2:00 p.m. (with Happy Hour from 4:00 – 7:00 p.m.), which means that there are few people hanging about, and no music playing, until then.
We often wandered down toward the bar right after breakfast. It has a number of cozy spaces with the world’s most comfortable bean bag chairs set up near the bar. We’d grab some bean bag chairs near the water and enjoy the rhythmic hum of the ocean as we did some morning reading.
Even when the bar opens it’s pretty quiet until Happy Hour and sunset. But it’s never busy or rowdy. This makes for a great social vibe where you can meet some very interesting people.
Activities
But if you’ve had enough lounging there is opportunity for snorkelling, hiking the jungle, standup paddle boarding, kayaking and rock climbing just up the beach through Sunset Adventures. We went for a night kayak with a small group to witness the awe inspiring beauty of bioluminescent plankton as we snorkelled and swam.
A sense of peace and connection
We’ve rarely experienced such a profound sense of relaxation and inner tranquility than when we are on Sunset Beach. The natural beauty of the place is certainly a big part of this, but there is more than the paradisal setting happening here. Being truly unplugged is a big part of what makes this place so special.
The spirit starts to be primed for the off-the-grid experience by the simple fact that there is no road to Sunset beach. As noted earlier, guests must hike for about 25 minutes into the property from Saracen Bay. The trail starts at Sunny Bungalow/The Dive Shop, with a dirt path that passes a worker encampment, then continues along an abandoned road. After a climb over the ridge that separates the west side of the island from Saracen Bay, just follow signs to Sunset Beach and Robinson Bungalows.
These signs direct you off the road toward a jungle path. Don’t worry; you won’t get lost! However, be aware that as you near Sunset Beach there is a short, downhill part of the path that is rugged and rocky. If you have serious mobility issues that will be a challenge. That said, there are guide ropes on that stretch so with care in choosing your footfalls anyone with even just reasonable fitness will be safe. The hike in means you can’t over burden yourself with “stuff” (more on that below).
The technology reset
One of the most obvious is a forced shift in our relationship to power and gadgets. All power on the property is solar. This generates enough power to light your room; small bungalows have one bulb on the ceiling; larger bungalows have three low wattage bulbs.
There is not enough power to provide air conditioning, but it’s really not necessary. The placement of the tents and bungalows means there is a constant cooling breeze coming off the water so there’s plenty of airflow. There are also small, rechargable fans provided for anyone wishing to have additional airflow for sleeping on hot, still nights.
Limited power also means that there are no outlets in your personal space to charge your electronics. There is a central charging station at the restaurant with plenty of plugs open to all guests from 7am to 10pm. If you want to charge devices in your personal space you should pack a portable battery pack that you can recharge at the central station.
The cool thing about this is that you rather quickly become aware that electricity is a resource, and one that isn’t actually infinite. We found this a very healthy psychological reset of values. It also made sure we weren’t just fiddling with our phones all day, needlessly draining our batteries.
A less obvious aspect of reassessment involved something as mundane as mirrors. There is only one small mirror in the public spaces on the whole property. (restrooms are fitted with beauty affirming slogans instead) Sure enough, the femmes on property spent little time at the mirror worrying about their hair and makeup with each day that passed, enjoying the pleasure of being their natural selves and feeling beautiful just as they were. It was extraordinarily affirming.
About the connectivity issue
As previously mentioned, there is no data and the wifi is sluggish at best, and sometimes comatose. Don’t fret too much about this. If you absolutely must connect to the internet you can take a short walk (like 3 minutes short) up the beach to Sunset Adventures. There you can sip one of their outstanding smoothies or fruit juices. This allows you to ask for their daily password so you jump onto their wifi for a bit. But be aware that if you’re there a while you’ll be part of a fascinating socio-cultural experiment.
During our first stay we were among the other guests who migrated down the beach for their daily dose of digital dopamine hits, spending a good hour catching up and scrolling our feeds. It only took two full days for a change to happen. We settled with a delicious French press coffee (Eddy, Sunset’s owner, is French and he makes killer French press coffee) and logged onto our wifi. And for the life of us we couldn’t think of anything we wanted to do online. We checked our messages, responded to a few things, sent out some notes to friends and family, put our phones down and went right back to being present in the moment. It was like 1990 all over again, and by God it felt good!
If you want a taste of paradise and bliss, it’s a little resort in Cambodia where you can’t use your phone.
Getting There
To get to Koh Rong Sonloem, you have to first get to Preah Sihanouk (Sihanoukville). From Phnom Penh or Kampot you can choose a variety of options for travel: bus; minivan; private car; or even train from Kampot – an adventure to say the least!).
Once in Sihanoukville you want to go to the Tourist Pier complex. There you’ll find offices for the various ferry companies; its there that you validate your ticket and confirm which “gate” your ferry will depart from.
We recommend pre-booking your ferry using 12Go. As mentioned, try to book Buva as your ferry company. They are the ones that will take you to the jetty closest to Sunny Bungalows so you can just walk off with your gear.
Choosing the right ferry
There are several companies running from Sihanoukville, and each one has a different dedicated pier on Saracen Bay. The best company to use for your trip is Buva Sea. They dock at Eden Pier, which is right at your starting point (Sunny Bungalows) for the walk to Sunset Beach.
There are two other ferry companies that run to the island (GCTV & Cambodia Fast Ferry). These dock at piers some distance from Eden Pier, but you can be taken to Sunny Bungalows by tractor or water taxi. That service costs about USD $10/person, so’s well worth your while to take the Buva Ferry.
If you have more stuff than you can realistically carry on the 20 – 30 minute hike along the trail to the Robinson, you can check a bag Sunny Bungalows. They will charge you USD $1 a day for every day they hold it. They do this all the time for folks so they know the drill; all you need do is ask.
On our first visit we took a moment here to repack the things we would need for our four-night stay into two small backpacks that we strapped to the front of our bodies, and had two day packs on our backs carrying our valuables (laptops, camera gear, etc…). This paring down of worldly goods is a wonderful first step in “getting back to basics” and reassessing your attachment to stuff.
The Trail
The trail to Robinson starts by walking through Sunny Bungalows; the staff will point you the right way if you’re unsure. At first you’ll walk along a path which goes past a worker encampment. Then you’ll reach a cleared and abandoned dirt road. Just keep going straight ahead and uphill. After about 12 – 15 minutes (depending on your walking speed) you’ll crest the hill and see signs that point off the road along a jungle path.
The jungle path includes a short section that’s steep and rocky enough to slow you down. Take your time and watch your footing. There are ropes on both sides — use them. The ground can be slippery, and this isn’t a place where you want to test your ankles. Bug spray is also a good idea before starting this stretch.
This is the toughest part of the trail. Elevation-wise it’s a 35 metre descent and around 200 metres in length. This section usually takes us around eight minutes to get through.
Once you’re at the bottom the trail bends left. (look for the sign for Robinson Bungalows) A bit further along this stretch you’ll see a sign warning of private property. Be sure to respect that and continue straight. This path leads directly to the restaurant and check-in for Robinson Bungalows.
Note: If you’re staying at Sunboo or Kamaku, you’ll spot an offshoot veering to the right from the path as you stop the descent portion. That offshoot comes out at Sunboo, and from there it’s an easy walk along the beach to Kamaku.
Just Follow The Signs!
If you're looking for things to do:
A short walk down the beach you’ll find Sunset Adveantures. They make great coffee and fresh juices. And they also have a stable wifi connection. They’ve got lots of ways to keep your days active and interesting. Do the Plankton Night Kayak/Snorkelling Trip; trust us, it’ll take your breath away.
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- All
- The Island
- The Food
Fishing Boats In The Distance.
The coastal fishing boats would start to gather in the late-afternoon and would fish through the night.
Mixed Seafood Grill
With mango salad and a delicious pepper and lime dipping sauce.
The Coziest Restaurant
Having breakfast followed by a digestion lie down at the table is possibly the most civilised experience we have ever had.
Cha Mareasprov
Stir Fried Pork with Holy Basil
Sunset
This place will just lull your soul into a state of peace.
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Phnom Pleung is the Khmer version of a tabletop BBQ experience you see across several cultures like Korea, China, Vietnam and Japan. We may be having fun, but we always take our food seriously.
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Find this content enjoyable and useful? Buy us a coffee!
We put a lot of thought, time and financial investment into providing you with advice and creating content. If you feel that our advice has helped you make plans, or if you just enjoy our content, please consider supporting our work with a consideration (no amount is too small). Thanks again!