We are on that coast, in Kep, which has one of the least impressive beaches on it — so this is as honest as we can make it.
The mainland, bluntly
Kep has a small beach with imported sand. It is pleasant at five in the afternoon, Cambodian families use it properly at weekends, and it is not a reason to come. The reason to come is the crab market and the national park.
Kampot has no beach at all. It has a river, which is better.
Sihanoukville had the best mainland beaches in the country and has changed beyond recognition with casino development. Some beaches remain; the town around them is not what the guidebooks describe.
If sand is your priority, go to the islands.
The islands, which are the real answer
Koh Rong — the big one, two hours from Sihanoukville. Long Set and Sok San are long, white and genuinely beautiful. The main village is a party town; walk twenty minutes and it isn't.
Koh Rong Samloem — quieter, smaller, and the one we'd send most people to. Saracen Bay for calm water and easy access; Lazy Beach on the far side for something emptier. Limited electricity, limited wifi, which is the point.
Koh Ta Kiev and Koh Thmei — rustic in the real sense. Hammocks, generators, very few people. For a certain traveller these are the best islands in the country.
Rabbit Island (Koh Tonsay) — twenty minutes off Kep, and the one we can actually speak to. A short strip of sand, simple bungalows, no roads. Not postcard-clear water, but quiet and cheap and easy to reach on a day trip. See our full guide.
Which island for whom
| If you want | Go to |
|---|---|
| Nightlife and other travellers | Koh Rong |
| Quiet, with comfort | Koh Rong Samloem (Saracen Bay) |
| Genuinely remote | Lazy Beach, Koh Ta Kiev |
| A day trip, not a journey | Rabbit Island, from Kep |
| Seafood over sand | Stay in Kep, eat at the crab market |
When the sea behaves
The coast has a real season, and it matters more than the weather does.
- November to April — calmer water, reliable boat crossings, clearer seas
- May to October — choppier, with crossings cancelled in bad spells and an earlier last boat back from the islands
- September is usually the wettest month and the one to avoid for island plans
The month-by-month breakdown has the detail.
Practical things
- Boats are open and spray happens. A dry bag earns its place
- Cash. Most islands have no ATM and card payment is rare
- Book ahead in December and January on the popular islands; turn up any other month
- Bring what you need. Island shops are small and expensive
Doing the coast properly
Most people give the south coast two days and the islands a week. We'd argue for the reverse of what's usual: a few days in Kampot and Kep for the food and the mountain, then the islands for the sand. A week on the south coast sets out how.