Koh Kong, Cambodia: travel guide
Gateway to the Cardamom Mountains, mangroves and Tatai waterfall
Cambodia's southwestern frontier town on the Kah Bpow river, and the gateway to the Cardamom Mountains — the largest remaining wilderness in mainland Southeast Asia.
About Koh Kong
Koh Kong is a town on the Kah Bpow river in Cambodia's southwest, close to the Thai border and used mostly as a gateway to the Cardamom Mountains. The wild country around it is largely forest and river.
Boats go upriver to the Tatai waterfall, and the mangrove boardwalk at Peam Krasop offers a gentle introduction to the coastal wetlands. Offshore, Koh Kong Island, also known as Koh Kong Krau, has quiet beaches reached by boat.
Koh Kong suits nature-minded travellers and those crossing between Thailand and Cambodia who want to break the journey. The dry season from November to April is the most comfortable time for river trips and island days.
- Country
- Cambodia
- Currency
- KHR
- Time zone
- Asia/Phnom_Penh
Last updated
Top places to visit in Koh Kong
Peam Krasop Mangrove Boardwalk
Nature · 4.4 rating · about 1.5 h · check the fee at the gate
A concrete walkway on stilts running out through the mangroves of Peam Krasaop Wildlife Sanctuary to a suspension bridge and an observation tower over the estuary. The sanctuary protects one of the largest intact mangrove systems in…
Pak Khlong Beach
Beach · 4.3 rating · about 2 h · check the fee at the gate
Koh Kong town's own beach, a few kilometres southwest along the coast road — a long grey-sand strip facing the Gulf of Thailand, with a handful of beach bars and bungalows and almost nobody on it. The sunsets are the reason to come.
Koh Kong Market
Market · 4.1 rating · about 1 h · check the fee at the gate
The town's central market, and the most useful hour in Koh Kong — Cardamom forest produce, river fish and Thai goods carried over the Cham Yeam border, all in one block. Busiest early; the food stalls at the back are where the town eats…
Tatai Bridge
Viewpoint · 4.3 rating · about 0.5 h · check the fee at the gate
The National Road 48 crossing of the Tatai river, and the jumping-off point for the whole Cardamom river trade — boats to the waterfall, to the river lodges and into the mangroves all leave from beneath it. The view upriver into the…
Tatai Waterfall
Waterfall · 4.6 rating · about 2 h · check the fee at the gate
A wide, stepped cascade on the Tatai river, reached by longtail boat from the NR48 bridge or on foot in the dry season. Deep plunge pools below the falls are swimmable; the flow, and the access, change completely between the wet and dry…
Koh Kong Krau Third Beach
Beach · 4.3 rating · about 2 h · check the fee at the gate
The longest of the seven west-facing beaches on Koh Kong Krau — a wide arc of pale sand backed by casuarina and jungle, with no development behind it. The usual lunch and swim stop on a day boat from Koh Kong town.
Samotheararam Pagoda (Wat Pak Khlong)
Temple · 4.4 rating · about 0.8 h · check the fee at the gate
The pagoda of Pak Khlong village, a short ride southwest of town near the beach — a working monastery with painted vihara walls and a quiet seaward courtyard, and the one piece of built heritage on Koh Kong's coast road.
Koh Kong Island (Koh Kong Krau)
Nature · 4.4 rating · about 6 h · check the fee at the gate
Cambodia's second-largest island, an hour and a half offshore by boat and almost entirely undeveloped — seven beaches along its western shore, a freshwater waterfall inland, and no road, no pier and no grid electricity. Day trips run from…
Koh Kong Bridge
Viewpoint · 4.5 rating · about 0.5 h · check the fee at the gate
The 1.9 km crossing of the Kaoh Pao river on the road to the Thai border — the longest bridge in Cambodia when it opened, and the structure that ended Koh Kong's isolation by ferry. Walkable, and the best vantage point over the estuary and…
Where to stay in Koh Kong
Hotels
- Young Wild and Free - beach bar restaurant and bungalows
- De Zee HOTEL
- MK BOUTIQUE
- Soho Villa & Resort
- 99 Guesthouse
- Mangrove Sanctuary Resort
Getting to Koh Kong
Nearest airport: Sihanoukville (KOS), about 135 km away in a straight line. The road or rail journey is longer.
Getting around
- Boat
- Scooter Rental
- Tuktuk
- Walking
Best time to visit Koh Kong
- Jan 28°C
- Feb 29°C
- Mar 30°C
- Apr 30°C
- May 34°C · moderate
- Jun 33°C · moderate
- Jul 32°C · moderate
- Aug 32°C · moderate
- Sep 32°C · moderate
- Oct 31°C · moderate
- Nov 28°C
- Dec 28°C
More in Cambodia
Frequently asked questions about Koh Kong
- What are the top-rated places to visit in Koh Kong?
- The highest-rated places in our Koh Kong guide are Tatai Waterfall, Koh Kong Bridge, Peam Krasop Mangrove Boardwalk, Samotheararam Pagoda (Wat Pak Khlong), Koh Kong Island (Koh Kong Krau).
- How do I get around Koh Kong?
- Ways to get around Koh Kong covered in our guide: Boat, Scooter rental, Tuk-tuk, Walking.
- What is the weather like in Koh Kong?
- Average daytime highs in Koh Kong run from 28°C in Dec to 34°C in May.