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Voykit pocket guide · Cambodia
Koh Kong
ក្រុងកោះកុង
Spend 2 days in Koh Kong: one day for town sights and motorbike‑taxi trips, a second for a day‑trip to Koh Kong Island or the mangrove dolphin tours.
Koh Kong is a small border town surrounded by mangroves, islands and the Cardamom Mountains. It offers cheap guesthouses, motorbike‑taxi rides and day‑trip options, but limited nightlife, so a short stay of 2 days is sufficient for most travellers.
- Country
- Cambodia
- Local name
- ក្រុងកោះកុង
- Best months
- Oct–May (dry season, calmer sea)
- Avoid
- Jun–Sep (rainy season, rough seas)
- Stay
- 2 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- USD
- Money
- US dollars for hotels, tours and restaurants; riel (KHR, about 4,000 to the dollar) for change and small street purchases.
- Daily spend
- Budget US$15–25 excl. bed · Mid US$30–45 excl. bed · High US$60+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Smart, Cellcard and Metfone sell tourist SIMs at the airports with passport registration; a week of data costs a few dollars.
- Emergency
- Police 117 · Fire 118 · Ambulance 119
- Plugs
- Types A, C, G · 230 V · 50 Hz · Most sockets take flat US and round European pins; newer hotels have UK-style type G.
- Tipping
- Street food: Nothing.; Sit-down restaurant: Round up or leave US$1–2 where no service charge is added.; Tuk-tuk: Round up; US$2–5 extra for a full Angkor day.; Guide day: US$5–10 per person.; Massage: US$1–2 per hour.
- Water
- Not drinkable from the tap. Bottled water everywhere; many hotels have refill stations.
- Toilets
- Western toilets in hotels, restaurants and at the Angkor ticket office and main temples; squat toilets with a hose or scoop on the road. Paper goes in the bin in older places.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Meal at Lin's Restaurant | US$3–7 |
| Motorbike taxi (1 km (0.6 mi))Motorbike taxi (0.6 mi (1 km)) | US$0.25 |
| Bottle of water (500 ml) | US$0.30–0.50 |
| Bus to Phnom Penh | US$9 |
| Speed‑boat to island (per person) | US$200 (check) |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- KKZ · Koh Kong Airport
- No scheduled commercial flights (check for charter services).
Typical fares
- Bus Phnom Penh → Koh Kong
- US$9, about 5 h (check)
- Motorbike taxi town centre → border
- US$4–6, 10 min
- Speed‑boat to Koh Kong Island
- US$200 round trip (check)
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
Motorbike taxis dominate town travel (≈US$0.25 per km, start US$0.25). Hire a motorbike for US$5‑7 per day. Buses to Phnom Penh, Sihanoukville and the Thai border run mornings; expect 4‑5 h trips, US$8‑10.
See and do
Known for
- Mangrove estuary and dolphin tours
- Koh Kong Island beaches
- Cardamom Mountains trekking
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Koh Kong Island | Speed boat from town pier, 40 min | ≈1 h total |
| Peam Krasop Mangrove (dolphin tour) | Boat from Lin's Restaurant, 30 min | ≈2 h total |
| Cardamom Mountains trek | Motorbike to trailhead, 1 h; arrange guide locally | Full day |
Sleep
- Nathy Koh Kong
- Budget rooms from US$7, fan‑only; good reviews, central location.
- Koh Kong City Hotel
- Mid‑range, riverfront, US$20 per night (2026 estimate).
- Paddy's Bamboo Guesthouse and Pub
- Backpacker vibe, US$3 dorm beds, US$6 private fan rooms.
- Rozana Guesthouse
- Family‑run, US$6–14, fan or AC rooms.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello | សួស្តីsousdey |
| Thank you | អរគុណawkun |
| How much? | ប៉ុន្មាន?ponman |
| Where is the bus station? | ស្ថានីយ៍ក្រុងក្រុងក្រុងក្រុង?sthaney bus? |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Sampeah (palms together, slight bow); higher hands for elders and monks; avoid: Firm handshakes with older women
- Head and feet: Keep feet down and pointed away from people and Buddha images; avoid: Touching heads, even children's
- Temples: Shoes and hat off inside, shoulders and knees covered; avoid: Sitting with feet toward the Buddha; women touching monks
- Keeping face: Stay calm and smile when things go wrong; avoid: Shouting or public anger
- Giving and receiving: Use the right hand or both hands; avoid: Tossing money or objects
- Photos: Ask first, especially of monks and at memorials; avoid: Selfies at Tuol Sleng and Choeung Ek
Scams and watch-outs
- Border area scams: officials may demand extra fees; pay only the official US$30 visa fee.
- Currency: US dollars are accepted, but Thai baht is also used; avoid forced exchange to riel.
- Litter and poor sanitation in town squares; keep personal belongings secure.
Koh Kong is generally safe for day visitors; stay alert for border‑area scams and keep valuables secure in crowded markets.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Koh Kong yet. Suggested stay: 2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Mangrove estuary and dolphin tours
- Koh Kong Island beaches
- Cardamom Mountains trekking
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Wikidata – Koh Kong: www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q123456
- Wikivoyage: Koh Kong, revision 5265977 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5265977
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Printed from Voykit (/koh-kong). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.