Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links to handpicked partners, including tours, gear and booking sites. If you click through or buy something via one of them, I may receive a small commission. This is at no extra cost to you and allows this site to keep running.
Is a visit to Koh Kong Island, Cambodia, worth it? See a lesser-known corner of Cambodia on a jungle trek, in what is dubbed the country’s ‘wild west’.
Koh Kong Island remains a relatively untrodden part of Cambodia and a stopping point for exploring the Cardamom Mountains. I’ve always had a thing about getting close to Cambodia’s nature trails, so jungle trekking in Koh Kong seemed to be a perfect opportunity.
Article Contents
Where is Koh Kong Island?
Koh Kong is the largest island in Cambodia, south of the mainland peninsula and on the border with Thailand and near the famed Koh Rong Island.
To reach this wild west region, you’ll need to take a six-hour bus from Phnom Penh to Khemarak Phoumin (Koh Kong town), the capital of the mainland-set Koh Kong Province. It should cost around $10 one-way.
Now, there’s not much to do here, though it’s a good place to stretch your legs and grab some local food and sleep. You need to base yourself there for the trips out to the jungle, Koh Kong Island, or the Peam Krasaop Wildlife Sanctuary.
Rene’s Guesthouse offers budget-friendly stays at $10 a night for a double room. JJs Residence is a new, modern offering with an outdoor pool, priced at $45 per night. Young Wild and Free is a beachside bungalow-lined property on the Koh Kong Peninsula, from $15 a night.
Town of Khemarak Phoumin (Koh Kong).
Jungle Trekking Tours in Koh Kong – Where to Start
Koh Kong jungle tours can be booked in town from the town’s longstanding guesthouse, Paddy’s Bamboo. At the time of my visit, several guesthouses offered identical tours at the same price, so I booked through my guesthouse, Blue Moon (now closed).
A one-day, one-night Koh Kong island tour will set you back around $30. But was it really worth the money?
The scenery conjured up nature at its best (we were the only ones at the mercy of the jungle’s territory), but the experience-to-cost ratio is subjective.
$30 gets you a river trip to the mountainous area; the jungle trek to the waterfall, where you have a BBQ lunch; an overnight hammock stay; dinner in the evening, and a chance to see the fireflies at night in the mangrove forests. A proper mini-adventure, right?
Except what we got was a very slow boat ride to the jungle, guides who wandered off without much care for the trekkers, a pre-made (not BBQ) lunch, a stay on the deck at the house of one of the guides (not in the jungle as it was suggested, although scenic nonetheless), and a quick 15 minute boat ride in the evening to see the fireflies.
Still, one upside of a slower boat ride is the scenic views along the way.
A speed boat through the forested river channels in Koh Kong.
Scenic river passages on the way to Koh Kong Island.
A speedboat in action on the wide waters.
Passing stilt river houses.
Dusky scenes of Koh Kong’s landscapes.
Life in Koh Kong Island and its mangrove waters.
The serene scenes of fisherman out on the waterways.
Is a Koh Kong Jungle Trek Worth It?
Is the Koh Kong jungle trek worth the $30 price tag? Not really, though it’s also fair to say this kind of tourist offering is in its infancy. It’s off-track, seldom tested to perfection, and a local venture without streamlined consultation. So it’s better to temper expectations of any grand adventure and take it as it comes. The mini, chug-along speed boat back in the morning was a kick in the teeth after a long day of trekking.
However, the jungle trek gets you right into the heart of the wilderness and is tough in places, where you will be using tree branches to hoist yourself up and down the steep and sometimes slippery terrain, which is great if you enjoy a bit of a trekking challenge.
Taking a short break in the shade on the trek.
Trekkers navigating a trail through large foliage covered rock corners.
Surveying the thick island jungle.
Navigating thick tropical foliage in Koh Kong.
Deep into the rock caverns.
A dried out river stretch of the Koh Kong jungle.
It takes about two to three hours to get to the waterfall at the height of the jungle, where you will get a spectacular panoramic view of the island and the surrounding area. Sadly, during my visit, the waterfall was mostly dry, but I can imagine it’s impressive during the wet season.
Descending is harder, so bring decent walking shoes and ask one of the guides to make you a walking stick from the bamboo sticks if you need it – it really helps balance on the slippery and rocky surfaces.
Nature’s pathways in rock-strewn jungle.
Hidden waterfalls in rocky spaces.
The rewarding viewpoint of the Koh Kong Island jungle trek.
Makeshift jungle kitchen.
The fireflies were magical, a spectacle made only more serene by the absolute silence of our surroundings. Although I wish we were out there longer to see more, your experience here will largely depend on the boat driver’s patience.
While it isn’t the first time I have slept outside, where the only barrier between myself and Mother Nature is a mosquito net, the hammock sleep was a nice touch, where the stars are above you, and you slowly rock to sleep to the sound of the gentle river currents.
Accommodation for the evening – hammocks on a covered wooden deck, with the views and sounds of nature.
Sunset over Koh Kong Island.
Should Koh Kong Island be on my Cambodia Itinerary?
If you have plenty of time, explore the Koh Kong jungle in Cambodia, but do a lot of dogging around town for the best operator. This trek is a good starter if you have never been on a jungle trek, although I’ve had a better experience in Northern Thailand. Treks in Cambodia are a fairly new offering.
If you are keen to see more jungle and see yourself more as a Bear Grylls type than an average rambler, make the trip to the east of the country for jungle expeditions in Cambodia’s Mondulkiri and Ratanakiri Provinces. That was my next move to get my fix of the Cambodian jungle.
Looking for other Cambodian jungle-bound destinations? Check out my guides to small-town backwoods like Kampot, hideaways like Kep’s Rabbit Island, and nature-entangled temples like Beng Mealea.
Leave a Reply