Sol Beach Resort

Rooms and decor

Picture an island with no car roads, no engine noise, just waves on the sand and sea breeze through the coconut palms — that is Koh Rong Sanloem, the quieter sister to the main Koh Rong, and Sol Beach Resort sits right on the white sand of Saracen Bay, one of the prettiest bays on the island. The resort is a set of Khmer-style villas and bungalows in warm wood and natural materials, lined up facing the sea, so you open the porch door to a turquoise view and a few steps take you onto fine sand. What surprises a lot of reviewers is that the rooms run wider than the price suggests — airy, comfortable, and private. Anyone used to cramped island huts will feel like they got room to breathe. The overall feel is simple but charming, made for slow mornings with coffee on the porch watching the water.

Food and amenities

The point of a stay like this is living slowly, and Sol Beach Resort covers the essentials well. There is an on-site spa — rare for a resort this size on a quiet island — and after a full day swimming and sunning, a massage to the sound of the waves is a fine reward. The seaside restaurant is another spot reviews agree on, praising the food, and dinner under warm lights by the sand with the surf behind it is exactly the mood people come to the island for. There is a beach bar for a cold drink at sunset, plus watersports like snorkeling and paddling to fill the day. But the thing guests bring up most is not an amenity — it is the staff, friendly and helpful enough that many say it feels more like staying at a friend's house than a hotel.

Location and getting there

Sol Beach Resort is on the beach at Saracen Bay, on the east side of Koh Rong Sanloem — the main bay where speedboats from Sihanoukville dock. The boat from the mainland takes about 45 minutes to reach the Saracen Bay pier, then it is a short walk along the sand to the resort. The appeal of this spot is a quiet you do not get in town: there are no cars anywhere on the island, so you get around on foot along the beach or by boat, which keeps the air clean and the place silent. Saracen Bay has restaurants, beach bars, and swimming spots dotted along its length, pleasant to explore on foot. For a bit of adventure you can walk across the island on a short forest trail to Lazy Beach or Sunset Beach on the far side for the sunset. It is a setup built for anyone wanting a full slow-life escape by the sea.

Things to know before booking

Straight talk to help you decide. First, the island life takes some adjusting: Koh Rong Sanloem has no car roads and sits offshore, so coming and going depends on boats, and power and Wi-Fi run island-style — not always steady around the clock. If you have to be online all the time, brace for that. Second, the amenities are fairly simple in keeping with the island; the rooms are spacious and there is a spa, but this is not an all-out five-star resort, and anyone expecting that level may find it basic. Treat it as a simple-but-complete beach stay and you will be happiest. Plan around the seasons too: in the rainy stretch, roughly May to October, the wind and waves pick up and some boats may not run on bad-weather days, so check the forecast and leave buffer time. Finally, money — the island has few ATMs and many spots take cash only, so change and withdraw enough on the Sihanoukville side before you board.

Our take

From reading the real reviews, Sol Beach Resort is a beachfront stay that sells simple-but-complete charmingly — spacious Khmer-style villas on the white sand of Saracen Bay, a spa to unwind, food guests like, and staff so friendly the praise is near-unanimous, all for far less than the luxury resorts on Koh Rong. If your trip in your head is waking to clear water in front of your villa, swimming and sunning all day, an evening massage, then dinner by the sand with the surf, this delivers in full. If you want five-star luxury, rock-solid Wi-Fi, and city-grade convenience, the island life here may not be your thing. Overall we give it 8.5/10 — best for couples and travelers who want to escape the noise for a slow beach break and value atmosphere and warmth over luxury.