Most people head from Siem Reap to Koh Kong by routing through Phnom Penh like they’re trying to collect stamps at every Cambodian bus station. But the real journey, the good journey, goes via Pursat and into the belly of the Cardamoms. I didn’t take a minivan with reclining seats and AC that works. I did it Khmer style. A bus that looked like it had survived at least one civil war, a karaoke machine on loop, barbecue at every stop, and enough warm Ganzberg to get you through a power outage. This is Cambodia unfiltered, and if you’re going to do Siem Reap to Koh Kong, this is how you do it.
Siem Reap to Pursat: Karaoke and Charcoal at Every Stop
We left Siem Reap at the kind of hour where you’re not sure if it’s still night. The bus was barely holding itself together, but it had one major feature: a karaoke machine that someone plugged in within minutes. Preap Sovath’s greatest hits screamed through the speakers as we lurched past rice paddies and school kids on bicycles. The first proper stop came somewhere near Kampong Thom. A roadside grill appeared like a mirage, and soon half the bus was crouched on plastic chairs chewing through skewers of meat that may or may not have once had feathers.
By the time we hit Pursat, the karaoke was in full swing and the fans had given up completely. Another pit stop, more grilled meat, and of course more Ganzberg passed around like communion wine. This was not a journey for people in a rush. It was a slow roll through the back roads of Cambodia, and every minute of it felt like an accidental party.
Pursat to Osoam: Mountains, Rivers and the Durian Break
Leaving Pursat the roads start to wind and everything changes. You hit the foothills and suddenly it’s all mountains and jungle and rivers running under rusted bridges. We made regular stops, some for photos, others because, well when you drink beer the world is your toilet.
Somewhere after Veal Veng we crossed the mountains properly. It was misty, thick green all around, with jungle sounds louder than the engine. We stopped at a rapid river which was also a great place to eat. I just sat with another Ganzberg and took it in.
We arrived in Osoam late in the afternoon, dust-covered and a little wet from the monsoons. Osoam is less a town than a jungle outpost with a lake. The village has an eerie, beautiful quiet to it, like something halfway between a nature documentary and a horror film. We stayed the night in a local lodge. At sunset we visited the local durian farm, which is about as close to rural Cambodian tourism as you get out here. Durian fresh from the tree is… intense – particularly when not quite ripe yet. Some love it, some hate it, I fall in the adore it category.
Osoam to Koh Kong: Jungle Roads and Swerving Into the Sea
The road from Osoam to Koh Kong is straight out of a movie. You’re driving on what used to be logging trails, through jungle that looks ready to swallow the road whole. It’s muddy, slippery, and lined with vegetation thick enough to hide a whole village. The bus stopped twice more, once for a minor mechanical issue and once because someone wanted to cook sausages. At this point no one even questioned it.
Eventually the jungle thins out and the first signs of Koh Kong appear. A few concrete buildings, some rusted roofs, and finally the smell of saltwater in the air. We had made it.
Koh Kong: The End of the Road, the Start of Something Else
Koh Kong doesn’t pretend to be anything it’s not. It’s not Sihanoukville. It’s not Siem Reap. But it is a sleepy, genuine Cambodian town with a small street food scene and one foot still planted in the jungle. You can eat grilled squid by the sea, watch the sunset from the bridge, or just sit and drink another beer by the sea. There’s a charm to the stillness here, the fact that no one’s in a rush to turn it into something else. And after a trip like this, you appreciate that.
And of course they do have their mangrove forest and a decent enough beach, OK it is not not Koh Rong, but it also lacks the crowds.
Getting There and Away
If you’re thinking of doing this journey, here’s what you need to know
• Siem Reap to Pursat – Around 190 km, takes 4 to 5 hours by bus or 3.5 by car
• Pursat to Osoam – Around 70 km but slow going through mountains, 2.5 to 3 hours by car or pickup
• Osoam to Koh Kong – About 120 km of dirt road, expect 3 to 4 hours minimum
• Koh Kong to Phnom Penh – 290 km, roughly 6 hours by bus
• Koh Kong to Sihanoukville – 230 km, 4 to 5 hours, connects to Cambodia’s train network
• Koh Kong to Siem Reap – There are now direct buses, expect 10 to 12 hours depending on road conditions
No part of this trip was glamorous, and that’s exactly what made it brilliant. It was long, it was bumpy, it made my back hurt and I drank far too much beer! It was though also one of the best road trips in Cambodia, aside from Anlong Veng that I have ever been on.