How to move to Koh Rong?

When life goes to shit, move to paradise. Here’s our guide on how to move to Koh Rong Island.

Despite some initial hope that we might be getting a coronavirus vaccine, the reality is that it may take a long long time before those of us in the developing world get to throw a needle in our arms and hope for the best.

For those of us stuck in Cambodia, we have been luckier than most. The government have been great about visas, and largely there is no “lockdown” although rules do periodically change.

To read about the lock-down in Cambodia click here.

Coronavirus = opportunity!

So, working on the theory that you are stuck in Cambodia you might want to consider relocating from the big bad cities of Phnom Peng, or Siem Reap to an idealist lifestyle on an island paradise?

Sounds great right, but what are the practicalities of living on Koh Rong?

Oh and fun fact, Koh Rong (well Koh Rong Sanloem) saw the last battle of the Vietnam War!

Koh Rong is NOT a city

It takes a special type of person to live on an island, and by special we mostly mean that you need to have a lot of patience, things move slower and you will just not have the creature comforts of home. But, you need to weigh up all the options and decide if going without sushi is a price worth paying to live in paradise. For me that is a no brainer.

Working on Koh Rong

At the moment the economy has tanked, so the best “work” deals on Koh Rong tend to offer accommodation and food, rather than money. If you can deal with this great. If you are a digital nomad it is easy enough to work on Koh Rong, but it will depend massively on how fast you need your internet to be.

Monthly Rentals on Koh Rong

Depending on how luxurious you need your beach hut to be, prices range from 160 a month for a Jungle Hut at Treehouse Bungalows, to upwards of 1000 for a truly pimping place. It should be remembered that whilst rent is cheap, eating out costs more than the mainland, and you will most likely not have a kitchen in your beach hut!

Move to Koh Rong + Expat Life

When you move to Koh Rong you will notice that despite the lack of tourists there is a truly buzzing expat seen. Thankfully said expats are also very welcoming, rather than pretentious tossers, which is nice. But keep in mind in such a small place EVERYONE will know everything that you do. You have been warned.

And that is the skinny on how to move to Koh Rong! There really isn’t a better time to do it.

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