La Passion by Achariyak , Koh Rong

La Passion is set right on the white sands of Koh Rong Sanloem’s main beach. It’s easterly facing and located where most of the boats from the mainland come in, making it very accessible and less faff to reach than other resorts on the surrounding islands. Once a popular backpacker beach, the area is evolving, with better quality hotels such as this. 

 The main pool, restaurant and bar are situated right at the beachfront, but you’ll find most of the rooms set back from the beach in the lush grounds (so there are no sea views from the bedrooms). We only book the deluxe level rooms and above to ensure a decent sized room and better location with more privacy. The executive rooms have their own pool, are very affordable and offer something more luxurious. The resort is quite spread out - they have a golf buggy service, or you can borrow a (vintage!) bike to get around.  

Don’t expect the traditional Khmer wooden design style - the rooms are simple in design but feel fresh, clean, and modern. The approach here was to focus on the resort facilities instead of the reasonably compact rooms. Rooms have big sliding doors, a picture window facing the jungle and lovely colourful murals on the walls. 

One of La Passions' key plus points is its location – private enough not to be disturbed by the public beach, yet it’s easy to walk out and get some local food or watch a fire show there in the evening. There are water sports at the beach, such as kayaking and jet skiing. It’s ideal for couples or families who want to enjoy their surroundings, get out and about and explore locally and are not looking for uber-luxury and attention to detail.