Koh Ta Kiev

Koh Ta Kiev lies off the coast within Ream National Park, and for years it has been the island for people who want almost nothing: a handful of camps offering hammocks, treehouses and simple bungalows, no mains electricity, no roads, and beaches reached along forest paths. Swimming after dark stirs bioluminescent plankton into blue-green light, which is the island's best-known attraction. Forest covers most of the interior with monkeys and hornbills. The island's future has been uncertain for years because much of it has been leased for development, and camps have opened and closed accordingly, so what is running changes from season to season and should be checked before travelling.

What you actually see

• Bioluminescent water - plankton lighting up when disturbed at night.
• Forest paths - tracks between beaches through the island interior.
• Rustic camps - hammocks, treehouses and bungalows without mains power.
• Empty beaches - stretches of sand with no development behind them.

When to go

November to April for calm crossings and clear water; bioluminescence is strongest on dark nights around the new moon. May to October brings rough seas and most camps close.

Honest expectations

Facilities are genuinely minimal: bucket showers, generator power for a few hours, limited food. Sandflies are severe. Development leases mean camps close without notice, so confirming what is open matters. Boats cancel in rough weather.

Nearby

Ream National Park is on the mainland opposite; Sihanoukville lies north.