Sihanoukville beaches Cambodia Travel Guide frizz restaurant, Phnom Penh

The southern coast of Cambodia boasts some fine sandy stretches worthy of putting your feet up for a few days, especially after some heavy-duty temple touring or bouncing around the roads of rural Cambodia.

Road number 4 connects Phnom Penh with Sihanoukville, where you can find some lovely little beach areas, most of which are speckled with bungalows and bars, as well as an upmarket resort called Sokha Beach Resort.

beautiful beach on Rabbit Island, Cambodia

Ko Tonsay, or Rabbit Island as it is commonly known as, is a lovely and truly idyllic little island that sits offshore from Kep, just thirty minutes away by hired boat.

Koh Tonsay is two square kilometers. In the 960's it was used as a place to rehabilitate criminals, who were also used to defend the island. Horse cart paths and wooden, thatch roofed motels were also constructed during this time. Most of this infrastructure has been destroyed. Today, seven families live on the island. They earn their living by fishing and growing coconut trees.

Rabbit Island has become a popular daytrip for tourists. Within sight of land, this lushly forested spot has swimming and snorkeling opportunities. At the sea bottom area a variety of corals, sea animals and plants and is just a pleasant place to while away some time.

The main beach where the boats anchor in line with coconut palms, hammocks, lazy chairs and a handful of fresh seafood joints serving up some outstanding seafood -- it doesn't get fresher than here!

There's a delightful lady and her family who have a little restaurant there with great seafood - very inexpensive - and rent bamboo shacks out for about $3 per day - very basic with mattress and mosquito net, a short walk to the toilet. When you ask for some crab in garlic and pepper you could well end up wading out to help the owner select the crabs!

The beach is clean and you definitely feel far, far away from it all.

On Rabbit Island you are away from it all

There is no electricity, so at night it is just you, your torch, perhaps a beach bonfire and about a million stars overhead. No karaoke, no motorbikes, no noise, no problem.

There are opportunities for walks to other little bays on the island and the swimming straight off the main beach is excellent, otherwise fishing trips may be able to be organised through your boatman. Try to rustle up a few people for the trip.

If you're after a back to basics, island hideaway then you've found it here on glorious Ko Tonsay. There can't be many places in the world that could be more relaxing than Rabbit Island. It is little, though.

Kep’s guesthouses offer boat services to the island, and local fishermen will also take you, but they are likely to be more expensive.

Prices for a return trip range between $10 and $20 (per boat, not per person). There are a feast of other islands dotting the area. A tour of these could also be arranged.