Koh Tang & Outer Islands – Cambodia Diving

About Koh Tang & Outer Islands

Koh Tang and the outer islands represent Cambodia's most advanced and adventurous diving, featuring eight world-class sites in the open waters of the Gulf of Thailand. Koh Tang Island is the diving centrepiece with The Steps offering a spectacular stepped reef from 5 to 40 metres with huge gorgonians and schooling barracuda, and the Big Drop-Off delivering Cambodia's premier wall dive with grey reef sharks, tuna, and occasional whale sharks. The Three Bears seamount attracts seasonal manta rays from February to May alongside massive snapper schools. The Mayaguez Wreck adds historical intrigue as the remains of the US container ship from the famous 1975 incident. Dolphin Reef regularly hosts spinner and bottlenose dolphins. Further offshore, Koh Prins (Prince Island) offers the Prins Pinnacle with dogtooth tuna and sailfish, and Prins Wall with whitetip sharks and giant trevally. Koh Poulo Wai, Cambodia's most remote diving destination, features untouched coral walls with shark schools, huge dogtooth tuna, manta ray cleaning stations, and spectacular visibility of 30 metres or more. These outer island sites are reached by 2 to 3 hour boat transfers from Sihanoukville and are often visited on multi-day liveaboard trips. The exposed offshore conditions create the best visibility and pelagic encounters in Cambodia.

Highlights

• ✓Big Drop-Off – Cambodia's premier wall dive with grey reef sharks and occasional whale sharks
• ✓Three Bears seamount with seasonal manta rays (February to May) and massive snapper schools
• ✓Koh Poulo Wai – Cambodia's most remote diving with untouched walls and 30m visibility
• ✓Mayaguez Wreck – historically significant US container ship from the 1975 incident
• ✓Prins Pinnacle with dogtooth tuna and sailfish in the open ocean
• ✓Eight advanced sites with the best pelagic encounters in Cambodia

Getting There

Koh Tang and the outer islands are reached by boat from Sihanoukville, approximately 2 to 3 hours offshore. The longer transfers require calm sea conditions during the dry season from November to April. Multi-day liveaboard trips are the preferred way to experience the outer islands, allowing divers to visit multiple sites including Koh Poulo Wai in a single trip. Day trips to Koh Tang are possible but involve significant time on the water. Weather-dependent scheduling is essential with flexible backup dates recommended.