Koh Tang Island

Better known for the 1975 battle, Koh Tang is a beautiful, as yet undeveloped, Cambodian island in the Kampot Province. While until very recently it lacked even the most basic amenities that tourists can find on other islands, like Koh Totang, Koh Tang is nevertheless worth a visit, particularly if you love diving. In the waters surrounding the island, you are bound to find previously unexplored (or little explored) diving spots with a wealth of marine life to admire. It is also the only place in Cambodia where you can go wreck diving.

About Koh Tang Island Cambodia

Koh Tang is located about 5 hours and 52 km off Cambodia, and about 2.5 hours and 35-40 km southwest off Koh Rong Saloem. From all the Cambodian islands off the coast of SihanoukVille in the Gulf of Thailand, Koh Tang is the biggest, at 3 km2. The island is 6.5 km long and 1.7 km wide at its widest point (only 80 meters wide at its narrowest). Koh Tang is 90 per cent forested, and it boasts five coastal beaches; however, only about half of them are sandy and suitable for sunbathing, with the rest being covered in rocks.

The time spent getting there largely depends on the type of boat used; thus, while a dive boat needs 4 or 5 hours to reach the island, a speedboat covers the same distance in about 1.5 hours; there are daily speedboats to the island from the mainland. Booking your place on a private chartered boat costs around $450, whereas diver boat trips are more affordable. Nonetheless, once you get past Koh Rong, the journey might be less smooth, with 2 meter waves slowing down the boats.

If you go there and decide to stay overnight, you will most likely need to remain on board since Koh Tang is not yet developed, so there is only one hostel on the island. Spending the night is actually a good idea, as many of the diving spots off the island are excellent for night dives. Moreover, these dive sites are seldom explored even by daytime, which makes Koh Tang the best island for diving in the region. You can book your overnight diving trip from SihanoukVille, situated about 60 km away. And while you visit Koh Tang, you may also want to dive off Koh Prins, a nearby island that has great diving sites as well.

In 1975, Koh Tang witnessed the last official battle of the Vietnam War, carried out by the U.S. forces on one side and the Khmer Rouge on the other. Ever since, there is military personnel present that boards all travelers to the island, but otherwise Koh Tang is uninhabited. This very isolation is what keeps the beaches pristine and the waters clear. The visibility is great, and marine life thrives undisturbed by anyone than the occasional diver.

Even though right now it is just an island, undeveloped and inhabited by the military, this is also a good thing, because when you do get there, you will have the land and the ocean all to yourself. While other Cambodian islands are also undeveloped, you will hardly ever find the same level of wilderness as you can explore on Koh Tang.

Geography of Koh Tang Island

The island is rock fringed with its highest point at its northern extremity. Two shallow coves press into the eastern and western neck of its northern plateau. The eastern cove has a long shallow coral sand beach. The small islet Koh Mul/Tuich lies about 1.3 km (1 mi) to the East and Koh Domloung (potato) island about 2.2 km (1 mi) to the South. The islets Koh Tee Mui (8.4 km (5 mi) off) and Koh Tee Bpi (9.6 km (6 mi) off) complete the Koh Tang archipelago.

History of Koh Tang

Koh Tang massacre
In May 1975, Khmer Rouge troops landed on nearby Thổ Chu Island and kidnapped 513 Vietnamese civilians (almost the entire population of Thổ Chu) to Koh Tang, where they were forced to do hard labor until they were all executed.

Mayaguez Incident
Assault on Koh Tang during the rescue of the SS Mayaguez
The island is the site of the last combat action of the Vietnam War and the only ground combat between U.S. forces and the Khmer Rouge. On May 15, 1975, U.S. Marines on board U.S. Air Force helicopters landed on Koh Tang in the hope of freeing the crew of the SS Mayagüez which had been captured by Khmer Rouge gunboats on May 12, 1975. The crew of the Mayaguez was not on Koh Tang, but had been taken to the Cambodian mainland and were released during the rescue operation. In the course of the operation the Khmer Rouge shot down three CH-53 helicopters on or near Koh Tang and 15 Marines and Air Force crewmen were killed and another 3 Marines were inadvertently left behind and later executed. An estimated 13-25 Khmer Rouge were killed during the battle.

Capture of the Foxy Lady
On the evening of August 13, 1978 the Foxy Lady, a Chinese sailing junk which had been blown off course while sailing from Singapore to Bangkok, was discovered taking shelter on the western side of Koh Tang by Khmer Rouge gunboats. The gunboats fired on the Foxy Lady killing Canadian crewman Stuart Glass. The other two crewmen, Englishman John Dewhirst and New Zealander Kerry Hamill dived into the water and were picked up by the Khmer Rouge boats. Dewhirst and Hamill were later transported to S-21 prison in Phnom Penh where they were tortured and forced to write confessions. Dewhirst was executed in late August and Hamill was executed in October 1978.

• Area: 5.9 km²
• Ethnic groups: Khmer
• Province: Koh Kong
• Location: Cambodia - Southeast Asia