Reviews of DAHLIA Guesthouse

We had a wonderful stay at Ellen’s guesthouse. The place is cosy, full of little attentions for the guests. The patio with hammocks and pillows is wonderful in the morning to take a coffee. The rooms are well equipped and very clean (on a much higher level that you can find on average in South-East Asia). We enjoyed a lot our stay in Koh Rong Samloem and I couldn’t recommend you more to give a shot at this guesthouse.

Where to start... it felt like home from the first day till the last ! Ellen js amazing, so kind and helpful and the guesthouse is just lovely - great view, clean private rooms, common spaces downstairs and upstairs., Bianca who worked there via "workaway" is so great and friendly ! The house is a bit on a hill so the view js great and its very quiet there but still super close to the beach and everything. This island is a very special place,, and so is the Dahlia guesthouse:) thanks for everything and im gonna try really hard to come back soon!!

I thoroughly enjoyed my time at Dahlia. It's situated in a charming local neighborhood filled with delightful restaurants and bars. Ellen's house is spacious, featuring a large lobby where you can work, relax, or enjoy a coffee—Ellen even has a real coffee maker! The entrance is impeccably clean, just like the rest of the house. The room only had a fan, but that wasn't an issue; the window with a net screen provided fantastic ventilation. The cold water in the bathroom wasn't as cold as you might expect, but it was at a pleasant temperature. If you need hot water in a shower, it's conveniently available downstairs, there is bathroom you can use. There's also a kitchen where you can prepare a sandwich or slice some fruit to enjoy on a plate. Everything is tidy and user-friendly. You can also make free refill of your bottles! And there is also a fridge to store your meal / cool your bottles... You can pay by card upon your arrival at the property. It's just a short walk from the pier, but I wouldn't recommend bringing a suitcase; a backpack is much more practical due to the lack of regular roads. One of the highlights of M'Pai village is definitely the food. There are numerous fantastic restaurants! After my experience in Koh Rong, where finding good food was a challenge, this felt like a culinary paradise. Seapony is perfect for breakfast, while Dragonfly is great for drinks and light meals—especially their baba ganoush with flatbread! I ended up extending my stay because the location was simply wonderful. For 5usd you can take a water taxi to other beaches but I prefered M´Pai vibes.

Perhaps an additional clothesline and extra pegs would be useful upstairs.

The property is cosy, homely, well-kept and maintained, and has a relaxed vibe that reflects its location.

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We loved our stay here. Ellen was so welcoming as soon as we arrived as well as before our arrival giving us tips on how to get there! She gave us water and sat us down to give us a mini talk through the island, what to do and recommended places to eat/drink which was super helpful. Our room was very clean, and decorated in a chic and stylish way. The bathroom even had complimentary handmade shampoo and body wash which was a real treat! Location was also great, 3 min walk to the beach. Strong WiFi and cosy hammock lounging areas if you need a break from the sand & sea! Lovely place! ⭐️

There was no A/C in the room so got quite warm at times. There is an electric fan in the room and this did the job although the guesthouse is ran by solar power I think so we understand why!

This is a great little guesthouse only a short walk from both the pier - where the ferry drops you off - all the local food spots, as well as the little secluded beach, that lays just over the golden bridge. Ellen and her support staff were really kind and welcoming, offering advice and the loan of hammocks for the beach. The downstairs area is really large and inviting, whilst the balcony upstairs offers an amazing view of the sea and the opposing island. Both great spots for hanging out, if you want to chill away from the beach. The room itself was clean and beautifully decorated, with a wall mounted electric fan and a small bathroom, equipped with a shower that runs deliciously cool after a long day in the heat. Whilst the island is made up of a community of western expats, with lots of cafes and restaurants around which cater to vegan needs. There are no ATMs though, so bring cash or be prepared to pay on card. Overall, we thoroughly enjoyed our stay and would 100% recommend Dahlias as somewhere to stay!

Loved our stay, Ellen was a lovely host and we felt very at home here. The little details made the place such as the hammocks, books to read, filtered water and the luxury toiletries in the bathroom. We were given recommendations on things to do on the island. We were surprised by all the good food options on this small island and the beaches were amazing.

The room was very hot but we were given a couple of fans which helped.

Ellen was super friendly and made us feel so welcome! The place has a really nice feel to it, a very homely vibe which we loved! The room was clean and had everything we needed.

Nothing really, we loved our stay here. The only thing would be the fact that there’s no hot water in the room but Ellen did let us know that if we wanted a hot shower we could use the one downstairs.

Lovely guesthouse, great communal space, loved the hammocks on the hot days. Ellen is a lovely, warm, friendly and helpful host. The guesthouse is located in a very quiet area of the M’Pai Bay community. Excellent value for money.

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Ellen was a wonderful host who helped make our stay so great. The property was comfortable and had all the amenities with lovely extras like access to a kettle, hot shower and fresh water

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Dahlia is a gorgeous place to be. Ellen has built a dreamy place. Depending on your length of stay you can tick list the things ‘to do’, our have a moment to re-set. I chose the patient latter, and through Ellen’s connections met so many gorgeous people. Tip: bring a head-torch/torch. Always get cash before the island (and in small denominations), if you can. Tread lightly on those beautiful wooden floors and don’t slam your doors. It’s a beautifully peaceful and powerful place. X

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This is a lovely guest house with a warm welcome and in a great location. The rooms are clean and the whole place feels really homely. We loved our stay here , Ellen was very helpful.

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Welcoming host with really good advice on activities across the island, restaurants, etc. Calm location and yet close to everything. Nice and comfortable room and guesthouse

Very clean and very nice service

Great value for the money, Helen the owner is very nice, she runs the place perfectly and the location is also perfect 3 minutes walk from the pier.

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I had an amazing stay at Dahlia Guesthouse 🌸 Ellen was incredibly helpful from the moment I booked, and her warm welcome made me feel right at home. The guesthouse was perfect - clean, comfortable, and exactly what I needed. I didn’t want to leave. Thank you again, Ellen, for an unforgettable stay. Hopefully I will have the chance to stay a with you again 🙌

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Ellen was super friendly, it felt like staying at a friend’s house. The property is part of a small community which Ellen can help introduce you to, I had a great time getting to know local people and expats in the village. I liked the location, it’s only a few minutes from the beach but being a bit further up the hill gives you nice views and it’s slightly quieter. It’s good value for money compared to other places that I saw and visited

Nothing I didn’t like but the stairs up to the rooms are very steep so not suitable for some. You would probably struggle with a wheeled suitcase on the unpaved road up to the property but that’s part of staying on a less developed island.

We loved our stay so much we kept extending! Ellen was the best host. We had access to free cold drinking water and fresh towels/bedding. The room was very clean and well kept - Ellen even irons the pillow cases before putting them on. The room was fine without AC at night - the cross breeze was more than enough. As some have mentioned there isnt netting on the windows, but Ellen kindly gave us a mosquito net (my partner is a magnet), but I'm not sure we needed it because as Ellen explained, they struggle to fly or land with the fan on. At one point, it was chilly enough at night that I pulled on the covers! The room was decorated so nicely, and the bathroom was stocked with nice soap and shampoo (possibly home made given the labels!) There is an island group Ellen has the QR code for on the wall, so you can see anything going on. Everyone knows everyone, so it's easy to find things to do. She was also reachable by WhatsApp whenever she wasn't at the guesthouse. There was a pair of flippers and snorkel gear for anyone to use for free, as well as a beach mat. (Nothing to do with Dahlia, but for those visiting the beaches beware of sandflies on Sanloem if the sand hasn't been raked - wear lots of big spray with Deet or you'll be itching for weeks - don't lay directly on the sand). We got great breakfast and lunch at the Sea Pony every day and had really nice dinners at Bongs. We also had a nice shared seating area on the porch outside our sea view room where we could lay in the hammock or sit at the table and read/write. We wish we could have stayed longer - we hope we get to come back to Dahlia someday! Missing you all on Sanloem.