Cambodia on Your Own: You Must Add the island of Koh Rong to your List!
The north you can relax in a hammock, in the south you can get a decent hangover
The luxury island of Koh Rong, together with a smaller neighbour, Koh Rong Samloem, are located in the south of Cambodia, boldly competing with the Thailand Koh Kradan which belongs to the best of what I have seen in my backpacking travels. Each part of the island has its own distinctive features and while the best party may be enjoyed in the south, where the most holiday destinations and facilities may be found, the north will provide especially privacy and a proper dose of relaxation. The question is, what is it you want to see?
Sihanoukville? Jump in a boat and hurry away from here!
The island is best accessible from the ports in the city of Sihanoukville into which you can get transport from Siem Reap and Phnom Phen, by air or by bus. I personally would not recommend you to stay here for any longer than strictly necessary, because the time has really stopped here and even English will not be very useful to you here. To serve as an example, in the vicinity of the bus station, which I would regard as being quite developed, I was able to find toilets only after half an hour of complicated explanations. Some small restaurants and shops do not even have toilets not if you find one that does, it may NOT be IN OPERATION today.
Trekking through the jungle to the waterfalls? I'm coming!
My final destination has become the peaceful north-east of the island. Specifically the Palm Beach, where there may also be found one of the popular resorts, the Palm Beach Bungalow Resort. It inter alia organises excursions to the local village Sok San Village or to luxurious waterfalls concealed in the jungle. I couldn´t let myself miss either ofthese trips. We got to the luxurious waterfall after an hour-long hike through the jungles and half an hour walk through an arid plane. I do not need to add that the subsequent ice bath in them and a can of overly sweet drink was the best possible reward after this performance.
Time to explore further beauties of this exotic paradise, let´s go to the Sok San Village
A trip to the Sok San Village with its 800 inhabitants, then revealed to me the modest local school, small shops and a temple which the people are currently renovating. On my way through the village I met a small smiling Cambodian to whom I gave high five, leaving with a feeling of inner happiness. You must love these children for their smile, whether you want to or not.
The island of pleasant rest, sporting activities and traditional Cambodian cuisine
If you like adventure, then make sure you plan the above mentioned hike through the jungle to the waterfalls or other parts of the island, rent an kayak, play badminton and volleyball, snorkel, or do yoga on the beach. The luxury Koh Rong offers a perfect place to do all of these activities. If you are more of a sofa type, jump into a hammock and enjoy the divine tranquillity, after all, you're on holiday! With that you can order some of the great Cambodian dishes such as Fried Noodles, Fried Rice, Bunny Chow or Amok a chill out.
The place where goats rest on a bar...
You can be assured that if you set off to the island, you will be short of adventures and entertainment. With a bit of luck you can, as I did, come across other animals, in addition to marine and exotic animals, such as for example goats. Those in the vicinity of the Palm Beach have decided to settle at the bar and so it can be seen that during their stay at Koh Rongu they have leant how to enjoy themselves...
A tornado? One moment, I have to order my breakfast first!
One day before breakfast I had the luck to also see a water tornado and while one of the tourists began to produce catastrophic scenarios I have instead wondered what I should order for breakfast. To understand, I am not that brave, but with regard to the tropical weather and the position of the island, similar phenomena can be expect and if you see that the owner of the hotel continues to smile, you can be sure in that he knows a bit more about it and that this one will give you a wide berth. Or at least a narrow one.
TOP 5 beaches, i.e. where to look for accommodation?
Have you decided to go to the island? Then, you will probably want to bathe in the most azure sea with a beautiful beach. That is the way in which I recommend you to look for accommodation. And which beaches are among the BEST? Palm Beach, Long Set Beach, Lonely Beach, Sok San Beach and White Beach.
So you wish you a pleasant journey, a lot of goats at the bar and smiling Cambodians, who will charge you with positive energy, a lot of good food and above all no hangover! The latter may be acquired in good company in the North as well as the South!
