After saying goodbye to Matt’s parents in Phnom Penh, we head South to the city of Sihanoukville, from where we will take a boat to get to the island of Koh Rong.
The most comfortable bus ride in Asia so far
170 miles separate Sihanoukville from Phnom Penh. To go there we book with the bus company Giant Ibis. And boy are we surprised to see that they have REAL buses. Since Laos we are used to old crappy minibuses, so much so that we forgot how comfortable a real bus is. This bus is so comfortable that it almost reminds us of the buses in South America. And we are glad it’s the case because a 6 and a half hour ride awaits us.
For once the bus left on time, and after 4 hours on the road it looked like we would also be arriving on time (for the first time since we left Thailand). But that was before heavy rain started to fall and the traffic started to turn really bad. There was also an accident on the way, it’s a miracle that it is only the first one we see in Cambodia given the way they drive. Thankfully nobody was injured. Because of these events we arrive late and the timing is pretty tight. The bus drops us off at 2:45 pm and we need to catch our boat at 3 pm in our minds it is too late and we will have to wait for the next boat at 4:30 pm. But that was without knowing we just climbed in the fastest tuk-tuk of all Sihanoukville. When we tell him we have the 3 pm boat he speeds toward the pier, and at the end takes a no-entry street to beat the traffic and drop us off just in front of the ticket office. And it worked, we were able to catch the 3 pm bus, thanks to the tuk-tuk but also to the ferry that left late in typical Cambodian fashion.
Sihanoukville, Chinese city
Let’s talk a little bit about our shock when we arrive in Sihanoukville. It is the first harbor of Cambodia, but also a beach resort town. Now the town is being completely transformed.
In the very recent past, the town served as a great weekend getaway for the Cambodians living in Phnom Penh. But with the arrival of Chinese investors in the last couple of years, the city is being transformed into a new Macao. Everywhere over the city the Chinese are building huge casinos and resorts (where Cambodian and foreigners are not allowed). Many shops have closed down and most Cambodians emigrated to Kampot.
We heard a lot about this by the locals but didn’t imagine it was this ugly until we saw it with our own eyes. It is sad to see.
In short, we are glad we didn’t decide to spend the night here, and jump on the speed boat that takes us to Koh Rong, just an hour away.
The island of Koh Rong is known to be one of the prettiest in Cambodia with its little sister Koh Rong Samloem. White sand beaches surround the jungle home to waterfalls and a lake. This island is still well preserved from mass tourism and mass construction. Indeed there are no roads on the island and no electricity. The power comes from a generator and regularly shuts down during the day. And also no ATM, better come with enough cash!
Welcome to paradise
What makes this island magical, compared to the one we did in Thailand, is that there are no restaurant chains or huge resorts. Koh Rong is still relatively empty despite what is happening in Sihanoukville.
We came here to relax and rest a little bit. In order to do so we booked a nice bungalow on the far East of the main beach. Far from the craziness and the nightlife right by the pier.
Our bungalow is a little bit in the jungle, overlooking the beach and the sea. A hammock and two comfortable chairs on our patio. We immediately feel that we will have a great time here. We only have to walk down a few steps and we are on the beach.
The sand is white and the water clear blue. Paradise! We arrive at 4 pm, and after a long day in the bus we dream of only one thing, jumping into the water. It feels amazing. We stay at least an hour relaxing in the ocean.
To celebrate our arrival on the island we indulge in a delicious cocktail during happy hour.
A relaxing day
After a good night of sleep, we wake up to the sounds of the birds and the waves crashing on the beach. We couldn’t ask for more.
After eating plenty of fruit for breakfast, we go lay on the beach for a lazy day. Swimming, reading, napping and a little blogging. In summary, the perfect Friday at the office !
Early evening we sit down at a table on the beach, taking advantage of the ridiculously low prices of happy hour to have a couple excellent cocktails.
The daughter of the owner is amazed by our UNO card deck, and Maider will play with her for a while.
Before grabbing a BBQ diner while admiring the colors of the sky during sunset.
Morning visit
The next morning, just as we are about to sit down on our patio after waking up, we get the visit of a monkey family.
One of them is even super interested in Maider’s sarong, he actually tried to go away with it.
He is quickly followed by the rest of the family, and the parents are pretty big. We have to admit we started to get scared and went back inside our bungalow for cover, simply watching them through the window until they finally decided to leave.
Long Beach and Sok San Beach
After breakfast we decide to go to Long Beach and Sok San Beach, on the West side of the island.
To get there we need to hike through the jungle for 45 minutes. It is super hot and humid outside and we are quickly covered in sweat.
After 2 miles we arrive on Long Beach. And we are surprised to see that they are building a pier. This beach is only accessible on foot or by motorbike today. But it looks like there are new plans in the future with the construction of a pier and multiple hotels…
We continue towards the North. The sand is white and the water is beautiful.
We continue to Sok San Beach. We pass two luxurious hotels that look empty. But they also look brand new so maybe that aren’t finished yet.
Until we get to an area with four swings in the ocean.
Of course this is THE perfect Instagram setting, so Maider runs towards them and asks Matt to take pictures.
This place is unreal and we are all alone.
It looks like there is a hotel nearby, so we go there to grab a bite for lunch.
Before spending the afternoon at the beach and swimming in the clear blue water.
Matt also gets his turn on the swing.
The hotel authorized us to use the mats and hammocks installed for their non-existent clientele. We spend a few hours here napping and going for a swim. The dream !
We walk to the village of Sok San in the afternoon and are shocked by all the plastics and trash laying on the beach. Unfortunately deserted beach in Asia is often synonymous with beach full of trash, since beaches are only cleaned by hotel staff when there is a hotel… It is sad to see. We have never seen so much trash and plastic everywhere than since we set foot in Asia.
We arrive in Sok San in the middle of the afternoon, and despite a few resorts, which means clean beaches, we find the area charmless so we decide to go back.
Two options are possible from here : the boat or the motorbike (hiking the 6 miles back along the beach and through the jungle is out of the question). We have to wait until 5:30 pm for the boat, whereas we can leave right away with the motorbike. So we decide to take the motorbike. We each jump on the back of a motorbike and head to the other side of the island.
It will take us 30 minutes on dirt roads and through the jungle to finally arrive at our guesthouse.
We spend our last evening by the ocean, once again taking advantage of happy hour !
Back to Phnom Penh
The next morning we take one last time advantage of the beach, before taking the boat to Sihanoukville at 12:30 pm.
We have to wait for a couple of hours in Sihanoukville before catching our bus to Phnom Penh. So we start to look for a place to grab lunch and unsurprisingly, there isn’t a Khmer restaurant in sight. All the restaurants here are Chinese. Even the waiters are Chinese and don’t speak a word of Khmer or English. Pretty unbelievable. Simply asking for the menu is almost impossible. Maider has to dig way back in her memories to find the little Chinese she remembers.
Once again we can see all these terrible constructions as we drive through the city with the bus.
We arrive in Phnom Penh around 10 pm for our last night in Cambodia. The next morning we leave for our next country : Vietnam, where Maider’s parents will join us for one month.
Cambodia was a really nice surprise. Even if the landscapes aren’t breathtaking, the people and the recent horrific history of the country moved us. It’s a country that suffered a lot but is slowly getting back on their feet. The people are young, willing to learn and have a great sense of humor. All are smiling all the time, and among the nicest people we have ever met.
It is full of joy and kindness that we leave the country to go to Vietnam
See you for our next adventures in Ho Chi Minh city !