Off to the coast Sihanoukville and Koh Rong

Early morning again today as I get up at 06h30 pack my bags and go for breakfast (which was disappointing) then check out of my Phnom Penh hotel and catch a tuk tuk to the central bus station (US$3 15 minutes)

I am taking the big bus (coach) to Sihanoukville booked via the hotel I was staying at, there is no pick up for the big bus, you make your way to the bus terminal, find the correct bus and load yourself aboard - but it only costs US$10 for the five and a half hour journey and onboard there is free wifi and karaoke.

I check my bag is loaded into the hold then find my seat, thankfully I have a window seat, the bus is in ok condition on the outside, inside a little dark and slightly odd smelling (well I probably smell a little odd too), the bus is full mostly with locals and just a couple of other tourists. The free wifi works well on the bus and up front a T.V. plays music with the words on the screen and a sign encouraging you to sing along, maybe I should try some singing? with my voice it would clear out some space on the bus, or maybe get me thrown off.....!

The bus slowly rolls through Phnom Penh making various pick ups en route and it takes just over an hour to finally clear the city and get into the countryside. I have to say between destinations in Cambodia the landscape is fairly uninspiring, flat lowland areas with very few features.
I am sat by the window halfway down the bus so thankfully cannot see how the driving is but we steadily overtake trucks and other buses as we trundle along, Cambodia is not known for its exceptional driving or great road conditions.

At the beach again Sihanoukville

Its good to be at the beach again, with a pleasant breeze blowing in off the ocean, sand between my toes and a cold cold drink in my hand welcome to Serendipity Beach.

This morning I was battling the motos, cars and tuk tuks across Phnom Penh to the bus station now after a bus ride and dumping my bags at the guesthouse I am on the beach relaxing, I always forget how much I miss the beach and its been too long since I have enjoyed the lap of the water on the shore and felt that slightly salty touch to the air, sitting here on Serendipity beach in the warm sun I am happy.

Serendipity beach is the 'cool vibe' end of Ocheteaul Beach down the hill from the golden lions roundabout, sunbeds and chairs with brollys line the sandy beach and bars/cafes sit just off the beach offering all day/all night food, drinks and entertainment, there is a bar/cafe for every mood: laid back Bob Marley, lively prodigy, 80's bar, trendy naughties, and so it goes on

There is also an incredible age mix along the beach from youngsters playing volley ball, young couples strolling hand in hand along the surf, families enjoying cold drinks under the sun brollys, older couples starting on the sundowners and all around plenty pale skin getting singed pink to red....

This part of the beach is not your deserted island lonely stretch of sand, it is great beach, good surf, everything you want in reach social party at night paradise.

Sunset at the beach

Its that time of day when photographers start getting organized and head to that special spot they had worked out earlier in the day, yes folks its sunset time and all photographers (and their families) know how important a good sunset photo is.

Well today is my first sunset at the beach for a long time so I am keen and ready to get to my location, which is halfway along the jetty on Serendipity beach. The sun is looking good there are some promising cloud formations gathering and I have a headland jutting into the sea in front of me for a focal point silhouette, I stake out my prime position amongst the local fishermen and enjoy the cool breeze and the slowly setting sun.

Test shots look good now its just patience and waiting, as usual I am early and have about 45 minutes before sunset but I hope to get some colour in the sky before then so all is well, but wait what is that dirty great big boat doing? no two ugly square sided booze cruise boats are heading towards the jetty to dock in my spot! and they have the cheek to tell me to move...... then the great big monstrosities dock along the jetty on my sunset side completely blocking my view!
I need a plan B
I try the boat silhouette but its too close and is just a large rectangle shape, any other angles from the jetty? no there is no space and guess what the colours are starting to light up the sky a nice pink tinge.. aaargh a well photographers nightmare..'the missed shot' it surely would have been the perfect shot as well!
I wonder if I could sink the boat in time? or maybe a little bit of pirating ? I would give the boat back after sunset.... a possible but the boat is bobbing to much and I count seven hostiles on the deck to subdue.. maybe a little drastic for a photo, so I pack up my gear and stroll to a beach bar to reminisce about the missed award winning shot.

I find Sihanoukville a bit of a mixed fish while it has the warm waters, sandy beaches, mellow bars and a good selection of places to stay it does have a few things that can take the shine off it, remork/tuk tuk drivers are particularly aggressive and prone to overcharging, the bus station is run almost like a cartel and takes a cut from the drivers who operate from there, when you can walk out onto the street and get the same ride half price, but if you try the drivers and bus station people follow and threaten the drivers who try and pick you up (so you have to walk a street away with your bags to get a tuk tuk at normal price) as this is most peoples first impression on arrival it is not good.
Also there are five good beaches you can visit, one is currently undergoing development by a large company and is not accessible, another is pretty much owned and all the accommodation run by Russians and is known for the place to pick up local girls, the third is also under disputed development to become a mega resort (several years pending)
This leaves Ocheteaul Beach - good for easy access and bars cafes and Otres beach which is a few kilometers from town and although still quite busy is the quiet beach in Sihanoukville, so make sure you visit these two should you wander to this corner of the planet.

Main beachfront

A short walk gets you this

Leisure boats at the jetty

Koh Rong Island

Today I am taking the 'fast cat' to Koh Rong Island which proclaims itself as 'the most beautiful beaches in Cambodia' and 'the most laid back place you will ever visit' (clearly they have not visited a Mozambique government office....)

Its an morning boat and as usual early mornings do not agree with me, my mind is willing but my body wants to stay in the nice comfy bed for as long as possible, my mind overpowers the body (after 3 alarm snoozes) and once again I am thankful that I took the extra time last night to prepare so its a simple shower, dress and a breakfast of omelette, toast, croissant, coffee and fresh juice in the early morning peace and quiet. This gets me into a more sociable mood and my friendly remork driver arrive on time.
On arrival at the jetty where the cat departs from I discover that the ferry will be leaving half an hour late..... my body sends messages to my brain about an extra half ana hour that could have been spent in bed..... but such is life and I head to a beach cafe and sip a juice while watching early morning life unravel, no healthy joggers pounding the sand here no sir - more like beach cleaning from last nights parties, a few confused looking people clutching empty bottles and the setting out of deck chairs and recliners for another sunny day in paradise.

The numbers swell at the jetty as more people arrive for the boat and soon a good crowd is milling around, mostly 18 to 25 yr old backpackers heading to the cheap backpackers style accommodation on Koh Rong island, for the first time in my travels I am bringing the average age of the party up ...

At last the boat is ready for boarding and everyone files along the jetty and clambers aboard piling the backpacks in the forward hold, I grab a seat in the middle at the very rear, its rough seas today so its going to be bumpy (so sitting in the centre of the boat will give you the smoothest ride).

While waiting for the final passengers to board there is a loud crunch then a bang making everyone jump, with all the bobbing up and down while tied up at the jetty a part of the boat where the rope is tied to has broken off - not the rope the boat part breaks off !!! This does not bode well the boat is breaking and we haven't even left yet. Nervous laughs go around the boat as the main on the jetty holds up the rope with a junk of our boat attached, well I brought my waterproof bag with me so it can double as a buoyancy aide if needed..............................................

Its the rough waters that are causing the delays and after an inspection of the new hole in the boat the crew says everything is fine and we can go, especially as we have now floated away from the jetty, motors powering we depart Sihanoukville and its a bumpy start and very soon plastic bags are being handed out by the crew to passengers unable to keep breakfast down... here starts your journey to island paradise!
Apart from the bumpy seas it is a beautiful journey, warm turquoise waters and islands fringed with golden beaches pass by during the 45 minute journey, as we get among the islands the water is much calmer the lady sitting next to me raises her head for the first time on the journey and smiles weakly at the beautiful beach we are passing then quickly plants her head back into her sick bag for the rest of the trip. Poor lass.

Arrival
We sidle up to the jetty at Koh Rong island and spill out of the ferry onto the walkway, the crew give us instructions to all meet at Coco's at the end of the jetty for 'island breifing' and a FREE DRINK - they know how to motivate backpackers....
At Coco's everyone from the boat gathers in the bar now with a free drink in hand and a short briefing begins, roughly its like this:

Welcome to paradise here are a few tips so you can enjoy Koh Rong at its best
1/ Accommodation
To the right of the jetty 'homestays' are available where you can stay with a local family in their hut they will also cook for you to eat with the family.
To the left of the jetty are some backpacker style accommodation, dorm rooms, rooms with shared bathrooms and simple private rooms.
Further along the beach and across the island there is a more resort style places to stay, most are only accessible by pre arranged boat.
2/ Safety
There has been some cases of petty theft on the island, valuables left around on display not locked up and items left on the beach are just a temptation so lock valuables up most accommodation offers lock boxes.
3/ Sand Flies
Parts of the island have sand flies, these tiny small flies hop onto your skin and give you five or six quick little bites then hop off, to keep them off use an oil based lotion - suntan oil. baby lotion or similar but note mosquito repellent does not work!, they are mainly found on the other side of the island at long beach.
4/ Where to eat
A quick rundown on the places to eat - piazza, Thai, western and Cambodian style food all available along the beachfront.
5/ Cover up open cuts and treat any cuts with disinfectant after swimming in the sea, because the sea is very warm the bacteria in the water is very active (unlike cold water swimming off the coast in the UK where all bacteria freezes to death), so if you expose any open wounds to the sea water it will get infected if not cleaned and treated. If you have no antiseptic several small shack shops along the beach sell it.
6/ Activities and enjoying the island
A multitude of water based activities include diving, snorkeling, kayaks for rent, boat trip as well as 27 different beaches to laze on around the island.Jungle trekking is also possible and popular - but don't go without a guide - although the island is not huge it is very easy to fet lost among the myriads of paths lacing the jungle interior.In the evenings various places along the beach offer entertainment: Fire dancers, ladies nights, music nights, quizzes, parties and of course all with food and drink available, so go out and enjoy Koh Rong Island.

Briefing over everyone disperses in various directions along the beach, I wander along the beach taking photos and try to catch a feel of the place.

How would I describe Koh Rong Island?

There certainly is a mellow relaxed feel to the place - there are no roads no vehicles and the sounds that fill the air is the lapping of the sea on the beach, music floating out from the various bars and chatting voices from those people who are not sleeping.

There are plenty of sleepers/sunbathers and you get the impression that mornings are quiet and peaceful with a few people having breakfast, by midday when the ferry has arrived there is more activity as the new arrivals find their way around and organize their stay, mid afternoon heat and once again slow and quiet as people siesta away the afternoon, then dusk arrives the last boat departs and people prepare for the evening and night when the island really comes to life, a shower, fresh clothes (maybe) and off to see which bar has the happy hour with the drinks to suit you - beer, cocktails or shots?........

Barbecues light up entertainment gets going the music gets a bit more lively drinks flow more freely and the night has really begun and so it will continue until the last party goers amble back to their bed and snooze until mid morning or beyond when another day begins in paradise...

Oh and if you are awake in time dont miss yoga on the beach between 07h00 and 08h00 every morning. (like I would be able to do that after last night !!!!!).

Part five Kampot and final thoughts on Cambodia

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