The Search for a True Beach

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I will not claim to be well traveled, as I am yet to see more than a sliver of the world. Nevertheless, I have started to notice patterns which emerge in the tourist's world. My thesis is this: tourists never visit the right places, we always visit the "tourist" places. The example which is glaring me in the face as I write is the small seaside town of Sihanoukville, a pleasant little place that reminds me of Harvey Bay in Queensland. We are staying in a rather pricey accommodation (due to the relative unavailability of triple rooms anywhere in the world) which is only a short walk from Serendipity Beach; the supposed backpacker centre of the area. Now, if I were an enterprising businessman (here's hoping) attempting to set up a backpacker hangout, I would do it on a nice beach. A long, white, sandy, beautiful beach, not unlike those around Townsville. Of course, not everywhere in the world is blessed with said beaches and in such cases the businessman would obviously have to settle for a second rate beach, but it would still be the best beach in the area. So, now that I have imposed my preconceptions upon you, let me now destroy any possible love you may have for spending time in a hammock within my idylic creation.

When I first walked down to Serendipity Beach I was sadly disappointed. The beach is dirty and far from white; the water is muddy and green to the point where I questioned the necessity of a swim (it was quite hot at the time so temptation won the day); the sand is lined with rows of deck-chairs as far as the eye can see, each belonging to some grimy waterfront bar with overpriced drinks; and last but not least, dozens of boats lay at anchor not twenty meters from shore! I will spare you all the agony of a photo of the place (as I only photograph truly photogenic scenes) but let me assure you that I was well peeved at having spent four hours on a bus to visit what I would call nothing more than a port facility with some sailor-esque bars. So the question remains, why is this beach the supposed backpacker retreat of southern Cambodia? Perhaps this is the best beach in the county and if so, I am prepared to leave for Loas post haste.

In order to answer the above question, and also to tick off an item on my travelers list (the list of must-dos and must-sees that every traveler carries either mentally or physically). The item on my list was learning how to ride a motorbike. I know that such an aim may not excite everyone out there, and I do not claim to be anything special for having achieved such a monumentous fear, but it is something that I have been looking forward to for some time. The actual learning to ride facet of the day was straight-forward. The 100cc scooters we rented were so light that falling off simply meant standing up while holding the bike, nothing dramatic there, and once I had the hang of the accelerator - off we went. Alex and I drove away from the tourist-trap of Serendipity in search of gold, or at the very least, a palatable beach front upon which to stop. After an hour or so of slow driving/sightseeing we arrived at Otres Beach, just around the headland. My first thought of the visage in front of me was pure delight for here we found a real beach. White sand, really white like the white we all wish we had for our teeth, and not just a small smudge of the stuff, this beach went for mile in both directions! The water was crystal clear, akin to the Thai beaches that I have loved for years. And the ultimate characteristic was that only a bare few soles were around to disrupt the serenity. Yes, there is a beach in Sihanoukville. So why do the backpackers and tourists all love Serendipity so much? I can only assume that it is because they are all too lazy to find Otres, or their personal equivalent, or perhaps because they do not know what a real beach is and they have simply settled for second best. Either way, I am happy in the knowledge that I know better.

Another pet hate of mine which I may as well vent here (seeing as this entry is already somewhat on the vicious side) is of the dreaded tourist circuit. Tourists always seem to follow set paths which were laid down for them at some point in the past by an unknown trail-blazer and this can be both a good thing and a bad thing. Whether it is on a grand scale, such as the zounds of backpackers who head from Bangkok, to Siem Reap, to Phnom Penh, and on to Sihanoukville. Or on a small scale such as the petit and grande circuits of the Angkor temples; which seem to be mandatory paths along which it is assumed that one will experience all that the temples can give (along with 10,000 others on any given day). I will admit that I am currently stuck on the grand circuit of Cambodia but I staunchly refused to follow any guidelines when exploring Angkor! I can not wait to escape from these circuits because it makes travel feel regimented, did I not leave Australia to be free? Why should I choose to be a sheep at this juncture? However, as I mentioned, there is a positive side to circuitry in that you tend to meet people at every stop that you made friends with previously. If you are trying to impress some young women perhaps, this can be a distinct benefit, although I am now of the opinion that the tourist circuit is something that I must depart from as soon as is possible. I think heading north into Laos will be a sufficiently untrodden path for me to follow, especially if I spend some time in the southern regions. Yes, I will do that (I just made a decision!).

I now have a warning for all fellow travelers in the Phnom Penh region. Do not, I repeat, do not allow Alex to make a decision regarding where to eat dinner! Some nights ago, the three of us were walking around the lakeside district of Phnom Penh (another extremely backpacker oriented place which is so removed from the true pulse of the city that it may as well be in Bangkok. On an aside, I have never been openly offered so many drugs anywhere else in the world, this area is truly horrendous, but cheap) looking for a place to eat. First we passed an appealing Chinese/Khmer fusion type restaurant that was both cheap and clean-looking but Alex said "No, it doesn't look very nice". Following this we passed a small, badly lit, dingy place that was more of a travel agent than a restaurant which for some reason was up to Alex's exacting standards. Shortly after ordering our dinner (yellow noodles with chicken) we realised that our first impression was correct: this was indeed a travel agent. The proprietor bought our drinks from the neighbouring store, along with the noodle. Then he left on a scooter and promptly returned with a black back (the chicken). Shortly after he arrived with our food which I must presume was made from left over cardboard boxes and bus-tickets. It was absolutely horrendous, without a doubt the worst meal I have eaten thus far, and it was all Alex's fault. So heed my warning! Never trust a Canadian-Australian named Alex, he has terrible taste (he also got sick from the food).

A second tip which I feel it is my duty to report is that the prices quoted in the Lonely Planet guide from last year have in general been inflated through the course of the year, particularly in Sihanoukville. This was rammed-home when we attempted to barter a ride from a moto driver from the bus station to the hostel area, the guide said 2000 riel was reasonable and that seemed to fit with Phnom Penh prices but to our dismay we found that 3000 was the cheapest they were willing to take. By being very stubborn we managed to get 2500 each but then... after taking us to a large guesthouse away from where we had requested (presumably for the commission) and to two other such places we demanded that the drivers take us to the beach that we had initially asked for. At this point they started demanding their money and refused to drive us any further. Being stubborn westerners who are none to keen to part with our money we refused to pay the full fair as we had not been delivered to our destination. We paid them 2000 each and walked away hoping for better luck on foot. That was the point that they started following us and shouting offenses (lucky I can't understand Cambodian), and now I do believe that all moto drivers in this town will refuse to take me places, unless of course I pay them an outrageous price. However, as I was with Alex at the time the drivers assumed that we were both Canadian so our little tiff has not affected Australian foreign relations in any way, phew.

Before I complete this journal I must announce a sneaking suspicion of mine which I am hoping to prove in the coming months. Cambodia is actually a part of Australia. Now just wait one minute before condemning me, I have a rationale here. As I travel around this beautiful country I am continually noticing scenes which are remarkably reminiscent of Australia. When you ignore the human impacts upon the region, such as buildings, roads and fields, the country side bears almost uncanny resemblance to places that I have seen in Queensland or New South Wales. Siem Reap appears to be a copy of the southern Queensland hinterlands near Ipswich and Towoomba, the surrounds of Phnom Penh could have been modeled on Rockhampton, and Sihanoukville is a dead-set carbon-paper copy of Hervey Bay. How is this possible unless the entire country of Cambodia is actually a well kept government secret which exists somewhere within Western Australia? Or perhaps the environment of the world (in terms of flora) is much less diverse than I had imagined. I shall investigate!

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Photos

The Tonle Sap Meets The Mekong
Riverfront in Phnom Penh.

What is Wrong With This Picture?
Every Australian MUST be outraged by this! This flag is flying on the waterfront of Phnom Penh.

S-21 Photo
This girl was held at the S-21 prison in Phnom Penh during Pol Pot times an was summarily executed. I could barely look in her eyes.

Otres Beach
Idyllic yah?

Outlook from Otres Beach
How could the backpackers turn this down? Not a backpacker was to be seen within 5km.

Lunch at Otres
Empty bungalows on a perfect beach, now I am really on holiday!

For The Ladies
Alex in repose, how could he resist?

Motorcycle Diaries Eat Your Heart Out!
The bikers after their successful beach-hunt.

Comments

[Lindsay]

Typo-fest 2007
Hey Matty, all of those pesky tourists are wearing clothes. You should travel naked, like a true pioneer.

[Kiwi Steve]

Kampot
Head off to Kampot if u get the chance. Great National park with ruins on the tops. Well worth the visit !!

[Scott]

I thought you would have been excited about a beach with sailor-esque bars Matty? Also dissapointed at the lack of ladyboys in this update 3 stars

[Mandy]

Hey guys Can't be bothered to read it all but looks like you're having a fab time. Like the beard Jeff :) Mandy

[Roger]

The promise of Laos
Matty, time to cut the losses and get to Laos. There you will experience the real Asia, not the "Hollywood versions" you have so far written about.