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Published: January 17th 2013
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Storm on Arrival
Dramatic clouds skirting the island. A tip from a friend about a secluded tropical island off Cambodia inspired our trip to Koh Rong. My friend certainly wasn't wrong, because the beaches of Koh Rong are some of the best you could ever wish to see. However, seven factors, some in, some out of our control, meant that we didn't quite find paradise on Koh Rong.
The first factor was getting there. Being in Phnom Penh, the relative centre of Cambodia, and with our route designed to take us north to Siem Reap, backtracking a long way south to the island was always going to take nearly two days of travel out of the itinerary. This probably heightened our expectations as to what we were to find there. The 6 hour bus from Phnom Penh to Sihanoukville took closer to 8 hours, and we made the 1.30pm boat by what felt like the skin of our teeth. The three hours on the wooden benches of boat weren't particularly comfortable, but didn't drag as much as they might have.
Upon arrival on what clearly was an immensely beautiful island, the second factor was accommodation. Having missed out on our first choice of lodgings, we
That's Better
Things had certainly brightened up by the next morning. arranged a booking via email somewhere else, not knowing how many beds there were on the island. As it happened there seemed plenty, and our bungalow at Coco Bungalows near the boat pier, was pretty bang average value for money. We didn't expect anything more than a very rustic rattan bungalow, but with the island now bursting at the seams with such accommodation, we could probably have found something equivalent to what we had, for half the price. The service and attitude of the staff was also well short of the standards we'd experienced in the vast majority of other places.
That evening it was exciting to watch a massive storm get closer and closer to the island. Black clouds, thunder, lightning and wind all approached menacingly from the horizon, but in the end only skirted our shores. We found a friendly bunch of people at one of the beach bars, and drank and played cards to pass the time before heading back to our jungle shack - complete with noisy wildlife, both inside and out.
The next day was, by the standards of an ordinary trip, a beautiful day on a beach that could blow
Room View
Our shack. Not exactly wildlife proof - see if you can spot the gecko. your mind. Sophie sunbathed on the golden sand and I snorkelled in the turquoise sea. It was the stuff of dreams. But, in a trip made up of dreams, there was something missing. And I'm not just referring to the fish when I was snorkelling.
Maybe that was factor three. The beach, especially at the pier end, was over used and showing the signs. I'm not talking about over development in the concrete sense. Bamboo still prevails. Nor am I talking about overuse in the number of people sense, there was plenty of room. Moreso, the desperation for the tourist dollar had resulted litter and noise from numerous small-scale building projects. Plus brown puddles from waterworks. It was easily escaped, but just didn't align with the paradise island vibe.
Factor four was in our control. We were on the wrong beach. By the latter part of the day I had realised this. Koh Rong's finest beach was a cove or two along - accessible by boat or a hike through the jungle. I could see it towards the end of the day when I went rockpooling. It looked like a tremendously long stretch of sandy beach,
Poorly Sopsy
All a bit much for some people... similar to which we were on, but sufficiently remote to forget about the rampant forces of development. Not to worry though, we'd get across tomorrow.
That evening's fabulous dinner confirmed factor five. Dogs. They had been ubiquitous since we had arrived on the island, but that evening underlined the problem. A great, fresh, barbecued fish is one thing. But when there are such a quantity of dogs, so accustomed to begging for food that they have vicious fights amongst your feet for the right to get close, even the best barbecued fish becomes a bit less enjoyable. Especially as it seemed the dogs' primary feeding ground was around Coco Bungalows.
With factor six, Sophie's stomach feeling a bit upset (I knew we shouldn't have had that barbecued fish), and the previous five factors coming into play, it was a fairly easy decision to gain an extra day in hand by leaving Koh Rong the next morning.
So that left factor seven, a feeling as we sailed away, that we hadn't quite seen the absolute best of Koh Rong. But equally, any regret was tempered by the islands and beaches to come, and the, erm,
My View
Written on another one of many night trains. This time heading back to Bangkok having left Vientiane. fun we would have on the long bus back to Phnom Penh.
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