You can’t Koh Rong with Cambodia!
Koh Rong, Cambodia
No, you will not hear the end of corny play on words—it seems to come naturally out of us!
Greatest Moment: Getting to the island of Koh Rong initially, because the calmness, the scenery, and the amusing culture has been a welcomed pleasure, coming from the busy city. There is little hassle here, with time as no issue, and most come for two nights and end up staying 5 months. We, however, only extended our stay two more nights. We bought matching Kyanite necklaces from an amazing Japanese seller, and ate an abundance of mango (which has been the BEST in the WORLD!). Here, Long Beach has been the most beautiful place yet, with clear, shallow, blue waters and untouched white sand. And of course, the iconic boats are the beautiful accent that makes this place a magical paradise.
Worst/Hilarious Moment: Getting lost in a jungle on the island of Koh Rong. We were on our way to Long Beach, and veered off course somehow (the signs were scarce and little to none other indicators). We used my adorable compass and went west, as we were going to Long beach for sunset, and continued to watch the course of the falling sun. The path we were on was tedious, and we ended up climbing over rocks and trees to find any path/opening we could find. Too funny. Luckily we were a group of four, with our traveling buddy Kelly and a very nice man from Amsterdam named Eric. After we discovered the end to the jungle, we met with a group of Cambodian Soldiers, all curiously looking at us as if we came from an obscure part of the wilderness, which we did.
Lesson Learned: Applying sunscreen once ever few hours does NOT suffice. Poor Jamie got burnt pretty bad, and had to wear sleeves and pants on the beaches the following couple days! Also, do not let any local child here come near your phone—you will end up watching ABCs for the good part of an hour with them.
Cultural Insight: The local people have given us the best experience. This island is their home, and they run, swim, and eat amongst everything here, them being so used to travelers and tourists. The children here have no idea of clothes for the most part, and while the few that are not stark naked will wear a shirt only or shorts only, they seem to take no notice of the clothes they do possess. Children use everything for play. The construction sites are playgrounds, and they play telephone with broken bits of tile. They know “Please”, “Thank you”, and “What is your name?” very well, and they will eat your bacon and mango with such correspondence.
DETAILS OF KOH RONG
There are areas all around Koh Rong that are building, constructing, and growing. We hope not too much change comes to this island, as its calm and unfrequented beaches have been some of the most memorable of this place. We stayed in a bungalow that was very nice, costing us only $10/night per person. It provided us with a freezing shower, incredible view of the far off islands, mosquito netted beds, and balcony hammock. Again, the ease and comfort here have made Cambodia an even greater place to visit. We are now about to take a night bus, 12-hour ride, to Siem Reap, where we will see Angkor Wat, Kulen Mountain, and take in the surrounding nature (possibly with a four-wheeler). See you then!
