For years, I had heard about rustic bungalows directly on beautiful, remote beaches in the Thai islands which cost next to nothing. That was a major reason why we were planning on visiting Thailand. We didn’t end up having that experience in Thailand as we opted for places not so remote or rustic since they were also very inexpensive. After having traveled in this part of the world for a bit, we were feeling a little more adventurous, and found our way to the Cambodian island of Koh Rong.
We realized just how off the beaten path it was when we couldn’t find consistent information about how to get there. We emailed with the proprietor of the Sok San Beach Bungalows where we were staying, and he gave us a number to call for a ferry. That number didn't work. We found the number of a ferry on the internet and called to book a ride. They said to email them, which we did, but they never got back to us. We were able to book a different ferry online to get us to the island, but not to the beach where we were staying. There are no roads connecting that beach with ours, so we couldn't take a tuk tuk like we so often had. Hopefully there would be a water taxi to get us to the right place. It all worked out fine, and we were able to get on a boat for $5 each which took us where we needed to go, or close enough.
This was the first time on the trip where a backpack instead of a roller bag would have been much better. The ferry dropped us off at a pier, and we had to walk a considerable distance on the sand carrying our bags, but it was worth it. It is absolutely beautiful here. Our rustic bungalow is right on the beach, about 15 yards from the crystal turquoise water. It’s remote. The beach is over three and half miles long, with only about five establishments at which to stay. There is so much beach and so few people, you can find a deserted stretch where you feel like you have the place to yourself. So much so, that one could even swim without the restricting confinement of a swimsuit, hypothetically, of course. What helps to keep this place remote is the very shallow beach. Only small boats can dock at one of the three small piers or even come anywhere close to shore. The water is so shallow, piers aren’t always necessary. One evening while enjoying our happy hour special of beer and french fries for $1, we watched some local villagers unload supplies by carrying them over their head while they waded through chest deep water for about 50 yards. Most of the travelers on Koh Rong are in their 20s and 30s and are single. It is more of a backpacker destination than other places we’ve been.
Our bungalow is rustic. It appears to be built mostly from material you could gather from the surrounding jungle. We only have electricity from 6pm to 10pm which powers the one outlet and the three lights. There is a flush toilet, but no hot water. There is no sink, instead the PVC faucet dumps directly onto the concrete floor of the bathroom as does the shower. The gray-water from the faucet and shower drain directly onto the ground under the bungalow. All of this is fine with us, and well worth the benefits of the surrounding paradise and $30 a night. The bungalow has a porch with two papasan chairs in which we spend a lot of time reading or playing cribbage.
There are a handful of places to eat at our beach, and the menus are all pretty much the same. The favorite thing we’ve eaten is a traditional local dish call “amok”. I can best describe it as a peanut curry soup. It has either chicken, beef, or pork along with cooked chunks vegetables including onion, eggplant, and peppers. The place with the best amok is a tiny place typical of this area. Its four tables sit on a bare concrete floor, under a tin roof with no walls. It is difficult to establish where the dining room ends and the kitchen begins. The family that owns it appears to live in the rear, and they are all milling about and all pitch in. Our waiter (the father) takes our order wearing nothing but a pair of shorts. A young boy of about five years, brings us our beer. The mother, about five months pregnant, is cooking in the open kitchen. There is no refrigeration, just large coolers with ice delivered regularly. Locals are eating here. The amok is $3. A beer is 75 cents. One night while eating there, we had some entertainment as well. I was admiring the very large insects on the tin roof overhead, while Jesslyn was doing her best to steer clear of them. Then I noticed some quick movement and saw a large lizard with a grasshopper dangling from its mouth. With enormous bulging yellow eyes, and bumpy gray skin, it was one of the coolest looking creatures I’ve seen. Jesslyn was not as impressed, and instead let out a shriek and jumped to the other side of the restaurant since it was all happening directly over her head. It was a Tokay Gecko and my affection for them waned as we had several more encounters with them.
The only seafood commonly served here is squid. Being an island, one would expect the surrounding ocean to play a larger part in the local diets. The restaurant where we are staying serves barracuda when they can get it. The proprietor said that the local waters have been over-fished and there are longer any large fish. Dolphin and shark sightings are non-existent. It is sad to see these conditions. I realize that, coming from a first-world country, it is easy to criticize others for their poor treatment of the environment. For people without job opportunities and who may have lived through civil war and oppressive governments, it is understandable that they would do what they need to in order to get by in the present and not worry about the future. It is a thought that has popped up over and over throughout our journey in this part of the world.
In addition to a lot of reading and swimming, we went on an afternoon boat trip. It advertised snorkeling, fishing, and if we actually catch fish, a BBQ on the beach. There were just 10 of on the boat, and just like everywhere else on the island, we were the only Americans. We’ve encountered people from England, Germany, Poland, Sweden, New Zealand, and Australia. I guess it is because it takes a long time to get here and Americans get so little time off. Back to the boat… the first stop was snorkeling. I have been very fortunate to have been snorkeling and diving in some incredible places such as Fiji, Key West, and Thailand. If this were my first time snorkeling, it would have been incredible, but relative to what I’ve seen before, it was just OK. The visibility wasn’t great, but we did see a lot of small reef fish. After snorkeling, we relocated for the next stop, fishing. We were each handed a spool of mono-filament line with a weight and two hooks onto which were skewered a small chunk of squid. At this point it was apparent that the two crew members on the boat did not speak English. The whole time we were snorkeling and now with the fishing, we were not given any instruction whatsoever. We were just following cues. When they set anchor and give you a mask, that means it's time to snorkel. When they start the engine up, that means to get back on board because we are about to leave. Our low tech fishing gear didn’t need much explanation, but we wanted to know if we should be fishing on the bottom or not. Jesslyn asked and the answer was “no speak”. But a short time later, one of the crew came over and demonstrated that it should be on the bottom. Most people on the boat caught one or two small fish of which there were two types - but I have no idea what kind. I was surprised to see that we were keeping very small fish, like six inches long. After an hour or so of fishing, we headed to the beach for our BBQ and to watch the sunset. We were surprised at how big the beach was, yet not developed except for one small group of buildings at the far end that looked like a private residence, and not a hotel. Most of the land next to the beach was a forest of coconut trees. Because it is unspoiled by humans, it is one of the nicest beaches I’ve been to in my life. The sunset was incredible. We picked the little bites of meat from the small fish before wading through the water back to the boat. It was now dark, a necessity for the next and last activity; snorkeling with the glow plankton. It is a cool experience to see the bio-luminescence light up as you move through the water. All-in-all, not a bad afternoon for $10.
Fans of the TV show Survivor may have heard of Koh Rong. Last season’s 'Survivor: Cambodia' and this coming season’s 'Survivor: Koh Rong' were filmed here. We were told that the Swedish version used our very bungalow for a photo shoot. The very few roads that exist on the island were built by and for the show.
We jokingly asked, "What could Koh Rong with this?”. Well... first I left my camera battery and charger behind in Phnom Penh, so no photography here other than with the iPhone. That sucks because not only is it incredibly scenic (and not to mention a costly mistake), I have a lot of time to practice my new hobby. The second problem is the sleeping situation. It is a bit too hot to sleep at night. There is very little air circulation under the mosquito net, even with the door and window open. A ceiling fan (and of course the power to make it spin) would make a world of difference. The biggest hindrance to a good night’s sleep however, is the noise. In such a remote place, what could be the source of the noise? A rooster, a dog, and that pesky Gecko. I thought roosters were supposed to crow at sunrise. Not this one. It’s workday starts at 4:30am. A dog hangs out at a local residence just on the other side of a footpath behind our bungalow. Several times a night we would be awakened by a yappy howl that just grates on my ears. We mentioned this to the proprietor of our place, and he said that he wanted to kill it as well. He told us that the people who live there keep the dog around because she keeps having puppies, which they eat. That is one local cuisine that I will not be trying. Seriously, a lizard? They make noise? Yup. We first heard it one evening while eating dinner at a different place from where we saw it eat the grasshopper. A very distinct and very loud sound came from the roof. I had a flashlight with me and was able to spot the crooner, that same type of lizard, a Tokay Gecko. Every once it a while it would just let loose with its (I’m assuming) mating call. We thought it was pretty neat until we heard the same noise in the middle of the night, but this time the noise was inches away from our heads. So, two or three times a night, we are awakened by a lonely lizard looking for some company.
Despite not being able to take pictures and less than great sleep, we love Koh Rong. It is different from other beaches we’ve been to in ways that didn’t sink in until we were here for a few days. First of all, there are very few people. And, you see the same people all the time since there are only a couple of places to stay and eat. Second, there is no one trying to sell you anything. At other beaches, there are always people trying to sell you stuff; bracelets, sunglasses, fruit, tuk tuk rides, sight seeing excursions, etc. (As an aside: In some places, they are not very savvy and/or their English isn’t very good, so they say to you “you buy from me”. In Vietnam, people would try to start a conversation first. “Where you from?”, they would say. You know they are just trying to sell you something, but if you ignore a direct question like that, you are kind of a dick. Anyway, I guess I am kind of a dick.) Back to my point… In Koh Rong, there isn’t a single person pushing their goods or services on you. That was nice. Third, it is so peaceful, with no cars and just the sounds of the ocean (except when you are trying to sleep). It has been very relaxing, but we have grown a little restless and are ready for the next site and adventure. Off to see the temples in Siem Reap.
- Jake
This is the view from our front porch.
Jesslyn on the bungalow.
The beach where we had the BBQ.
Sunset at the BBQ beach.