CAMBODIA
/Travelled 2019 December/
For many people the top destination to visit in Cambodia is Angkor Wat. We intentionally decided to skip it and go to the islands instead, since we had only six days for Cambodia and wanted to have some quality time in one place. The city we could not skip was Phnom Penh, we flew in, spent one night there, then travelled down to Sihanoukville and took a ferry to Koh Rong.
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PHNOM PENH
It is a very intense, busy, jammed with traffic and generally not a very pleasant city. Nevertheless, many travelers get to spend a night there, either when flying in or out of the country or on the way from Angkor Wat down to the islands. So, we will give you a few tips how to survive one day in Phnom Pen.
First things first, to enter Cambodia a visa is required for majority of foreigners. Visa on arrival can be obtained in Phnom Penh or Siem Reap (a town by Angkor Wat) international airports with a printed passport photo. However, the easiest way to get the visa is online at https://www.evisa.gov.kh.
Price: 30 USD.
There are several ways to get from the airport to the city center: train, bus, taxi or tuk-tuk.
Public transportation is the cheapest option, but the waiting time for a train or shuttle bus was too long at our time of arrival, so we chose to go by tuk-tuk. It was around 7-10 USD, twice cheaper than taxi, and quite fun. Bearing in mind all the traffic, probably it was also two times faster.
Travel time: around 30 min.
WHERE TO STAY?
The best district is the central Riverside. From there you can reach the temples, the markets and other places to see on foot. There are plenty of hotels and hostels there.
WHAT TO DO?
For half a day in the city, take a walk on a promenade by Mekong river, see the Royal Palace (google map), go to the nearest market (google map) for some street food and enjoy the bars by the river at night.
If you have some more time and are interested in a painful history of Cambodia, you definitely must visit the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum in a former prison (google map) in the city and the Choeung Ek Killing Fields (google map) about 15 km from the center (google maps). It is possible to get there even with a tuk-tuk.
We had no pre-arranged transportation from Phnom Penh to Sihanoukville, and after making some calls our hotel receptionist advised us to take a post office bus. Yes, that’s right, it turns out Cambodia post takes passengers on the minivans that deliver packages to other cities. We bought a ticket for the next morning ride at the post office building. The buses leave from the same place (google map). It was quite convenient, the usual 5-6 hour drive, majority of which was getting out from a never ending Phnom Penh. And stopping for lunch, of course.
Price: about 10 USD.
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KOH RONG ISLAND
We planned to spend five days on Koh Rong island, including getting there and back to Sihanoukville. We didn’t have high expectations from it, only to enjoy the beach, relax, maybe do some diving. And for that reason, we quite liked it! Great weather, sandy beaches, nice water and just enough things to do for a few days.
HOW TO GET THERE?
Before going to Koh Rong, you have to get to Sihanoukville either by plane (there is a small international airport there (google map) connecting with several cities in Asia) or by bus. We came in by bus from Phnom Penh.
Whatever you heard of Sihanoukville is probably not true anymore. At the end of 2019 it looked like all the streets in this town were torn down at once for re-pavement and dozens of big hotels were being built. Also, all at once. Most of the constructions are carried out by Chinese money.
So, to avoid getting stuck check the construction status in Sihanoukville at the time you are travelling and the boat schedule to Koh Rong https://www.visitkohrong.com/how-to-get-to-koh-rong/
There are many regular ferry boats from Sihanoukville to Koh Rong. The trip takes around 45 min.
Price: around 25 USD return.
NOTE: there are several ferry companies and two piers from where they operate. The more popular one is Tourist Beach Pier (google map). The ferry boats take you to Koh Rong Community Pier on the island (google map), which is the most popular tourist area.
It is not possible to get the tickets on the pier, only in the agency nearby. No rip-off, only thing – payments must be made in cash. It is also possible (and recommended) to book online at https://bookmebus.com
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WHERE TO STAY?
There are plenty of hotels and bungalows at a wide price range. Even tents for 5 USD per night for low budget travelers. We knew Koh Rong was a popular destination among travelers in Cambodia, and it was Christmas time, so we booked a room in advance at a mid-range place Paradise Bungalows Koh Rong (google map) for 24 USD per bungalow per night.
The important question is where you want to be on the island. We chose this particular place to stay because it was on Koh Toch Beach, only a bit further away from the village and all the noise, but still close enough to walk there if you want a choice of restaurants and convenience stores. Our side of the beach was not crowded at all. Another wide and beautiful 4K Beach (google map) was a walking distance away. The quiet Sok San Beach (google map) is easily reached by boat.
Bear in mind, there are mosquitos on the island, so you definitely need a mosquito net around the bed. All bungalows normally have it, just double check if it is in a good condition. And get some anti-mosquito spray anyway.
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WHAT TO DO?
Of course, the main activity is the beach. We listed them earlier and they are all just great.
A lot of young people go to Koh Rong to party. That you can tell already when you are boarding a ferry boat. Some of them carry cases of beer, as it’s cheaper than buying from bars on the island. Seeing all this we thought that parties will be all around the island. Not at all! Yes, the music is playing in several bars on the beach when the sun goes down, however you can easily escape it and enjoy the sounds of crickets in and the ocean waves.
There are only two real party places:
Police Beach (google map) - every Wednesday and Saturday, plus Full Moon and some other occasions . The place is really cool, with a decent sound system and impressive decorations. As everything on this island, it’s open air and right on the beach! DJ’s usually play techno, house, electro. They also do a fire show. Entrance fee: 12.5 USD at the door, or 10 USD in advance. You also get a free drink if you come before 11 p.m. They are selling tickets in many places, also there are promoters walking on the beach, selling tickets and inviting people to come.
Nest Beach Club (google map) - not sure about the schedule, but they also do laid back parties there regularly, live DJ’s playing chill-out music. Entrance fee: 4 USD.
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Diving - to make things clear, Koh Rong is not among the top diving destinations in the world both in terms of visibility and marine life. So, it depends on what you expect. If you are a beginner, want to train or simply check the box of doing it in Cambodia then go for it. On the other hand, if you are an experienced diver who has seen it all, we recommend to do some research first and align your expectations.
Koh Rong Dive Center is located in Koh Toch Beach right on the main pier (google map). The equipment was in good condition and staff was really cool.
Price: 95 USD per person for two dives, full equipment included.
Boat trip - it sounded a bit cheesy but turned out to be quite cool. A standard program contains: going around the cape to Sok San Beach (google map), fishing, having lunch (if you catch some fish they cook it right there on the boat and it is really delicious), enjoying the beach, the sunset on the boat, snorkeling in the dark surrounded by the glowing plankton (that was really cool). Oh, and here goes the cheesy part - party on the boat!
Price: around 15 USD. Available at several kiosks, bars and shops on the island.
NOTE: Another popular daytrip destination is visiting a quiet nearby island Koh Rong Sanloem.
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