Backpacking around the world HappytimeBlog | Koh Rong, Cambodia – A paradise in pictures
Before we get out to Koh Rong again I thought I’d post a little photo essay of the remaining shots we took. There’s so much about Cambodia’s secret Island – Koh Rong that we haven’t seen or done yet but that will all change in the coming weeks, so for now I’ll just fill you in on what we actually did see.
1. The crystal clear waters around the pier on Koh Rong are filled with fish. Cambodia’s Islands are relatively untouched by mass tourism and village life is still the order of the day. But all this will soon change, large international companies have already bought and drawn plans for large parts of Cambodia’s most beautiful Island… Lucky for us these things take time and best guesses say it will be 10 years before the bulldozers roll in…
2. Stepping off the pier and into the village showed us a slower pace of life even from mainland Cambodia…. And if you’ve ever been to Cambodia you’ll know life’s at a pretty slow pace anyway.
Rustic beach shacks knocked up out of whatever washes up, wood from the bordering jungle and rusty tin sheets line the beachfront. Georgie got straight into taking snaps of the villagers while I sipped on an ice coffee.
3. Koh Rong Cambodia isn’t a small Island…. I’m told it’s the same size as Hong Kong, I forgot to take my super massive tape measure so I can only speculate but I know this much… The interior is hilly and covered in thick rain forest, from certain parts of the beach you can hear the sound of a distant waterfall and these waterfalls converge into small rivers that wash out onto the beach. They looked clean enough but I thought to myself that if I lived in one of those tin gaffes I’d just wee in the river…. Based on that staggering deduction… I skipped around and not through.
4. A short walk up from the pier we hit another beach (Koh Rong has 18 in total). This beach is the home of a new bungalow operation called Monkey Island…. Has a certain ring to it don’t you think? Anyway the rugged beauty of it reminded me a lot of the Gilli Islands in Indonesia and the crystal clear waters knock spots off that on mainland Sihanoukville.
5. Georgie and I wandered about for a while whilst our Monkey pals talked business, we had a nose around one of the Monkey Island bungalows and like I said in my last post – were blown away by the rustic charm and build quality… Not to mention the views and peacefulness of the surroundings.
6. What can I say…. I know I posted this picture last time but it deserves a second outing! OOOOOF – That’s what me and the good wife said anyway. We knew straight away that the beach out in front of Monkey Island Koh Rong would be somewhere we will be whenever we get the chance!
7. What makes Georgie great with a camera is that she has no hang ups and no ego, she’ll get right in there, chat to the locals, normally do something really clumsy or funny to them, charm them up a treat and they seem to open right up… The little kid above was fixated on me as I put some rubbish into a nearby bin. The two girls below just seemed to latch onto to Georgie like they had known her for years… Koh Rong Cambodia is a stunning Island as much for it’s people as it’s beauty, there aren’t many places like this left in the world I’m sure and both Georgie and I will be there many more times before the concrete starts to grow…
Koh Rong, Cambodia – A paradise in pictures was originally published by HappytimeBlog - Backpacking around the world - Online Sihanoukville Cambodia Guide