Koh
Rong is quite possibly that cliched island paradise you've been
looking for, boasting pristine
white beaches, turquoise water and limited development on most of the island.
For years the island was almost completely undeveloped save for a diving outfit
and a few bungalows, though that's changing, in particular on the southern
patch Koh Touch.
Serviced by the fast boat from Sihanoukville as the fourth stop, Koh Touch is a sandy guesthouse-packed stretch that has earned Koh Rong a reputation as a party island. All the beaches aside from Koh Touch however are undeserving of this label as they're the kind of places where the lights go out when the sun goes down and the sounds of nature, rather than music, will lull you to sleep. Despite many a developer having their beady eyes on the 78-square-kilometre island, the rapid development of late is mostly limited to basic bungalows and cheap guesthouses in Koh Touch, so it remains easy to find a quiet refuge elsewhere on the island.
The island is truly gorgeous. So gorgeous in fact that a production company has set up a permanent base at Soksan Base Camp hotel, on Soksan Beach, making the most of the deserted beaches and exceedingly beautiful waters for filming all sorts of movies and programmes, including reality TV show Survivor. The swish property occasionally opens to outside guests in-between production runs.
Serviced by the fast boat from Sihanoukville as the fourth stop, Koh Touch is a sandy guesthouse-packed stretch that has earned Koh Rong a reputation as a party island. All the beaches aside from Koh Touch however are undeserving of this label as they're the kind of places where the lights go out when the sun goes down and the sounds of nature, rather than music, will lull you to sleep. Despite many a developer having their beady eyes on the 78-square-kilometre island, the rapid development of late is mostly limited to basic bungalows and cheap guesthouses in Koh Touch, so it remains easy to find a quiet refuge elsewhere on the island.
The island is truly gorgeous. So gorgeous in fact that a production company has set up a permanent base at Soksan Base Camp hotel, on Soksan Beach, making the most of the deserted beaches and exceedingly beautiful waters for filming all sorts of movies and programmes, including reality TV show Survivor. The swish property occasionally opens to outside guests in-between production runs.
 |
| Taxi! |
The island boasts seven bays, all teeming with marine life,
making for great snorkelling and diving. The ultra-high end millionaires'
hang-out Song Saa Resort is to the north of the island, but you can save
your cash and get the same paradise views at a fraction of the cost elsewhere.
There's enough to keep even the most active visitor busy, with diving, snorkelling,
mountain biking, trekking, kayaks and motorbike treks, and plenty of sand, sun
and sea for those with more relaxed tastes.
 |
| Chill out. |
Koh Rong has 43
kilometres of beaches, but the majority
of bars and accommodation is on the southeast, by Koh Touch village.
There's barely a patch along the bright white sand without a bungalow being
constructed. Here music blares out till the early hours where sleeping in the
tightly packed accommodation close to the pier is usually a wasted effort --
the main generator turns off at 02:30 but that doesn't stop one bar, Mango,
which has its own so it can pump on till 05:30.
There's a couple of basic minimarts, laundry services and a choice of eating, but no ATMs or internet cafes -- though a scattering of properties now offer free WiFi. The clientele closest to the village are mostly backpackers and divers who have come to enjoy the nightlife, with expats and couples preferring more seclusion further along the beach at quieter, more spread out accommodation.
There's a couple of basic minimarts, laundry services and a choice of eating, but no ATMs or internet cafes -- though a scattering of properties now offer free WiFi. The clientele closest to the village are mostly backpackers and divers who have come to enjoy the nightlife, with expats and couples preferring more seclusion further along the beach at quieter, more spread out accommodation.
 |
| Beaches can get very busy at times. |
The next largest cluster of accommodation is on Sok
San, a sleepy village that's a world away from Koh Touch with regular
direct slow boats from Sihanoukville and a fast boat primarily serving the
production company based there, with an irregular schedule accordingly.
Family-run over-water stilted bungalows and basic beach huts are the order of
the day here, with multiple new bungalows springing up during our October 2014
visit.
Soksan Base Camp is based at the end of the village with a whopping 90 new bungalows -- adding to the existing 54 -- being constructed at the end of 2014. This is to accommodate more production crew and to be able to open it up more to tourists -- currently there are only very narrow windows during filming breaks when they accept bookings online, usually in low season. With 24-hour power, high-speed internet and air-con, prices are steep for these smart wooden bungalows but there's nowhere else that really competes.
Soksan Base Camp is based at the end of the village with a whopping 90 new bungalows -- adding to the existing 54 -- being constructed at the end of 2014. This is to accommodate more production crew and to be able to open it up more to tourists -- currently there are only very narrow windows during filming breaks when they accept bookings online, usually in low season. With 24-hour power, high-speed internet and air-con, prices are steep for these smart wooden bungalows but there's nowhere else that really competes.
 |
| Pesky cloud. |
A handful of other one-off resorts are set around the island
at the northeast
and southwest and these arrange their own slow boats from Sihanoukville; it's a
two-three hour journey that's absolutely worth it if you're looking for real
peace and isolation.
The Cambodian government has sold Koh Rong to an investment group based in Cambodia, which has plans to build an airport and "ecological" resort. There's currently little sign of development though apart from a rough and ready road which connects some parts of the island, and the WiFi and mobile phone signals which now service most of the accommodation. If you must make that call, Hello Axiata and Metfone seem to get the strongest signals, particularly on Koh Touch beach.
The Cambodian government has sold Koh Rong to an investment group based in Cambodia, which has plans to build an airport and "ecological" resort. There's currently little sign of development though apart from a rough and ready road which connects some parts of the island, and the WiFi and mobile phone signals which now service most of the accommodation. If you must make that call, Hello Axiata and Metfone seem to get the strongest signals, particularly on Koh Touch beach.
 |
| Waterfall bound. |
The interior of the island is largely undeveloped and
travelling between beaches requires trekking or a boat; the latter is
relatively expensive. One of the most beautiful beaches, north of Koh Touch, is
known as Long Set beach,
after the farmer who lives there growing cashews, coconuts and mangoes. Thanks
to the views, it's thought it will be the first one to be developed. Around the
point to the west of Koh Touch, the white coral sand bay known as Seven-Kilometre beach,
with Sok San village at one end, is also a potential development site.
 |
| Even the bathrooms are memorable. |
So far the development group has left the bungalows alone
and they appear safe for the
time being. The operations pay rent and have signed agreements saying they
will leave whenever they are ordered to.
So if you want to take advantage of Koh Rong's perfect beaches, diving, snorkelling and phosphorescent night swimming (subject to availability), go now.
Orientation
Rooms are highly sought after in high season, and it's better to book before you go, or arrive on the early ferry to catch rooms at Koh Touch beach. Be aware that the island does not have mains electricity and resorts rely on generators for power -- you'll get the most power supply at Koh Touch including at night, though not 24/7. Water is also a precious commodity, and most bathrooms employ an economical bucket flush system.
So if you want to take advantage of Koh Rong's perfect beaches, diving, snorkelling and phosphorescent night swimming (subject to availability), go now.
Orientation
Rooms are highly sought after in high season, and it's better to book before you go, or arrive on the early ferry to catch rooms at Koh Touch beach. Be aware that the island does not have mains electricity and resorts rely on generators for power -- you'll get the most power supply at Koh Touch including at night, though not 24/7. Water is also a precious commodity, and most bathrooms employ an economical bucket flush system.
 |
| Take your pick at Angkor Chom. |
One of the problems of deserted beaches is that undisturbed
sand can be the perfect habitat for sand flies. These small black flies like to bite,
and leave itchy red marks that can irritate for days. The best approach is
prevention so bring along some good strong repellant with DEET and apply it
first thing in the morning as well as after the sun goes down.
While you're enjoying the turquoise waters, don't forget to look for sea urchins or sea eggs underfoot. The spines are painful if they embed in your sole and won't pull out easily. However, the discomfort will wear off in a couple of days and these particular creatures are not dangerous.
While you're enjoying the turquoise waters, don't forget to look for sea urchins or sea eggs underfoot. The spines are painful if they embed in your sole and won't pull out easily. However, the discomfort will wear off in a couple of days and these particular creatures are not dangerous.
 |
| The blue just goes and goes. |
Being a small, mostly uninhabited island, medical help is very limited.
For anything halfway serious, you'll need to return to Sihanoukville
or Phnom
Penh. Bring some supplies of iodine and plasters with you, and take care of
yourself!
0 comments:
Post a Comment