27/08/2008
This week, our Cambodia embed, Tim Patterson, is giving us the inside scoop on the country, live from a guesthouse in Sihanoukville.
Remember The Beach? The excellent Alex Garland novel, later made into a crappy movie that even Leonardo DiCaprio couldn't save, depicted a group of backpackers who created their own paradise on a remote Thai island.
The uber-backpackers of The Beach braved shark attacks and drug lords to escape the tourist development that was consuming the Thai islands. Turns out, they could have just crossed over to Cambodia instead.
The Cambodian islands are just as lovely as anything in Thailand, but for the moment, there's barely any tourist infrastructure on the beaches. A few bungalow spots have opened in the past few years, and there are plans for mega-resorts in the future, but for now you're free to live out your deserted island fantasy.
Koh Tonsay
Located just off the coast of Kep, Koh Tonsay has a few decent beaches, one simple row of bungalows and great views across the sea to Bokor Mountain. Long-tail boats go to Koh Tonsay every morning from Kep. Aim to pay about $7 per person, round-trip.
Koh Russei
Koh Russei is one of the islands closest to Sihanoukville and was one of the first to get any tourist infrastructure. Also called Bamboo Island, the beaches on Koh Russei aren't anything special, but the bungalows there are nice and it's easy to get to. Ferries run daily from Sihanoukville and cost about $8 per person, round-trip.
Koh Rong Samluem Koh Rong Samluem is a large island two hours from Sihanoukville. There are two collections of bungalows here, along with one village and a small navy base where bored sailors greet travelers with warm beer and boiled squid.
The EcoSea Bungalows are right next to a village and best suited for scuba divers, while the Lazy Beach Resort on the far side of the island appeals to travelers looking for total isolation and basic creature comforts.
Koh RongKoh Rong is a huge island three hours from Sihanoukville with a beach on the southwest shore that is simply spectacular: It's six kilometers of flawless white sand.
There are several small villages on Koh Rong, but as The Guardian recently reported, the government has sold development rights to the island to a private group that will evict all islanders, with no plans as of yet for compensation.
A bungalow complex called Snake Eyes is located at the southern end of the epic beach, but when I visited last week it was abandoned--apart from a pit viper and a two lonesome dogs.
Koh Tang
Scene of the last battle of the Vietnam War, Koh Tang is a scuba diver's paradise way offshore in the Gulf of Thailand. It takes a full day to get there, so you're best off going on a fully equipped dive boat.
Why make the effort? Well, have you heard of Thailand's Koh Tao? Apparently the diving at Koh Tang is even better.
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