Asiatic Travels #7: Visiting Cambodia's Islands -- Koh Rong Samloem

Before departing Southeast Asia for the United States last month, I visited Cambodia at the end of the monsoon season. At times dark clouds would linger above for days before finally bursting without any warning. While staying in Sihanoukville, I saw some travelers run up to the front doors of the hostel I was staying at, they were soaked and the rain was coming down hard. They weren't wearing anything but boxers and panties. Turns out that some Cambodian kids had stolen their clothes, bags, wallets and just about everything while the travelers were out for a drunken midnight dip in the ocean. 

The islands of Koh Rong and Koh Rong Samloem are very popular with tourists in Cambodia. During the monsoon season, most people stay away. Watch this video to see why.

I chose Koh Rong Samloem because it's more low-key than its sister island. Many of the bungalows were owned by Eastern Europeans, following a trend that I noticed in Cambodian real estate --- it's mostly owned by foreigners or bureaucrats. Real estate is still fairly cheap and even on these islands you can buy up beachfront property, with some reservations about ownership. As you can see in the first photo below, there's a lot of rapid construction going on in Cambodia. In fact, going through all of the major cities and tourist areas left me with the impression of an entire country being constructed all at once. Even though it appears to be booming, I'd be careful. Southeast Asia may have its bubble burst any week now, and Cambodia's growth largely stems from its dark history. Another thing that was strange about this country was that no matter where I went, there were hardly any old people left. Many of the elderly that remain are amputees, homeless, or mentally deranged. 

{ Video of some construction on the island }

(Hmm looks like I accidentally linked the video of the critters from Lazy beach and compressed the other video somewhere. If you'd like to see the video mentioned, just leave a comment).

Attractive bungalows for sale!

A funny thing happens every evening in front of this pier; A house boat floats up and loads of Chinese tourists pile on and off, an announcer shouts about twenty Mandarin synonyms for "party" and the whole vessel thunders with bass until disappearing toward Sihanoukville again.

The sunset was beautiful. It's one of those sunsets you'll want to share with someone.

(Here's a gif of the sunset...still can't figure out how to embed them.)

Some of these places could make really good food. It was pricier than on land and of course you'll want to pay for it all in USD (the currency of choice across Cambodia) but it's worth it. In the end each of these dishes didn't come close to $9 USD. Can you spot the cool seashell that I found on the island?

There was a window of time while it wasn't raining to go check out Lazy Beach, on the other side of the island. While walking through the jungle to the other end, I found a couple of interesting creatures :)

1st picture & video: Huge millipede (video...yes, that's me saying "I wonder if Thais eat this.")

2nd video (no photo): Orb spider (at least as big as my hand.)

Lazy beach was very dirty at this time of the year. There were garbage and recycling bins, but they were either unused or overflowing. I took it upon myself to find a bag and collect some garbage myself. Don't commend me, just consider doing the same the next time you're out. Nature will appreciate it :)

{ Video of me walking through the jungle }

{ Some more interesting creatures that I found living on the coastline of Lazy Beach }

I stayed in a cheap bungalow that night (less than $10 in monsoon season), it had a bed and a private toilet. That's usually enough for me when I'm on the move and not working from my laptop. I shared the place with some ants and mosquitoes, and a gecko as big as my forearm :D

The ride back to Sihanoukville the next day was pretty bumpy as well. This is the first time I've shared a photo of myself. Sorry, I'm not an attractive woman. You can still give me some steem if you want, though. 

This is what a traveler looks like. Hey, if you really want I'll wear short shorts next time. 

These kids could use a playground. I couldn't get it all in the shot, but there were another dozen of them playing football up there. 

Thank you so much for your time! I hope that you enjoyed my blog. If you have any questions, go ahead and ask! 

Here's to the new economy :)

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