Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Koh Rong Samloem
Koh Rong Samloem
,
two and a half hours from Sihanoukville
(or less than an hour's sail
from neighbouring Koh Rong), has eight beaches and a rocky reef with good diving
(see p.252). Low-key bungalow resorts are scattered all around the island, including at
the beautiful, blinding white sands of
Lazy Beach
to the south, shallow
Saracen Bay
to
the east where the largest concentration of bungalows can be found, and in the fishing
village of
M'Pai Bay
(Village 23) on the northernmost tip. The network of French roads
on the island have long since been swallowed up by jungle, although you can trek
through the forested interior to the lighthouse on the southern tip and across the island
from east to west;
wildlife
on the island includes kingfishers, great hornbills and ospreys
as well as macaques, black squirrels, lizards and snakes.
5
Koh Ta Kiev
The white-sand beaches of
Koh Ta Kiev
(quieter on the western side) and sprinkling of
rustic thatched bungalows make this one of the most idyllic of Sihanoukville's islands, a
real castaway experience. There are a handful of beaches to explore, trails to trek and
decent
snorkelling offshore
with giant mussels to look out for to the north of the
island. Sadly, the island has been leased to developers and a new eco-resort is already
under construction, so it's anybody's guess as to how long the current businesses (and
mellow vibe) will be allowed to remain.
Koh Tang and around
If you're a
diver
or have plenty of time, get out to deeper waters, such as those around
Koh Tang
and
Koh Prins
- between five and seven hours from Sihanoukville. Koh Tang's
claim to fame is that it was the site of a major battle to free the
Mayaguez
, an
American-owned container ship captured by the Khmer Rouge on May 13, 1975, in
the early days of their regime. The US Navy and Air Force launched a mission to
liberate the ship but met heavy resistance, and Ream naval base and Sihanoukville's
industrial areas were bombed during the battle. Divers (see p.252) can check out two
shipwrecks 40m down, northwest of Koh Prins.
ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE ISLANDS NEAR SIHANOUKVILLE
In addition to ferries, many of the Sihanoukville resorts arrange boat transfers to inhabited islands. You can also make your
own arrangements with a local fisherman on Ochheuteal or Otres beaches, take an organized island-hopping or snorkelling
excursion (from $10) with a Sihanoukville guesthouse, or try a tour operator such as Ana Travel (see p.251).
By ferry
Sea Cambodia's zippy fast ferries to Koh Rong
depart from Serendipity Beach pier (9am, 11am, 1pm &
3pm; return 10am, noon, 2pm & 4pm; $13 one way;
40min; book online at
W
seacambodia.com). The Koh Rong
Dive Center (
W
kohrong-divecenter.com) has a similar
service to Koh Rong (3 daily; $15 one way; 40min), and to
Saracen Bay on Koh Rong Samloem ($15 one way; 35min).
They also have a cheaper slow boat to Koh Rong (2 daily;
$20 return; 2hr 30min), and a daily ferry that connects the
two islands ($5; 30min).
Tours
Sun Tours (
W
suntours-cambodia.com) offer a great
day-tour to Koh Rong Samloem (10am-5pm; $25/person),
including buffet lunch and a snorkelling stop at Koh Tas.
Romney Travel and Tours (
T
016 861459,
E
romneytour
@yahoo.com) has been going forever; offerings include a
day-trip to Koh Rong via Koh Tas ($20), and an island-
hopping tour that drops in on Koh Cha Lush, Koh Russei and
Koh Tres ($15).
Interisland travel
At the time of writing, aside
from Koh Rong Dive Center's daily service between
Koh Rong and Koh Rong Samloem, interisland
ferries were nonexistent. To reach other islands
independently, the only (expensive) option is to hire a
longtail boat.
ACCOMMODATION AND EATING
There is no mains
electricity
; some bungalows use solar-charged batteries or generators for power at night (usually just
for lights; fans are rare) - generally between sunset and 10pm only. With the exception of Koh Tui on Koh Rong and Saracen
