Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
5
(Coral Island) has clean white sands, turquoise water, coral reefs and great snorkelling.
The huge island that dominates the horizon is Phu Quoc , in Vietnamese waters; locals
still call it Koh Kut, dating back to when it belonged to Cambodia.
Koh Tonsay
A thirty-minute journey from the mainland, Koh Tonsay , or Rabbit Island , as it is better
known, is - for now at least - a peaceful paradise of pale sand, clear waters, lofty palms
and a few very basic bungalows. Just 8km in circumference, it boasts stretches of beach
around the southwestern side that take you even further from the sparse crowds that
arrive daily. It makes a good day out, but by far the best time to be here is at 4.15pm
when the final day-tripper boat has disappeared behind the peninsula, in the direction
of the mainland, and you are left behind with a few other shipwrecked souls, a cold
beer and the sun heading gently for the horizon.
ARRIVAL AND INFORMATION KEP'S OFFSHORE ISLANDS
Boats can be arranged to Koh Tonsay and Koh Poh through Kep's guesthouses, or you can charter long-tailed boats on the
beach - ask at the food stalls or at the Rabbit Island pier.
To Koh Tonsay The boat to Koh Tonsay (30min) should
cost you no more than $8. Some operators will offer lunch,
guided walks and snorkelling for a few dollars more, but
this is not recommended - too many travellers tell of
errant guides and hungry stomachs. The snorkelling isn't
up to much anyway and it's easy enough to explore the
island along the rocky path that circumnavigates it.
To Koh Poh The 2hr trip to Koh Poh costs $50, though it
shouldn't be considered in stormy weather.
ACCOMMODATION
Bungalows Five small businesses on Koh To nsa y run basic
bungalows, most of them with squat toilets. $5
Kompong Trach
East of Kep, amid stunning karst landscapes, lies the friendly town of KOMPONG
TRACH , 30km east of Kampot and 15km from Kep on NR33. The main reason to head
out here is to visit Wat Kirisehla , 5km outside town, which is home to a reclining
Buddha set in a substantial natural cavity in the limestone hills.
Wat Kirisehla
$1 • From Kompong Trach take the turning north off the main road, about 100m east of the market; the road passes the hospital before
leaving town and heading off into the rice fields, where you'll soon see a large craggy hill ahead
Before you even reach the Buddhist cave temple of Wat Kirisehla you will most likely be
approached by smiling children offering to give you a guided tour. Ask them how
much and they'll say “up to you”, but $1 is really the minimum. They don't have any
real knowledge of the history, but the good ones have torches and can show you such
dubious relics as the blood of Buddha on the cave floor. Exploring alone, it's an idea to
take your own torch as the 100m-long tunnel to the centre of the hill is rather dark.
Many of the formations in the cave have names; look out for the elephant at the
entrance and a tortoise just beyond it. The centre of the hill is an almost circular cavity
around 50m in diameter, ringed by high cliffs whose walls are eroded into caves. The
large reclining Buddha here is a recent replacement for one destroyed by the Khmer
Rouge, who holed up here for years without being rumbled.
ACCOMMODATION AND EATING KOMPONG TRACH
You can get food and drink at the market and a couple of restaurants, all of which are opposite the main pagoda in the
middle of town.
 
 
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