Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Koh Kong Island Resort
( 035-936371;
www.kohkongisland.net
; Bungalows US$40-90)
The first accommodation to open
on Koh Kong Island, this could signal a wave of development in the coming years. The
bungalows are rustic all-wooden structures, but include some nice decorative flourishes.
The superior bungalows are pretty pokey, so it is worth investing in the deluxe options,
from US$55.
RESORT
$$
Getting There & Away
Koh Kong Island lies about 25km south of Koh Kong City. The most practical way to get
there is on a boat tour from Koh Kong City. Koh Kong Island Resort offers daily trips for
US$25 per person, departing Koh Kong at 8.30am and returning around 5pm, including
lunch.
Peam Krasaop Mangrove Sanctuary
Anchored to alluvial islands - some no larger than a house - this 260-sq-km sanctuary's
millions of magnificent mangroves protect the coast from erosion, serve as a vital breed-
ing and feeding ground for fish, shrimp and shellfish, and provide a home to myriad birds.
The area, which is part of the Koh Kong Conservation Corridor, is all the more valuable
from an ecological standpoint because similar forests in Thailand have been trashed by
short-sighted development.
To get a feel for the delicate mangrove ecosystem - and to understand how mangrove
roots can stop a tsunami dead in its tracks - head to the 600m-long concrete
mangrove
walk
, which wends its way above the briny waters to a 15m observation tower. If you're
lucky you'll come upon cavorting monkeys with a fondness for fizzy drinks. The
walk
(mangrove walk admission 5000r; mangrove walk 6.30am-6pm)
begins at the sanctuary en-
trance, about 5.5km southeast of the city centre. A
moto
/
remork
costs US$5/10 return
from Koh Kong City.
Unfortunately, a new resort has built 30 stilted bungalows amid the mangroves near the
sanctuary entrance. The resort is a shrine to wood-crete that falls well short of blending
with the beauty of the surroundings and was not fully operational at the time of writing.
You can avoid confronting this eyesore by hiring a motorboat to take you through the
sanctuary. Wooden boats (US$10 per hour) are available for hire near the observation
tower; a better plan is to head into the park's interior on a boat tour out of Koh Kong.
