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A Mekong Whisky bar crawl on our last night in Phnom Penh was perhaps not the best way to end our stay there, before an early start the next day for the bus down to Cambodia's south coast, but maybe we needed it after what we had seen and learnt in the last few days…although not that we need an excuse for a drink or two really.
Our next port of call was an island off the south coast, called Koh Rong, one of the many tropical islands dotting the coastline, and which we thought sounded perfect for a few days R&R, trying to ignore the weather forecast of impending rain and storms. Although this will receive little belief from readers back at home, after 3.5 months on the go we couldn't remember the last time we had just 'sat and done nothing', and so were craving to do just that - Koh Rong provided the perfect base, for this R&R as well as an idyllic spot to celebrate our 34th birthdays. We extended our original 3-night stay to one week, once we saw that perhaps the gods were smiling down on us as the predicted storm never arrived and we were treated to mostly glorious weather, a beach-side bungalow where we woke up to the sound and direct view of the sea each morning, a hammock to swing in, and wonderful fresh barracuda and king size prawns most nights - as well as some good company from the managers and few other guests that were there with us.
An 'active' day consisted of the 3-hour round trip walk to another stunning beach on the other side of the island, a game of badminton/Scrabble/Jenga, exploring the local villages, and then deciding what to eat at night. On my birthday we did exactly what I wanted (a lazy day in the sun reading and listening to music, swimming, eating and drinking) plus Simon surprised me with sneakily packed G&T ingredients as we kayaked round the island at sunset. Simon's birthday was spent walking to said deserted beach, playing in the waves, and then enjoying a good bottle of red wine and cigars I had bought in Phnom Penh. It is fair to say that our 34th birthdays were everything we could have asked for!
We left Koh Rong on a rickety boat in the pouring rain, grateful that the weather had held out for us, as the rain and grey skies loomed above us. We then moved on to Kampot, a sleepy riverside town a few hours further down the coast. Kampot had an even more shabby-chic feel to it than Phnom Penh, with the sort of relaxed vibe that for some reason slowly sucks you in to staying longer than you planned. It had the similar mix of rustic and French colonial architecture, though it looked like it had recently been bombed or as if a hurricane had swept through, leaving a trail of debris and ramshackle buildings, which somehow added to its charm.
The area is also well known for the nearby Bokor National Park, and its abandoned hill station which was established by the French in the 1920s, as a means of a cooler bolt-hole to escape to from the heat of the lowlands. We rented a scooter one day to ride up there, a beautiful 30km mountain road taking us up to 1080m through the national park, passing by trickling streams and waterfalls, lush primary rainforest, and beautiful views. A grand, 4-storey hotel, the Bokor Palace, was built in 1925, but the whole holiday village - including a Catholic Church and a post office - was abandoned to the elements in the 1970s when the Khmer Rouge took over. So what's left today is a rather eerie ghost town of a once grand resort - what's even stranger is that it doesn't look almost 90 years old, bur rather that the buildings were just built 5 years ago and never finished. But it was an interesting sight, and we were rewarded with amazing views from the top of the below coastal plain - acres and acres of trees, which looked like fields of giant broccoli, and then the sea. On the way back down we passed the new resort which is being developed, a monstrous-looking resort and casino complex in mustard yellow and what we think must be 'faux colonial' style, as well as a massive Buddha. We coasted back down the winding road without the engine running, giving us an even more beautiful - and peaceful - ride back down.
Once back down at sea level, we explored the western banks of the river and over an estuary where we drove past rice paddies and fishing villages, stunned by the amazing colours of the scenery: fiery red earth, lush green paddies, and beautiful blue sky. Later that day we took a little cruise down the river, enabling us to admire another perspective of Kampot and the peace and quiet on the river. Our evenings were spent enjoying some more delicious Cambodian food - going back twice to the same restaurant for its amazing Seafood Amok, a coconutty prawn dish I could have ordered 5 times over - and having drinks with Nate and Mimi, an American/German couple who had also been on Koh Rong with us.
There wasn't a huge amount to do in Kampot but I think that is why we liked it so much - obviously getting into the swing of chilling out after our time on Koh Rong! We could easily have stayed longer there, as well as anywhere in Cambodia really, our time there now feeling (with hindsight) a bit too short - or possibly not enough off the tourist trail - to really get under the skin of the country and its people. From our own personal/short experience though, Cambodia felt like an abused animal that you wanted to hold in your arms, to nurse it back to good health from its harrowing past so that it can shine again. There's so much to see and understand of Cambodia, both good and bad, but then I guess that's what makes it the intriguing country it is today.
- comments
Unni Hartley I almost feel lost for words when I read your blog. It is so interesting to read and all your experience is just AMAZING!!! So glad you were able to find such a wonderful place to celebrate your birthdays xxxxxxxx Lots of love Mum/ Unni xxxxxx
Nigel Hubbard Agree entirely with Unni's comments. We live your trip via the Blog. Just a few weeks to go now to the very different world of Guatemala.