So if you know me at all you know I love the beach the soft sand between your toes and the crashing sound of waves, people frolicking around and sun tanners sprawled out along the coast. If you have not guessed, I am from Cape Town the city by the sea!
So being in China a million miles away from the beach it pained me so much. Not that I frequent the beach often I just like to know that the beach is nearby so I can go if that even makes sense.
Well, I was heading to the beach in Cambodia, and I could not have been happier not without a bumpy ride first, of course, it’s travelling. I had my first sleeper bus experience in Cambodia and what a strange experience it was.
So you get a double bed, and you share with someone. It is very comfortable but very strange they just assign you a number that entitles you to half a bed. So if you are travelling by yourself, you will be sharing a bed with a complete stranger just for your information. Luckily for me, I was with a friend, so I was in the clear lol. Siem Reap to Sihanoukville took about 10 hours and I hustled a ticket for eight dollars at one of the travel agents in pub street.
We arrived at the crack of dawn in a town called Sihanoukville an interesting place. Being the casual traveller as I am we didn’t book any accommodation, so sleep deprived and not knowing where we were going, looking for a place to stay was not the most fun experience.
After being taken to a few much-overpriced places, we found one and we were happy to call it home for the night. For the life of me, I don’t even know its name.
We then had some breakfast, and it poured down with rain I thought it would never stop, and all I wanted to do was go to the beach that I had been desperately seeking for months.
We made it down to the beach not the prettiest of places, but it was a beach. The area called serendipity is the cheap backpacker party area with stacks of beach bars along the beach and chairs all over the beach. The nicer side is called Otres Beach and apparently it’s beautiful. Since I was only staying one night, we didn’t venture down to that side. We booked a speedboat to Koh Rong the island of Cambodia, and I was so excited to head out for some island adventures.
That evening we went for a drink and watched live music which quickly escalated and I ended up at a beach bar covered in lumo green paint with some new mates we made. Randomly ran into the British girls I had been travelling with and we danced the night away! It just so happened that we had booked the same boat to head to Koh Rong the following day.
I ended up spending four days in Koh Rong it was a magical dream come true. Bungalow living which worked out to five dollars a night sharing with three others. All day tanning and swimming in the bluest of ocean waters at the perfect temperature to cool down. Watching mesmerising sunsets at Long Beach which is on the other side of the Island. Snorkelling, fishing and the best part swimming with glowing plankton at night in the open sea. The experience was unbelievable I felt like I was in avatar or something. As soon as you splashed or ran your fingers in the water the ocean would light up defiantly one of my best experiences of this trip.
Travel Tips
Go to Koh Rong its twenty dollars for a return boat trip and if you have more time go to the other Island. Koh Rong Samloem is quieter and not very developed if you want that natural tropical island feeling.
Visit Long Beach there is a hiking trail through the middle of the island or hire a taxi boat remember to nogatiate a price and the more people you can rally together the cheaper it is.
Swim with the glowing plankton at night.
Have crazy dance party at night at any of the beach bars and hangout with the locals.You can also stay longer and work at any of these places on the beach for free accomodation, as they are always looking for western staff who speak English. You can also volunteer with the locals teaching English or with the children.
The best thing is expecting the unexpected. I often think back to when I was travelling and how easy things worked out even when you least expect it. I guess when you open yourself up to the world of opportunity things can change your life.
To stay up to date with what’s happening with me right now, Check out my Instagram Thals01, and my snapchat IamThalea. I post regularly. I hope you are still enjoying my travel posts and will be better at uploading posts more frequently and hope these tips are useful.
Hope all is well with all you thanks for reading!
Peace love and Happiness
Cherry ♥
