Paradise on land

We arrived last week in Sihanoukville and spent there a few days.. I was a bit sick the whole time there and we didn't find much to do besides scouting nice beaches and going out for some partying. Apparently few years back it was a chilled out backpackers mecca but the scenario has changed since then. Today it's filled with young people whose aim is just to party all day long. The whole atmosphere is simply too touristic in the worst possible way. That been said we didn't hate Sihanoukville by any means, the parties were actually pretty decent but other than that it really wasn't the place for us :)

From Sihanoukville we then took a speed boat (45min) to Koh Rong and we fell in love with this island immediately. With crystal clear turquoise water, secluded beaches and the perfect sceneries this was the perfect getaway. A holiday from a holiday so to speak;) We stayed in the main beach, the most developed part of the island. There are quite a few accomodations, restaurants and bars in this strech of the beach. However if you walk about 20 minutes further you will find an extremely secluded beach with cute tree house bungalows. From there on the island gets even more secluded and undeveloped.

The sand flies are the only huge minus in Koh Rong. They are everywhere and even if you protect yourself with oil they manage to make more bites. So basically we were all pretty much eaten and itching all the time which was fairly uncomfortable. Oh, and the whole island has electricity only half day so you really get the feeling of a true island life.

Yesterday we rented kayaks and paddled around Koh Rong. We visited a small island with nothing else except a little temple. Around the island we found good snorkling spots which was amazing because of the perfectly clear water. We also kayaked to the nearby beaches to enjoy complete privacy and beautiful sceneries. During the night time around 1am we went to the water to see the planktons. I'm not quite sure how they work but when it's pitch black and you go swimming you will see these tiny planktons glowing under the water. The more movement you make the more the planktons will glow. We were fascinated with this natures phenomena and spent a long while in the sea. I've never seen anything like it before, so incredible! We tried to snatch a few photos under water but they weren't any good. You will have to see this one for yourself :)

It's quite amazing actually that there are still unspoiled places like this in the world. We heard that Thailand used to be as beautiful 15-20 years ago before the mass tourism took over. Im just glad we got to see Koh Rong before the same thing will happen in here. Definitely one of my Top 3 favourite places in the world!