Sihanoukville's beaches just aren't very impressive, and the child beggars and crusty sexpats only add to the feeling of seediness that the place exudes. Luckily, though, Sihanoukville proper can just be a pit stop on a trip to a true beach paradise. In recent times the islands off the coast of Cambodia have become a tourist destination in their own right with new accommodation being built on nearly all of them. Despite this, though, they are still marvelously untouched and possess a serenity not easily found elsewhere.
Koh Rong Saloem
If you've been to one of the islands off Sihanoukville before this year, Koh Rong Saloem was probably it. Lazy Beach has been the accommodation of record for the Sihanoukville islands for more than six years now, and the island is still just as lovely and lazy as ever. Every night Lazy Beach guests relax with a cocktail on the porch to enjoy stunning fuchsia sunsets. The most recent development on Koh Rong Saloem has been the opening of the Freedom Beach Bungalows on the other side of the island in Saracen Bay, where one should be able to see an equally beautiful sunrise.
The island is quite large, and covered with interesting opportunities for visitors, including coral reefs that can be visited by even the most novice snorkellers and diving with a new diving outfit that has recently set up shop. Run by James Mostert, who was previously a dive instructor for Marine Conservation Cambodia on the island, Angkor Dive Cambodia (T: (016) 337 488) is a conservation-focused dive shop that offers fun dives and PADI courses. Although Koh Rong Saloem is the most well-known of the Sihanoukville islands, it's still an excellent choice for a relaxed weekend.
Koh Rong
Koh Rong is the star of the islands off Sihanoukville. With white sand beaches and turquoise waters, Koh Rong is a dreamy tropical paradise and one of the loveliest islands in the Gulf of Thailand. Apart from sunning on the miles of white sand, there's also diving, snorkelling and trekking paths for visitors.
Although Koh Rong has long had bungalows managed by a diving shop in town, at the end of 2010 and early 2011 the number of bungalows on the island multiplied, and now eight places offer accommodation on the island. The new bungalows have definitely put Koh Rong on the map — the name is on the lips of every backpacker in town and two daily boats chug over to the opposite side of the 78 kilometre-square island.
Despite this, and the major development project that is said to be in the works, Koh Rong is still remarkably pristine and undeveloped — there are no roads, all transport is by boat and the only electricity is from generators. That's certain to change, so try to visit Koh Rong before the hordes arrive.
Source: travelfish
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