Koh Rong Samloem, Cambodia

 Notes from the journal:

7/15

  • Walked to the Sihanoukville ferry port in the rain, checked in, and took a bumpy ride to Koh Rong Samloem 
  • I met two travelers going to my hostel so we walked together and hung out periodically throughout the stay (we were the only 3 there)
  • The “room” was just 3 walls with a curtain and a bunch of beds, but I actually really liked this because it was too breezy for mosquitoes, it stayed nice and cool, and it felt like sleeping outside (my favorite thing ever) but with comfort. There were also mosquito nets so it was nice and cozy.
  • I met up with Sophia (who I met in Laos) at her hostel to do laundry and we went to dinner and talked for so long that the owners left and we just gave their little kid our money
  • We walked along the beach to try to find the bioluminescent plankton but there was too much light and too much rain so we called it a night

7/16

  • I woke up early and read for awhile, before going to get mango crepes for breakfast at a guesthouse in town
  • Went for a walk along the beach in the rain out to old pier and then headed back to the hostel to change into my swim suit because it cleared up, but ended up swimming in the pouring rain, which was actually so fun
  • Went back to the hostel to get into dry clothes and then hung out at the hostel
  • Sophia and I got dinner at the same guesthouse from this morning and then went back to my hostel to hang out and book a shared hotel for Bangkok

7/17

  • Woke up early again and read out on the patio of the hostel (overlooked the ocean and was very breezy the entire stay)
  • Went to a yummy cafe for breakfast to get a meal I had been craving and then had to wait there for an hour for a big storm to pass
  • Called Tyler for a couple of hours and then went to grab more crepes in town, hung out with Sophia before I left for the ferry pier and got picked up
  • Another bumpy ride to the mainland, and then I waited at 7/11 for Sophia to arrive on her ferry so we could share a tuk tuk to my hostel
  • We then went for a slightly sketchy walk to a seafood place in Sihanoukville (a weird, weird city) where we were so confused the entire meal and the wait staff were laughing at us
  • Sophia left to catch her bus to Siem Reap and I finished eating and walked back to my hostel 

7/18

  • Left hostel and took a long tuk tuk to the Sihanoukville airport…at one point the driver literally stopped and asked me for directions…like oh yes, as a local I definitely know where we are (he had a map)
  • Flew to Siem Reap


Read if I referred you to this post:

I went during the rainy season and happened to hit a bad patch (apparently the week before and after I went were great) on the islands, but I still had a good time and it forced me to rest. I enjoyed the food there (even though it was a bit pricier than the mainland) and liked laying around reading in the breeze at my hostel. The water is supposed to be gorgeous, with good snorkeling when it’s not stormy so I would recommend this location during good weather and would recommend Koh Rong Samloem specifically.







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