Cambodia is an enchanting country from Angkor Wat in Siem Reap to the gorgeous beaches and Islands located in the south. The locals are friendly and helpful and can be very cheeky when making cash deals especially the tuk tuk drivers. We arrived in Cambodia later than we had expected and everything was closed. We got off the bus in the middle of the Phnom Penh with motorbikes and tuk tuks continually swooshing past as we argued about weather to take shelter in a temple or wait up all night until we could go somewhere with wifi to transfer money to our card so that we could get cash out. We were completely unprepared. Rhys and I eventually found somewhere with wifi and an ANZ ATM which lead to us catching a tuk tuk to a cheap guesthouse on 172 and ordering tofu burgers from the menu. With a cold shower and a comfortable bed to sleep in we went to bed preparing for an emotional day ahead visiting both the killing fields and S-21 prison and genocide museum to learn more about Cambodia’s heart-breaking history. S-21 prison museum and 1 of 300 killing field locations The night we arrived we had made a deal with a tuk tuk driver after searching online how much we should pay to be taken to these places. Making a deal with a driver is a great way to easily get around Phnom Penh and the hectic traffic that takes over the city. We paid $15 to be taken to both locations and he waited outside for us at each place giving us a time frame of 1.5 hours at each stop. Visiting the prison museum and the killing fields is an important although hard trip. I learnt a lot about the history of this country and the past that each family has had to endure. To visit each location will cost you $3 USD each or $6 with an audio tour. I would recommend the audio tour to visit the killing fields to understand more deeply the story of the land however the prison itself is a bit more self explanatory with more photos and descriptions and a lot of reading material. Both locations were eery. It’s so difficult to even begin to imagine what the people here have been through but it is important to empathize especially when visiting the country. It took us just over half a day to visit both locations before we headed back to our guesthouse after convincing the driver that we did not want to shoot an AK47 or throw any hand grenades (around $50 USD). Over years, travelers leave behind friendship bracelets as a symbol of peace and love for all who perished on this land. Victims of the Khmer Rouge were held in S-21 prison, a public school that was turned into one of the most notorious prisons known in Cambodia. Over 14,000 well educated people were killed here after months of unmentionable torture. We also got completely ripped off by a tuk tuk driver in Phnom Penh who had an Australian accent. Rhys and I were meandering along to the Mekong Delta, as you do, and he pulled up next to us to start talking. I should have instantly walked away before creating conversation but it’s not really who I am as a person. He told us we could go out on his boat to watch the sunset and he would give us free beers for the evening for a total of $35. I said no way and got him down to $25 (even though this is still a lot of money) and together we decided it was a good idea. The driver told us he would take us to the boat and drop us back off afterwards. We got to the boat and he told us he would wait for us after the ride was over so it wasn’t actually his boat. We went out and the scenery was really incredible. Watching the sun set over Phnom Penh from the worlds largest river. We drank a couple of beers and when we arrived back to shore he was no where in sight. I paid the boat driver $20 and he insisted I owed him $5. He and I went back and forth about the deal we had made with the driver and I said that I wouldn’t be paying any more money until we were picked up like we had agreed on. He never showed and we ended up walking back to our guesthouse. The best part was that on the walk back we saw boat rides for $5 instead of $10 each! He had driven us the long way so that we wouldn’t have seen any of the $5 advertisements. Watch out for a Cambodian driver with an Australian accent and just try to be generally aware when making deals with tuk tuk drivers. Travelling South The next day we took a five hour long bus ride to Sihanoukville in the South of Cambodia costing around $8 each. We paid $5 (far too much) for a tuk tuk to a cheap hotel costing us $8. The room was basic but suited our needs for one evening and it only took a minutes walk to get to the beach. That night we bought a bag of weed from one of the local people. About half an ounce of skunk for $50. You will get offered everything on a plate as long as you are a westerner and have money. The worst consequence for holding a bag of weed is a bribe payment if the cop cares enough to even deal with you. The police here know they have much bigger issues to deal with. Along the beach you are welcomed to buy ‘happy shakes’ and ‘happy pizzas’ both a specialty in other areas of the country also. Pizzas and fruit shakes garnished with marijuana. From personal experience I prefer the shakes with banana and coconut milk. The bartenders, sun-glass sellers, random people and tuk tuk drivers will all offer to sell you marijuana (among a list of other a-class drugs which have much harsher consequences). Throughout the day and the evening young locals (mostly girls) will walk the beach selling bracelets and hair wraps. Some of the girls look very young however they will lie about their age. Some look as young as about 7 years old. The youngest children (3-6 years) walk around the beach leading the disabled and begging for a donation which can be really hard to watch. When the girls become teenagers they will start selling fruit on the beach and as adults they will sell seafood on a small barbecue that they carry around over the shoulder. As elderly the woman will roam the beaches offering pedicures, manicures and massage and the men will more often become tuk tuk drivers or laborers all paying a very minimal wage. The Islands Koh Rong Saloem Our journey among the Islands started at Koh Rong Saloem, a small Island that is a long stretch of perfectly white, squeaky, powder like sand. I could have happily lived out the rest of my days sheltered by coconut palms while napping in the hammock hung between the beams of our beach front bungalow. Reading, writing, eating, practicing yoga, bathing and lazing about while getting some well needed rest from months of moving around quite constantly. The beach is completely picturesque with crystal clear waters that softly lap against the sands descending edge as the tide moves in. Our beach front bungalow cost us $35 per night and we stayed for two. That is by far the most expensive accommodation we have paid for this entire trip but it was completely worth it to spend three days internet-free lapping up the beams of the suns bright energy. We did see others put up tents beside the ocean which would be a fantastic idea if you don’t carry a lot of luggage and you wanted to save money (we have far too much luggage for tent life). We found vegan food at a restaurant near by on the beach however the food on this island can be quite pricey too. One of my favorite things about this island was the minimal amount of people that were actually here. There weren’t many travelers at all and there were no locals selling food/trinkets/anything along the beach so it was a great stop to recollect our thoughts and get some peace of mind. The perfect, crystal clear waters of Koh Rong Sanloem. Waking up and stepping onto squeaky, white sand from our beach front bungalow at 'Cast Away' bungalows. Koh Rong Our next stop after Koh Rong Saloem was to the bigger and more populated, Koh Rong. Koh Rong is a cheaper more backpacker friendly Island to visit. We stayed in ‘Zen Bungalows’ hidden high above the village and away from the main areas. We found Zen Bungalows on agoda.com and it works out to be $15 per night. The bungalows have an amazing view of the sea and another small island where local boats make visits to show tourists the glowing plankton after sunset. It is peaceful and calm here. A fantastic spot for practicing yoga in the mornings on the deck and meditating as the sun rises in front of you. The bungalows are very basic but have mosquito nets and comfortable beds to sleep in. In our room we had two large gecko friends who liked to watch over us in the evenings but were great for getting rid of mosquitoes. They also loved to change from black and orange in the day time to bright clear-sky, blue with fluorescent yellow spots in the evenings. Koh Rong has a higher local Khmer population with lots of gorgeous wee kids running around usually in the nude jumping too and from the refreshing waves of the sea. Most of the restaurants and guesthouses on Tui beach are run by westerners and most places are constantly seeking new staff. There are signs everywhere as you walk along the beach ‘western staff wanted’ so if you are looking for a job on a beautiful chilled out island this is definitely the place to be. Our favourite place to eat (and the cheapest and tastiest that we have found on the Island) is run by a local family. Nice Food 2 have many delicious vegan and vegetarian friendly options to suit a backpackers budget. Noodles, soups, curries, sandwiches wrapped in fresh baguette and many other flavour filled, vegetable packed options to suit any preference. The food and accommodation are cheaper on Koh Rong compared to Koh Rong Saloem. The beach can sometimes be dirty with rubbish washing ashore or people simply leaving their rubbish behind however we found an area that was always spotless. The water is bright aqua blue and crystal clear along the whole beach. The water at this beach, unlike Saloem, is constantly rolling in large waves which can be really fun and refreshing to float on or bathe in. Swimming in the evenings is just as fun when the water still holds a warm temperature. There are other villages on the island however we didn’t make it to any of them – just Tui beach where the boat drops off and picks up at the pier. We had originally planned to stay on Koh Rong for 3 nights but stayed a couple more simply to enjoy the fresh air, the beautiful Island scenery and to rest in the shade eating fresh fruit and bathing in the sea. We got a wee bit stuck enjoying our relaxing days and didn’t do so much adventuring as we usually would. After 3 and a half months of travel and quite constant moving every 2-3 days Rhys and I were keen to lay back and enjoy the clear sky and some down time. Watching the waves roll in on Koh Rong The 9 cats from Happy Cat Bungalows. Two mama cats and the youngest baby is only 1 and a half months old. Enjoying the chill life at Zen bungalows with a great view of the sea.
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