Discover Koh Rong

Finally some beach – Koh Rong

After all the cities, mountains and long journeys through Vietnam, it was an amazing feeling to finally arrive at Koh Rong. The pace changed immediately. Suddenly there were no major roads, no huge number of scooters and no stress about getting from one attraction to another. Instead, I was met by turquoise water, white sand and a much more relaxed atmosphere. It was exactly the kind of place I needed after travelling around so much.

The journey to the island itself made it feel like I was leaving everyday life behind. When the boat started approaching Koh Rong and I saw the beach and clear water, it became pretty obvious why so many travellers come here. I had seen pictures before, but as usual, it was something completely different to actually stand there myself. The water was much clearer than I had expected and the beach almost looked unreal.

I spent the first few hours on the island simply walking around and trying to take in how peaceful everything was. After getting used to the traffic in Vietnam, it almost felt strange not to hear scooters everywhere. Instead, there was the sound of the ocean, people talking and music coming from restaurants and bars further away. It was a really nice change and I immediately felt that I could slow down and simply enjoy being there.

The beach naturally became a big part of my days. I spent a lot of time simply walking along the water and finding different parts of the beach that were a little quieter. The best thing was that I did not need to do very much. Some days I just lay on the beach, swam, read and relaxed. After several days of walking around cities and travelling long distances, it was actually really nice to have a day without any real plan.

The heat was quite intense, though. You noticed it even more on the beach because the sun was out for much of the day. There was a lot of swimming and plenty of breaks in the shade. I especially tried not to stay outside for too long in the middle of the day. Later in the afternoon, when the sun became a little weaker, it was much more comfortable to walk around and explore the island.

Something I really appreciated was the evenings. When the sun started going down, the whole beach changed. The pace became even calmer and it was really nice to walk down to the water and simply watch the sunset. There were restaurants and bars along the beach where you could have dinner or something to drink while listening to the waves in the background. After a long day, it was difficult to imagine a better way to finish the evening.

I also liked the mix of backpackers and people who simply wanted to relax. Some were there to party and meet other travellers, while others mostly wanted to lie on the beach and take it easy. I was somewhere in between. It was fun to go out in the evening and meet people, but at the same time I could easily find a quiet place whenever I wanted some time for myself.

Food was also part of the experience on the island. There were many simple restaurants and beachside places where you could order both Cambodian food and more international dishes. I enjoyed being able to have something simple to eat by the beach and then only walk a few metres before being back by the water. It was quite a contrast to the big cities, where you often have to travel somewhere to find a good restaurant.

One of the things I really wanted to experience was the bioluminescent plankton in the sea. When it became dark, we went down to the water and it was a very special feeling to swim around and see tiny points of light moving through the water. It is the kind of experience that is difficult to describe properly because everything around you is dark and suddenly the water appears to glow whenever you move. It definitely became one of my favourite memories from Koh Rong.

I also appreciated that the days could be quite spontaneous. In many other places during the trip, I had a list of things I wanted to see and do. On Koh Rong, I did not have to think about it as much. If the weather was good, I went to the beach. If I got hungry, I went to eat. If I wanted to meet people, I went to one of the bars. That was basically the whole plan. After a while, I realised that this was exactly what I needed.

At the same time, you could tell that the island was still quite simple. You should not come here expecting the same selection as in a major city. There are not huge numbers of restaurants, shopping centres or activities. For me, though, that was more of an advantage. I did not want another place where I had to fill my days with activities. I wanted somewhere where I could relax.

One of the best things about Koh Rong was therefore simply doing nothing. Lying on the beach with a cold drink, swimming when it became too hot and then walking back to the accommodation when the sun started to set. After a longer trip, I think days like these are just as important as all the major attractions. You sometimes need to stop and appreciate everything you have already experienced.

After a few days, however, I started feeling that it was time to continue the journey. Koh Rong had been the perfect break, but Cambodia had much more to offer. The next stop would be Angkor Wat, which felt like a completely different type of experience. From beaches and swimming, I would move on to temples, history and one of the most famous places in all of Southeast Asia.

Koh Rong therefore became a really good part of the journey. It was the place where I could slow down, swim, meet other travellers and simply enjoy a few days without thinking too much about the next point on the map. When I eventually left the island, it was actually a little sad, but at the same time I was really excited about the next part of the journey: Angkor Wat.