A tale from the Gatiloke: Koh Rong and Koh Rong Samloem

The next stop after Sihanoukville was Koh Rong, an off-shore island notorious for its vibrant backpacker scene. After getting off the boat, the newcomer is welcomed by a dread-locked, tattooed crowd which bides its time sipping on beer at the local pub-huts. Who can blame them? There is not a lot to do on the island apart from "chillaxing" under the sun (which is a great option, don't get me wrong). There is some zip-lining and the unexciting boat trip to watch the luminescent plankton.. There is a waterfall too, but it’s only "operational" during the rainy season.

On the slow-boat to Koh Rong

So, yes; we took the nightly boat trip to see the luminescent plankton. I reckon our minds had created really big expectations as we were hoping to see the ocean illuminated as if someone had switched on a LED light at the bottom. Nothing like that - it's more about little shiny dots scattered around when you move in the water.

The tipsy crew of the night boat was a bigger show than the plankton!

The next day we headed off to the twin island of Koh Rong Samloem, which surpasses its elder sister in beauty and quietness. If we thought that we were in paradise, well... that's because we didn't know about Koh Rong Saloem! There’s hardly anyone around, the sand is the whitest I've ever seen in my life, waters are crystal clear and their forests are pretty much unspoiled. What else could one wish for?

Stop the clocks

Through the forest, on our way to the other shore

Bungalows to let in the forest

On our second day in heaven, Juanjo and I went for a diving/snorkelling trip. We had the most amazing day. There are some breath-taking reefs at the rocky shores, full of swinging corals, buzzing with sea life of all colours and shapes imaginable. We had a really nice veggie curry for lunch and the atmosphere was really good. The only downside is my burnt bum cheeks. Mental note: one's rear needs a generous coat of sunscreen too.