Cambodia’s magnificent temples in Angkor Wat are globally renowned and attract more visitors than most other locales in the country. But what is virtually unknown is the clean, unspoilt, golden and idyllic beaches of the Buddhist country.
The best beach in the country is perhaps at Koh Tonsay, where a midnight Swim is like taking part in your own personal light-show. The island sited just off Kep, south of Cambodia has crystal clear seas around it. Once you get into the water you are in for a treat of fireworks, marine life flits past you like a school of fireflies under the water. Biologically speaking it is just phosphorescence emitted by plankton on contact. The best draw of this wonderful tropical island is its solitude.
Decades of war had kept the country out of the tourist eye and Cambodia has recently begun to enjoy a dramatic resurgence as a tourist destination. A boom, fuelled by the temples of Angkor. What is not well knonown is the immense potential locked in the country’s magnificent south coast, which sweeps down along the Gulf of Siam, reaching from Koh Kong and the border with Thailand in the north right down to Vietnam. There are several silvery beaches and thousands of acres of sandy shores which can be easily compared to India’s Goa or Thailand’s Phuket.
It is best to visit these beaches before it becomes inundated with tourists, as of now much of the coastline is free of commercial development that is ubiquitous in Thailand, India and other rbeach resorts. There are bamboo huts for accommodation and little guesthouses. The best part of this nation are its people, ultra friendly and cooperative.
Another equally attractive location is the Siem Reap, where three days aren’t enough to take in the sheer magnificence of the temples of Angkor. But for the nature and water lover they don’t come anywhere near the beauty of the sea, sand, and glistening water that the country offers.
A fiver hour bus journey from Siem Reap leads to Kep and after a drive through lush green rice-fields and rugged mountains the sea-front comes to the fore and shocks thhe visitor. The Kep-sur-Mer was gounded in the 1920s by the French as a premier resort. After independence in 1953, Kep remained a favourite of King Sihanouk who built an opulent summer house on the sea.
The civil war has taken its toll on this quaint seaside town. But one thing that war couldn’t destroy was the natural charm of the place: the glimmering turquoise waters, the throng of little islands, among others. One of the best places to stay here is a designer place called the Champey Inn and, on the hill, a clutch of quaint little thatched bungalows called the Veranda Natural Resort, all connected by a web of gnarled wooden walkways.
Closeby is Koh Tonsay aka Rabbit Island accessible by the longboat. As we approach the island it appears like a blob of jungle, then coconut trees come to view and then a row of thatched roofs and finally, a motley band of locals and foreigners lolling on the sand.
Formerly this island was used as a prison for criminals. Today it houses six or seven law-abiding families who are coconuts and fish farmers. The sublime views offered by the island makes it seem like paradise and gives you the feeling of isolation. The sunsets are transcendental.
One of the most attractive but run-down riverside resort is Kampot, only about 20 km from Koh Tonsay. This town which used supply sweet pepper in its hey dyas is enjoying a tourist revival, thanks to a few foreign tourists who came to enjoy its languid riverfront. One of the main attractions here is the gruelling trek up Bokor mountain, now a national park boasting elephants and tigers and cobras.
Sihanoukville, is one of the most developed resort town in the country. Created by flattening a patch in the middle of a jungle in 1955, this town has more than six fantastic beaches, stunning islands and the nearby Ream national park. Sihanoukville shows potential of becoming the coastal tourism hub of Cambodia’s.
From here the best outing is to Koh Russei, or Bamboo Island, where one can laze around on its small but squeaky clean golden beach and indjulge in snorkling around its reefs. The island is so small that 50 tourists will make it appear crowded. Another island further up is the Koh Ta Kiev, which is almost always deserted, surprising considering that it offers immaculate white sand half-moon beach washed by clear cobalt waters, it’s perhaps more beautiful than Koh Tonsay.
It is interesting to see that a country famous for the Khmer Rouge massacres and Angkor Wat temples is rebounding as a grand tourism escapade. But it is growing at breakneck speed. Groups of westerners and Australians are descending upon the beaches to enjoy the place. It is better to visit right now than later because once it gets developed then the rustic charm is lost.
Source: The Guardian
