After much thought on which part of Cambodia's coast I would visit. A popular spot among backpackers is Sihanoukville, from which you can get to several islands. I however had my heart set on Rabbit Island, which can be reached from the heavily french influenced village of Kep.
The bus trip from Phnom Penh was four hours. The bus was old and dirty but manageable. Then disaster struck, as the bus began to shake and creek until it came to a halt. The driver and his companion got out, and eventually all the passengers followed, to watch the driver and his friend look into the engine at the back of the bus, as they scratched their heads and laughed for about a half an hour, in the 30 plus midday heat. Eventually one of them took out a knife, cut something that resembled a bike tire tube and pulled it out of the engine. He then told us all to get back on the bus. It started, and drove... but there was no air conditioning. Now, I don't want to sound like a whining first world country westerner, but my god, it was hell. The windows didn't open, which meant the only slight form of fresh air, in a bus crammed full of people, in the searing heat, was from the door, which the driver had decided to leave open as some sort of compensation. It did very little, and after 5 minutes, every inch of me was soaked in sweat, and no amount of fanning could stop it. It was actually cooler outside in the sun that in the bus. Then, to add insult to injury, to drown out the sound of people complaining, and babies crying, the driver then decided to blare Cambodian pop music as loud as possible. I don't know if you know any Cambodian pop music, but it resembles a karaoke style backing track with a screeching srill cat like singer wailing over it. It was a long two hours.
Kep does not see many backpackers, caters mainly to french tourists, couples, and young families. So, I was a little out of place, but I had booked myself one night in a luxurious bungalow resort in the hills, complete with pool, and beautiful sea view. I was even more delighted to hear that they had overbooked and were putting me in a deluxe bungalow. It was my first private room since getting to Asia, having slept only in dorms up to this point. Personal space is a precious luxury to a backpacker, and so is a swimming pool. I spent the afternoon beside the pool, swimming, reading and sunbathing. In the evening I wandered into the village to have a crab dinner, which Kep is renowned for.
The next morning I got the boat to Rabbit Island. Rabbit Island is a tiny island, no roads, no cars, no bikes even. It is so called because apparently it is shaped, like a rabbit. The morning boats take tourists to stay either a day, or as long as they like. Several of the islander families have set up bamboo huts on the beach which they rent out at 5 to 10 dollars. You can't prebook these, and just have to show up and hope a good bungalow is available when you arrive. I got a nice one for 5 dollars. They're all on stilts, have little porches with a hammock. Inside is just a double bed, mosquito net, one plug socket and one light. No fans or Air Con here. Also, the bath room was an outhouse, which was a little scary (mostly because of the biting ants) as it was a bit of a walk from the hut in the night. The island only has power for four hours a day, between 6pm and 10pm, which is supplied by generator. The families also have open restaurants on the beach, where you can get basic, but delicious sea food for between 1-6 dollars. Paradise.
I stayed on the island for two nights, and could easily have stayed longer. No Internet, no TV, no news, nothing. Just reading, eating, sunbathing, writing, and swimming. Also, the most beautiful sunsets I think I have ever seen. On the last night, I woke up to a storm, despite the glorious weather since my arrival. Thunder, lightning pouring rain and high winds, I was convinced the thatched roof was going to be ripped off. I got up to check for leaks in the dark,expected to find my backpack in a puddle, but the little house held up perfectly, and not an inch of my cabin was wet. The next morning remainance of the storm could be seen on the beach, and the locals were out with there brushes sweeping it away.
After a boat back to shore, I hoped on a bus to Kampot, a town just 45 mins from Kep. It was a small town, with little to do, but I had booked an amazing 'hostel' called Ganesha, a couple of miles from town in the countryside. The surroundings were beautiful, with a little pond, palm trees, and it was beside the river. I had another bamboo hut, much bigger, and on much higher stilts, it towered above the trees. It had a front and back door, with two porches, one facing east and one west, so you could watch the sun rise and sunset. The place was run by two Swedish ladies, who were so friendly and helpful. They offered a boat cruise along the river to see the sunset which I did on my first night, and it really was beautiful. It was also a great way to meet others in the hostel.
They offered free bicycles to the people staying, and on my second day I cycled into town. The bike friendly route was a red dirt road which intersected many little villages along the way. Every five minutes, you would get a kid waving and shouting hello at you from the side of the road. Cambodians are by far, the friendliest people I've met anywhere.
There was very little to see or do in Kampot, just walk around the village, shops and chill out in cafes. Mostly because of my amazing accommodation though I really enjoyed my time in Kampot. Next stop would be Siem Reap, home to the amazing Angkor Temples!
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