If you are twenty-something, have a limited budget, excel at drinking, love sunshine and enjoy drugs, then Koh Rong off the south coast of Cambodia is a ‘must go’ destination.
When I went there to celebrate my 70th birthday I bought a round-trip ticket for $15 US that included a trip to Koh Rong, breakfast, a transfer to Koh Rong Samloem, lunch and a return trip to the mainland. This is a bargain by any standard. The travel is purely ‘hop on-hop off’. You could make the trip in one day or, if you prefered, spend a few days or weeks on each of the islands.
When our boat docked at Paradise Beach I quickly learned that Koh Rong is about as laid back as you can get while still offering basic services to tourists. My buddy and I had no difficulty finding a room on the side street for $12 US (there is only one side street off of Paradise Beach.) The room had two double beds and a cold-water shower. Since the rental is for the room and not by the person, two couples could share the place for the amazing price of $3 US per person! The room was clean enough by Western standards but had no view. If you wanted a view of the sea, you needed to go down to the beach where you would pay $14 US for a room. By the way, those are high season prices. Starting the latter part of April you could probably shave another 30% off the price just by asking!
Since I am an expert at checking out swimsuits, I was delighted to find that all the women wore bikinis! There were no exceptions. I met a few of the tourists and found that they came from all over the world. As you might imagine, though, I found no one from Cambodia.
There is little to do on this island except eat, drink, lay on the beach, wade in the warm tropical water and take a boat to see other parts of the island. The biggest activity seemed to centre on dancing as long as you can, drinking and then passing out. Cell phone service was non-existent and the few places that offered WiFi also advertised their apologies in advance that it didn’t work. You clearly don’t go to Koh Rong to make phone calls or surf the web.
There are dozens of restaurants offering good, cheap food. The variety is limited so you should pack your own vittles if your tastes are limited. I didn’t see an ATM on the island, so I suggest you carry enough cash. Crime seems to be minimal. The barkeep told me that 90% of the visitors were under 25 years old. While not a reliable statistic, a quick glance up and down the beach suggested that these numbers were not far off.
If you enjoy drugs, you’ll love Koh Rong. Pharmacies, convenience stores and a few visible pushers sell valium, diazepam, ecstasy, GHP (date rape), ketamine, oxycontin, marijuana and heroin. Since all but the last two drugs are sold legally and openly, the authorities are powerless to object. Further, the prices are 20% less than one would pay in the West. It was not unusual to find middle-aged Westerners whose eyes were completely glazed over. However, this laissez-faire situation is not likely to last forever. Drugs that are illegal in other parts of the world are illegal here as well, but the penalties are far stiffer here. What’s more, the authorities don’t want Cambodia to become recognized as a haven for druggies.
There are upscale resorts on Koh Rong that offer far better amenities than those found at Paradise Beach. You can find them easily if you google ‘Koh Rong accommodations’.
Koh Rong Samloem is a bit smaller than Koh Rong. There are fewer people, fewer accommodations, fewer restaurants and costs much more money, but is definitely a good step up in every respect. If your travel budget is a bit richer than the backpacker’s, I recommend you check it out.
Photo Credits
Photos by Jan Wall – all rights reserved
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Interesting! I am planning on visiting Cambodia and Vietnam in January…beach and sunshine sound good but I think I will bypass the drugs!