Showing posts with label Sihanoukville 西港. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sihanoukville 西港. Show all posts
Wednesday, April 30, 2025
Tuesday, October 15, 2024
Wednesday, November 8, 2017
应付未来游客量‧招考沿海景区导游
应付未来游客量‧招考沿海景区导游
旅游部招聘更多沿海景区导游。
在亚洲开发银行（ADB）的资助下，旅游部6日举办考试，以招募更多沿海景区导游。
此次考试共有70人报名，以获得7个外语导游执照，包括英文、法国、中国、日本、韩国、泰国和越南。
旅游部国务秘书巴速坤表示，旅游部希望在沿海景区，包括嗊吥、白马、西哈努克和国公省招募更多导游。
此次考试在严格监督下进行，应考生必须在3个小时內完成作答。在通过考试后，学员必须通过电子登记系统或旅游局，申请地区导游执照。
他表示，近年来，沿海地区游客逐年增长，为了满足游客的需求，旅游部必须招募更多导游。
（柬埔寨星洲日报）
旅游部招聘更多沿海景区导游。
在亚洲开发银行（ADB）的资助下，旅游部6日举办考试，以招募更多沿海景区导游。
此次考试共有70人报名，以获得7个外语导游执照，包括英文、法国、中国、日本、韩国、泰国和越南。
旅游部国务秘书巴速坤表示，旅游部希望在沿海景区，包括嗊吥、白马、西哈努克和国公省招募更多导游。
此次考试在严格监督下进行，应考生必须在3个小时內完成作答。在通过考试后，学员必须通过电子登记系统或旅游局，申请地区导游执照。
他表示，近年来，沿海地区游客逐年增长，为了满足游客的需求，旅游部必须招募更多导游。
（柬埔寨星洲日报）
Thursday, May 18, 2017
AirAsia吉隆坡直飞西港‧8月9日启航
AirAsia吉隆坡直飞西港‧8月9日启航
亚航（AirAsia）开启马来西亚首都吉隆坡直飞柬海边度假胜地西哈努克市航线，每週有4趟航班，8月9日启航。
这是亚航飞往柬埔寨的第三个航点，优惠票价单程由89令吉（已含机场税，约20.6美元）起，从5月17至21日开放订购，出发日期为2017年8月9日至2018年6月5日。
亚航有限公司商务主任李德龙说：“西哈努克市是令人兴奋的目的地，有许多尚待开发的地方。作为马来西亚领先及第一家经营这条独特航线的航空公司，我们希望继续领先市场，向世界揭发有如柬埔寨西哈努克市这样的东盟宝藏。”
此外，亚航於5月18日起，也將从吉隆坡有每週14趟航班直飞柬埔寨首都金边，以及每週14趟航班飞往暹粒。
（柬埔寨星洲日报）
亚航（AirAsia）开启马来西亚首都吉隆坡直飞柬海边度假胜地西哈努克市航线，每週有4趟航班，8月9日启航。
这是亚航飞往柬埔寨的第三个航点，优惠票价单程由89令吉（已含机场税，约20.6美元）起，从5月17至21日开放订购，出发日期为2017年8月9日至2018年6月5日。
亚航有限公司商务主任李德龙说：“西哈努克市是令人兴奋的目的地，有许多尚待开发的地方。作为马来西亚领先及第一家经营这条独特航线的航空公司，我们希望继续领先市场，向世界揭发有如柬埔寨西哈努克市这样的东盟宝藏。”
此外，亚航於5月18日起，也將从吉隆坡有每週14趟航班直飞柬埔寨首都金边，以及每週14趟航班飞往暹粒。
（柬埔寨星洲日报）
Tuesday, January 10, 2017
推动旅游业‧海滩分类特许经营
推动旅游业‧海滩分类特许经营
旅游部希望到了2020年，前往柬埔寨沿海四个省份旅游的外国游客將增至100万人次，本地游客则达200万人次。图为西省情人岛。
柬埔寨政府將向私人界发出“海滩特许经营合同”，以进一步推动我国海滩旅游业。
根据旅游部昨天发佈的声明，该部已制定《海滩发展指南》，把西哈努克省海滩分门別类，其中奥德烈海滩（Otres Beach）將被列为“豪华海滩”，奥茨媟海滩（Ochheuteal Beach）和独立海滩（Independence Beach）则为“受欢迎休闲海滩”。
它表示，政府將通过“公私伙伴关係”（Public-private Partnerships）方式，与私人企业或社区签署特许经营合同，以把有潜力的海滩发展成为旅游观光胜地。
它指出，所有授权特许经营商，除了须履行合同条文外，也须遵守“海滩宪章”（Beach Charter），同时须定立內部规章。
为了確保海滩永续发展，政府將向开发商和业者征收特许经营费、捐款和“旅游税”，以充作维护环境和发展基础设施用途。
旅游部强调，开发商不得向游客征收“入门票”，惟允许征收停车费、使用设施费和商店租金。
它表示，政府领导人已於12月24日在西港举行的海洋节时，决定批准和施行《海滩发展指南》，较后也將陆续发佈相关政策文件，包括《旅游管理计划》、《海滩宪章》和《海滩发展总体规划》等。
旅游部希望，到了2020年，前往柬埔寨沿海四个省份旅游的外国游客將增至100万人次，本地游客则达200万人次。
我国政府和私人界也於上月举行首次“柬埔寨海岸线发展”国际会议，针对海滩和海岛旅游发展等多项课题展开討论。
在会议上，来自政府和私人界代表希望加强“公私伙伴关係”（Public-private Partnerships）法律框架，保障和鼓励私人企业投资，把拥有丰富天然资源和独特目的地体验的海岸发展成为特区或旅游区，同时多元化旅游產品。
目前，柬埔寨海岸发展仍面对诸多难题，例如在“发展核心”以外的发展区，面对缺乏基础设施（如电力、自来水和道路）和公共服务（如垃圾清理）难题。
（柬埔寨星洲日报）
旅游部希望到了2020年，前往柬埔寨沿海四个省份旅游的外国游客將增至100万人次，本地游客则达200万人次。图为西省情人岛。
柬埔寨政府將向私人界发出“海滩特许经营合同”，以进一步推动我国海滩旅游业。
根据旅游部昨天发佈的声明，该部已制定《海滩发展指南》，把西哈努克省海滩分门別类，其中奥德烈海滩（Otres Beach）將被列为“豪华海滩”，奥茨媟海滩（Ochheuteal Beach）和独立海滩（Independence Beach）则为“受欢迎休闲海滩”。
它表示，政府將通过“公私伙伴关係”（Public-private Partnerships）方式，与私人企业或社区签署特许经营合同，以把有潜力的海滩发展成为旅游观光胜地。
它指出，所有授权特许经营商，除了须履行合同条文外，也须遵守“海滩宪章”（Beach Charter），同时须定立內部规章。
为了確保海滩永续发展，政府將向开发商和业者征收特许经营费、捐款和“旅游税”，以充作维护环境和发展基础设施用途。
旅游部强调，开发商不得向游客征收“入门票”，惟允许征收停车费、使用设施费和商店租金。
它表示，政府领导人已於12月24日在西港举行的海洋节时，决定批准和施行《海滩发展指南》，较后也將陆续发佈相关政策文件，包括《旅游管理计划》、《海滩宪章》和《海滩发展总体规划》等。
旅游部希望，到了2020年，前往柬埔寨沿海四个省份旅游的外国游客將增至100万人次，本地游客则达200万人次。
我国政府和私人界也於上月举行首次“柬埔寨海岸线发展”国际会议，针对海滩和海岛旅游发展等多项课题展开討论。
在会议上，来自政府和私人界代表希望加强“公私伙伴关係”（Public-private Partnerships）法律框架，保障和鼓励私人企业投资，把拥有丰富天然资源和独特目的地体验的海岸发展成为特区或旅游区，同时多元化旅游產品。
目前，柬埔寨海岸发展仍面对诸多难题，例如在“发展核心”以外的发展区，面对缺乏基础设施（如电力、自来水和道路）和公共服务（如垃圾清理）难题。
（柬埔寨星洲日报）
Sunday, October 16, 2016
西港海洋节延期举行
西港海洋节延期举行
今年在西哈努克市举行的海洋节，將延期至12月杪举行。
根据旅游部长唐坤於昨天发表的声明，跨部门筹备委员会经决定，把原定於12月16至18日在西港举行的第五届海洋节，展延至12月23日至25日。
他说，海洋节开幕仪式將於12月24日下午5时举行，届时洪森总理將出席主持。
政府是於2011年创办海洋节，以推动柬埔寨海滨城市旅游业，同时向外宣传柬埔寨美丽海滩。西港也是首届海洋节庆祝活动举办城市，第二届是在白马节，第三届在国公，第四届则是在嗊吥市。
（柬埔寨星洲日报）
今年在西哈努克市举行的海洋节，將延期至12月杪举行。
根据旅游部长唐坤於昨天发表的声明，跨部门筹备委员会经决定，把原定於12月16至18日在西港举行的第五届海洋节，展延至12月23日至25日。
他说，海洋节开幕仪式將於12月24日下午5时举行，届时洪森总理將出席主持。
政府是於2011年创办海洋节，以推动柬埔寨海滨城市旅游业，同时向外宣传柬埔寨美丽海滩。西港也是首届海洋节庆祝活动举办城市，第二届是在白马节，第三届在国公，第四届则是在嗊吥市。
（柬埔寨星洲日报）
Tuesday, August 30, 2016
Preah Sihanouk province to recruit beach lifeguards
Preah Sihanouk province to recruit beach lifeguards
Preah Sihanouk provincial authorities plan to recruit about 30 lifeguards to help prevent drownings across the province’s seven beaches.
The move comes in the wake of several tourist drownings; the latest casualties involved a South Korean 40-year-old father, Lee Minseock, and his 4-year-old son, Lee Seungjae, who drowned at Otres Beach on Friday morning, said Brak Visal, Preah Sihanouk provincial administration deputy director.
Ten local and foreign tourists drowned during the first eight months of this year while visiting beaches and islands in the province, Visal said.
“Two years ago, our province had 10 lifeguards, but five left to work for the private sector,” he said.
Currently, only one of the seven beaches, Ochheutal Beach, has lifeguards.
Preah Sihanouk provincial authorities plan to recruit about 30 lifeguards to help prevent drownings across the province’s seven beaches.
The move comes in the wake of several tourist drownings; the latest casualties involved a South Korean 40-year-old father, Lee Minseock, and his 4-year-old son, Lee Seungjae, who drowned at Otres Beach on Friday morning, said Brak Visal, Preah Sihanouk provincial administration deputy director.
Ten local and foreign tourists drowned during the first eight months of this year while visiting beaches and islands in the province, Visal said.
“Two years ago, our province had 10 lifeguards, but five left to work for the private sector,” he said.
Currently, only one of the seven beaches, Ochheutal Beach, has lifeguards.
Wednesday, June 1, 2016
柬拥美丽海岸线‧旅游部看好海滨旅游
柬拥美丽海岸线‧旅游部看好海滨旅游
我国海滨旅游城市去年接待了大约100万人次的本地游客及60万人次的外国游客，预计到2020年，接待游客人次將会翻一番。据旅游部昨日消息，我国拥有美丽的海岸线，早在2011年就成为世界最美海滩俱乐部成员。而基於政府对保护和发展海滩的努力，世界最美海滩俱乐部大会將在近期投票决定，委任柬埔寨为该俱乐部副主席，主管亚太事务。
旅游部表示，我国的沿海省份可以简称为4K，即白马（Kep）、嗊吥（Kampot）、磅逊港（Kampong Som）和国公（Koh Kong），海岸线全长440公里。
据统计，目前外国游客的取向，约有四成人数喜欢参观文化景区，例如国家著名古跡景点；25%喜欢到海边休闲，其余则到城市、自然景区或农村游玩。
旅游部预测，到2020年，柬埔寨的4大沿海省市將接待200万人次本地游客，以及超过100万人次的入境国际游客。
2015年，我国接待约470万人次外国游客，同比增长6.1%，其中中国游客约70万人次，增长24%，占总入境游客的14.5%，继越南之后成为柬第二大游客来源国。
（柬埔寨星洲日报）
我国海滨旅游城市去年接待了大约100万人次的本地游客及60万人次的外国游客，预计到2020年，接待游客人次將会翻一番。据旅游部昨日消息，我国拥有美丽的海岸线，早在2011年就成为世界最美海滩俱乐部成员。而基於政府对保护和发展海滩的努力，世界最美海滩俱乐部大会將在近期投票决定，委任柬埔寨为该俱乐部副主席，主管亚太事务。
旅游部表示，我国的沿海省份可以简称为4K，即白马（Kep）、嗊吥（Kampot）、磅逊港（Kampong Som）和国公（Koh Kong），海岸线全长440公里。
据统计，目前外国游客的取向，约有四成人数喜欢参观文化景区，例如国家著名古跡景点；25%喜欢到海边休闲，其余则到城市、自然景区或农村游玩。
旅游部预测，到2020年，柬埔寨的4大沿海省市將接待200万人次本地游客，以及超过100万人次的入境国际游客。
2015年，我国接待约470万人次外国游客，同比增长6.1%，其中中国游客约70万人次，增长24%，占总入境游客的14.5%，继越南之后成为柬第二大游客来源国。
（柬埔寨星洲日报）
Monday, March 28, 2016
Phnom Penh-Sihanoukville Passenger Train to Start in April
Phnom Penh-Sihanoukville Passenger Train to Start Services in April
Cambodia will resume its rail road passenger services the first time in many decades on April 9, just days before the Khmer New Year holidays; a move that will help ease partly traffic problems at the time that most of the capital city population generally go out to provinces.
A representative of The Toll Royal Railway, an authorized investment company in railway transport, told the press on March 21, that the company would start a pilot passenger service between Phnom Penh and Sihanoukville (260km from to the south of Phnom Penh) and that the train would stop and pick up passengers at two main provincial stations of Takeo and Kampot before the train reaches the final destination of Sihanoukville.
The company’s representative said the trial passenger service would be for one full week from April 9 to April 17 which is the Khmer New Year period during which traffic congestion could also be eased partly since many passengers may choose to travel by rail road. After the trial, the company would consider to set up a new specific date for future operation. However, if many people are interested in the service then the company would just continue the operation right away, the company’s representative said.
As for travel fares, the company said it would cost $7 for an eight-hour trip from Phnom Penh to Sihanoukville on a distance of 260km. Fares for a trip from Phnom Penh to Takeo and Kampot are respectively $5 and $6. Tickets are available at stations in Phnom Penh as well as hose in the provinces.
~FRESHNEWS~
Cambodia will resume its rail road passenger services the first time in many decades on April 9, just days before the Khmer New Year holidays; a move that will help ease partly traffic problems at the time that most of the capital city population generally go out to provinces.
A representative of The Toll Royal Railway, an authorized investment company in railway transport, told the press on March 21, that the company would start a pilot passenger service between Phnom Penh and Sihanoukville (260km from to the south of Phnom Penh) and that the train would stop and pick up passengers at two main provincial stations of Takeo and Kampot before the train reaches the final destination of Sihanoukville.
The company’s representative said the trial passenger service would be for one full week from April 9 to April 17 which is the Khmer New Year period during which traffic congestion could also be eased partly since many passengers may choose to travel by rail road. After the trial, the company would consider to set up a new specific date for future operation. However, if many people are interested in the service then the company would just continue the operation right away, the company’s representative said.
As for travel fares, the company said it would cost $7 for an eight-hour trip from Phnom Penh to Sihanoukville on a distance of 260km. Fares for a trip from Phnom Penh to Takeo and Kampot are respectively $5 and $6. Tickets are available at stations in Phnom Penh as well as hose in the provinces.
~FRESHNEWS~
Tuesday, February 9, 2016
西哈努克港‧去年迎42艘豪华游轮
西哈努克港‧去年迎42艘豪华游轮
去年共有42艘豪华游轮在西港停泊，共有4万4138人次游轮客上岸观光，同比增长超过一倍。
西哈努克省旅游局报告显示，去年西港共接待150万人次国內外游客，同比增加14.9%。
报告称，去年共有42艘豪华游轮在西港停泊，游轮客共有4万4138人次，同比增长107.3%。
昨日上午，豪华游轮“蓝宝石公主號”（Sapphire Priness）在西港停泊，有多达2664多名外国游轮客在西港观光，该游轮於当天下午离开我国，前往泰国。
本月1日载有661名外国游客的美国豪华游轮“丽晶七海”在西港停泊。
（柬埔寨星洲日报）
去年共有42艘豪华游轮在西港停泊，共有4万4138人次游轮客上岸观光，同比增长超过一倍。
西哈努克省旅游局报告显示，去年西港共接待150万人次国內外游客，同比增加14.9%。
报告称，去年共有42艘豪华游轮在西港停泊，游轮客共有4万4138人次，同比增长107.3%。
昨日上午，豪华游轮“蓝宝石公主號”（Sapphire Priness）在西港停泊，有多达2664多名外国游轮客在西港观光，该游轮於当天下午离开我国，前往泰国。
本月1日载有661名外国游客的美国豪华游轮“丽晶七海”在西港停泊。
（柬埔寨星洲日报）
Monday, January 12, 2015
Monday, October 20, 2014
Thursday, December 26, 2013
Friday, September 6, 2013
碳烤咖啡飘香
碳烤咖啡飘香
採用传统方式炭烤出来的老挝咖啡，全採用人工製作。
西哈努克港口，除了拥有风景怡人的海边之外，还有一个您可能不知的传统碳烤咖啡。
炭烤咖啡，採用传统方式炭烤出来的老挝咖啡，全採用人工，所以每天工人在烤咖啡的时候，都会千里飘香，这让爱好咖啡者都陶醉在咖啡香味当中，这也为西港增添一种特色。
出售炭烤咖啡的西港老牌粿条店仙女餐厅，就在餐厅隔壁设立一个炭烤咖啡的小空间，每天用人工炭烤老咖啡供自卖和零售，坐在咖啡店的客人们还能闻著咖啡香气，现场喝口香醇的咖啡，实属人生一件美事，而且不喜欢喝咖啡的客人，也可以在此享受咖啡的香气。
这特色就只有在西港能找到，而且喜欢咖啡的国內外游客，都可以买一两公斤当手信，或者在家冲泡细细品尝。
该店的老板娘符爱莉（48岁）是海南人，1994年跟隨父母亲在西港开设咖啡粿条店，至今十余年。
符爱莉指出，该店使用的咖啡豆，是自行用人工慢火炭烤出来的老挝咖啡，工人每天烤两轮，每次烤七公斤，每天能生產出14公斤的炭烤咖啡豆。
她说，新鲜烤出来的咖啡豆，磨成粉之后，最好在两个星期內用完，这样就可以保留它的香气。目前，该店炭烤咖啡豆每公斤售价12至13美元，不少识途的金边人，週末过来都会跟她卖一两公斤，带回去自己喝或当手信送人。
（柬埔寨星洲日报）
採用传统方式炭烤出来的老挝咖啡，全採用人工製作。
西哈努克港口，除了拥有风景怡人的海边之外，还有一个您可能不知的传统碳烤咖啡。
炭烤咖啡，採用传统方式炭烤出来的老挝咖啡，全採用人工，所以每天工人在烤咖啡的时候，都会千里飘香，这让爱好咖啡者都陶醉在咖啡香味当中，这也为西港增添一种特色。
出售炭烤咖啡的西港老牌粿条店仙女餐厅，就在餐厅隔壁设立一个炭烤咖啡的小空间，每天用人工炭烤老咖啡供自卖和零售，坐在咖啡店的客人们还能闻著咖啡香气，现场喝口香醇的咖啡，实属人生一件美事，而且不喜欢喝咖啡的客人，也可以在此享受咖啡的香气。
这特色就只有在西港能找到，而且喜欢咖啡的国內外游客，都可以买一两公斤当手信，或者在家冲泡细细品尝。
该店的老板娘符爱莉（48岁）是海南人，1994年跟隨父母亲在西港开设咖啡粿条店，至今十余年。
符爱莉指出，该店使用的咖啡豆，是自行用人工慢火炭烤出来的老挝咖啡，工人每天烤两轮，每次烤七公斤，每天能生產出14公斤的炭烤咖啡豆。
她说，新鲜烤出来的咖啡豆，磨成粉之后，最好在两个星期內用完，这样就可以保留它的香气。目前，该店炭烤咖啡豆每公斤售价12至13美元，不少识途的金边人，週末过来都会跟她卖一两公斤，带回去自己喝或当手信送人。
（柬埔寨星洲日报）
Sunday, July 7, 2013
Beach-bumming in Sihanoukville
Beach-bumming in Sihanoukville
BY HEIDI FULLER
With 60 pristine tropical islands nestling in sapphire waters easily reached from Phnom Penh, Cambodia is the place to island-hop while enjoying sand, surf and traditional village life.
Trussed between two huge palm trunks, my hammock sways in a gentle breeze as Heng brings me a Mojito packed with ice and fresh mint.
Stretching out a lazy hand to clutch the ice cold glass, I bless the owner of Sihanoukville’s Snake House - a quirky Russian food restaurant where you eat surrounded by crocs and snakes - who told me about the 60-plus islands studding the sparkling waters of the Gulf of Thailand along Cambodia’s southern coast.
Far from the (sometimes maddening) full-moon parties and kitsch bungalow accommodation cramming Thailand’s coastal resorts, Cambodia’s beaches - because they were undiscovered for years due to the upheavals of the Khmer Rouge regime - are largely deserted, a fact that tempted me immensely.
Enjoying the serenity in the Koh Ru bungalow
“It’s no tourist guide’s junket,” Ivor of the Snakehouse told me. “Not many of these islands have decent transportation links, so if you want to discover the best of what’s out there, you’ll probably need to hire a boat.”
That night in Sihanoukville, as my feet were nibbled free of calloused skin by fish in a tank, I decided to get a first-taster and booked a ticket for Koh Tang. Ivor had warned me to bring plenty of camping gear.
“Not many of the islands have proper tourist facilities or accommodation, so you’ll need to be prepared and, if you need diving gear, it’s probably better to arrange it all ahead of time from the mainland,” he warned.
Dragging my heavy pack on and off boats and along sandy beaches and jungle paths was a bit of a nuisance, but I was soon glad I heeded his advice.
A breezy five-hour trip from the mainland, Koh Tang became a battle ground in 1975 when the Khmer Rouge captured the crew of SS Mayaguez, a US-flagged container ship, and US marines launched an abortive rescue operation.
Later in 1978, this uninhabited island some 40km south of the Cambodian mainland again hit the headlines when Englishman John Dewhirst and New Zealander Kerry Hamill were captured here and later executed at the Khmer Rouge’s notorious S21 prison in Phnom Penh.
Deserted, apart from a small military presence, Koh Tang today has a happier reputation as one of the best dive sites in Cambodia.
Along with five other deep sea fans who’d come here, with Scuba Nation Diving Centre (two days’ “room”-and-board from US$220, we set up tents in a shady spot behind the long, sandy beach, then headed out to dive.
Over the next few days, we explored the wonderland of multicoloured shoals of fish that live in the staghorn coral of Explosion reef and frolicked with the barracudas, jacks and cobias along Three Bears reef, then returned to the campfire every evening and ate fresh fish, and drank punch-packing palm wine under a brilliant canopy of stars.
However, with my hair matted from washing in briny water and skin stinging from sunburn, the romance of roughing it Robinson Crusoe-style began to wear thin, so I was more than ready for my next stop at Koh Rong Saloem a few days later. Hailed as the next Ko Samui, Rong Saloem island is breathtakingly beautiful with endless stretches of chalk-white sand and a dense jungle interior where I hiked with a guide the following day and glimpsed a big-fanged black cobra.
Most of the time, however, I spent in the aptly named Lazy Beach Bungalows (US$40 a night) chilling out in one of half a dozen thatched-roofed huts scattered along a sandy beach nursed by a gentle curve of turquoise sea, then cooling off in the phosphorescent waters at night.
Seeking stimulation on the last day of my stay, I hired a long-tail boat powered by an outboard motor that looked like a hedge trimmer, and headed round the coast to Mai Pei Bei to do some volunteer work.
“If you’re staying for a while, you can teach at the school, but if you’re only here for the day, we’d love it if you help out with our beach clean-up operation,” said Nhean, who runs volunteer operations in this friendly little fishing village.
Along with Nhean and some other volunteers, we combed the beaches all day for litter and felt pleasantly meritorious as we relaxed our tired legs and aching backs that evening in one of the local food shacks sipping ice-cold Angkor beer and supping on tasty chunks of fresh-caught squid.
Back at Sihanoukville and surrounded by revelling crowds, I was soon feeling agoraphobic, so I decided to head for the islands on the other side of this lively Cambodian resort. Catching the Coasters boat which leaves every morning at 9.30 from Ochheuteal beach, I was soon leaping from the high prow of the boat into the soft sand of Koh Russei.
An hour’s ride from the mainland, Bamboo island is just two long sandy beaches linked across the middle by a jungle path that buzzes with cicadas. Friends had recommended Bimbamboo Bungalows on the busy side of the island which attracts all the daytrippers, but I opted for the more peaceful Koh Ru Bungalows (from US$15) on the southern side.
Painted in vivid colours, these bungalows are fairly basic, with shared showers and toilets, but the gently shelving sandy beach strewn with seashells makes it ideal for kids, giving a laidback, family feel to this side of the island. After a few days lazing on the beach and supping on prahok-flavoured fish soup, samlor machu and a grilled-fish-and-pickle dish called trik kreoung pahok at the beach restaurant, I headed back to Sihanoukville.
Up early the next day, I headed a few kilometres out of town and caught the passenger boat which travels along the mangrove-lined Prek Toeuk Sap River into Ream National Park.
Created in 1995, the park, which extends over 15,000ha of land and 6,000ha of marine habitat, is home to a host of endangered wildlife, including king cobras, pythons, great hornbills and leopard cats.
During my six-hour trip along this river which empties into the Gulf of Thailand, I saw coffee-coloured Rhesus monkeys grooming each other in the sun, rare Irrawady dolphins that popped their strange lumpy heads out from under our boat and dozens of flying fish leaping out of the water around us like rainbow-coloured spinners.
Apart from a few budget rooming places, the only accommodation inside the park is the Ream Beach Guesthouse (room from US$15 a night), a basic-but-friendly sleepery right on the beach where I spent the night.
The Ream Beach Guesthouse is the only accommodation available inside the Ream National Park
Early the next day, a small boat whisked me on the 30-minute ride across the glittering gulf to Koh Thmei, a pristine island where I’d reserved a room at the eco-friendly Koh Thmei Resort (room from US$15 a night).
Sitting on the balcony of one of the resort’s wooden bungalows overlooking a long sandy beach fringed by casuarina trees, I ordered another mojito and toasted the sun setting in streaks of fiery crimson over the gulf of Thailand. - Heidi Fuller-Love
~News courtesy of The Star~
BY HEIDI FULLER
With 60 pristine tropical islands nestling in sapphire waters easily reached from Phnom Penh, Cambodia is the place to island-hop while enjoying sand, surf and traditional village life.
Trussed between two huge palm trunks, my hammock sways in a gentle breeze as Heng brings me a Mojito packed with ice and fresh mint.
Stretching out a lazy hand to clutch the ice cold glass, I bless the owner of Sihanoukville’s Snake House - a quirky Russian food restaurant where you eat surrounded by crocs and snakes - who told me about the 60-plus islands studding the sparkling waters of the Gulf of Thailand along Cambodia’s southern coast.
Far from the (sometimes maddening) full-moon parties and kitsch bungalow accommodation cramming Thailand’s coastal resorts, Cambodia’s beaches - because they were undiscovered for years due to the upheavals of the Khmer Rouge regime - are largely deserted, a fact that tempted me immensely.
Enjoying the serenity in the Koh Ru bungalow
“It’s no tourist guide’s junket,” Ivor of the Snakehouse told me. “Not many of these islands have decent transportation links, so if you want to discover the best of what’s out there, you’ll probably need to hire a boat.”
That night in Sihanoukville, as my feet were nibbled free of calloused skin by fish in a tank, I decided to get a first-taster and booked a ticket for Koh Tang. Ivor had warned me to bring plenty of camping gear.
“Not many of the islands have proper tourist facilities or accommodation, so you’ll need to be prepared and, if you need diving gear, it’s probably better to arrange it all ahead of time from the mainland,” he warned.
Dragging my heavy pack on and off boats and along sandy beaches and jungle paths was a bit of a nuisance, but I was soon glad I heeded his advice.
A breezy five-hour trip from the mainland, Koh Tang became a battle ground in 1975 when the Khmer Rouge captured the crew of SS Mayaguez, a US-flagged container ship, and US marines launched an abortive rescue operation.
Later in 1978, this uninhabited island some 40km south of the Cambodian mainland again hit the headlines when Englishman John Dewhirst and New Zealander Kerry Hamill were captured here and later executed at the Khmer Rouge’s notorious S21 prison in Phnom Penh.
Deserted, apart from a small military presence, Koh Tang today has a happier reputation as one of the best dive sites in Cambodia.
Along with five other deep sea fans who’d come here, with Scuba Nation Diving Centre (two days’ “room”-and-board from US$220, we set up tents in a shady spot behind the long, sandy beach, then headed out to dive.
Over the next few days, we explored the wonderland of multicoloured shoals of fish that live in the staghorn coral of Explosion reef and frolicked with the barracudas, jacks and cobias along Three Bears reef, then returned to the campfire every evening and ate fresh fish, and drank punch-packing palm wine under a brilliant canopy of stars.
However, with my hair matted from washing in briny water and skin stinging from sunburn, the romance of roughing it Robinson Crusoe-style began to wear thin, so I was more than ready for my next stop at Koh Rong Saloem a few days later. Hailed as the next Ko Samui, Rong Saloem island is breathtakingly beautiful with endless stretches of chalk-white sand and a dense jungle interior where I hiked with a guide the following day and glimpsed a big-fanged black cobra.
Most of the time, however, I spent in the aptly named Lazy Beach Bungalows (US$40 a night) chilling out in one of half a dozen thatched-roofed huts scattered along a sandy beach nursed by a gentle curve of turquoise sea, then cooling off in the phosphorescent waters at night.
Seeking stimulation on the last day of my stay, I hired a long-tail boat powered by an outboard motor that looked like a hedge trimmer, and headed round the coast to Mai Pei Bei to do some volunteer work.
“If you’re staying for a while, you can teach at the school, but if you’re only here for the day, we’d love it if you help out with our beach clean-up operation,” said Nhean, who runs volunteer operations in this friendly little fishing village.
Along with Nhean and some other volunteers, we combed the beaches all day for litter and felt pleasantly meritorious as we relaxed our tired legs and aching backs that evening in one of the local food shacks sipping ice-cold Angkor beer and supping on tasty chunks of fresh-caught squid.
Back at Sihanoukville and surrounded by revelling crowds, I was soon feeling agoraphobic, so I decided to head for the islands on the other side of this lively Cambodian resort. Catching the Coasters boat which leaves every morning at 9.30 from Ochheuteal beach, I was soon leaping from the high prow of the boat into the soft sand of Koh Russei.
An hour’s ride from the mainland, Bamboo island is just two long sandy beaches linked across the middle by a jungle path that buzzes with cicadas. Friends had recommended Bimbamboo Bungalows on the busy side of the island which attracts all the daytrippers, but I opted for the more peaceful Koh Ru Bungalows (from US$15) on the southern side.
Painted in vivid colours, these bungalows are fairly basic, with shared showers and toilets, but the gently shelving sandy beach strewn with seashells makes it ideal for kids, giving a laidback, family feel to this side of the island. After a few days lazing on the beach and supping on prahok-flavoured fish soup, samlor machu and a grilled-fish-and-pickle dish called trik kreoung pahok at the beach restaurant, I headed back to Sihanoukville.
Up early the next day, I headed a few kilometres out of town and caught the passenger boat which travels along the mangrove-lined Prek Toeuk Sap River into Ream National Park.
Created in 1995, the park, which extends over 15,000ha of land and 6,000ha of marine habitat, is home to a host of endangered wildlife, including king cobras, pythons, great hornbills and leopard cats.
During my six-hour trip along this river which empties into the Gulf of Thailand, I saw coffee-coloured Rhesus monkeys grooming each other in the sun, rare Irrawady dolphins that popped their strange lumpy heads out from under our boat and dozens of flying fish leaping out of the water around us like rainbow-coloured spinners.
Apart from a few budget rooming places, the only accommodation inside the park is the Ream Beach Guesthouse (room from US$15 a night), a basic-but-friendly sleepery right on the beach where I spent the night.
The Ream Beach Guesthouse is the only accommodation available inside the Ream National Park
Early the next day, a small boat whisked me on the 30-minute ride across the glittering gulf to Koh Thmei, a pristine island where I’d reserved a room at the eco-friendly Koh Thmei Resort (room from US$15 a night).
Sitting on the balcony of one of the resort’s wooden bungalows overlooking a long sandy beach fringed by casuarina trees, I ordered another mojito and toasted the sun setting in streaks of fiery crimson over the gulf of Thailand. - Heidi Fuller-Love
~News courtesy of The Star~
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