Hey everyone, hope you're all doing well and had a fabulous Christmas and new year. Yes, it's been a while. Over a month! Don't worry, I'm still alive and well. If you're reading my blog for the first time, welcome. I'm Belle, just your average 22 year old travelling around this crazy world trying to figure out life. This blog is documenting my time away and shedding light on the things I've learnt. The things I've learnt about myself, the things I've learnt about others, and the things I've learnt about the world. I'm by no means a professional travel writer, I don't get paid to do this (maybe one day?). I've started this blog to connect with like-minded people and give honest (non-sugarcoated) insight into the ups and downs of long term solo travel.
Well, I've made it to Australia. The backpacking life is now coming to an end and I need to find a job. All that hard earned money from serving ice cream to rude tourists over summer is almost gone. Imagine that. It may be almost gone, but my 3 and half month experience of backpacking through SE Asia was worth every penny (apart from when I got scammed a few times.) Even though that part of my journey is over in real time, real time doesn't apply to my blog... and I'm excited to relive moments as I tell you about my past adventures and tell you what it's like to visit these countries as a backpacker! So, without further ado, here's another post about Cambodia. After spending one night in Sihanoukville, we got the morning ferry to the island of Koh Rong Sanloem. The journey from the ferry port in Shitville (the new name is just sticking) takes about 40 minutes. The journey from our hostel to the ferry port also took about 40 minutes. 40 minutes on maybe the bumpiest road known to man. I don't even know if you could even really call it a road. I’m talking full on craters and lakes. We weren’t even on the boat yet and I thought we were going to sink.
When we arrived to Koh Rong Sanloem, we were picked up by another boat which took us to the Mad Monkey hostel, which is located just north of the main island beach. Another great hostel to check out is Bodega Beach Club! Because I had to enter Vietnam on time to match visa dates, I could only stay on the island for one night. I would have stayed longer if I could! Even so, the two days and one night we spent were unforgettable, and it was worth it because we got to escape Shitville! My bank account probably also benefited from our short stay, because I managed to somehow spend 50 dollars in one night?!
We arrived at Mad Monkey and were given the whole spiel on how we were expected to get really drunk and have a hectic time because we were at a party hostel etc. We dropped our bags and chilled on the gorgeous beach, then we had some nice cold beers. That’s the thing with these small islands, there’s not a lot to do other than drink and socialise and play drinking games. There’s no service either, so you can’t get away with sitting in the corner on your phone. You have to talk to people. And what better way to help you socialise than to get drunk out on a pier off a beautiful paradise island surrounded by crystal clear water?
Sounds like the dream, but things can go wrong (like managing to spend 50 dollars in one night). But really, things can go wrong, even in paradise. Our friend Kam (love you Kam) jumped into the water off the pier and managed to slit the top of his foot open on a rock. He came up from the water and mentioned that his foot really really hurt. I sort of laughed and said he would fine. When we got out of the water, I looked at his foot and realised maybe he wasn’t actually fine. You know it’s bad when you can see the fat underneath the skin. This has gotten a bit graphic, but it makes for a good story. Kam was fine. He had to leave the island with us to get proper medical assistance in Shitville, but it healed no problem and now he’s back to normal! Bottom line, just be careful when you’re drunk. Kam was fine, but it could have been a lot worse.
The rest of the evening thankfully didn't involve any more injuries. The best part was later on in the night when we swam with the luminescent plankton. Yes, luminescent plankton. You glide through the water and a slight glittery glow follows your movements, making you feel like a kind of magical mermaid. The water stays shallow for a while, so you can go pretty far out without having to actually swim. Perfect for when you’ve had a few! That being said, it’s always important to stay in groups when going in the water, or anywhere on the island for that matter. Especially when it’s dark... because it gets really dark.
I’m sure most of you have heard about the tragic death of Amelia Bambridge, who went missing off of the bigger island of Koh Rong on the 24th October. Hearing about this tragedy was really heartbreaking, especially because we were so close by just 2 weeks before. Always stick together and look out for each other whilst travelling, you never know what could happen. My heart goes out to Amelia and all her family and friends.
On day 2, we did a boat trip which included snorkelling, fishing and visiting an abandoned hostel. You can book this all through the Mad Monkey Hostel. The rocking boat didn't help anyones hangover, but we had fun nonetheless. All in all, the Cambodian islands are pure bliss and really worth a visit. If you find yourself in Sihanoukville, get the hell out of there and get to the islands, they won't disappoint!
Thanks for reading! More to come very soon:) Big love,
Belle
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