So this weekend me and some of the other volunteers (Divya, Victoria, Zora, and Bonnie) traveled to Sihanoukville (Suh-nook-ville). It is about a four and a half bus ride from Phnom Penh. Oh by the way, bus tickets here are so cheap! Our tickets to Sihanoukville were only $5!! For as little as $7 you can catch a bus to Bangkok, Thailand! Nice huh? So we left at about 7 am Friday morning and got to Sihanoukville about 12 pm. With our towels and sunscreen in hand, we made our way to the paradise beaches of Koh Rong, a large island off the coast of Sihanoukville, only about a two hour boat ride. Koh Rong is beautiful!! Covered in lush, green jungles and gorgeous, white sandy beaches you almost forget you are off the coast of Cambodia. However the hoards of mosquitoes and sandflies instantly bring you back. The secluded bungalows and long, deserted beaches make it a very popular tourist destination. I was so excited because the water was clear and warm enough to swim in! Very relaxing.
However, the closer you go to the bars and tourist areas, the smellier the air becomes. As popular as Koh Rong is to visit, the Cambodian people have not yet established a suitable way to dispose of waste and garbage on the island. Some parts of the island were very dirty and smelled really bad. There are random dogs and chickens roaming the beach as well. Definitely added a reminder of Cambodia amongst all the tourists. Our accommodations were okay for only $4 a night per person and with the beach only 20 feet away from us it worked. Unfortunately, the walls of our room were so thin and we were located right next to a bar, it made it very difficult for us to get any sleep. The lack of electricity and fan didn't help as well. That was frustrating.
Luckily we didn't have too bad of weather. Early Saturday morning it poured! It seemed like it was never going to end, but luckily around 11 am it stopped and was sunny for the rest of the day. The whole day we just chilled at the beach and swam and read our books. It was very nice.
On Sunday we had to catch the boat at 10 am back to the mainland and then a 1:30 bus back to Phnom Penh. As much as I really enjoyed Koh Rong, it was so nice to be back in the capital city. It already feels like my home away from home.
So overall a pretty good weekend. The girls I traveled with are so awesome and I really enjoyed getting to know them. The beaches were beautiful and the weather was great! I will be posting pictures soon so check back for those!! Hope everyone is doing well back home and sending lots of love! Miss you and have a great week!
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