#imacop

After finishing up some more touristy places, we headed to Sihanoukville to catch some time in the sun. My lovely friend Hillary decided last minute to come visit. A moment of congratulations for her as she got an amazing new job, planned a trip to Cambodia, had her last day and flew out on her first solo trip to Asia. All in one week. Impressive and shows how easily anyone can travel if you just go for it! Was so great to see her and watch up after a long absence of her from my life. Impressed with what she is doing with her life professionally and personally, although her drinking and staying up late skills are falling a bit behind.

Sihanoukville was a town right on the beach mainly known for parties and being a hub to get to the islands. We spent a few days lounging and exploring the local fare. I met Dan, owner of Dolphin Bar and one of Vance’s (or Minivan as he calls him) friends from the first trip. We had a blast hanging out with him and doing the Dolphin Bar Pirate cruise. My favorite moment was likely seeing Dan gracefully jump off the roof of the boat with his life jacket on and swimming around, I couldn’t stop laughing.

We then snagged a ferry to Koh Rong for a week of relaxation. I think I expected it to be like the Thai islands but was pleasantly surprised. They barely have wifi (even when they do it never works) and no air conditioning. It was a great mental break to get away from the outside world for a few days and think we need to more of this since we are attached to smart phones at the hip at all times. I am especially guilty of this. I thought it was surprisingly un-developed, albeit plenty of tourists. Apparently they have developed more in the past 3 months than the previous year before and it was totally different than Vance’s first trip a months back. Sadly I think by the time I am able to make it back it will be a completely different place. We spent the week relaxing on the beach, kayaking, snorkeling, paddle boarding for the first time (nailed it with only a few falls but it required more balance than I expected) and of course shotgunning a few beers here and there.

I met some amazing people here as well but they were highlights by the owners of Cool Tree Hostel, Tab and B, also known as DJ B and my eventual fire dancing teacher. 

They showed us around the island on their boat and took us to all their favorite spots. I had such an epic time with them and was constantly laughing with B around. I was taught the secret art of fire dancing with a small pvc pipe and after a bit of peer pressure and some questionable decision making I decided to try it with actual fire the first night. I survived with no burns and got a nice video out of it that makes me look way better then I actually am. I surprisingly really enjoyed doing it and might continue to practice so I can add these valuable skills to my resume.

Another highlight was a Thai restaurant run by Sigi. He was an impressive chef cooking in an unimpressive outdoor kitchen with a few booths circled around. Was fascinating talking a bit to him, from Thailand and cooked at upscale restaurants in New York for 10 years before deciding to take up the island life. He cooked Thai food that was better than most of the food I ate in Thailand and his humble restaurant was packed full every night. My mouth is watering just thinking about his food. If you go to Koh Rong DO NOT miss this place. You will not be disappointed.

The final leg of the Cambodia trip included a one night stop at Koh Rong Salomen. Our friend Dan just opened some impressive Bungalows and set us up with a room. We snorkeled in some murky water, although dan cruised around like a small boat with his life jacket shouting about all the impressive things he found. 

We also had a nice little barbecue with some bugs that were flying around, that was a first. I don’t recall the name of them but they were huge bugs buzzing around the lights. It was a hilarious scene watch the locals climb trees and compete to see who could get more bugs. After a quick moment in the fire you got a delicious crunchy snack. They didn’t really taste like much and while they weren’t bad tasting, I will probably just stick to chicken and beef for the foreseeable future.

This wrapped up Cambodia which might actually have been my favorite country in all of Asia. literally everywhere we went there was a friendly face and people willing to help us. I didn’t feel heckled anywhere and at no point did I feel like people were trying to take advantage of us because we were travelers. I also got a nice mix of history (although a bit dark) and saw the most impressive temples anywhere in Asia. I also want to dub Cambodia as the land of amazing sunsets as I saw the best sunsets out of anywhere I have been. I highly recommend visiting for all these reasons.