TBK Travels to Cambodia- Sihanoukville and Koh Rong Island

White Boutique hotel , Sihanoukville, Cambodia

After my first visit to Cambodia in 2016, and meeting Panha, I knew I wanted to go back so I flew to Phnom Pehn again in 2017. However this time I wanted to see the sea ( I was born by the sea so love to spend at least part of my vacation on a beach somewhere) and Panha suggested we flew down to Sihanoukville and then get a boat to Koh Rong Island.

Outres Beach, Sihanoukville, Cambodia

When I did my research I found the island is pretty basic and full of backpackers, whereas the town had nicer beach hotels . I choose one on Outres beach, which while a little way from Town is one of the longest, sandiest, quietest beaches in the area. Our hotel , White Boutique, was right on the beach and in a U shape around a pool. The restaurant was in front of the hotel on the beach with white netting covering beach seats and tables, with swings in the trees, and it was beautifully lit at night. Weirdly the bar and kitchen staff were all Russian and when we arrived it was raining and they were all gathered in the bar!

Our first room was by the pool which was noisy and meant getting wet in the rain so I asked if I could move inside and they gave us a suite on the first floor with a roof top garden overlooking the pool , which was superb. It also suited our very different lifestyles. I get up early and like to be out in the sun, writing my blogs or reading, and then after a nice meal I like to go to bed early and sleep. Panha was the opposite -watching movies until the early morning and then sleeping all day!

My bed!

I could get up and sit outside without disturbing him in the morning and he could lie on the sofas and watch TV while I slept at night. When we were both awake we would walk on the beach, swim, and enjoy the fabulous food.

His Sofa!

He loved fresh fish and on the day we got the ferry to the island he went to the fish market early and bought bags of fresh prawns which he ate for 3 days in our cabin perched on the hillside. It had 3 bunk beds, one for all our stuff and one for each of us. There were mosquitoes and no AC, and an outside shower and toilet ( told you it was basic!). Luckily we were far enough away from all the bars and restaurants and noise at the other end of the beach.

Panha enjoys his seafood on Koh Rong

The best thing about the hotel in Sihanoukville was the food at the restaurant on the beach. It was all freshly cooked to order, with huge portions, friendly staff and a beautiful setting. Typically dinner would last for 2 hours and back then I was drinking so we washed it down with a nice bottle of cold wine. They even had an amazing cheeseboard.