Koh Rong Samloem & Koh Rong

From Sihanoukville, we took a speedboat to the island of Koh Rong Samloem. The ride was really turbulent and fast. Once we arrived on the island, we had to find another taxi boat to the beach of our hostel. Upon arriving at the harbor, we hiked up the steep path to Cliff Hostel with our heavy backpacks. The hostel lived up to its name as it was situated on a very high cliff with a stunning view. The small village where we stayed was very cute and had a nice atmosphere with charming restaurants and cafes. One afternoon, we ventured down the steep cliffs for snorkeling. Unfortunately, there wasn't much to see apart from a few beautiful fish and corals. We had a few relaxing days here before moving on. Jule and Pauli spent the next two nights on another beach of the island while the two of us continued on to the island of Koh Rong.

Upon arrival at Koh Rong, we were driven to our bungalow by motorbike taxi. There awaited us a long white sandy beach with beautiful turquoise water. Our bungalow was surprisingly big and we enjoyed having our own shower again. One day, we rented a scooter and explored the island. We wanted to go to a busier part of the island, but it turned out to be not so easy. At one point, we couldn't continue by scooter because the road was so rocky and slippery. So Anna pushed the scooter with all her strength down the hill. By the time we reached our destination, it was already dark. We treated ourselves to a delicious stone oven pizza and enjoyed a few drinks on the beach before making our way back to the bungalow - this time taking an easier route. The remaining days were relaxed, we strolled along the long beach and enjoyed a delicious dinner.

Finally, we met Jule again on the mainland in Sihanoukville. We spent the day there and took a detour to the market before continuing on to Siem Reap with the night bus. Unfortunately, Pauli had already said goodbye to us as she continues her world trip in India. The city of Sihanoukville was a big construction site because the Chinese bought everything and now huge resorts and tourist places are being built there.

The night bus was different from the night buses in Vietnam. The reserved seats were flat mattresses that had to be shared with strangers if you were traveling alone. So Anna and Jule could sleep together on one mattress, while Emilie shared her sleeping space with a stranger but luckily uncomplicated grandma (unfortunately, as we have experienced several times before, the Asian people here don't have earplugs or don't use them, which Emilie had to endure again. So she had to listen to all (not funny) Facebook and Instagram videos).