Kep and Rabbit Island

 
So the first day we arrived during the afternoon in the city center with a nice market all along the beach, and went to our hotel close to the port to go to Rabbit Island. This area has a market, some restaurants included the one of our hotel, on our nice rooftop (perfect place to see the sunset).

The second day we took a boat to go to Rabbit Island. Our hotel booked us the tour but you can buy your boat ticket directly to the harbour. After 30min crossing we arrived on the west part of the island, where all restaurants and hotels are. We decided to go look for a beach without tourists. We walked during 40 minutes to go to the oposite side. You can find quiet beaches and quiet places before, but with the (courant) it was all polluted at this time. So instead of swimming in plastic, we prefered a nice small beach behind a fisherman place, and passed all day there. To go there the way was okay, with just a small lake full of mud to cross. But to go back it was an other story. The shortest way was to finish the tour of the island, but we had to pass through the water with rocks and waves, and to find the path which arrive behind the restaurants. It was a very funny day. We arrived right on time for the boat to go back at 4pm.

The day after we were waiting in the hotel to get news from the bank and get back my credit card, but nothing happened.
 

Informations:
– Hotel: Kep Guesthouse (4$ USD per night, friendly indo/french family)
– Boat to rabbit island: 7$ USD with return (20min crossing)
– Van to Kampot: 2$ (one hour)

Coming from Vietnam:
We took a tour directly from Phu Quoc in Vietnam. We left the hotel around 7am, had our van to the ferry at 8am and were at the border around 10.30am. In the agency desk they asked us to pay some strange fees: 1$ for the medecine if you didn’t have a document to justify all your vaccins, 1$ for a stamp… So check the official price on internet, I refused to pay anything and nothing happened. Same trouble to change the money: they wanted us to deal with their friend, but it was cheaper after the border!
Download the boat timetable

On Tuesday I called first and the finally had received my card in the headquarter, in Kampot. Hopefully we wanted to go there… We booked a van from our hotel. Kampot is just at 30min from Kep, and 2h from Sihanoukville. To fully enjoy the hot weather, we found an hotel with swimming pool! During the afternoon we went to the port and found a tour to go see the fireflies by sunset. It was like a Christmas tree shinning!
 

Informations:
– Hotel: Two Moons
– Boat tour: 5$ USD with one free drink (2h tour)

Party on Koh Rong island

On our 5th day we took a bus to Sihanoukville port where we took a boat for Koh Rong island. There are 2 islands : Koh Rong and Koh Rong Salem more quiet and more familial. I think choosing Koh Rong has been the best choice of my life! I discovered there all that I needed : small and bigger white beaches, a perfect temperature, a transparent water and magic sunrises. There are plenty of hostels and restaurants, from the more luxurious to the roots ones. The two first nights we stood on 4k beach, in the Nest. Each Wednesday and Saturday there is an electronic party on Police beach, with great fire shows and lightning games on a statue above the DJ.

Informations:
– Boat: 10$ USD in the agencies, only 5$ USD if you pay directly to the boat!
– Hotels: you can find dorms with 5$ USD

Rest in Sihanoukville

I met there a french guy, Max. He was living in Sihanoukville and made me a full tour of the city. The first day we enjoyed the really nice beach full of restaurants and activities, and a nice “creek” at the end of the path. We went to the Corner to enjoy a very nice electronic party. The second day we went to the market full of local people and not so touristic and the waterfalls full of chinese tourists (celebrating the new year). We finished the day with a nice sunset on the coast and I already had to leave to visit Angkor and be on time at Bangkok to welcome my friend Mathilde coming from Paris to visit Thailand with me!

Informations:
– Entrance to the waterfalls: free officially, but the guards can ask you money for the scooter or your car
– Night bus to Siem Reap: around 20$ USD

Arrived from Sihanoukville by night, I found directly in the bus station plenty of tuk-tuk ready to lead me wherever I wanted. But instead of finding an hotel, I prefered to go directly to the archeological sites. I managed to pay 10$ for the small tour which include 3 most famous temples, and 3 others smaller but also more quiet! The taxi left me to an hotel in the city center he knew, and I decided to walk a little bit more and find myself a place to finish this cambodgian trip and plan to go to Thailand! It was close to the night market, maybe one of the most touristic place I’ve been…
> Download the map

Informations:
– Entrance fee for 1 day: 37$
– Tuk Tuk: 10$

Summary:
Day 1: Kep
Day 2: Rabbit island
Day 3: Back to Kep trying to get back my credit card…
Day 4: Kampot and the Fireflies
Day 5 to 13: Koh Rong island
Day 14 to 15: Sihanoukville
Day 16: Siem Reap and the Angkor Temples