Cambodia's islands and beaches: Kep, Koh Tonsay and Sihanoukville

At one end of the Indochina peninsula is Cambodia, a beautiful little country in Southeast Asia. It is a country where a lot of people really live, mostly Buddhist and with a great and rich culture. But in addition to the ancient culture, Cambodia is owner of exceptional beaches.

There are two destinations in Cambodia that are very touristy and popular: Koh Tonsay and Sihanoukville and to them we will dedicate our article today. If you are interested in Cambodia, you are planning to visit Southeast Asia and you dream of these paradisiacal destinations, write down this information.

Koh tonsay

The first destination is Koh Tonsay, a island that is on the southern coast of the Gulf of Thailand. It is Conejo Island because that is what the name means. You will also find the name Kep Tonsay, but in truth this other name refers to the province.

The island it is only four kilometers from the city of Kep and it is small and beautiful. In other times it was known by the name of Kep-sur-mer. The beaches are white and soft sand, as if they were made of finely ground flour. The sea here is calm and the seabed does not fall abruptly but goes gently into the sea so It is great for swimming or enjoying water activities or going with children.

It was not always this paradise. For almost twenty years a prison functioned here, but it closed in 1970 and slowly, from then on, the island began to change its appearance and some guesthouses and private houses began to be built in addition to the small coastal settlements of fishermen.

Still has not been touched by the big hotel businesses although there are always rumors that huge resorts will be built. At the moment there is little and for backpackers, for example, the destination is usually very simple bamboo huts. Tourists come to spend the day and if they stay they do it for two or three days, at most and exaggerating.

How to Live Aligned with it's three hours from Phom Penh There are even organized excursions, tours, that arrive, spend the day and leave in the afternoon. If you go on your own you can arrive by ferry from KepThe trip is only half an hour and you cross the bay so it is a nice and pleasant walk.

It is about enjoying the clean white beach, the crystal clear water, the crabs, a drink bought in a beach bar, some even give you a bamboo bed to lie down on, and the walks to which the earthy landscape invites indoors

Flat jungle, villages specializing in collecting and drying seaweed, and beaches make for fantastic photos. They tell you that you can going around the island is a matter of an hour but you must wear shoes because part of it is on the beach, yes, but then the road ends up disappearing and rocks and jungle appear, rocks, beach and jungle, beach, rocks and jungle. It seems like a tongue twister but that quickly changes the terrain you tread so the walk gets longer and it can quietly last three hours. Hat, mineral water and a lot of courage is the only thing that is needed.

The landscapes of Sihanoukville

If Koh Tonsay is an island to spend the day and not much else, Shianoukville It is a coastal city, capital of the province, much more active. It is 232 kilometers from Phnom Penh And you can arrive by plane, by helicopter on charter flights, not cheap, by bus that take around five hours, in taxis that make the trip in three hours and where you can share a seat and save money. There are no boats or trains. It is at the tip of a peninsula on the Gulf of Thailand and it is surrounded by beaches and more beaches.

In front of these beaches there are small, uninhabited islands, which for some time now have become popular as Day Trips for young tourists. Even being a very commercial city, whose port is the sea of ​​activity, It is a resort, a high-class spa and tourism receives a lot of attention and care.

At first glance, the city has lost much of its colonial charm and is a network of wide and huge streets that are combined with modern concrete buildings, which at the same time open up into suburban areas. So, If it occurs to you, go through it, it is best to rent a motorcycle. Only then can you reach sites that are interesting or take advantage of some panoramic points such as the Wat Leu hill or the Yeah Mao sanctuary that protects the coast.

The Gulf of Thailand is a natural deep-water port and the climate is mild. The beaches are one of its pearls and we can count several among the best and most popular beaches for tourists:

• Ochheuteal Beach: it is a three kilometer long beach with white sands with deckchairs, umbrellas and kiosks, hotels and private residences.
• Serendepity Beach: It is about 600 meters and is very popular with western foreigners. There are a few hostels on the beach.
• Otres Beach: it is a beach almost five kilometers long that is located at the southern end of the first beach that we name. It is adorned with tamarind and mandarin trees and white sands.
• Independence Beach: It has a hotel named in the same way, Hotel Independence, built on top of a rock with Cambodian architectural style.
• Victoria Beach: It is a very popular beach with backpackers although it is not always very clean.
• Hun Sen Beach: we could say that it is a very rough beach, with nothing built.

Off the coast we said that there are several small islands and in some of them they have bungalows and guest houses of intermediate or standard category. Seven islands, seven possible destinations of different sizes, although all small.

can we talk about Koh Rong Island, about 40 kilometers away, from the Koh Pors Island, closer and deserted or the Koh Russei or Isla Bambú, for example. The truth is that this seaside resort offers a lot: cultural walks, wonderful landscapes, dream beaches, nightlife, diving, snorkeling and the opportunity to meet and socialize with people from all over the world.