Where We Be
| The sun balances atop the mountain for a magical moment |
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| Lonely Beach is pristine and genuinely lonely -- you'll share it with just a handful of fellow travelers |
| Koh Rong Island, Cambodia |
Without question Lonely Beach on Koh Rong
Island is a gorgeous stretch of undeveloped
real estate. The gentle crescent of golden sand
takes fifteen minutes to walk from end to end.
Palm trees line the beach along with a sprinkling
of hammocks and lounge chairs. Cabins are set
back, hidden in the jungle. Watching the sun set
over the ocean is the one big thing on the
agenda each day. Otherwise it's all a pleasant
blur of swimming in tropical waters, lounging in
hammocks, and dining on locally caught seafood.
Be sure to head down at least once for a night
swim in the bio-luminescent waters. It's the first
time we've experienced this remarkable
phenomenon. As we moved our hands and
bodies in the pitch-black water, plankton glowed
with a soft blue light. Slow movements caused
just a few plankton to light up, but big sweeping
movements wreathed our whole arms and legs
in encircling blue wizard-like light. Magical!
Island is a gorgeous stretch of undeveloped
real estate. The gentle crescent of golden sand
takes fifteen minutes to walk from end to end.
Palm trees line the beach along with a sprinkling
of hammocks and lounge chairs. Cabins are set
back, hidden in the jungle. Watching the sun set
over the ocean is the one big thing on the
agenda each day. Otherwise it's all a pleasant
blur of swimming in tropical waters, lounging in
hammocks, and dining on locally caught seafood.
Be sure to head down at least once for a night
swim in the bio-luminescent waters. It's the first
time we've experienced this remarkable
phenomenon. As we moved our hands and
bodies in the pitch-black water, plankton glowed
with a soft blue light. Slow movements caused
just a few plankton to light up, but big sweeping
movements wreathed our whole arms and legs
in encircling blue wizard-like light. Magical!
| Lonely Beach is on the remote northern side of Koh Rong island: it took us about four hours to get there. Along the way we passed heavily laden fishing boats and luxury resorts. |
| This was our first view of Lonely Beach as we arrived around 5 pm. We liked the way the cabins were set back from the beach to keep it unspoiled. |
| A small motorboat brings us the last stretch of the way |
| The bungalows ($30 per night) are well constructed but simple, with no furniture other than the bed itself and one built-in corner shelf. There’s no fan and no top sheet for the bed, just a single blanket. The shower is Khmer style: you dip a ladle into cold water and pour it over yourself. Solar power provides basic lighting, and batteries can be recharged at the main building during daytime. It's kind of like deluxe camping. |
| The windows open wide to the fresh air. We loved getting to hear the ocean waves in the distance and the sound of birds, crickets, and insects in the surrounding jungle. |
| The very definition of idyllic |
| Robin takes in the view from a hammock strung between two trees |
| Getting away from it all feels pretty good for four days |
| This is the place to come for some Robinson Crusoe time. We shared the whole resort with only seven other guests. |
| We had the whole beach to ourselves on our first morning. What a lovely spot! |
| What a fine place for a morning walk. The beach is raked each morning -- with the help of a water buffalo! -- to keep sandflies to a minimum. |
| The main restaurant offers fine food -- freshly caught fish, of course, plus local Cambodian dishes like beef lok lak and crab with garlic pepper sauce. Our favorite drink was iced coffee with condensed milk. |