Coconut Beach was drop dead gorgeous! We only spent 2 nights there and I was willing to extend and spend an entire week if we hadn't made further plans. Unlike the party haven area of Koh Touch, this part of Koh Rong was more quiet, peaceful and tranquil. The sand was soft and fine, water crystal clear and it felt very secluded! The total beach holiday for someone who enjoys quiet (but still wants to stay connected) like me!
Day 1
We were welcomed at Coconut beach pier by our accommodation staff who led us to Coconut beach bungalows and helped carry our bags (It was a short walk along that lovely stretch of sand). Robbie checked us in, led us to our tent and gave us a quick overview of the place. I couldn’t recommend the place enough! We stayed in a tent which might be far from luxurious for some, but had sufficient amenities and I enjoyed every single moment of my stay.
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| From Sihanoukville, the boat made two other stops before reaching Coconut beach pier. |
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| We have reached Coconut Beach Pier! |
There was a mattress in the tent which could support 2 people, shared bathrooms, communal charging/bag storage area, lots of coconut oil to repel pesky mosquitoes, a beautiful stretch of the beach, strong wifi and a restaurant with a view of the sea and it was just so very nice! The staff were very friendly, helpful and approachable and gosh, I feel like going back there as I type this post.
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| We were lulled to sleep by the gentle sound of the waves |
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We went grocery shopping in the mainland for food which proved to be redundant
as the restaurant offered food at fairly affordable prices! |
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There was even a library where we could borrow books!
In the restaurant, there were also board games guests
could use! Great way to make friends! |
The first day was a day to relax after our long journey and I couldn’t ask for more.. I mean:
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| Yeah.. this is the life |
In the late afternoon, we went on a walk to the fishermen’s village to catch the sunset. We were the only foreigners around at that time and I couldn’t help but feel like we were infringing with the villager’s privacy. We took a walk along the pier and watched as a supply boat arrived and villagers came to collect the goods. We wanted to find a more secluded spot where we wouldn’t feel like we were overstepping boundaries and spotted some boulders nearby.
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| The path from Coconut bungalows to the fishermen's village |
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| The pier at the fishermen's village |
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| A pretty empty spot at the fishermen village |
After more walks within the village and a friendly lady leading us to the boulder area by climbing along the rocks, we reached the spot and the view was great! But what caught our attention were these two boys flying their kites. They seemed to be making fun of us as we were hesitant to move along the rocks (some had deep and wide gaps in between!) and took pride in displaying their death defying spiderman-like skills jumping and crawling from rock to rock. They also had a competition to see whose kite could fly higher and it made for a very good foreground to the setting sun at the background.
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| The fishermen's village |
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| The kite flying, boulder jumping kids by the glorious sunset |
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| They were leaping from boulder to boulder without fear! |
Back at the bungalows, Robbie had a campfire prepared and he displayed some impressive fire handling skills. There was also this glowing plankton event at night. We just had to waddle against the water hard and some planktons would glow as a result. It wasn’t an entire sea illuminating like in other places but it was pretty cool nonetheless!
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Impressive fire display! The campfire like set up
made it feel warm and cosy.. and you're by the beach! |
Day 2
It was a lazy morning of being a beach bum and some beach volleyball. At 10, a boat came for an island hopping tour (for 10 USD a head). Our first stop was snorkelling. The boat was quite shaky and I felt a bit dizzy when we reached the jump off point. I took a life jacket (because I was too lazy to swim haha. With this on, I could just float effortlessly) and snorkeled to this nearby island. I craved for dry land and appreciated that short break from the rocking motion of the sea.
Next, we took the boat to Koh Touch- the main town of Koh Rong. The party-like, kinda dodgy and very touristy atmosphere was a major turn off and was the total opposite of Coconut Beach. So glad we did not choose to stay here. After walking along the beach, we decided to not have lunch and waited at the jetty instead. We had around 30mins left at Koh Touch at that point and I fell asleep. It felt so good and I recovered from feeling sick after waking up.
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| The boat docks at Koh Touch |
We went for some fishing afterwards (no luck for me so it was forgettable but some had a bountiful catch!) and they saved the best for last- Long beach. Long beach was a long stretch of white with barely any facilities (saw some properties along the beach and a jetty at a distance) so it was mostly the forest by the beach. It felt like nature was almost left untouched and it was really my main the highlight of the day!
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| Some of the very few properties scattered along Long beach |
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| Our boatman setting anchor on the knee deep waters off Long beach |
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| I was living in the moment during that short stop at Long Beach, my phone was the last thing in mind which explains for the lack of photos, but trust me Long Beach was superb! |
The boat men cooked the fish caught and prepared everyone’s meals and it tasted even better after frolicking in the water and enjoying this paradise. The waves were thankfully calm on the ride back and we were treated to an amazing sunset, with a bit of alcohol and a new friend to boot.
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| Our boat by the beach |
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| It was yummy! |
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| Breathtaking sunset. My pictures do not do the great scenery any justice. |
Back at the bungalows, Robbie had a flying lantern event where everyone went to the beach, paired up in our twos or threes and we released these pretty lanterns to the sky. It was very romantic but I wasn’t there with a special someone BUT we met another friend who we released the lantern with and the night was spent at the restaurant chatting with our new friends and it was lovely. (Until the rain came and we scrambled back to our tents for the night)
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| A shameless selfie- my best shot of the lantern event |
Day 3
We watched our last Coconut beach sunrise (which did not come out perfect but was still pretty), and spent our remaining moments having lunch with new friends and saying our goodbyes to the staff who really made our stay very memorable and comfortable. The seas were rough and Robbie arranged for motorbikes to send us to the pier at the fishermen’s village. It was a sad farewell and I really hope to be able to come back one day.
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| Last sunrise at Coconut beach |
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Also, can we appreciate the view from the restaurant?
Man, who would want to leave that! |
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At the fishermen's village waiting for our boat. I love the rustic charm of this part of Koh Rong.
Another friend of ours stayed longer and went on a trek to another gorgeous beach
and I would love to do that next time! |
After a super rough ride
back to the mainland, we took a
scenic train ride to the capital
Phnom Penh!
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