We stood on the side of the road and one of the kids from the CPOC casually flagged down a bus like a seasoned hitchhiker. He even turned down the first ride that stopped because he couldn’t negotiate a fair price for us. Not bad for an 8 year old.
By this time we knew what to expect: we were going to be crammed into a mini bus with as many people as possible. What we didn’t expect, was fitting just as many into a Toyota Camry. Granted, it was a station wagon, but 17 people in a car is a lot.
After two buses and a packed car, a twenty minute ride on the back of a motor bike taxi took us to paradise, or at least pretty close. Otres beach is a strip of sand just south of the party destination of Sihanoukville, Cambodia. It is quiet and relaxing. The water is clear and refreshing, and just what we were looking for.
We spent 4 days laying on the beach, soaking up the sunshine, reading books and researching where to go next. We had heard that the islands off the southern coast of Cambodia offer an retreat free of resorts and crowds. The trouble was picking which ones to visit. As luck would have it, we were handed a flyer for the Coral Beach Bungalows on Koh Ta Kiev. Decision made.
Coral Beach was a stunning one hour boat ride from Otres. Arriving there, we both realized immediately that it is the closest thing to tropical paradise either of us have experienced.
The jungle stretches right up to the shore. The entire front side of our bungalow was open to the sea. There were hammocks and reading nooks carved out of the jungle’s trees and vines. There was a tree house perched over the water, and raft to take out if you really wanted your own private island.
The staff were so happy, helpful, and friendly. In just a couple days, we knew everyone there well enough to call friends. Everyone who worked there had a similar story: “I came for just few days and ended up staying for 6 weeks…”
One reason for the close community was the restaurant. Three different options were offered for each meal, changing daily and served at the same time everyday. Eating meals together is a wonderful way for people to bond.
Perhaps the best part of our stay at coral beach was the food.
Coral Beach is owned and operated by two French chefs and every meal offered was absolutely amazing. Dinner time was a highlight of each day, when all the guests and staff would wind down there day with cold beers, and anxiously await the evenings menu to be presented.
A hand-built raft teathered to an achor was docked at the shore. All you had to do was grab a beer, and pull yourself out to some seriously stellar reefs with excellent snorkeling.
The island was undeveloped, but a system of trails through the jungle provided access to various beaches and bars.
The island even has its own absinthe distillery. Bar hopping isn’t an appealing option here, however. Walking through the jungle at night is not advised due to the 4 very dangerous types of snakes and other creepy-crawlys like huge centipedes that apparently inhabit the island. (THEY LEFT HUGE BIKE-TIRE SIZE TRAILS IN THE SAND.)
After a few days of lounging around the island in pure relaxing bliss, we decided to get up and do something. We joined a few other people from Coral Beach, and explored around the island. After some cliff jumping, we visited a floating fishing village. The residents were so friendly and happy to watch us cautiously navigate the rickety network of wooden walkways over the water. It was fascinating to see a community, a whole town, suspended just above the water.
We returned for yet another amazing meal, and a sunrise that melted into a rowdy evening with new friends.
Long after the sun was completly set and the island was pitch black, Adam & I took the raft out to the middle of the bay. Armed with snorkel masks, we jumped into the deep blackness and watched the water light up around us. The bioluminescent plantkon, otherwise invisible, shimmered brightly as we treaded water. The movements of our arms and legs were followed by glowing streams of temporary light. Surreal? Yes. Blissful? Endlessly.
It was difficult to pull ourselves away from this heavenly island. Leaving Coral Beach was bitter sweet as we left behind our new friends in order to venture on to new destinations.
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