The Jungle Book: May 10-13 (Bamboo Island and Koh Ru, Cambodia)

After spending a few days in the crazy town of Sihanoukville, we decided to avoid the hawkers and tuk-tuk drivers by taking a boat to Bamboo Island, approximately one hour away. On the way out there the boat stopped for a brief snorkeling trip for what could’ve been a nice view except for the cheap, scratched masks they let you borrow. Upon arriving at Bamboo Island we decided to stay at the guest house on the boat landing side of the island so we didn’t have to walk with our bags to the other side. We had great bbq sandwiches for lunch, prepared by the boat drivers, and headed to the other side of the island known as Koh Ru. Koh Ru is a great relaxation spot as there are no boats and only about 10 people there. The water is much cleaner on this side and is actually refreshing compared to most places we’ve swam in Cambodia – the water is usually really warm. The only establishment on Koh Ru is a small restaurant/bar that has floor seating (with spray painted backgammon and chess games on the table) and a bunch of hammocks. After spending the afternoon swimming, reading and playing cards we went back to our guesthouse for showers and dinner. It’s also nice b/c electricity is only available from 6-11pm so after that you’re out of luck. As a continuing trend throughout our SE Asia travels, we watched a lightning storm do its thing for a few hours.

Although we were both really tired, unfortunately it was impossible to sleep because it was so hot and with no power, there’s no fan. Because of this though, we both were awake for a nice sunrise.

Our remaining days in Bamboo Island/Koh Ru were much the same as the first: full of games, reading and swimming in the ocean. The second night we decided to stay on the Koh Ru side, but instead of switching guesthouses we slept in the hammock and on a mock mattress in the bar/restaurant of Koh Ru for free. It was much better then our guesthouse as it was cooler and you could hear the waves breaking. Because of the early light, we were awake for sunrise again and went for a swim at 8am, which was amazing. The water was cool and completely still without waves. Just the way I’d love to start everyday. On Thursday we took the boat back to Sihanoukville to catch our evening bus to Phnom Penh.