Coastal Cambodia: Ghosts, glamour and glorious food on the Far East's lost shore

By Carolyn O'donnell


Lost glamour: Carolyn is pictured on the balcony of the abandoned Queen's villa in Kep


It is something akin to a Christmas tree, tiny lights pulsing brilliant against the velvet sky.

As I watch, the fireflies dance in the mangroves, the synchronized flashing of their small bodies shimmering in the smooth tidal water of the Tatai River. The tropical darkness parts gently as I glide closer in my kayak.

So begins my first evening at the 4 Rivers Floating Eco-Lodge, and my introduction to the wonders of Cambodia's coastline. The Lodge is certainly different - a place of environmentally-friendly tranquility, huddled in the Cardamom Mountains conservation corridor of this Far Eastern country, where the floating accommodation can only be reached by water (guests are collected from nearby Tatai Bridge). Nature at its most raw is all around. Pristine jungle is a mere ripple away.

South East Asia’s second largest virgin rainforest is home to 59 endangered species of wildlife. But as I paddle back to the lodge in the kayak, I'm grateful for the complete absence of wildlife in my spacious tent with its dual-sink en-suite bathroom - along with flat-screen TV and DVD library, in case I should require further evening entertainment.

While most people think Cambodian attractions begin and end at Angkor Wat, in the Sixties the beaches of Sihanoukville hosted jet-setters such as Catherine Deneuve and Jackie Kennedy.

Civil war and the brutal Khmer Rouge rule of 1975-79 halted the parties, but once again travellers are discovering the attractions of the country’s seafront on the Gulf of Thailand.


On the waterfront: Pristine jungle is a mere ripple away at 4 Rivers Floating Eco-Lodge


Moving down this glorious stretch of shore, I encounter Kep, a place that was still a ghost town as recently as the Nineties. It was founded in 1908 for French colonialists, and was ‘Kep-sur-Mer’ for the Gallic and Khmer elite. In its Fifties and Sixties heyday, what is now the 'old town' was a charismatic enclave of modernist villas. But the Khmer Rouge looted and burned what they saw as the embodiment of a social stratum they loathed. Today the shells that litter the site are an eerie reminder of not so much faded, but blow-torched, grandeur.

The former casino became Kep market, and one house sprouts trees like a domestic version of the Angkor ‘Tomb Raider’ temple Ta Prohm. I visit King Sihanouk’s abandoned palace, and the Queen’s villa, where the stairwell is pockmarked by Khmer Rouge bullet holes.

But the glamour lingers at Knai Bang Chatt. This seafront boutique hotel, whose name means, loosely, 'rainbow around the sun', is comprised of three restored villas, which once belonged to local dignitaries. They were built between 1962 and 1965 by protégés of Vann Molyvann, the hero of New Khmer Architecture, who studied under Le Corbusier.

At Kep’s port, I and my Cambodian guide Sophea take the 25-minute ride to Rabbit Island (Koh Tonsay), where bungalows line the main beach. The Khmers love to laugh, and Sophea has a great sense of humour - even about growing up in the impoverished province of Kandal, where food was scarce.

His diet used to include snakes, lizards, spiders and crickets. Not cockroaches, though, apparently, they make good medicine for asthma.

Happily, this area is also famous for seafood and seasonings. Pepper from the neighboring region of Kampot was once regarded as the finest in the world. This whets my appetite, even more than the Cambodian speciality of fertilised duck egg, known as ‘egg and baby’.


The stairwell at the Queen's abandoned villa in Kep is pockmarked by Khmer Rouge bullet holes


I visit coastal salt fields and pepper plantations – largely destroyed by the Khmer Rouge but thriving again - on Phnom Vor, and look in on The Vine Retreat, a 10-hectare organic farm (www.thevineretreat.com) that uses the aim of self-sufficiency and solar panels to promote eco-tourism.

You can see the Vietnam border from its airy balcony bar, and the manager says day trips to Vietnam are possible for a small fee – but no visa. The Khmer Rouge abolished money, but today Cambodia uses both US currency and riel (about 4,200 to the dollar).

Then it’s a short drive to the cave-temple of Kompong Trach where local children accompany us into the karsts to show us the limestone formations.


Feeling the pinch: Carolyn joins the locals as they go fishing for crabs in Kep


A circuit around Kep National Park takes two to three hours, but we head straight for the Nuns’ Place, near Sunset Rocks. They don’t speak English, but Sophea translates as they show us around. Then I lie in a hammock while they organise tea.

Walking down, Sophea confesses that as a boy, he used to shoot birds with his slingshot.

‘For fun?’ I say.

‘To eat. They are good fried,’ he replies. ‘But now I follow Buddhism so I buy them at the market instead.’

We listen to birdsong and Sophea cocks his head. ‘That one is tasty,’ he grins.

I’m saving myself for fresh crab, and of the many restaurants at Kep’s crab market, Kimly is considered the best. I am almost defeated by a delicious (and large) plate of the shellfish sautéed in Kampot pepper (about $9).


Serene setting: The suns sets behind the elegant Knai Bang Chatt Sailing Club


While Sunset Rocks offers splendid views of the bay, sundowners and a vista with more comfortable seating can be found at The Veranda Natural resort (www.veranda-resort.com) - which offers cocktails, accommodation and cakes on wooden platforms built into the hillside. At sea level, there is the elegant Knai Bang Chatt Sailing Club.

The next day I visit Ream National Park, some 12 miles east of Sihanoukville. Home to kites and eagles, it comprises 21,000 hectares of forest, beach and island.

Ranger Sok Sopha, who can arrange birdwatching tours, takes us out along the tidal river to the mangrove viewing platform, and then to the dolphin station, where the mammals can be watched between November and January.

The endangered pink dolphins are best seen in the morning. Accommodation can be arranged at the station – above the sea at the end of a jetty near a fishing village – for $5 a night (plus the cost of the boat trip). From the dolphin station, it’s a 40-minute trek to a four-mile strip of perfect beach. Other activities at Ream include jungle trekking, snorkeling and monkey watching.



Carolyn soaks up the sun on the 4 Rivers Eco Lodge's sundeck, which is on a floating platform in the Tatai river


Sihanoukville, established in 1955 to service Cambodia’s only deep-water port, and named after the then-king, is the nation’s foremost seaside destination. Occheuteal Beach stretches for three miles, with bars, bungalows and shacks dotted along it.

The country also now has its first five-star beach resort, the immaculate Sokha. Its mile-long private beach is considered the best in the area, and facilities include a water sports centre. The accommodation in its 24-hectare grounds ranges from colonial-era villas to new ‘waterside chalets’ for indulgent couples.

Development has been leisurely along the Cambodian coast, as many holidaymakers have opted for its more touristic neighbours - and the laid-back ambience is part of its charm. However, developers are moving in with an eye on future projects. Those abandoned villas in Kep are not going to stay that way forever.

Travel facts
Mango Cambodia (www.mangocambodia.com) can organise a range of packages and tours around Cambodia. Its 14-day 'The Captivating Kingdom Of Cambodia' itinerary costs from US$2150 per person (£1380), and takes in Angkor Wat and Phnom Penh as well as Sikhanouville and the coast.

Double rooms at Knai Bang Chatt in Kep (www.knaibangchatt.com) cost from $150 (£96).

Rooms at the Sokha Beach Resort in Sikhanouville (www.sokhahotels.com/beach) cost from $142 (£91). Dual-occupancy tents at the 4 Rivers Floating Eco-Lodge (www.ecolodges.asia) cost from $102 (£65) per night.

Boat excursions in Ream National Park from $30 (£19), depending on destination and number of passengers.

Singapore Airlines (0844 800 2380, www.singaporeair.com) flies to Phnom Penh (via Singapore) for £623 return.


source: dailymail


source :dailymail