Leaving Phnom Penh by road after having attended the successful PATA Travel Mart held on September 17-19, it was not easy to get a minibus ticket to the southern part of Cambodia. On Saturday, September 20, many Cambodians left the city to their home provinces to celebrate the annual Phchum Ben Festival, whose last days fell on September 22-24 this year.

Also called Festival of the Dead, Phchum Ben is, according to legend, a time where spirits of deceased relatives and ancestors walk the earth. Thus, people visit their local temples to pay their respects to the dead and feeding the spirits by offering rice and special food to eat.

Luckily, I got one of the last tickets to go from Phnom Penh straight to Koh Kong, which is located some 270km from Phnom Penh at the southwestern tip of the country near the mouth of the Koh Pow River on the Gulf of Thailand. The city is only 10km away from the Thai border, which can be accessed by a 1,900m long bridge reputed to be the longest in Cambodia. With the bridge and the upgrading of the road to the border plus the building of a huge casino complex, the town has already developed into a more popular tourist destination as a decade ago. Besides the casino, there is a zoo (Safari World), and Koh Kong beaches are recognized to belong to the best beaches in Southeast Asia.

Actually, the idyllic Cambodian coastal area, which includes on its 440km stretch the provinces of Kep, Kampot, Preah Sihanoukville and Koh Kong, has recently emerged on the international stage. With its pristine sandy beaches and natural beauty, the palm-lined bays try to mesmerize residents and international tourists alike. On May 26, 2011, the Cambodian coast won world recognition and was inaugurated into the Most Beautiful Bays in the World Club. The calm waters, verdant landscapes and vibrant fishing communities make it an inspiring tourist destination not to be missed. Koh Kong is part of it and praised as an absolutely true eco-tourism destination.

Most travelers have so far seen Koh Kong only as a transit stop, weather they are going to Thailand or coming from Thailand. But Koh Kong has rapidly changed in recent years with the opening of Highway No.48 and the altogether 4 bridges that connect the road to Highway No.4, which connects Phnom Penh with Sihanoukville. The road from Koh Kong is in a relatively good condition, fully paved and the monsoon-damaged spots recently repaired. Also, Road No.48 passes through the still forested Cardamom Mountains. At high points on the road the jungle canopy can be seen stretching into the distance. “Elephant Crossings” signs dot the side of the road and sometimes hungry monkeys appear on the side of the road. Koh Kong is the capital of Koh Kong Province with a population of about 35,000 inhabitants and offers a pretty good choice of accommodation facilities, including several reasonable priced guesthouses, a few mid-range places along the riverfront and a couple of upscale hotels outside of the city.

As the main city is very small with a kind of central market, there are only a couple of restaurants in all, including the highly recommended Café Laurent at Koh Kong City Hotel on the riverside or the popular “Bob Bar” near the Kolab Koh Kong Guesthouse, serving pizzas, baguettes, burgers, Western & Asian Food, ice cream, fruit shakes and fresh coffee. Also very popular is the Thai & Seafood Restaurant Thmorda Crab House at the Thmorda Garden Riverside Resort. Nightlife is limited in Koh Kong.

Things to do abound in Koh Kong: First of all there are the famous Ta Tai Waterfalls located some 20km east from Koh Kong City. The falls are wide and two-leveled with a drop of about 6m, set in a jungle gorge with rapids. The German entrepreneur Thomas from Neptune Adventure (Mobile +855-887770576) operates river bungalows nearby and offers boats for kayaking and jungle trekking tours. The upscale “4 Rivers Floating Lodge” downstream offers tented floating villas with all amenities on the Ta Tai River in the midst of lush and spectacular mountain jungles (see www.ecolodges.asia).

The Peam Krasop Mangroves are Asia’s largest and are spread along the coast of Koh Kong Province some 50,000 hectares. The tropical trees grow on the edge, where rainforests meet the ocean, and the rainforests by the sea are splendid breeding grounds for shrimp, prawn, crab, shellfish, snails and fish. The mangroves are foremost barriers between land and sea, while protecting the coast from winds and storms. They are also nesting sites for birds, lizards, spiders, and turtles. There is a long walking path built through a part of the mangrove forest for visitors to enjoy the rich diversity of the landscape.

Koh Kong Island is beautifully located in the middle of the sea, some 24km away from the provincial town, and is the biggest island in Cambodia (22km long, 6km wide). On the island, there are many hills, 10 waterfalls and 6 beaches. Even dolphins can be seen there. So far, the unspoiled island has only two resorts, namely Koh Kong Island Resort and Koh Kong White Sand Beach). Private tours (2 hours by boat) to the island including  lunch and snorkeling can be arranged on a daily basis by Ritthy Koh Kong Eco-Adventure Tours located at the river front (see www.kohkongecoadventure.com).

Another emerging beach is called Koh Yor and located near the Khmer fishing village of Pak Klong: long, narrow, secluded with a few little ocean side seafood stalls. To get there from the town, cross the long bridge across the Koh Pow River, turn left at the Jayavarman VII Monument and continue south on the road about 4km along destroyed mangrove fields to the ocean to see a superb sunset. For such special “moto dop” services, well-known “Mr. Han” is the man.

Furthermore, there is the Botum Sakor National Park, which stretches over an area of 171,250 hectares and is under the supervision of the Ministry of Environment. Recent evidence suggests that the park is home to endangered species such as elephants, tigers, clouded leopards, sun bears, and gibbons, as well as king cobras and the Malay pit viper. In some creeks, there still lives a small population of Siamese crocodiles.

Finally, the recently projected “Cambodia Coast Tourism Zone” as a witness for China-Cambodia co-operation takes up an area of 360 square km and locates in the southwestern seashore of Cambodia, owning about 90km of the coastline. Invested and constructed by the Union Development Group from China, there will be an 18-hole golf course in the central part of the program, which is the first sea-view golf course in Cambodia. A 5-star hotel, holiday bungalows and restaurants will follow. In accordance with the overall plan, the ambitious Cambodia Coast Tourism Zone will also include an international airport and a duty-free shopping center.

For the keen eco-lovers, please come visit Koh Kong before it will be too late.

For further information, please contact GMS Media Travel Consultant Reinhard Hohler based in Chiang Mai/Thailand by e-mail: Diese E-Mail-Adresse ist vor Spambots geschützt! Zur Anzeige muss JavaScript eingeschaltet sein!