AsiaLIFE

It’s that time of the year again. Tempers start to rise in the pressure cooker that is Phnom Penh in April and Khmers start throwing water over each other. The sensible head for water, the rest get hot under the collar. But where should you go, if you want to get away from the madding crowds? AsiaLIFE sent Johan Smits, Nora Lindstrom and Svylia Nam off in search of the least travelled beaches.

Lost in Silk

Famous for its population of silk weavers, this island also has a small beach on its far-north edge. There are two ways to get to Silk Island, or Koh Dach in Khmer – not to be confused with nearby Mekong Island or Koh Okhna Tey where silk weavers live. If you want to go all the way by water, hire one of the tourist boats that are lined up along the riverfront near Street 136. Depending on the boat, the price varies from US$8 to US$10 an hour. A faster way of getting there is to drive across the Japanese Bridge onto Road 6A (towards Siem Reap) and take a ferry (1,000 riel one-way) just east of the road. There are no English signs so you might need the help of a motodop driver to locate the ferry points. The crossing is a very pleasant passage from hectic Phnom Penh to tranquil Koh Dach and sets the scene for what follows.

Once on the other side, the overland drive is at least half the fun, so take your time. A dusty, sandy road takes you through charming villages and past picturesque views of the river. The pace of life here is reassuringly slow. Some ten minutes before destination, the road passes a delightfully modest wat. The exterior may look neglected with some of the outer walls missing and its roof caved in, but inside awaits a surprisingly well-maintained shrine. The road finally ends at a steep, eroded bank that leads down to the beach. At first sight the white, sandy beach area itself is disappointing. Rubbish left by visitors – plastic bags, empty cans and pieces of white foam boxes – litters the area. However, make your way to the river’s edge, install yourself in one of the many little thatched huts that are pulled into the water and enjoy the calm. The water itself is very clean and inviting enough for a refreshing splash on a hot afternoon. Local vendors are eager enough to sell you food, fresh fruit and cold drinks – a whole chicken costs about US$10 and is cooked for you in three different ways. If you order some food, the use of a thatched hut should be thrown in for free.

As this place is very local, there are no other amenities so bring a beach towel or a sarong to change into your swimming gear. At the weekends and during public holidays it can get quite busy when families flock here. If you are not only looking for water but also for some calm, then you’d better come during the week when you will find the isolation you crave. Lazing around with a suspenseful book and a cold beer while listening to the sound of the water underneath your wooden platform, makes you forget that this is still Phnom Penh. If you want to add a more active element to your beach visit then book yourself on a photo retreat to Koh Dach with photographer Nathan Horton. Starting from his studio in central Phnom Penh, his trip includes visits to the local silk weavers, walks through photogenic local villages and time on the beach for swimming and lunch. If you want to extend the fun, then Nathan’s weekend retreat offers an overnight stay on Koh Dach with more photographic themes and a post-production class that will help you immortalise your visit in print.

For info on Nathan Horton’s photographic trips visit www.nathanhortonphotography.com

Calming Kampot

A private taxi takes about two-and-a-half hours and shouldn’t cost much more than US$35. Buses are available too, but these can take up to six hours and have a tendency to break down or stop at numerous points along the way. Set on an estuary, the water in Kampot’s river is brackish. A mixture of sea and fresh water, the mix varies with the tide. Though clean enough, it is best not to swim right by the town. Instead head to the guesthouses further up the river. For one of the most unique swimming experiences in Cambodia, wait until the sun sets before getting into the water. As darkness descends, the water itself is lit up by bioluminescent micro-organisms that sparkle at every move, making it feel like you are swimming in a sea of glitter. The phosphorescence can be seen for about eight months per year (not during the rainy season) along most of the river in Kampot. A great place to check out this spectacular natural phenomenon is backpacker haunt Bodhi Villa. To get there cross the bridge from Kampot and take the dusty road to the right following the river. Stay in one of the two floating rooms (US$10/night) that open directly onto the river. If you dare, from here you can skinny dip with the luminescent organisms. Whilst simply lazing about in the tepid, slowly moving water may seem all right for the sleepy provincial capital, activities with slightly more pace are also available.

At Les Manguiers, a few kilometres north of Kampot on the eastern bank of the river, single and double kayaks are available for rent starting from US$4 for two hours and US$12 for a day. Staff there recommend trips up the river, where you can stop at one of the other riverside establishments for a drink or a bite to eat. The guesthouse (rooms from US$3) itself is set in spacious, green grounds that are perfect for kids and the US$6 lunch is good value for money. Bodhi Villa also has water skiing and wakeboarding. At US$2 per minute it isn’t exactly cheap, but when the 200 horsepower boat isn’t broken you can have some good fun, if not exactly environmentally friendly, buzzing up and down the river. Owner Hugh promises kite surfing will be offered shortly, as well as diving trips down to the sea.

For more quiet fun, carry on eight kilometres further up river from Bodhi Villa to Utopia. Owner Max describes his place as a guesthouse for grown-ups, where most people get up and go to bed early. Dorm beds start at US$3, while en-suite bungalows, for which reservations are encouraged, cost US$25. But it’s not all about being a boring adult, as inner tubes are free and a swing hangs from a coconut tree on the bank of the river promising awesome bellyflops for those brave enough to climb up the tree. Max also offers to teach people stand-up rowing, but only if it takes his fancy. Several guesthouses and other establishments offer boat cruises both up and down the river, which is especially popular at sunset, when blue fishing boats pass you en route to their nightly trade.

Should the brackish water of the Kampot fail to take your fancy and you aspire for wider views, hire a scooter and head down to Kep-by-the-sea. At Knai Bang Chatt sailing club, 16- and 13-cat sailboats are rented for the hourly rates of US$25 and US$13 respectively, while windsurfs and kayaks are yours for US$12 and US$4 per hour. Alternatively, order a cocktail at the bar and walk down the pier to watch the sunset. Kep has a range of options for staying the night from the budget Le Bout de Monde to the uber-boutique Knai Bang Chatt (see Getaways Section for details). Best to time your trip so as to arrive for lunch at the crab stalls situated on the coast between Kep beach and Knai Bang Chatt. Fresh crustaceans are hauled in from pots in the sea. The earlier you get there the fresher the catch.

Beach IT!
Due south of Serendipity and Ochheuteal beaches a footpath connects Otres Beach with its two more commercialised cousins. A thirty-minute walk along the beachfront, it takes approximately the same amount of time to get there by car given the state of the road, which is only partially paved and filled with crater-sized potholes. If you persevere you will discover a beach unlike its neighbours – unpopulated and serene. The white sandy beach of Otres is similarly narrow but, unlike Ochheuteal, clean with palm frond umbrellas giving some methodical order to an otherwise mellow atmosphere.

Cantina del Mar is sister to Cantina on the Phnom Penh riverfront. If the long stroll along the beach has worked up your appetite you could do far worse than pit-stop here. Its signature dish of fish tacos (US$4) is served in a taco warmer accompanied by pico de gallo, a salsa roja, sour cream and onions. Cantina anglicises this dish as fish and chips, using the same deep-fried fish pieces as for the fish tacos, but this time served with perfect French fries. The fruit shakes (less than US$2) and margaritas are also worth trying. A few shacks along, Freax Bar has urban graffiti artwork adorning the walls of an otherwise simple thatched roof shack.

At the opposite end of the coastal crescent sandwiched between the port and Independence Beach lies Victory Beach. Here lies a mix of industrial and idyllic with “Airport: Fashionable Disco Flights” – a dance club across the street from Holiday Palace Hotel. True to its name, the space is impressive and aviation- themed. The open-air club rests beneath a hangar with a full-size passenger aircraft as the centrepiece. The upper decks are reserved for “business class,” though the lower decks are not called “economy class,” and the staff are not dressed as flight attendants. The Transformers-esque DJ booth blasts a combination of techno, house and hip hop. Situated right on the beach, non-dancers can lounge on comfortable papasans under the moonlight interspersed with speckles of light from the nearby port. Drinks are reasonably priced with draft beer from US$1 and cocktails approximately US$3.

Before heading out dancing, neighbouring Chhne Meas restaurant is popular with holiday-makers. Its extensive assortment of fresh seafood dishes includes braised fish with soy ginger sauce and scallions, tender beef lok lak and steamed crabs (US$5-13) with dipping sauces ranging from a pickled mango side, chilli-infused fish sauce and lime with salt and pepper. When we visited the restaurant had run out of prawn and squid by 8.30pm so it’s best to get there early at the weekend.
In between the Serendipity and Victory beaches are the twin resorts of Sokha and Independence. Both have their own private beaches and tranquillity in abundance. While Sokha is well-established with expats wishing to get away from the hot-season dust of the Penh, in many respects

Independence provides a more secluded option for those wishing to opt out in luxury. Splash out! Ask for one of the two top-floor rooms – preferably the suite – and just spend you time watching the beautiful blue sea out of your window and the fishing boats making their leisurely way out to catch squid at sunset. During the whole of this month there is a 40 percent discount on rooms at the hotel, including a complimentary massage, so, really there is no excuse for not getting away fro the heat of the Penh this month, after all.