Koh Kong in Phnom Penh – Cambodia

Cambodia is a very scenic spot. It is a country where you will enjoy new and brighter discoveries. It has an interesting culture that cuts above the rest.

Location and How to Get There

If you happen to be in Cambodia and you want to enjoy the best about the country lifestyle, you should never miss taking a tour to Koh Kong in Phnom Penh. It is a border village between Bangkok and Phnom Penh. With that fact alone, you can be sure that traveling to this beautiful village is worthwhile.

At Koh Kong, two wonderful towns – Bangkok and Phnom Penh – are separated by just a bridge. The border village is definitely where you can experience a very good break. Life at Koh Kong is very simple yet very enjoyable. It is free of the hustle and bustle of the city yet you can see many people smiling. Children are polite and they welcome guests with open arms.

What to See There

There are only four hotels in the area, the rest of the accommodation choices are guesthouses. Guesthouses may lack the luxury of hotels but they are still very comfortable to stay in. For a hotel room, you can be charged only 100 Baht or a little over $3. A guesthouse price range is between 150 and 250 Baht or $4-$8. You need not to worry about reservations. You can book immediately as accommodations only run about 5% to 10% occupancy.

Getting around the village is by motorcycle taxis and they charge only 5 Baht per ride. Be careful though because visiting tourists commonly experiences overcharging among the locals. If you think you are being given overprice, you can always negotiate in a nice manner. You have to understand that having tourists around is a business opportunity for locals.

There are many small places to eat around the village. If you are an adventurous foodie, you can try out local delicacies to have a real taste of the Koh Kong lifestyle. If you are not, you can always go to Otto Restaurant, a very popular place for tourists. Unlike in other places, menus at Koh Kong restaurants do not list a pricing for every recipe or meal. You will be charged according to the owner’s impression of what you are.

The nightlife at Koh Kong is another interesting thing to check out. Although the town is so small and it is not highly urbanized, it barely sleeps. Karaoke clubs stay up all night. Many locals and visitors also run through the night at either a restaurant with food and drinks, at a massage shop, or at a casino.

History

Koh Kong used to be a forbidden site for tourists as it has been long considered as the “Wild West”. Until recently, the town is only accessible from Cambodia by air and by sea because road conditions are poor.

Cost

Traveling to Koh Kong is not expensive. In fact, you do not have to shed a lot of dollars to enjoy the village to the fullest.