What Could Koh Rong?

I COULD HEAR IT, but I couldn’t see it. Flapping around overhead, brushing the ceiling, hitting the wall. It sounded big, but the moonlight wasn’t strong enough to see. It was trapped and so was I - flattened against the mattress, under the safety of the mosquito net draped over the bed.

We were trying to live life slowly on the island of Koh Rong, Cambodia in the Gulf of Thailand. With the majority of the island forested, and more than 27 miles (43 km) of beaches, our plan was to find quiet in an unspoiled wilderness.

This wasn’t it - and not because of the yet-to-be-identified flying object in our room.

Another nighttime visitor. This one landed on my head.

Good food, good music, and great company kept us content where we were - at a popular, party lodge called Monkey Island. The intoxicating lure of camaraderie pushed our agenda of tranquility off a day or two, but the friendships we walked away with made it all worth the trouble.

Our lodge faced the gulf due south, so seeing the sunset from a hammock on the porch wasn’t in the cards. A group of about eight of us decided to hire a fishing boat for a quick trip to Sunset Beach, splitting the cost eight ways.

Should we, or shouldn’t we?

Arriving late, our ride anchored at the beach the same time as the storm clouds. Drops of rain began to pock the surface of the water, and the once calm waves began to froth. Filled with doubts, we stalled until the rain stopped, which happened as quickly as it started. Giving in to our sense of adventure and ignoring our common sense, we all piled in the shaky, flooding boat.

Fifteen minutes in, the waves grew angrier and angrier, some lapping over the edge of our craft. The hull of the boat was quickly filling with salt water. Refusing to give in to our fear, we laughed and scooped it out with makeshift shovels already on board, our smiles becoming more forced. Watching the waves break violently on the rocky shore dashed my hopes of swimming to shore safely if the boat went down.

Once we rounded the southernmost tip of the island, leaving nothing between us and the fury of the open ocean, the danger started to feel very serious. Waves crested higher than our boat, and pushed us around like a schoolyard bully. We rocked from side to side so forcefully that I was sure someone was going to roll right out to sea.

No life jackets. No natural barrier. No end in sight. Simultaneously we all called it right then, and asked to be taken back immediately. The boat operator could keep our money, we just wanted to keep our lives.

Nearing the origin of our ride, the sea became smoother and smoother. Smiles returned, laughter broke out, and the sun joined us again, warming our skin and our spirits.

That night we all ate beach BBQ, raised a glass to life (and the fact that we all still had ours), and reminisced about that one time in that boat when we almost drowned. Walking back to our ramshackle hut, Fernando and I stopped to stargaze over a trickling creek. A nip here, a prick there, we shined our headlamps down at our feet and found the bridge we were standing on crawling with ants.

Have you ever actually had ants in your pants? It’s not great.

Our cozy bungalow.

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Sit, swim, eat, read, sleep, repeat. The next few days on Koh Rong we were completely undisturbed on our own isolated 4k beach. At Pura Vita, a three bungalow lodge, far removed from the noisy port and lively fishing village, the only noises are waves and geckos. The company, only creatures of the jungle, the Italians and their two pets.

Have you ever felt the perfect breeze?

Backed by a thick Cambodian jungle, our thatched-roof hut was simple, but comfortable. Windows open wide, day or night allowed a soft ocean breeze 24/7, and screens kept most of the insects, small reptiles and mammals outside where they preferred to be. There would be no repeat of the UFO at Monkey Island, but we did find a harmless six-inch spider in the bathroom. We went ahead and let her stay there since we were the visitors in her home.

Fast asleep on the covered porch after a breakfast of fresh fruit, bread, and eggs that the Italians prepared for us, Fernando noticed three of the friends we had made a few days earlier had survived the rough trail to find us at our secret spot. Cassondra, Anouk and Manon walked the brushy, swampy interior of the island to join us for a swim and lunch.

Pura Vita is Italian for pure life - and that’s what we were offered. We had everything we needed, and nothing we didn’t. No bonfire dance parties, no wifi connection, no television. Unplugged and disconnected, we had found the idyllic peaceful days we had been searching for.

VERDICT: Mostly Harmless - and with a cat to take care of your leftovers.

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LINKS:

Koh Rong Island, Cambodia: Island off the coast of Sihanoukville, Cambodia. UPDATE: Cambodia’s first marine national park was created on Koh Rong, and six surrounding islands.

Gulf of Thailand: In the western Pacific. Bordered by Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam.

Monkey Island Lodge: 23 beach bungalows on the southern end of Koh Rong, from $25 USD per night, $35 USD for a private room. (Rates vary during high season.)

Pura Vita Resort: Quaint resort on the southeast coast of Cambodia’s Koh Rong. Bungalows starting at $35 USD per night. (Rates vary during high season.)