After spending a couple of hours squashed, mangled and extremely hot, cramped in the small minibus that carried me to Sihanoukville. We checked into our 'Monkey Republic' backpacker hostel, which was a rather nice accommodation, a small wooden bungalow with draped fairy lights surrounding the whole place. The plan was to head out into the town and see what Sihanoukville has on offer.
After spending the first couple of hours strolling along the beach, having conversations and fun with locals, I noticed how relaxed everybody was here. The locals are used to seeing 'tourists'and can easily engage in banter and friendly chat, this is something that I have noticed all the way through Cambodia, the friendly culture and approaches of the people. It is something much more sincere here in how people engage with you, it is as though they really do value and show interest in having a conversation with you. The same as, I deeply value and enjoy all the conversations I have with the Cambodian people.
This 'resort' is very developed and a lot of travelers venture here to party and have fun. Everything is set around the beach front, a long line of beach shacks that almost appear identical except they all have different names. Every shack offers the 50cents beers and $3 bbq foods, I must admit it is really good value for what you get. So, I am not going to say I shunned this development and went in search of solitude, I evidently embraced it! I do like to socialise and I believe everything is about balance in life. Having spent my past week in a paradise that was unimaginable and the quietness and beauty of the coast, I now craved excitement, people and most of all a party. This is definitely a place for a party!
We spent most our days at the beach enjoying the sunshine and splashing in the sea. The locals swarm around your bed and offer everything from pedicures, manicures, massage and threading. So, after a couple of days me and John sat under our parasol in the blazing sun, sipping a beer whilst each receiving a manicure and pedicure on the beach...that set us back $2! We spend our evenings strolling along the beach, enjoying our bbq food then walking to a shack that became our 'local'', this was a place called the 'Moonshack'. The people who owned and worked here where great local people who couldn't do enough for you, each time we visited here, they grew to know us personally and we really felt comfortable and happy to share company with the 'Moonshack' crew.
After a long week of partying and taking in the sights of 'Sinville' which this resort is otherwise known was more than enough for me. I felt ready to venture back on the road and to see more culture of Cambodia and search for something new. Once I had packed up the backpack, we waited through the evening and at 8pm awaited our night bus that will journey us all the way up to Siem Reap.
On reflection, I had an amazing time here, I met so many other travelers and some have become really good friends, who we will later meet up with. I had such a lovely time with the local people and in a way enjoyed 'letting my hair down' and spending some days just doing nothing. This is something when traveling that I have grown to believe is important. Now that I am traveling I admit I am more free, open and happy, this is something I am not ashamed of but more importantly proud of. However, by always being on the 'go', I have to remember to slow down and spend some days doing the formidable 'nothing', as both physically and mentally we all need it in order to stay healthy, happy and strong.
After spending the first couple of hours strolling along the beach, having conversations and fun with locals, I noticed how relaxed everybody was here. The locals are used to seeing 'tourists'and can easily engage in banter and friendly chat, this is something that I have noticed all the way through Cambodia, the friendly culture and approaches of the people. It is something much more sincere here in how people engage with you, it is as though they really do value and show interest in having a conversation with you. The same as, I deeply value and enjoy all the conversations I have with the Cambodian people.
This 'resort' is very developed and a lot of travelers venture here to party and have fun. Everything is set around the beach front, a long line of beach shacks that almost appear identical except they all have different names. Every shack offers the 50cents beers and $3 bbq foods, I must admit it is really good value for what you get. So, I am not going to say I shunned this development and went in search of solitude, I evidently embraced it! I do like to socialise and I believe everything is about balance in life. Having spent my past week in a paradise that was unimaginable and the quietness and beauty of the coast, I now craved excitement, people and most of all a party. This is definitely a place for a party!
We spent most our days at the beach enjoying the sunshine and splashing in the sea. The locals swarm around your bed and offer everything from pedicures, manicures, massage and threading. So, after a couple of days me and John sat under our parasol in the blazing sun, sipping a beer whilst each receiving a manicure and pedicure on the beach...that set us back $2! We spend our evenings strolling along the beach, enjoying our bbq food then walking to a shack that became our 'local'', this was a place called the 'Moonshack'. The people who owned and worked here where great local people who couldn't do enough for you, each time we visited here, they grew to know us personally and we really felt comfortable and happy to share company with the 'Moonshack' crew.
After a long week of partying and taking in the sights of 'Sinville' which this resort is otherwise known was more than enough for me. I felt ready to venture back on the road and to see more culture of Cambodia and search for something new. Once I had packed up the backpack, we waited through the evening and at 8pm awaited our night bus that will journey us all the way up to Siem Reap.
On reflection, I had an amazing time here, I met so many other travelers and some have become really good friends, who we will later meet up with. I had such a lovely time with the local people and in a way enjoyed 'letting my hair down' and spending some days just doing nothing. This is something when traveling that I have grown to believe is important. Now that I am traveling I admit I am more free, open and happy, this is something I am not ashamed of but more importantly proud of. However, by always being on the 'go', I have to remember to slow down and spend some days doing the formidable 'nothing', as both physically and mentally we all need it in order to stay healthy, happy and strong.
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| Enjoying a fruit shake by the sea |
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| One rare overcast day in 'Sinville |
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| Adoring our lovely mosquito net in the room |
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| Spending one of many nights at the 'Moonshack' |
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| Chilling on the beach at sunset |
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| Awaiting my bbq food at sunset |
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| Getting ready for our 'party' night out |
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| Outside our room in the lovely jungle of plants and fairy lights |
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| Enjoying my first beer of the night |
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| John and Lee behind the bar in good ole 'Moonshack'' |
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| Partying in 'Sinville'', with strange barman Henry behind |
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| Chilling on our last night in the lively Sihanoukville |
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