People seeking sun, sea, sand, and quiet for their vacations have discovered Cambodia.
Cambodia offers the same warm weather and soft sand as any of the more popular tropical beach destinations. All it lacks are crowds and commercialism.
There is an expanding tourist industry in the city of Sihanoukville and the neighboring town of Otres 2. Otres 2 is a little more upscale for foreign travelers seeking a tropical vacation with all the finest features.
Those traveling a bit further out will find that not all of Cambodia’s natural beauty has been polluted by big hotels with loud signs.
Its most popular resorts are places like Lazy Beach on the island of Koh Rong Samloem, 15 miles off the coast.
“Before I even came here I had the name in my head, so, always going to be Lazy Beach,” said beach and resort owner Chris Beadles.
“When I first arrived here and I saw this beautiful beach and everything, we never wanted to do too much to touch it, to change it. We try and leave it as we first found it for everyone to visit and see it as that first day I did,” he said.
Beadles offers 20 tiny wooden beachfront bungalows and a large, open-air bar and restaurant for his guests.
Marie Humphreys and her husband found the beach captivating.
“My husband and I arrived on this beautiful beach planning to spend three days and after the first two hours here we booked an extra four and stayed a week,” she said. “It’s such a beautiful relaxing place to spend your free time.
“The people are friendly, the water is warm, what more do you want from a holiday?”
“It’s just special—it’s a very special place actually.”
A similar destination is Koh Thmei Resort in Ream National Park, on an island 6 miles off the coast.
Getting there involves an 18-mile taxi ride from Sihanoukville and a two-hour boat ride.
These remote resorts are starting to get publicity. Lazy Beach was just named by National Geographic magazine as one of the “must-visit” beaches in the world.
Cambodia is the new tropical paradise—and will be until it too gets popular.
Book your vacation soon.
