One of the main challenges for us when we travel is to how to communicate the deeper understanding and experiences we have on our journeys.

Another aspect of that communication is to be brave enough to say it out loud to the world.

The most sacred about who I am – am I courageous enough to speak it out loud?

It is so easy to go to science and facts – feeding our left hemisphere of the brain.

It is safer.

We do not have to be personal.

We don’t have to be vulnerable and a target for judgments.

There are many paradise islands in Cambodia with white soft sand beaches and turquoise clear warm water. The most common ones tourists choose is Koh Rong and Koh Rong Samloem. That also means it is more developed and crowded in general compared to Koh Ta Kiev - our personal nr 1 paradise island in the world. Why? And when there, what can you do? Where can you stay?

You probably all have experienced getting travel diarrhea and/or food poisoning, especially westerners going to high-risk countries in Asia, Africa, Middle East, South and Central America. 

What can we do if we do get sick?

If the jungle bug hits you, here are some tips of what can get you up and running again and help you move away from living on the toilet in no time!

Maybe it is not a question of IF you got sick when you travelled in high-risk countries of getting the “jungle bug” - travel diarrhea and/or food poisoning – but how often and for how long? So, why do we get it? And more importantly; How can we prevent it from coming in the first place?

Most of Koh Ta Kiev’s quiet charm and paradise feel comes from the island’s lack of development. That seems like a blessing, rather than a curse—until you run out of supplies.

There are a few necessities that you won’t be able to find once you get to the Koh Ta Kiev island. And if you are anything like us who booked 2 nights and decided to stay 3 weeks, we recommend you overdo it rather than pack minimum. There are things you will need to know and might want to bring to the island before you go.

This is a list of the things we wish we knew before coming here:

How many of you have felt overwhelmed even thinking of what to pack and not when planning a journey? If its 2 weeks or 6 months – it is basically the same to be considered and packed in my experience. What it comes down to is what type of travelling you are planning to do. If it is city life or nature, warm or cold weather, low budget or luxury trip. Here you can get our tips and packing list for our latest journey.

Sihanoukville is the port to many of the paradise islands of Cambodia. The city itself has miles of white sand beaches which are packed with hotels, restaurants and activities in all flavors. But, the city is changing into the unrecognizable the last couple of years. And will not be the same again. What has happened with Sihanoukville? What can you expect more of?

Many travellers do not take time to explore Koh Kong, which is a shame. Most get on a bus to Sihanoukville or some other location directly.

Eco-tourism is growing in Koh Kong and it have so much to offer. And just as eco-tourism is taking off, businesses may soon have to deal with major threats from a different sort of development. Like much of Cambodia, Koh Kong faces serious challenges as the government sells off land, including parcels of national parks, to private developers. Several Chinese-built dams have been proposed or are under construction along Koh Kong’s rivers. 

So go before it is too late for relatively untouched nature.

​When you search about what to consider when using the HatLek/ChamYeam bordercrossing, going from Thailand into Cambodia there are some horror stories out there for sure. We did our research before – always to be recommended – and had a good experience. Maybe we were lucky, but nothing strange happened. So what do you need to know to increase your chances of a good crossing? And when in Cambodia, what can you do nearby?

Many roads lead to Cambodia from Bangkok. The five of us arrived in Bangkok tired and worn out after a 24 h trip without sleep. We thought we were going to Siam Reap directly, but realized that we needed some sun, beach and relaxation before we started hardcore travel experiences.

We decided to go slow and ended up having 3 stops before the Cambodian border in Hat Lek/Cham Yeam. Where did we stop and why? How did we get there that way and why? Let us go through stop by stop…