Cambodia known as 'The Kingdom of Wonder' is a country of rich cultural and natural beauty, with magnificant temples, pristine beaches and a wonderful rural charm. It has rapidly become a much sort after tourist destination for any adventurer travelling through South East Asia.

Wat Phnom Temple

The capital and Heart of the Kingdom, Phnom Penh takes its name from the Wat Phnom Temple. Legend has it that in 1372, an old nun named Daun Penh (Old Lady/Grandma Penh) went to fetch water from the Mekong river and found a dead Koki tree floating down stream. She fished it out and inside the hollow of the Koki tree there were four bronze and one stone Buddha statues. Daun Penh ordered the people of the village to pile up earth next to her house and on top of the hill ( 'phnom' is Khmer for 'hill',) she built a temple that housed the five Buddha statues. The temple came to be known as Wat Phnom and the city later became Phnom Penh - Penh's Hill!

There are thousands of temples doted across Cambodia, most visited is Angkor Wat in the north, built for the king Suryavarman II in the early 12th century as his state temple and capital city. South of the capital is the little bustling coastal town of Sihanoukville (Kampong Som), named in honour of King Sihanouk. Sihanoukville attracts independent travellers with a laid-back atmosphere and uncrowded beaches.

There are more than a dozen islands off the coast of Sihanoukville that tourists tend to visit on day trip, however many of them remain largely undeveloped and uninhabited. Koh Rong is one of the islands and is situated west of the Sihanoukville coast. It offers the fantastic strand of beach on its southwest, stretching about 5 km. It has fresh water resources on the island and a bustling fishing communities. The island is also home to Coral Cay's expedition base!

Click here >> to find out what life is like out on the Island of Koh Rong