Despite the fact that Cambodia is bursting at the seams with beautiful islands, sometimes it's nice to hit the open road and head to one of Vietnam's tropical islands -- which, as it turns out, is just as close as Koh Rong is.

A half-day journey from Phnom Penh.

There's not a lot of information out there on how to best get to Phu Quoc from Phnom Penh, though. Travel agents in town will recommend that you buy an all-inclusive ticket which transports you from Phnom Penh to Ha Tien, then over the border, then to the ferry and to Phu Quoc for $27. If you're travelling alone this isn't a bad idea. Buses leave at 8:00 from Phnom Penh and you can purchase tickets at any of the riverside travel agents.

If you're travelling in a small group, or are more adventurous, you can go on your own.

From Phnom Penh, a taxi to the border at Ha Tien costs $35 to $50. The cheaper alternative is to take a bus to Kampot for $6 or $7. In Kampot there are minivans leaving from the Boddhi Tree Guesthouse that go to the Vietnam border, or you can catch a moto to the border for $7 or $8.

Once you're at the border if you've already got a moto at this point, your driver may walk you through and then drive you the extra few kilometres to the ferry. Otherwise, you can pick up a moto driver on the Cambodia side to take you through the border, or just hoof it. Be warned, it is a bit of a walk through the border area but there are a number of casinos to distract the intrepid tourist.

If you haven't got a visa already, you can get a 15-day free visa for the Ha Tien Special Economic Zone. It's an open question whether the SEZ includes Phu Quoc, although travellers report having no problems using this visa to visit the island as long as they exit the country through Ha Tien (and I had no problems with it last week). However, you will probably be asked for a few bribes in order to get said visa. First, you will be asked for a $1 health check fee. I thought this one was real, so I paid it, although I now know that you can just refuse and they won't force the issue.

Then, I was told that I'd have to pay $5 for the free visa. My sense was that the Cambodian moto driver I had picked up at the border -- and who was acting as my translator -- was in cahoots with the Vietnamese immigration team to shake down foreigners (and people say they can't get along!) We refused to pay the fee and after a few negotiations, we were given the free visa for free.

That's right, as part of this journey you can ride the Superdong.

Next step is to take a moto to the ferry. If you don't have one already, the moto from the border to the ferry terminal will cost $2.50 to $4 depending in your negotiation skills. You can buy a ferry ticket at the terminal or at any of the travel agents in town -- the cost is 215,000-300,000 VND.

The final step is from the ferry terminal in Phu Quoc to town. On the boat you'll be offered a ticket on a minibus to town for $2 -- it's a pretty good deal, as taxis cost five times that and were in short supply when I was at the dock. If you're skeptical, as I was, you can find other minibuses hanging around for around 50,000 VND.

It's possible to do this whole trip in under six hours if you time everything correctly, and you'll be rewarded with the lovely beaches of Phu Quoc.

Tags: border crossings, Ha Tien, Ha Tien Special Economic Zone, Ha Tien visa, Phu Quoc

As part of our December getaway series, read about the pristine beaches of Cambodia's Koh Rong over at our islands blog.

Tags: Angkor Chum, Koh Rong, Monkey Island, Nam Nam, Paradise Bungalows, Treehouse Bungalows

Homemade ravioli at Ten 103 Treehouse Bay on Koh Ta Kiev

Sometimes the best meals turn up in expected places. Koh Ta Kiev, a mostly-uninhabited island an hour away from Sihanoukville, is certainly not a place you’d imagine to find two chefs serving up homemade pastas, pastries and fondues without the benefit of electricity or running water, but that’s exactly what Ten 103 Treehouse Bay is doing.

Roberto, an Italian, and Joel, an American, met when they were both working in a restaurant in Italy. Joel, a trained chef, moved from Austin, Texas to Italy to learn about the food -- he worked in a Michelin-starred restaurant there -- after having worked in the Netherlands, France and Spain. Roberto, who goes by Popo, was a trained Italian pastry chef who spent his days making cakes. After five years in Italy, Joel decided to move to Cambodia to take over the now-defunct Jonty’s Jungle Camp. With the camp renamed and upgraded, he and Popo have brought an unexpected gourmet twist to jungle living.

Wood-burning oven at Ten 103

Their regular menu has a lot in common with every beachside menu in Sihanoukville, but their daily specials are where you’ll find real culinary delights. The specials are often pasta, made from scratch, which they serve with the red wine that they bring on their daily visits to the shore to restock supplies. Not all of their culinary masterpieces are of the Italian kind -- they have Mexican nights where they make their own tortillas and also offer Greek-inspired menus that include baba ganoush and tzatziki.

Food and drink are one of the defining characteristics of the place, despite the fact that there’s no electricity or running water. Meals are cooked while it’s still light out using butane gas and they’ve dug a well to supply fresh water for cooking. Ice is brought from the mainland every day to keep food cold and they’ve recently built a wood-burning oven in the middle of their jungle camp for baking breads, pies, pastries and pizzas. The daily specials are usually $7-$9 and are large enough to make you want to have a nap on their special sunset-viewing platform afterwards.

Sunset-viewing platform at Ten 103

Koh Ta Kiev is often included on many of the Sihanoukville island day trips, but isn’t usually the spot they stop at for lunch. If you’d like to try the Ten 103 daily special, and spend the afternoon on the beach, you have a few options. You can book with them to stay in a treehouse bungalow or hammock for a night, or you can make a day trip. Day trips can be easily arranged by any of the travel agents in Sihanoukville, or just show up at the dock on Serendipity Beach to book a boat directly. Sunshine Cafe on Otres Beach also arrange island trips that are a touch cooler than the rest, and they specifically make a point to stop at Ten 103 for lunch. However you decide to get there, it’s worth a visit.

Ten 103 Treehouse Bay, Koh Ta Kiev. T: (017) 662 015 http://www.ten103.com
Sunshine Cafe Otres Beach, Sihanoukville. T: (012) 828 432 Open daily, 9:00-late.

Tags: Italian food, Koh Ta Kiev, Ten 103 Treehouse Bay

Koh Rong snorkelling opportunities abound (Site 3)

Snorkelling on Koh Rong is excellent, which is a good thing considering how little else there is to do on the island! You can rent gear at most of the guesthouses here. Never heard of Koh Rong? It's an island off Cambodia's south coast that you'll soon be reading a lot more about on Travelfish.org.

Recommended Koh Rong snorkel spots, clockwise from right. Click to enlarge.

Monkey Island has the least expensive equipment at $2.50 for a snorkel and mask. If you want fins, you can rent a snorkel, mask and fins for $5 from the Dive Shop. They're also willing to take you along on their diving boat and feed you lunch for another $10, but those who have done it say that the dive sites aren't always suitable for snorkelling and you won't necessarily find out until it's too late. But never fear, you don't need a guide! Below are a few good snorkelling spots that you can head to on your own in southern Koh Rong.

Site one: (the location of the Dive Shop) is an excellent snorkelling spot. On a good day you'll see seahorses, diamond fish, needlefish and various jumping fish.

Site two: In the coral bay south of Monkey Island near the village pier there are some serious snorkelling possibilities. You'll find yellow boxfish, rabbitfish, bluespotted ribbontail rays, goatfish and grouper making their homes there.

Site three: On the southwest side of the island near the rocks just outside the Broken Heart Guest House is a fine spot for snorkelling. You'll find sergeant fish, parrotfish, rabbitfish, and there have been recent unconfirmed reports of squid sightings by snorkellers. I've also been told that since the local fishermen often leave their nets in this spot, you have the chance to observe the fish up close and personal as they struggle to release themselves, if you're into that kind of thing. There is no coral in this area. Your mother has asked me to remind you that since the water is very shallow you should be careful not to get bashed into the rocks while snorkelling at this site.

Tags: Koh Rong, Snorkeling