We booked bus tickets from Phnom Penh to Sihanoukville and then a ferry to Koh Rong. We used Cambodia tickets for our bus. They emailed saying there was no availability so we asked if there was another bus company we could use. They put us on a different bus that was 8 dollars cheaper. We asked about a refund for the 8 dollars and they said that they don't do refunds but we can keep the credit so when we book with Cambodian tickets again we would have 8 dollars on the account. A very silly rule as they should never have taken the money in the first place if there was no room on the bus. We argued this as we wouldn't be booking through them again and eventually got a refund.

The bus was meant to leave at 5.45pm and take five hours. It didn't leave till gone 6 which I didn't mind too much but then due to traffic, the driver giving himself a nice long break and just general slow driving we did not arrive until 1.30am! The only plus to this journey was that there was a toilet on board and the driver didn't go crazy for his horn. We were given a cup with a coffee sachet but hot water never came around...it was like teasing us.

Finally we arrived and the first thing I did was step into drying cement...all over my foot. We had to get a tuktuk to our hostel and didn't arrive until gone 2am. After a quick shower I was straight into bed.

The next morning we got the ferry at 11am (it was delayed by 45 minutes) across to Koh Rong. It took less than an hour to get there and it felt like I had stepped into paradise.

We hadn't booked accomodation and ended up in a bar taking two hours to decide. Whilst deciding I had Cambodian children climbing over me, playing with my hair, climbing on my luggage. They were so cute. We stayed on the main pier in Dragons Den...big mistake. We rocked up and the bar was completely closed down. I thought this was down to it being lunch time and it would open back up later. The owner's partner turned up and showed us to our room. It was very basic and although it had four walls, there were gaps everywhere. She didn't do a proper check in with us and asked if we could do it the next morning. My pillow was so lumpy I wanted to swap it but we could not find either of them for the next two days. I ended up putting my hand through an open window of another bedroom and swapping that pillow with mine...and didn't feel guilty.

Of course the owner was there when we checked out to collect his money. When we mentioned them not being there at all he apologised and said that immigration or something had been on the island and they were missing some paperwork. So basically him and his partner went into hiding for two days whilst he left his guests to their own devices.

We then checked into White Paradise for two nights which was so much better. There were mosquito nets so you felt protected from the bugs, kind of like a den. The downside was there was a mouse running around and a resident cockroach. For the whole time in Koh Rong we didn't have hot water. You had to pay quite a lot of money to get accomodation with hot water so we went without.

Anyway, back to the island! For the first two days we lazed around on the beach and ate out in the evening. My stomach still wasn't settled but finally it sorted itself out two days in. Our friend Laura came on Tuesday and it was like a breath of fresh air. It was so awesome to see her and we had a full two days with her. We walked across to Long Set Beach on her first day, which is the prettiest beach I have seen since travelling. The water was clear, the beach clean and it was so quiet...it was like we had it to ourselves. The surroundings were incredible. That evening we took a long boat around to Long Beach to watch sunset. The sunset wasn't the best I have seen but it was really nice the three of us on the beach chilling. There was a party boat blasting out music which sort of ruined it slightly.

That evening we went for some dinner and drinks which escalated into a night out. We managed to join onto a bar crawl without paying and kept going back to it in amongst other bars. We were very merry and then Laura clocked a very drunk girl with guys all over her taking advantage. Laura shooed them off and brought the girl to us who we decided needed her bed. Annoyingly she couldn't remember where she was staying so we walked around for about two hours checking different hostels. In the end we took her back to ours as we had two double beds so she could sleep it off. I woke up at around 6.30am to go to the toilet and she was still sleeping. At around 7am I woke up and she had gone...not even a thanks! And she had drunk our water. I was so thirsty and there was no other water in our room! She did leave her room key so that was karma as she would have been charged for that.

We took a boat tour on the Wednesday. It was a chance to see different parts of the island. For 20 dollars we got water, two beers, endless whiskey and coke, a cocktail, lunch, fruit, snorkelling gear and swimming with the planktons...a pretty good deal! The tour guide Nemo also gave us information about the island. We did some snorkelling in two spots. Fishing was illegal in our second spot but a very rich man had hired a speedboat for 800 dollars...and was fishing. I sometimes question what is wrong with people.

We were told when snorkelling to be considerate of the sea life and don't touch. Laura clocked one of the boys (I can't call him a man) swimming to the bottom of the ocean and hitting the sea urchins with rocks until they died which I then also saw. He came out of the water with a dead sea urchin. I called him a 'f***ing idiot' and wanted to leave him there. The whole boat was less than impressed by him and Nemo had a word. We called him Stanley although we later learned his name was Lucas I will continue to call him Stanley as it's now stuck!

Next stop was lunch Koh Rong Samloem. I had a lovely vegetarian rice dish. We then had time to walk around the village. Some of the group bought brownies (not the dodgy kind) and we went to a sky bar for a cocktail. It was so peaceful and we looked out to the sea from hammocks and rocks. Back on the boat it was over to Long Set beach to chill on the beach and have some fresh fruit. I was straight in the sea so missed the fruit. On the way to Long Set beach Stanley decided to roll himself a joint...as you do. Apart from Stanley was so out of it he was incapable of this. It was actually quite funny to watch.

I was just minding my own business in the sea with a couple of people. All of a sudden ructions! Stanley was annoying other boat tours so they were complaining. Then a bar owner came running down as Stanley had been helping himself to drink without paying and then got violent so they had him in a headlock. Stanley ran away and climbed a tree. After his tree climb he got into the water and started swimming. I suspect he was trying to escape the island and trouble but there was nowhere to go. In the end he was so far out our boat left us there and went after him and a paddle boarder went out too. By the time they got to him he was so exhausted he wouldn't have made it much further.

Turns out Stanley had been causing riots on the island for the past few days. Koh Rong has a facebook page for locals and visitors and his passport photo had made its way onto that page. The night before he didn't pay his bill at a bar, spat at the owners dogs, tried to fight people and tried to get into bed with women being aggressive. A barrage of comments followed from other people who experienced him. Apparently his family said he had mental health but you question why he was travelling on his own and taking recreational drugs if that was the case. He was a liability and shouldn't have been travelling.

Nemo told us that the Chinese had bought Koh Rong for over 8 billion and they were currently in the process of destroying it for the following reasons:

- They were burning down the forest to make way for an airport. They were actually burning it when we were there. Why you would want an airport on the island when you can get there by ferry in under an hour from the mainland is beyond me. No respect for the natural beauty and wildlife that live in the forest.
- Another one of the stupid Chinese plans was to build a road around the island. Does the island really need a road when you can get eveywhere by boat? How ugly would a ring road around the island look!
- Plush new mega rich resorts for the are to be built
- A few golf courses are in the plans. Baffles me why you would go to this idyllic beach island and think yep golf.
- The locals appear to have mixed feelings. It may well bring them work but apparently China will bring its own workers. There was also a rumour that they were going to move 2 million Chinese to the island...lets be fair who would wanna go and visit it then?!
- I also wonder what will happen to the buildings already there. Will the Cambodians be told to move? Will they be allowed to keep their businesses?

I think Cambodia have made a huge error in signing Koh Rong over to the Chinese. I may be wrong but I feel that their plans will ruin this island. I feel so lucky to have seen it before all of this happens.

The island had a lot of dogs and a few cats. Most appeared to be pets and all of the animals looked well fed. However, one of the dogs Pancake from Coco's Bar was left to his own devices and put on a boat. He was then killed and eaten by a local. This caused absolute uproar on the island and their facebook page. The owner said that he would find who did it and deal with them. I messaged the owner as it really upset me. He assured me he would be sacking all of those involved. I also got in touch with a local charity who also reassured me this has never happened before. They said the animals are usually so safe on Koh Rong. It really did remind me how different Cambodia is to the western world.

Having said that Koh Rong was my favourite place. I had the most fantastic time there and have amazing memories.