‘This is what Thailand looked like 30 years ago’
That’s according to Vanny Ea, owner of Pura Vita, an idyllic resort made up of about 20 bungalows on a secluded beach with pristine white sand and crystal-clear water on the island of Koh Rong, off the southern coast of Cambodia.
The beaches of the Northern Marianas’ will always be my favorite, but Koh Rong’s Sonaya beach is now a close second. Koh Rong is an undeveloped island, meaning there are no roads, no traffic, and much of the island is covered in a lush jungle lanscape.
Pura Vida is pricier than many of the hostels located in the island’s main village – especially considering you only have power for four hours per day because of its remoteness – but as one of the resort’s guests commented to me as we were leaving after two days, “People will pay anything for that location.”
And they do. Ea told me she’s preparing to add some additional bungalows to keep up with demand, but she says she does not want development of the island to get out of control.
My two days on island were spent hiking through the jungle, alternating between sunbathing and swimming in the Gulf of Thailand, and ordering food from the resort’s restaurant.