Sihanoukeville: Bamboo Island

Looking out at the blue morning sky stretching over the calm seas this morning, I would never have guessed that today’s boat trip to Bamboo Island would have turned out to be a such a complete disaster.

An unexpected storm blew in about 15 minutes into the boat ride, tossing us up and down and drenching us with salt water in the small open motorboat. Despite our protests, the captain maintained his course – he’d have had to give us all full refunds if we turned back before reaching the island. Conditions continued to worsen until we were finally forced to moor on a deserted island, where we waited, cold and wet in an abandoned wooden shelter. Termites had eaten through many of the raised floorboards making the situation that much more unpleasant.

We took advantage of a small clearing in the storm and sped our way to Bamboo Island where more suitable shelter was available.

A single brave backpacker claimed his spot on the empty beach while the rest of us looked on from a nearby cabana.

He eventually came back in when the wind picked up.



Another break in the storm allowed us to return back to Sihanoukeville though it was earlier than expected (the members of the tour group unanimously voted to skip the remaining sights).

The remainder of the afternoon was spent drying off while the miserable weather continued unabated outside.