Allison Wallace 10/14/19 Allison Wallace 10/14/19

Diving in Cambodia

Diving isn’t the first thing that comes to mind when you think of a trip to Cambodia but on this trip, we wanted to see what it was like.

After some research on options, my travel buddy Mandy and I decided to add a trip down to Sihanoukville in Cambodia and see what we could see, under the sea.

Sihanoukville itself was once known as a sleepy beach town on the edge of the Gulf of Thailand but the years and Chinese investment have not been kind.

A decade ago, the only foreigners in the city were Western backpackers seeking bamboo huts, $1 meals and empty stretches of sand. Now Sihanoukville is a construction site where jackhammers thunder from nearly every corner and they erect new neon signs for high-rise buildings.

We arrived at a town in the midst of development, construction and casinos (!) popping up everywhere. This didn’t immediately make me feel as though a dive trip from here was going to be amazing.

Thanks to plenty of research on the best places to stay, we had booked a hotel almost as far from the city centre as humanly possible on the beach at Otres II. This meant that aside from interesting tuk tuk rides on unfinished roads with potholes as big as the vehicle, we got to escape from most of this development for the night before and after our dive trip. This was the perfect stop for relaxing – and picture perfect overlooking the white sands and sunset ahead of our overnight dive trip with Scuba Nation.

An early start took us back to town where we geared up and headed down to the harbour with our two dive masters - Max and Allison – along with three other divers.

The boat ride out to our anchorage destination of Koh Tang was about 4-5 hours. This location means fewer divers and better visibility, making it well worth the trip.

The overnight trip includes five dives, two on the first day, one-night dive before dinner and two more the following day. The boat moves around and picks the best spots based on conditions.

We saw no other dive boats or divers the whole trip!

On the first dive at Fly Bye Reef, I was initially disappointed there wasn’t more colour but then the sheer abundance of sea life was amazing. I saw more moray eels on that dive than I have on all my other dives put together!

Dive number two was at Monkey Island, a drift dive and this is where my ears started to hate me as we moved up and down with a maximum depth of just 13 metres. I do remember some cool corals though.

Due to my ears playing up, I missed the night dive at Koh Tang bay which I was gutted about but Mandy tells me it was an awesome drift dive with very active sea life including a bamboo shark.

This dive trip is no luxury cruise and there is one bathroom with a boat shower and the upstairs deck transforms into the open-air bedroom with weather-protection tarps that roll down at night. It is very much like camp but since you are exhausted from diving and snorkelling, falling asleep to the gentle swaying of the boat is easy.

The second day started with a pre-breakfast dive at Explosion Reef – so named because the staghorn coral provides a nursery for a variety of juvenile fish species, giving the impression of an ‘explosion’ of colour as they mingle with other marine life. The group headed down for another dive on Explosion Reef after breakfast - I opted to snorkel after what turned out to be a reverse equalisation that caused a lot of ear pain the night before. Luckily Explosion Reef is only about nine metres at its deepest and visibility was amazing, so there was plenty for me to see from the surface and with the water being a gorgeous 28 degrees I was happy to follow all the excitable black and white fish as they explored for and hour.

We enjoyed a quick lunch before starting the scenic boat ride back to Sihanoukville.

Our experience with Scuba Nation was awesome and the diving was great. The only dark spot on this trip was the regular sightings of Vietnamese fishing boats. These guys are very into their blast fishing – illegally. One of these was so close to our morning dive site that we could see onto the ship and we weren’t very impressed. You can see the effects the blast fishing has on the corals in the area.

While I won’t be rushing back to Sihanoukville any time soon, the memories of the dive trip are definitely worth the effort.

Allison Wallace 9/2/19 Allison Wallace 9/2/19

Shinta Mani Shack, Siem Reap

When looking for a place to stay in Siem Reap, I wanted somewhere that would be a cool and calm oasis to escape to after exploring the bustling town and ancient temples.

There are a couple of reasons I landed on Shinta Mani Shack as the best spot to kick off my adventure in Cambodia.

Not only is this Bill Bensley-designed boutique property - located in the leafy French Quartier between the Royal Gardens and the Old Market Area in Siem Reap town – home to one of the best-looking pools I have ever seen, a portion of my nightly room cost goes directly to the Shinta Mani Foundation.

The goal of the Shinta Mani Foundation is to improve the lives of Cambodians and Cambodian communities by giving them opportunities to overcome poverty. The charity has impacted the lives of thousands – building more than a hundred homes and digging thousands of wells but the organisation does other good works as well, including everything from bicycles to micro-loans to help entrepreneurs become self-starters, but the beginnings were born from the need for good staff. Shinta Mani is a true leader in responsible travel.

So, it was with a happy heart that I arrived into the cool, fresh lobby of this 2019 TripAdvisor Traveller’s Choice winner after a flight from Australia and a hot tuk tuk ride from the airport.

All the senses are accounted for. Think bright colours, neon signs, wild sculptures, and of course… monochrome stripes everywhere.

The happy vibe continued to the room – all of which face the central courtyard with a large black and white striped pool. I stayed in a Poolside Garden Rooms on the ground floor rooms which allowed direct access to the pool through a set of French doors – perfection. Apparently the suites upstairs have more room but I found this to be plenty for my 3-night visit.

An afternoon enjoying refreshing drinks by the pool is an afternoon well spent. In the heat and humidity of Siem Reap, early mornings are the best time to explore the temples.

Delicious Khmer and international food can be eaten at the hotel’s restaurant Baitong or you can wander across the road to the sister hotel, 5-star Shinta Mani Angkor for a special meal.

There's also the laid back Bensley's Bar at Shinta Mani Angkor, the perfect scenic spot for a pre or post dinner drink, and a poolside bar to boot. I particularly loved hanging out on the black and white-striped swing seats for a drink.

I can also recommend a visit to the Shinta Mani Spa. Pamper yourself with massages, body treatments and facials in the most tranquil setting. No outside sounds make it into this space.

Service at the hotel is exceptional and the staff are always on hand with a bottle of water and refreshing cold towels after your adventures.

Shinta Mani Shack is perfect for those looking for a small, stylish boutique hotel in a convenient location in Siem Reap that feels more luxurious than what you are paying. It is about a 15-minute walk, or a 5-minute tuk-tuk ride, to the night market and bar area. The staff will swiftly get you a ride of your choice to take you wherever you want to go.