A traveller's reflection: 2018 Solo 4ND: 05 Trat

"Aim for the sky, but move slowly, enjoying every step along the way. It is all those little steps that make the journey complete..." - Chanda Kochhar

(A beautiful cascading waterfall near the Thailand/Cambodia border)

Date: 15 Sep 2018 (Saturday)

Route: Trat – Hat Lek Thailand/Cambodia border - Koh Kong
Hotel: Koh Kong City Hotel

After breakfast in the hotel we drove towards Thailand/Cambodia border in the heavy rain.

(Heavy rain with limited visibility)

(The rain is clearing up a little)

(Rain again intermittently)

We stopped at a cascading waterfall by the roadside in Khlong Yai District on the way to the Thailand/Cambodia border. We have been passing this way several times before but never notice this particular waterfall.

(Cascading waterfalls by the roadside)

(A tranquil picnic site for travelers)

(A scenic view of the waterfalls)

A few kilometers from the border, we made a brief stop at the Narrowest Part of Thailand for photo shots. The narrowest part is located on Trat - Klong Yai Road about 7 km from the Thailand/Cambodia border. At this point, the width of Thailand is only 450 m, which is hard to believe.

(A small dead town on the way to the border)

(A long and winding coastal road)

(The narrowest part of Thailand bordering Cambodia)

(A new signage of the narrowest part)

At Hat Lek Thailand Immigration, border clearance was swift and no fee was paid. At Cham Yeam Cambodia Immigration, we cleared passport checks for baht100 each. We paid vehicle daily permit baht100 per day, custom permit baht100 per vehicle. We were only allowed to enter and stay in Koh Kong District during our stay. The Custom retained our car grant and gave us a placard to put on the windscreen. We will collect our vehicle grant on the return trip back to Thailand.

(Hat Lek Immigration Complex)

(A simple and swift Thailand border clearance)

A letter from Cambodia Embassy is required if we intend to travel to other parts of the country. We planned to drive to Sihanoukville but were also informed that the road to Sihanoukville is in a very bad condition at this time of the year because of massive roadworks and muddy because of the heavy rain.

(Waiting for clearance on Cham Yeam Cambodia Border Complex)

(Entering the Koh Kong District of Cambodia)

(Koh Kong Bridge crossing the Koh Kong River)

Once we crossed Koh Kong Bridge, we had Nasi Goreng lunch at the one and only Halal Warong at the jetty before we checked in Koh Kong City Hotel for USD15/night. This hotel has been our favorite hotel in Koh Kong because of its ample parking space and it has a nice view of Koh Kong Bridge and River. If the weather is fine, one could watch a beautiful sunset over the horizon from the garden at the back of the hotel. A floating seafood restaurant is just next to the hotel.

(The one and only Muslim stall)

(Seafood fried rice for lunch)

(Our lodging for the night)

After a short rest, we went for a drive to visit some waterfalls in Koh Kong district. There are many good waterfalls in Koh Kong district but we visited only two of them, Tapon and Tatai waterfalls. Most roads were in very bad conditions with deep potholes, slippery and dangerous made worst by the heavy rain.

(The Koh Kong River is bloating after heavy rain)

(Fish vendors waiting in the rain for the fishing boats)

(The floating restaurant next to our hotel)

(A nice place to watch the sunset)

Even the road leading to Koh Kong Beach is muddy and slippery. We tried to visit the Mangrove Trail but the road was very badly flooded and inaccessible too. Koh Kong Mangrove forest is supposed to protect the shore from the violence of the sea. The Mangrove and Wildlife Sanctuary is situated about 7 km from Koh Kong City. In normal dry day, one could hike on a walking path through the Mangrove forest or take a boat ride. There is a small entrance fee to enter the Mangrove jungle, which is claimed to be the most extensive Mangrove area of South-east Asia.