Cambodia - Phnom Penh / Sihanoukville / Koh Rong

I am now in Cambodia on the coast in a port town called Sihanoukville. The idea was to come here and catch some sun and relax. This place has some beautiful secluded beaches and the water is warm like bath water. It really has beautiful coast line you can enjoy. Downtown Sihanoukville is back packer heaven. Western bars, themed pubs, cheap dorm stays everywhere and way too many tuk tuk drivers who pester like crazy offering taxi, weed, MDMA in that order. I keep my headphones in and try to ignore them... they don't respect the headphones at all... taps, waves, shouts, questions "where you from brother?"... it gets pretty exhausting.

Walk 20 minutes in any direction and it all changes but I have found myself staying slap bang in the centre of the party district. I didn't realise there were other options when I arrived. The bars stay open until about 1am at which point everyone moves down to the beach bars (Serendipity Beach). About 3 of which go on to 6 am all competing for the same people with free shots, fancy dress nights and fire poi. It can be fun but it's also a little try hard. There seems to be a problem with child beggars and pick pockets around this area but it's no worse than central London. As long as you don't have a soft spot for kids. I don't, I see them as working, good luck to them, but it's nothing to do with me and you damn sure won't be stealing my stuff.

I'm already starting to get a little fidgety here so I tried to find a Khmer Boxing gym to get some training in with the locals.
Unfortunately there is nothing offered here in this town. The closest thing was a fitness resort holiday spot run by a french bodybuilder who offered training in Muay Thai, MMA, Krav Maga and body building... I went and met him... I didn't train and I have not been back. It's not what I am looking for.

Talking with the locals I have found out that most of the Khmer boxing gyms are in the capital Phnom Penh. I fly out of Phnom Penh on the 13th of March so I think I'll head back there a couple days early to see if I can find a gym that will let a foreigner train with them. Their won't be any real fitness benefit to a one off session but at least I'll be able to compare the Cambodian style versus the Thai style.
I don't imagine they are at all different. But you gotta check right. Plus it might give me better memories of Phnom Penh which at first glance was pretty disgusting.

For now... it's catching up on emails. Eating unhealthily and walking along the beautiful beaches.

I plan on heading to the island Koh Rong in a few days to get away from the drunk back packers and stay in a bungalow on the beach. I think it will be nice to take a couple days on an Island that only has power for a few hours a day and is genuinely untouched. Fingers crossed it is that. If I get back and it was all 7/11's and themed pubs i'll be sure to let you know.