Another One Bites the Dust – or: Ready for the Island

The fourth day of the Fundriding tour takes the group from Kampot towards Sihanoukville —a stage of around 100 kilometers that gets off to anything but a relaxed start.

Dust, potholes, and maximum concentration

Shortly after Kampot, the route changes.
Around 30 kilometers of the national highway are currently undergoing extensive construction work, and this roadworks section is challenging:
Gravel, deep potholes, loose stones, and heavy traffic force drivers to maintain maximum concentration.

Between trucks, minivans, tuktuks, and pickups, the Fundriders battle their way forward in the dust cloud left behind by passing vehicles. The wind blows red dust across the road, enveloping everything—visibility, clothing, scooters, skin.

At the halfway stop, everyone looks as if they have already completed a desert marathon:
A thick layer of red dust covers helmets, jackets, and faces.
It's exhausting—but everyone knows that this is also part of Cambodia. And part of the tour.

Continue towards the sea – to the port of Sihanoukville

After a short break, we continue on our way. With every kilometer, the sea gets closer, and soon the first port facilities of Sihanoukville come into view.
That's where the journey on two wheels ends—and a whole new part of the trip begins.

A small boat awaits the group at the industrial port. Destination: Koh Rong Samloem, an island that stands out like a green spot in the blue Gulf of Thailand.

Since the ferries only serve the tourist areas of the island, the group takes a small private boat—a 2.5-hour crossing to the remote side of the island, away from the mainland.

Arrival by water – and a beach experience like in the movies

When the boat finally docks, there is no jetty, no harbor wall—just turquoise water and a white, pristine sandy beach.
To get ashore, the Fundriders have to wade through waist-deep, and in some cases even chest-deep, water with their luggage. Laughter, shouts, a bit of chaos—and lots of wet pants.

But then the view opens up onto a beach that looks like something out of a novel:

  • fine, light-colored sand

  • a tranquil lagoon

  • Palm trees swaying in the wind

  • Silence – interrupted only by the sound of the waves

A Robinson Crusoe dream beach. A place that immediately makes it clear: this is the right spot for a little break.

A moment of calm

After the dusty, exhausting kilometers of the morning, the change seems almost surreal.
What was just a moment ago rumbling, heat, and road construction dust is now a place full of peace, light, and sea.
The Fundriders treat themselves to a break—before the tour picks up speed again in the coming days.

Tomorrow, a new chapter of this journey begins. But today, it's time to take a deep breath, settle in, and enjoy the island.