Huba Huba

Huba Huba!

Perhaps it’s time for a little post about where I actually am. I am on a small island in Cambodia that is off the Gulf of Thailand, Koh Rong Samloem. It’s the smaller sister of the larger, more populated island of Koh Rong. This island is known for being more remote, more untouched. It’s also more intimate, of course, as there are simply less people here. I’m living on the West side of the island on Sunset beach at a resort called Huba Huba. There are a couple other businesses on Sunset Beach, two other places of accommodations, and a dive shop that also has an espresso machine – the only one of this side of the island.

Apparently, the new fetish of the French is Cambodia. It’s one of the most beloved destinations of the French people, and every business on Sunset Beach is under French ownership, and around fifty percent of all the clientele hail from France. To my knowledge, I am the only American woman to have worked here in the four years since Huba Huba opened. It’s a small resort, and I use the term resort loosely as we don’t have a sauna, work out facility, or even WiFi — all of which adds to the charm, I assure you. We have private beachside bungalows and comfortable bungalows that are “dorm style,” for the budget travelers. We have a restaurant and a bar, ping pong table, slack line, frisbee, and snorkel gear. And yes, we offer yoga, massages, and reflexology to our clients.

The clients ages range from young to old, but I haven’t seen more than a few families stay here with young children. The majority of clients are in their 20s to 40s, and they are here to read books in hammocks, snorkel, and relax in the salty blue water. It’s a peaceful atmosphere, and the lack of WiFi creates a homey environment, one in which everyone is talking, laughing, playing games, simply being together instead of zoned out facing screens rather than actual faces.

But if you simply cannot go without WiFi, you can always hike 20 to 30 minutes across the jungle to Saracen Bay, to grab a drink and hop on their internet. The other side of the island is, shall we say, bourgeois. Gorgeous white sands though. And I do enjoy the jungle trek, so I don’t mind undertaking it.

The yoga hall is open-air and can host five students comfortably. It’s completely made out of wood, and there is always sand to sweep away in the morning. You can hear the waves from the yoga hall, as it is just meters off the shoreline. You can hear the myriad of jungle noises, even monkeys fighting over fruit.

So there’s a bit about my life here in paradise.

 

“You have to leave the city of your comfort and go into the wilderness of your intuition. What you’ll discover will be wonderful. What you’ll discover is yourself.” – Alan Alda