Happy 45th Birthday
Sandfly Alert
Even this remote, beautiful island comes with a catch. Walking along the beaches, you feel almost completely alone – Sok San Beach and Coconut Beach are often deserted, and only occasionally do shy visitors approach the water to dip their toes into the small incoming waves. Koh Rong Beach has a few party hostels at the far end; apart from their music drifting across the sand, the main nuisance are sandflies attack you once you’ve reached your sunbathing spot.
These pinhead-sized biting midges, commonly called “no-see-ums,” are notorious – some bites feel like pinpricks. At first I wasn’t bothered: there was no redness, itching, or swelling. But after about 24 hours intensely itchy clusters appeared and I could hardly refrain myself from scratching.
I counted 43 bites on my left lower leg alone.
