After much anticipation fuelled further by my mum's enthusiasm and mollycoddling, as well as a very last minute effort 

to fit everything in my 50L back pack - I was excited and ready. Ready to leave for Cambodia... to leave for the unknown, but first several road, plane and boat journeys to widen the gap between home and familiarity and the next stage of the adventure. On arrival, I was astounded by the visual beauty of Koh Rong Samloem, “the Island” and the paradise which I had the honour of being able to call home for a few short months. However, it was the true warmth and hospitable nature of the staff, volunteers and villagers that stole my heart and made this experience one that I shall never forget. I could never have prepared myself for the overwhelming friendliness and genuine kindness that makes the island the true gem that it is.

Teaching English and Art was unlike any experience I could have possibly shared at home. On the Island, although economically the children have very little and live basically, their keenness and motivation was unlike any child I have met in the UK. It was not only refreshing to witness this total commitment to study and self-development but also see the children strive without basic items thatwe in the UK deem essentials.

The children would routinely turn up for both English and art lessons twice a day whether it was in addition to their Khymer lessons or incredibly in their own school holidays. For me this enthusiasm and sheer dedication was truly eye opening, a rarity in any place. In only a short length of time the children’s improvement in English was astounding, something I found unbelievably rewarding and self-satisfying. On one occasion when the older children were firing out long sentences in English about what they had done that day, where and when, I was almost moved to tears. It was confirmed that they had all understood when the lesson ended with jokes rather than the classic “this evening I am going to sleep in my home” that they were in fact going to sleep in the “sea” or on the “moon”! This joyous banter would continue outwith lessons when I would gently tease the children about their new boyfriends or they would tell me how ghosts (a common belief in Cambodia, I believe) were following me. With the younger children, I would enjoy going on walks where they would point to all the things they knew the words in English and then attempt to spell them, as well as helping to gather food for the pigs or collect bottles on the beach. The children’s favourite game however was listening to me count to well over a hundred while they showed off their skipping talent. They would of course count with me but eventually drift off after we hit the 50's. Knowing how much the children appreciated the time I’d spent with them and being consistently thanked after lessons really did make the experience so much more gratifying. I was able to get insight into a world very different to my own and it has been a joyful experience to get to know and see these children learn and develop.

To say goodbye to the many children I had taught and friends I had made waving goodbye to me from the pier was devastating. I had grown so fond of them and their way of life on the island. I really did not want to go as I had become so immersed in the village and volunteering life of Koh Rong Samloem.

Regardless of my complete inability to “shut up” about my many memories shared on the island, when asked what it was like, I feel I can’t ever truly describe the true wonders of my time spent there. The dedication and honourable work of the staff, the welcoming villagers and the enthusiastic smiles of the children could never be given justice with words. Thus, all I can say is, experience Koh Rong Samloem for yourselves, let it delight you and immerse yourself in its enticing charm, be open to experiencing the unknown in such a friendly environment which may be different from your own. Feel privileged and blessed like I have felt, knowing that you too can share its wonders, for Koh Rong Samloem is truly paradise. The island is completely captivating and beyond any experience I could ever have imagined and I cannot begin to describe how grateful I am for this opportunity that has rewarded me in so many different ways. Thank you Koh Rong Samloem for sharing your beauty and opening up your warm embrace to me.