Pomelo Homestay – Koh Trong. So it turns out that Koh Trong is a bit of a hidden gem in Cambodia. Located in Kratie province, literally opposite the town. Like so close you can hear the music from the waterfront.
They’ve tried to turn it into some kind of eco-resort. Sadly they seemed to have timed it badly. Not many people are going to Kratie, less still to Koh Trong.
Amazingly there is almost no information online about Koh Trong/Koh Treong. Never fear though I have time to fix that with my handy guide (coming soon)
Pomelo Homestay
So Koh Trong is all about the home-stays. So much so that there are from what I can gather 5-6, plus one luxury guesthouse with a pool. I’ll cover them in later articles.
From what I can also garner the tourism board were not all the inventive with naming. Theres a Homestay 2, Homestay 3 Homestay 4, and even 6 for example. I have now confirmed Pomelo Homestay is technically homestay 5, but they went all rogue and gave themselves a real name.
Pomelo is famous here. Again there’s almost no info about the hotels on Koh Trong, but there was at least a Trip Advisor review that mentioned Pomelo. They were contacted, not much response was given, but closeness to the “beach” and dock made it choice one.
Where is Pomelo Homestay?
Back to our previous point. It is pretty much 10 minutes walk from where the boat docks. Hit the “main street” turn right and wait for the sign. Theres a sign saying “Pomelo Homestay”. The sign is the same font as the grave to Son Sen which is nice. As always I digress
So, what is Pomelo Homestay like?
It is $4 a person. Therefore you get what you pay for. This is a simple Khmer house run by a simple, but extremely nice Khmer family. Rooms are on the second floor. It is a simple bed, fan and mosquito net type affair. It is also a squat toilet. Want to know how to use a squat toilet like a pro?
And the food?
For $4 a person you get a home cooked meal. To say that culinary options are currently limited on Koh Trung would be an understatement. So home cooked meal it was to be!
Honestly one of the best rural Khmer meals I have had. A really spicy pork with ginger, fried pineapple with duck egg, and Khmer Fried Chicken (KFC lol). All cooked over a wood fire. The sweetness of the pineapple perfectly neutralizing the spice of the ginger. It was a $4 meal. I have had much worse. In the morning I was asked if I wanted coffee, or “Butterfly Tea”. I don’t like coffee. I was presented with a hot blue drink that turned green/purple when you added lime. Tasted OK, but well worth it mainly for the effect!
What’s in a name?
it appears that Koh Trong is famous for Pomelo. Pomelo you say? So, I was to learn that pomelo is the grandparent of all citrus fruits. The grapefruit being its offspring. In fact I was even to get into an argument with a Khmer person about them being different fruits. In the Khmer language, they are but one and the same. I might even do an article about pomelo. Long story short they’re huge and a lot sweeter than a grapefruit. I was quite the fan.
So, Pomelo Homestay
Considering this is coronavirus times and they charge $4 a person, I give this place 5/5. If nothing else anywhere that you can walk to is always welcome.
So, if you do end up on Koh Trung and honestly you should, Pomelo Homestay is a great option. There are better options, there are other places with AC rooms for $20 and a boutique hotel with two room traditional houses for $60. For bang for your buck though? Pomelo Homestay ticks all the right boxes.