Famous for its thousands year old temple in the north, Cambodia holds quite a bit of mystery for even the most well-seasoned traveler. Without a doubt Angkor Wat is a supremely amazing work of art. Yet, there is a cost for finding yourself surrounded by the faces at Bayon Temple. Price gouging and milk scams took our reverence for the history and turned it sour. We were sad and, quite frankly, unimpressed with the country.

But.

Travel all the way across Cambodia’s length and you will find a hidden gem. Koh Rong. This island might not be famous yet, but Matador Network recently listed it at number one of 6 undeveloped islands to visit.

You might ask me, why should I visit an undeveloped island? By the very definition it doesn’t sound like the experience will be very pleasant.

You’re right, there are certain cons to visiting Koh Rong Island and they all have to do with it being new to the tourism game. Let’s get these out of the way real quick:

1. From the hours of 2am to 8am the electricity all over the island goes off. Out drinking late? You’d better have a flashlight on your phone because it is PITCH black after 2am. And, although those hot days turn to bearable nights with the fan, once that’s gone, good luck if you are warm blooded. But who can really sleep…

2. Because all the villas are made of wood. And we’re talking about logs stacked on top of each other. That means we could see into the room next to us through the cracks. If your neighbors happen to be loud, it feels like they’re inside the room with you. It’s advisable to pick a room away from the main strip.

3. No hot water. I think it’s safe to say that most islands, unless you’re staying in a resort or hotel, will not have this. It was fresh water, as opposed to salt water which we got on Gili Trawangan in Bali, so I was okay with it.

4. There’s a lot of trash. And debris. It’s developing, so everyday new construction is happening. It produces a lot of waste and that doesn’t always get picked up.

Phew, okay. Now that I’ve scared away all the flash packers (no judgement), let’s get down to why Koh Rong maybe be one of the best (if not THE best) for the backpackers of this generation…

THE OPPORTUNITY TO WORK IN EXCHANGE FOR ROOM AND BOARD.

You’ll see them at your guesthouse, restaurant or bar. There are two or three foreigners who are working behind the counter, taking your order or checking you in. How in the world are they doing this? Why in Koh Rong? And how is it that they’re staying in Cambodia for months at a time?

According to our guesthouse staff member, a 29 year old who had quit his full time job in Belgium who received free room and board PLUS a commission on all rooms he booked, it’s the Cambodians on Koh Rong Island who want foreigners to help run the front for them. As he explained, business is better with an international up front to do the explaining or take some criticism. Guest feel more heard if they’re speaking to someone familiar to them.

What’s more: it seems incredibly organized. The ferry boat that took us from Sihanoukville Port to the Island was staffed with members of Coco’s Bungalow Resort Bar. Not only did they serve us with snacks and drinks on the way over, they also coordinated a 5 minute briefing about the island when we arrived. The group wore matching shirts and even explained some charity funds they had created while working there. Coco’s definitely appeared to be the most in charge when it came to foreign workers on the island. They had a large staff, great food and a good location directly in front of the pier. We also saw one manager who, while off duty, swore at a guest who had not listened to repeated instructions to keep his giant rottweiler in his hotel room. It demonstrated the commitment these foreigners feel to the island and the work they do there.

So the question is, are foreigner staff members good business moves by Cambodians or are travelers taking advantage of Cambodians need for English skills? From what we saw, I thought this was a totally symbiotic relationship. The foreigners who have been living on Koh Rong develop deep personal relationships with their Cambodia superiors. Parties were thrown by Cambodians for their volunteer’s final days, our guesthouse coordinator was so concerned about his boss’s severely chapped lips that he wondered if we would let her have our extra lip balm.

And I think something else happens that isn’t generally seen in party places like Koh Phi Phi – there is a general care for the place itself. While the island is totally a place for days in the sun and nights imbibing .50 cent beers, the young people working here feel a desire to protect it. They’ve started drives to raise money to vaccinate and treat the island’s dogs, they teach English to the local children, they discourage you from smoking near guesthouses because everything is made of wood. There is a real sense of loyalty – like Koh Rong is a piece of their heart.

I’ve seen this kind of work-for-boarding program elsewhere but it didn’t seem like it worked as well. On Ontres 2, a more remote beach in Sihanoukville, Cambodia, there were a few guesthouses who tried to employ a similar kind of structure. But there we witnessed two foreigner breakdowns. A young British girl shouted obscenities vowing that she hated working there. We caught another older women crying after we watched her Cambodian boss chew her out.

Cambodia was a tough place to travel. It’s been entrenched in tragedy and strife for quite some time. The people are hardened, they scoff when you haggle, they’ll force you to pay double what something is worth. Somehow Koh Rong avoids all of this. Maybe because they lived on an island locals avoided the fallout from the Khmer Rouge. Or is it the laid back island vibes that make them better employers? All I know is that the internationals who spent months there had nothing but praise for the situation they found themselves in. On top of that, there was a deep sense of pride that they could help this local community at such an early stage of touristic development.

How to find a job: You can easily find work on Koh Rong. Just ask any employed foreigner. The island is so small that most internationals know each other and the businesses around. They’ll point you in the right direction. Or, you can simply walk up and down the strip and look for signs asking for English speaking help.

Is this legal? Technically, no. I’m pretty sure that most, if not all, of the foreign workers at Koh Rong were not there on a Cambodian work visa. The tourist visa given to all travelers in the country is only for 30 days. Most workers on the island made visa runs regularly. If you know you want to stay in Koh Rong for awhile, it’s worth it to change your visa to an “Ordinary Visa.” This can be extended indefinitely inside the country for periods of 1, 3, or 6 months to a year. It’s probably wise to get the longer visa options as it enables you to leave the country without getting a new visa on return. Again, remember that this kind of visa does not allow you work in Cambodia – but this is the visa type most foreign workers have on Koh Rong.

At our guesthouse, we asked our Belgium staff member if he had any issues with the visa. He said that occasionally immigration officers would make a “surprise” visit to the island. But because it takes a ferry trip to get there, the whole place would be aware of their arrival by the time they stepped foot in the sand. Cambodians would man the front, take down their help-wanted signs and their workers would pose as guests. Simple.

And because this is a developing country, most officials tend to look the other way if illegal activity is helping the economy. That doesn’t mean that they won’t make an example out of businesses in the future.

What it could mean for the island’s future: Koh Rong is developing quickly and Cambodia has granted the island on lease to The Royal Group Conglomerate for 99 years. The plans are to make an airport, golf course, resorts and living areas. The island is going to change, but for now it remains a place for travelers to feel apart of something bigger. If you’d like to give your time to the island in a way that would help its residents more concretely, i.e. eduction, community development, check out the Friend’s of Koh Rong, an organization aimed to benefit and aid locals while their home is growing through the motions of development.