Sihanoukville

Busses typically drop visitors in Sihanoukville Town, which is inland a few kilometers on the hill above the port and the beaches. The town is bustling enough for traffic lights at various intersections, where banks, cell-phone shops, and restaurants catering to locals and a sizable expatriate population are situated.

While there are hotels and guesthouses both in town and on a number of beaches, the greatest concentration of tourism facilities, including convenience stores and internet cafes, is at Ochheuteal Beach (aka Serendipity Beach) . If you want to be within walking distance of many restaurants, bars, and the beach then Ochheuteal is easily the best of these options. If you seek some seclusion you might try Sokha Beach or Independence Beach if you have a higher budget or Otres Beach if you are on a tighter one.

Its pretty easy to get around Sihanoukville; particularly in the more touristy areas, there are motodop taxis and tuk tuks eager to take you to/from town and the other beaches for negotiable fees. It is also possible to rent bicycles and motorbikes for self-driven exploration. Note however, that Sihanoukville is quite hilly and it is technically illegal for foreigners to operate a motorbike without a Cambodian driver license (subject to perhaps a $5 fee).

It is from Ochheuteal Beach and the Port of Sihanoukville that boats depart for islands off the Cambodian coast; these spectacular islands offer mostly basic bungalow accommodation, which adds to their charm, but have little in the way of modern conveniences, such as air-conditioning or internet, let alone ATMs. Stock up on cash and sunscreen on the mainland before heading out to the islands.

• Ream National Park: an enchanting mangrove-lined nature reserve with rivers, waterfalls, beaches, and fascinating flora and fauna, including monkeys and dolphins.
• Kbal Chhay Waterfall: A scenic multi-tiered waterfall near Sihanoukville, offering a refreshing escape with natural pools and lush surroundings.
• M’Lop Tapang: A non-profit organization in Sihanoukville dedicated to supporting at-risk children and families through education, healthcare, and community programs.
• The Starfish Project: A social enterprise in Sihanoukville that supports marginalized individuals by providing vocational training and operating a cozy café with handcrafted souvenirs.
• Kbal Chhay Waterfall: A popular local picnic area and fine-day trip for appreciating the inland beauty of the province.

Beaches

• Otres Beach: the most peaceful and least developed beach that still has a number of charming but simple beach bungalows and restaurants.
• Ochheuteal Beach: (Serendipity Beach) the most rapidly developing beach; home to a variety of hotels/guesthouses, restaurants, shops, and bars.
• Sokha Beach: in addition to Cambodia’s swankiest beach resort, public beach areas that are beautiful and popular.
• Independence Beach: Home to the classic Independence Hotel, a gorgeous stretch of soft, white sand.
• Victory Beach: A laid-back beach in Sihanoukville popular for its sunset views, local seafood restaurants, and access to the historic Victory Hill.

Nearby Islands

• Koh Rong: This island features numerous spectacular, powdery, white sand beaches and few other tourists.
• Koh Rong Saloem: The little sister of neighboring Koh Rung. A small island near Sihanoukville, known for its pristine beaches, clear turquoise waters, and laid-back vibe, making it a perfect getaway for relaxation and snorkeling.
• Koh Russei: (Bamboo Island) - A relatively undeveloped island near the mainland; gorgeous beaches and simple accommodation.

Sihanoukville weather patterns are shaped by the Gulf of Thailand which fuels a tropical monsoon climate with distinct dry and wet seasons, though there are also hot and cool seasons that overlap both of these.

Dry: November - May Cool and dry - November - February: (mid January temperatures in low 20s C) Hot and dry - March - May: (off season)

• Wet: June - October
• Hot and wet: June - August: (temperatures in mid 30’s C)
• Cool and wet: September - October: cool and wet (least popular season)

The best time to visit Sihanoukville is in the dry season months when there is not a cloud in sight and seas are generally calm for fishing and diving. Early in the monsoon season, by April or May, strong winds and heavy rain from “Mango Rains” may whip in unexpectedly but move on just as rapidly.

Consequently, the worst time to visit Sihanoukville is the monsoon (wet) season. The least popular time to visit is in September and October, when steady rainfall besieges the coast sometimes unrelentingly for days, though sunny days are common in June and July, even if heavy afternoon storms lasting 1-3 hours occur daily.

During the monsoon season it can be enjoyable to relax in a hammock on your balcony or play cards and drink wine at a large open-air restaurant/bar on an island while the water saturates the surrounding jungle; but prepare for a greater likelihood of mosquito bites than sun burn.

Seas are best for sailing, fishing, and diving in the dry season months between November and April. Sea conditions are also a problem for those looking for a boat to get to Sihanoukville’s islands; when seas are rough it boats will not make the voyage, stranding those already out there for an indeterminate period. Voyages during the monsoon season should be considered dangerous: in addition to rough seas, boats may be overloaded and/or lack adequate life-saving devices.

Obviously lounging on the beach, participating in Water Sports in Sihanoukville, and exploring nearby islands are the most common attractions and activities. Motorbikes are easily rented and tuk tuks are available to ferry you around, so exploring the various beaches is a must do in Sihanoukville.

Depending on what type of beach you enjoy, the most popular is Ochheuteal Beach, the northernmost part of which is referred to as Serendipity Beach. Sokha Beach features a 5-star resort but has several sections open to the public and is beautiful and otherwise undeveloped. For a more quiet experience, head to Otres Beach or Ream National Park where there are not only unspoiled beaches, but also trekking and boat rides that can take you to waterfalls or sightings of dolphins.

There are numerous islands to visit, the most popular being Koh Russei, Koh Rung and Koh Rong Saloem. These islands are also popular places for scuba diving and snorkeling. Most dive operators have offices in either Sihanoukville Town or Serendipity Beach area of Ochheuteal Beach. There are dive-resort associated bunalows on several islands as well as live aboard opportunities for diving off more remote islands where the visibility is spectacular.

For those looking for a little more adventure, Kbal Chhay Waterfall is a popular picnic destination for locals, and for those looking to give back to the community there are several social enterprises who strive to help support disadvantaged Cambodians in the area, including The Starfish Project and M’lop Tapang.

Beaches

Beaches are the main tourist attraction in Sihanoukville and they have been getting more popular (and more developed) every year. While a few beaches are still romantic, idyllic getaways (particularly on the Islands off Sihanoukville) the development is slowly transforming this collection of relatively sleepy beaches into a legitimate beach-holiday destination.

The sand on most of the beaches is soft, powdery, and surprisingly clean; the water still a clear aqua-marine. That said, the plastic and glass debris from indiscriminate littering is sadly ubiquitous no matter how far you travel away from the crowds, and the seemingly clear water is arguably polluted with varying degrees of chemical and human contaminants. Still, because of relatively low levels of development, unlike that of neighboring Thailand, Cambodia’s coast has far cleaner beaches than Pattaya and less contaminated water than Krabi. Tourism is still relatively new here and the beauty of the Cambodian coast still stands out over the early tourism development that is encroaching on it; how long until the balance shifts is simply a matter of time.

Ochheuteal Beach is the hot-spot of tourism development in Sihanoukville. A mere 5-minute drive from Sihanoukville Town, Serendipity Beach has its own little “town” on the hillside above the beach, where dozens of guesthouses, restaurants, shops, and bars line both sides of the two roads that lead to the pier and the beach.

Otres Beach has for years been the enclave of ultra-basic beach bungalows and bars; while it is still the most undeveloped beach in the vicinity of Sihanoukville town, it is slated for new development in the upcoming years.

The finest resorts in the area are found on Independence Beach and Sokha Beach. The former features the Independence Hotel, a landmark since it was built in 1960; the latter is a semi-public beach occupied by Cambodia’s first modern five-star beach resort. Both beaches are tree-lined stretches of soft, silvery-white sand and gentle waters.

Victory Beach is the farthest north of the developed beaches on the Sihanoukville Peninsula. A combination of white sand and cheap accommodation made it a haven for backpackers during Sihanoukville’s early years of post-war tourism. In recent years, Victory Beach, and its smaller neighbors, including Hawaii and Lamherkay Beaches, have seen little new development other than a few beach bars and restaurants, most of which cater more to local (or Russian) clientele than to the average western visitor.

In addition to these beaches that are located around Sihanoukville town, there are spectacular beaches on the archipelago of nearby islands and the beaches within Ream National Park.

Scuba Diving

while not world-famous, diving in Cambodia offers some interesting treats, including diverse macro life such as seahorses and nudibranch. Local species, such as seahorse, eels, snake and the Ceratosa nudibranch can be found in this region.

A few dive operators offer overnight and live-aboard trips. The Dive Shop that has its newest live-aboard vessel that can take visitors to its outer remote islands. Chartered boats are also a great way to explore the island, since the trips can be tailored. For those who like to fish, barracuda, mackerel and marlin are the most common to catch on this island. Reef fish along the outer island, are snapper, cod and cobia.

Nearby Islands

The coast of Sihanoukville is dotted with islands, small and large; many are deserted, others are occupied by small fishing villages. While some are accessible via day-trips from the mainland and others can only be seen from trips aboard overnight or multiday live-aboard dive boats, there are a growing number of beach bungalows popping up on the islands.

The most popular island day-trip is to Koh Russei (Bamboo Island), which lies a mere hour from the mainland. Day trips usually consist of an island tour that includes snorkeling, around Koh Kteah and/or Koh Chaluh, two smaller islands that have no beaches, and a visit to Bamboo Island.

Farther from the mainland are Koh Rong Saloem and Koh Rung, both a 2½-hour boat ride from Sihanoukville. Koh Rong Saloem has a fishing village on the northern coast, surrounded by a marine conservation area. There is accommodation for divers in the village, and for others on Lazy Beach.

Koh Rung is a gorgeous island with several long, pristine beaches. There are several simple bungalow operators offering inexpensive, yet spectacularly relaxing rooms near the fishing village on the southwestern beach of the island; soon there will be more.

Other Sihanoukville islands with basic accommodation for the ultimate getaway holiday include Koh Thmei and Koh Ta Kiev, both of which are closer to the mainland than Koh Rung or Koh Rong Saloem, but may not be as easy to arrange transportation; speak to the bungalow operators on each island for information.

Until the airport is eventually reopened, the only way to get to Sihanoukville is by road, either from Phnom Penh or Koh Kong (which is the nearest gateway to/from Thailand). The most popular route is by bus or taxi from Phnom Penh on National Route 4 (140 miles (230 km) - 3 to 5 hours).

Since the road to Koh Kong was completed a number of years ago the ferries to and from the border town have ceased; travel by car or bus to/from Koh Kong should take between 3 and 4 hours.

Trips to and from nearby beach towns Kampot and Kep take two and two and a half hours respectively.

Sihanoukville can be most easily reached from Phnom Penh, Koh Kong, or nearby Kampot and Kep. Busses and taxis are the primary means of public transportation for trips to Sihanoukville city: a bus between Phnom Penh and Sihanoukville takes around 4-5 hours (with stops), while a taxi can travel the 140 miles of well-maintained roads in around 3 hours.

From Kong Kong (near the Thai border), busses take around 4 hours (taxis 3 hours), and to/from Kep and Kampot busses and taxis travel non-stop 2 - 2.5 hours.

Getting around Sihanoukville is relatively easy as there are many motodop taxi drivers and tuk tuks hanging out around the more populated areas, particularly Sihanoukville Town and Ochheuteal/Serendipity Beach (less so around Otres Beach).

While it is possible to hire a motorbike and explore on your own, a Cambodian driver license is required to operate a motorbike in Cambodia and there are numerous police road blocks around town that stop drivers to extract bribes: for not wearing a helmet, not having a Cambodian license, or simply because they have already stopped you and expect you to pay them a few dollars before you are on your way (the official fine for no helmet is expected to be raised from 3000 Riel to $5 in 2012).

There are various boat services for getting to nearby islands. These boats are typically associated with the guesthouses on the islands or one of the dive operators. Rough, monsoon season sea conditions can be a problem between June and October as boats may not risk the voyage, stranding those on the islands for an indeterminate period. Voyages during the monsoon season should be considered dangerous: in addition to rough seas, boats may be overloaded and/or lack adequate life-saving devices.

The tourism industry in Sihanoukville is starting to heat up and options for accommodation are increasing every year. There are a variety of budget “2 and 3-star” guesthouses and hotels in Sihanoukville town, but the best options are located on the beaches and nearby islands.
The most popular beach for lodging is the northern end of ochheuteal-beach, known as Serendipity Beach. On the hill above the beach and the road that leads from Serendipity ‘town’ to the pier and the beach there are dozens of options: dorm rooms, budget bungalows, fan or air-con rooms in large, concrete hotels with swimming pools, and a few small boutique or BnB-style offerings. Arguably the best of these are the bungalows that line the coast west of the pier, along the walking path to Sokha Beach. Other than the most expensive rooms at Sokha Beach Resort and a few ultra-basic options on Otres Beach, these bungalows along Serendiptiy’s northernmost coast are the only options for getting a room with a sea view.

sokha-beach and independence-beach feature the finest resorts in the area. The former is a a semi-public beach occupied by Cambodia’s first modern five-star beach resort; the latter a private beach featuring the Independence Hotel, a landmark since it was built in 1960 (the year the port and town were founded).

otres-beach is poised for the next development boom; once the enclave of a handful of ultra-basic beach bungalows and bars, a number have been demolished while others have been forced to make room for a new walking-path that will extend the length of the beach up to a new resort planned for prime real-estate in the middle of the beach. The new guesthouses that have arisen thus far maintain the laid-back atmosphere of a beach that has for years been the chilled-out alternative to Serendipity Beach.

victory-beach, the farthest north of the developed beaches on the Sihanoukville Peninsula, was once a haven for backpackers during Sihanoukville’s early years of post-war tourism. Over the years, the main road on the top of the weather-station-hill developed into a red-light-district of sorts which arguably facilitated the development of budget guesthouses in Serendipity Beach. Meanwhile, the hilltop remains a slowly decaying community of bars and mediocre budget guesthouses.

The islands off Sihanoukville are the area’s newest getaway destinations, with a handful of simple bungalow-resorts setting up shop on some spectacular isolated beaches. koh-russei, koh-rung, and koh-rong-saloem are the three most popular islands worth checking out; if you are a competent camper these are now outstanding options as there are guesthouse restaurants and facilities within easy walking distance of numerous unofficial campsites.

As one of the top tourist destinations in Cambodia and a city with a sizable local and expatriate population, Sihanoukville offers a wide variety of dining options for visitors. In Sihanoukville Town there are a number of local and foreign eateries offering both Khmer and Western cuisine. Unless staying in Sihanoukville proper however, visitors are more likely to dine at restaurants at the beach unless they hire motorbikes or take motodop taxis or tuk tuks into town and back.

The highest concentration of restaurants that are in walking distance of many guesthouses and hotels is Serendipity Beach, the western end of Ochheuteal Beach, where everything from Japanese teppanyaki to Mexican burritos is available.

Along most beaches, from those with no accommodation to those with dozens of nearby guesthouses, beach barbecues are the norm. Single skewers of barbecue shrimp or squid can be purchased by itinerant vendors for a dollar, while a barbecue plate with a salad and potato should cost around $3, more for larger servings.

For seafood, check out some of the larger restaurants between Victory Beach and the port of Sihanoukville. Catering to a predominately local clientele, these large seaside restaurants are a great option for sampling some fresh local catch.

As there is a sizable local population, the nightlife scene for locals in Sihanoukville is pretty lively. Tourist who are looking for nightlife generally head to Serendipity Beach on the northern end of Ochheuteal Beach. Atop the hill are a number of popular bars and restaurants, including Monkey Republic and Utopia: the former a raucous backpacker hangout, the latter an open-air club with a swimming pool and dance floor.

Most action however takes place down on the beach. Serendipity Beach is lined with dozens of beach-side bars and restaurants that have various forms of seating directly on the sand, illuminated with spotlights, torches, and regular fire shows and fireworks. Sessions, JJs, and Jams are three of the most popular with expats and have a crowd nearly every night of the week.

There are a pair of ‘movie theaters’ in Serendipity Beach that screen DVDs on digital projectors and feature rooms for playing video games, and there are a growing number of casinos.

If you are in town during the weekend and want to join the locals at one of their discos, simply ask a motodop taxi or tuk tuk to pick one out for you; it should be an interesting experience.

Unlike at beaches and islands in neighboring Thailand, where night-markets are the norm, shopping at Sihanoukville is fairly limited. There are a handful of shops around town that sell whatever products the local population needs to get by; the market in Sihanoukville town is the most popular place for locals to shop.

For beach supplies, including bathing-suits and the like, most shops are located in Serendipity Beach, atop the hill in the beach ‘town’ and on the road leading down to the pier. There are also a number of convenience stores in town and a few shops selling handicrafts whose proceeds aid disadvantaged Cambodians.