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Asia > Southeast Asia > Cambodia > Cardamom and Elephant Mountains > Sihanoukville

Sihanoukville

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Sihanoukville (Krong Preah Seihanu), formerly Kompong Som and familiarly just Snookyville or even Snooky is a seaside town featuring Cambodia's best-known beaches.

Sokha Beach, the best in Sihanoukville

Understand

In a land with thousands of years of history, Sihanoukville is a colourful but tragic upstart. A mere fifty years ago, a joint French-Cambodian project carved a camp out of the jungle and started building the first deep-sea port in a newly independent Cambodia. Named Sihanoukville in 1964 after the ruling prince of Cambodia, the booming port and its golden beaches soon drew Cambodia's jet-setting elite, spawned the first Angkor brewery, and the modernist seven-story Independence Hotel which, claim locals, played host to Jacqueline Kennedy on her whirlwind tour of Cambodia in 1967.

Alas, the party came to an abrupt end in 1970 when Sihanouk was deposed in a coup and Cambodia descended into civil war. The town, renamed Kompong Som, soon fell on hard times. The victorious Khmer Rouge used the Independence Hotel for target practice and, after they hijacked an American container ship, the port was bombed by the U.S. Air Force. Even after Pol Pot's regime was driven from power, the bumpy highway to the capital was long notorious for banditry and the beaches stayed empty.

Peace returned in 1993 following historic elections organised by the United Nations Transitional Authority in Cambodia (UNTAC) and in the ensuing ten years Sihanoukville has been busy picking up the pieces. First visited only by a few intrepid backpackers, guide books still talk of walls pockmarked by bullets, but any signs of war are hard to spot in today's Sihanoukville, whose new symbol seems to be the construction site. After 30 years of housing only ghosts, the Independence Hotel is up and running again, more and more Khmers and expats have settled down to run bars and restaurants, and the knowledge of what the New York Times dubbed "Asia's next trendsetting beach" is starting to spread.

Since Snooky is a relatively new city (1950) and grew along with the steady growth of tourism, all the negative elements came along too. It is not safe (even for men) to walk alone on the beach after 21:00, there are plenty of glue sniffing children and a lot of java (methamphetamine) smoking girls and boys and a price-fixing tuk-tuk cartel.

Get in

By plane

Sihanoukville Airport (KOS  IATA) is 17 km to the east of town, on the edge of Ream National Park. Cambodian Angkor Air serves it.

By bus

Frequent buses arrive in Sihanoukville from Phnom Penh (4-5 hours), Siem Reap (10-12 hours), Ho Chi Minh City (10-12 hours), and Bangkok.

Phnom Penh Sorya Transport, GST Express, and Mekong Express operate hourly bus services from Phnom Penh, taking 3-5 hours and costing USD4.50-10, depending on the quality of the bus and the number of stops. The first bus leaves Phnom Penh at 07:00, the last at 17:45. All buses arrive and depart from the bus station downtown near the Central Market. Tickets can be booked at the bus company offices, travel agencies, and many guesthouses. It is worth reserving a day in advance to be sure of a seat. National Rte 4 between Phnom Penh and Sihanoukville is one of Cambodia's best roads.

Rith Mony, Bun Thou, and Virak Buntham Express operate daily air-conditioned minibus service leaving at 08:30 to/from the border with Thailand at Koh Kong/Hat Lek, taking about 5 hours. "Local" and "tourist" minibuses service this route; they are always jam-packed, and the trip can be uncomfortable. "Local" service price depends on how much space you want (a whole seat, half a seat, or a space on the roof); foreigners can expect to pay around USD6-8. They will also typically have pickup in front of the offices on the main strip in town at 07:30 (after which they simply drive over to the station to wait until the 08:30 departure time.) You may be offered pickup at your hotel for a premium. Sometimes there are buses leaving at 14:00 but the service may be available only with suitable demand and ticket prices may be higher (~USD15).

In 2010, Virak Buntham Express started a bus service from Ha Tien in Vietnam to Sihanoukville via the new Xa Xia/Prek Chak border post. (From Ha Tien, there is a ferry to Phu Quoc Island, another popular tourist destination). Unlike even recent travel guides report, this trip now has become easy and straightforward. Visa on arrival for USD25/VND550,000 (but bring a photo!)

By taxi

A chartered taxi from Phnom Penh's Central Market can make the trip in less than three hours and will cost anywhere from USD25-40 per car, depending on the petrol price of the day and how beat up the vehicle is. You can reduce the price by sharing seats, but be warned that Khmers will squeeze as many as eight people into the car, including two in the drivers seat, so most people will need to buy two seats for comfort.

By boat

Boats used to run daily from Koh Kong/Hat Lek (the border crossing with Thailand), taking around 4 hours and costing USD20/700 baht. However, the service was suspended in 2008 and it's unclear if it will resume, since travel by road is now cheaper, safer and just as fast. Several sources quote "persistent rumours" about a future ferry service with the nearby Vietnamese Phu Quoc island, but nothing has happened yet.

Modest numbers of cruise lines, e.g., Oceania, offer one-day port visits, usually along with more stops in Vietnam enroute to or from Bangkok.

  • 1 Marina, ☏ +855 69 367684. Opened in Oct 2013, a new yacht marina for boats up to 25 m. On the breakwater (island Koh Prib) Sihanoukville port. Visa on arrival for boaters USD25 for 30 days. Daily berthing, USD2 per metre. 

Get around

Central Sihanoukville

Distances between the beaches are a little too long to walk comfortably, but getting around is easy, as the roads are wide and bike taxis (motodop) are everywhere. The standard price is USD1 per trip, although expect to haggle at night or if the distance is long. They'll gladly pile on two people and their luggage too. For larger groups, car taxis can be called up by phone (flat USD5 to most places around town).

There are dozens of the ubiquitous tuk-tuks around the new bus station and the accommodation areas. They are some of the most persistent and over-charging drivers in Cambodia; they have formed an "association" for price fixing - a trip to the bus station, USD2 in Phnom Penh, costs USD3 if your bus company pays but they will hit you for USD6 if you arrive at the bus station and want to go to the beach. If you have decided where you will stay it can help to call for a pick up. Even if it's not free, it may save you some overcharging.

The ride from the new bus station to Serendipity Beach should cost no more than USD3 during the day.

Another great choice to get around is to rent a scooter. Haggle a bit and you can get it for USD4 a day or more depending on the season. Fuel is not very cheap (about USD1.25/L) but can be bought at many roadside shacks. However, as of 2009, renting scooters to foreigners is technically illegal, and the police may stop and fine you.

See

The town itself doesn't offer much to see. The main areas of Sihanoukville of interest to tourists are Serendipity Beach, Otres Beach, Victory Beach, and the various islands off the coast.

Beaches

The main reason to visit Sihanoukville is the beaches. They are not as crowded as many of those in Thailand, but can be cramped on weekends and holidays. Like many beaches in Southeast Asia, they are often covered in a lot of rubbish.

  • Independence Beach (Also known as 7-chan beach after the seven-storey Independence Hotel). 
  • Ochheuteal Beach (​ឆ្នេរអូឈើទៀល - Chnay Occheuteal). A long narrow strip of white sand beach in Sangkat No 3. The northern section has now become known as Serendipity Beach, a beach popular with Western tourists, noted for small guesthouses right on the beach. There are around 30 beach huts serving good value meals and a wide selection of drinks, a golf course development at the south end, and a cluster of mid-range hotels and restaurants in the middle. Grass umbrellas, rentable beach chairs, and little drink huts line the beach from one end to the other. Further south along the beach in front of the golf course development, a number of budget traveller/backpacker oriented bar/restaurant/beach hangouts have sprung up offering chairs, umbrellas, drinks, and a chill-out atmosphere. Expect noise and exhaust fumes though from the numerous 2-stroke jet skis in the area. Swimming can be dangerous and several tourists have been killed by jet skis. 
Ochheuteal Beach - Sihanoukville
  • 1 Otres Beach (SE of Serendipity and Ochheuteal Beaches). Amazing 4 km long stretch of clean, white sands. Far less crowded and more relaxed than other beaches in Sihanoukville. Every season more and more beach bars and guesthouses pop up along the beach. Tourists will find accommodation in rooms or bungalows (prices ranging from USD5-30), e.g., Cinderella Beach Bungalows, Castaways Beach Bar and Bungalows. Like most of Sihanoukville's budget accommodation, no air-con is available in Otres Beach lodgings, except for the Secret Garden Resort, at the far end of "Old Otres" (Otres 2). Otres Beach is great place for lazy sunbathing, but other activities also available (catamarans, windsurfing, kayaks, various boat trips, bicycles.) Unlike Serendipity Beach, marijuana and marijuana-based baked goods are openly and safely smoked and sold at the beach side bars/guesthouses and on the beach itself, which is now attracting a young Western crowd to the area. A second part of Otres Beach about a 5-10 minute tuk-tuk ride away, referred to as "Otres 2", has several guesthouses open and is beginning to attract tourists looking for an even less crowded beach than the relaxed main strip of Otres Beach. Otres 2 is far less developed and less crowded, but offers only minimal activities and locations. There are no stores of any kind in Otres 2, though in the main strip of Otres 1 there's a bank machine. Adjoining that on the road in from Occhuteal is a Khmer village with various stores and a few Khmer restaurants; with a modern US-type small convenience store on the side road out of the village that leads to and from Occhuteal. Otres has a different climate than Snooky; it may be sunny all day when downtown Sihanoukville and the other beaches are raining and flooding. It's also known in the area as having the best sunset, and people staying in closer beaches often drive out to watch it from there (with few vendors or other harassment unlike closer to the city). Otres is fairly large away from the beach; side roads lead to other areas inland, including along the small river that flows through the broad prairie that lies inland from the beach strip. Along it, another village lies, and a few small resorts, and during high season, a small public market with entertainment. There's a couple of resorts and bars there, including a funky westerner-run backpackery bar and stage, and another more modern one with dining room and also a stage. The river is kayakable, and fish from it is part of the menu among local Khmer. The beach at Otres is very shallow for a couple of hundred meters out, or more, depending on the tide. The bottom is soft sand and clean and when there are no waves very safe for children and novice swimmers. 
  • Serendipity Beach (Connected to Ochheuteal Beach). Guesthouses and bar/restaurants right on the beach, open until the early hours. This beach is the most popular and typically has the greatest number of people on the beach. 
  • Sokha Beach. Owned by Sokha Beach Resort. It is private, but you can access it by paying a couple dollars. You won't have many people begging or trying to sell you something here. 
  • Victory Beach (S of the commercial port). Plenty of budget accommodation nearby on Weather Station Hill. This beach is close to the seaport. 

Other

  • Kampong Pier Nup Lok (2 km N of the commercial port). The old fishing port. Offers some nice views. 
  • Koh Rong (Monkey Island). Advertised all around Serendipity Beach, Koh Rong is a small island 2-3 hours away from Sihanoukville by ferry that offers a relaxed location away from the crowds, a long beach, a small jungle to trek, as well as a handful of bars, restaurants, and guesthouses on the beach covering an area of only about 2 km. Ferries from Sihanoukville to Koh Rong leave 3-4 times daily from various docks and several different ferry companies in Sihanoukville. Ferries can be booked from any guesthouse or travel agent. Round trip tickets are sold for between USD5-15. A tourist may be quoted more for the ferry, but can be negotiated down, and should not pay more than USD15. Both dorm beds (USD7) and private rooms (USD15-30) are readily available on the island. Fishing, diving, and snorkelling are available as well at prices similar to the rest of Sihanoukville. Most places on Koh Rong run electricity on a generator and usually have electricity from sunset until midnight, though a few bars will run throughout the day and go until 04:00. Koh Rong does not have an ATM. USD5-15. 
  • Ream National Park. A wonderful mangrove nature reserve about a 30 min drive from Sihanoukville. Take a moto to park headquarters for USD2. From there, park rangers offer walking tours for USD5 or boat tours for USD20 (4 people). Call in advance. The organised trips from Sihanoukville can be disappointing, as they sometimes fail to supply a proper guide and the food can be a bit dodgy. 

Do

  • The Cambodian Children's Painting Project (CCPP) (On Serendipity Beach Rd). An NGO which works with impoverished Cambodian children. Together with volunteers, the children create art which is then sold to help support the children's families and the project itself. As part of the project children are provided with access to education, painting materials, sport activities, two meals a day, medical and dental assistance. Social workers are employed to work with the children's families. You can help by becoming a volunteer, donating painting materials, buying a painting, donating money or by holding an exhibition of the children's art. 
  • Scuba Diving. There are many islands off the Cambodian coast that have lots of coral and fish. All dive boats leave from the Sihanoukville port area. There are 4 PADI dive centres, one of which, Scuba Nation PADI 5 Star Instructor Development Centre, the pioneers of diving in Cambodia, provide comprehensive diving and snorkelling services, day trips, liveaboards, nitrox and a full range of PADI courses from beginner to instructor. Flexibility is the key: you can do training sessions while sightseeing in Phnom Penh, then finish with a liveaboard on the only custom made diving boats in Cambodia. EcoSea Dive, offers SSI courses as well. The largest and newest dive centre, Island Divers offers the biggest boat newly refitted to cater to divers. Angkor Dive is based on Koh Rong Samloem and offer overnight trips to the island to not only dive, but also to experience the traditional way of life in a Khmer fishing village. The main scuba diving area is at Koh Rong Samloem Island 23 km offshore, as well as at Koh Tang Island 56 km from Sihanoukville. Overnight trips are necessary in order to reach Koh Tang. There is also some shallow diving at Koh Tas some 10 km from Sihanoukville, but it's mostly reserved for when the weather is too rough to get all the way to Koh Rung Sanloem. The best diving Cambodia has to offer are the overnight trips to the Koh Tang group, where large pelagics are seen regularly and visibility is double what you will find at the closer sites. 2 dive day trips USD59-85, overnight trips USD185-325 all inclusive. 
  • Snorkelling. Possible around most of the islands, with the best snorkelling being at the further our islands for visibility, corals and fish. Many restaurants at Serendipity Beach advertise a snorkelling trip for USD15, but most are incapable of properly explaining what their offer includes. Most will boil down to the same trip organised by one of the travel agents which includes (simple) breakfast at the beach, a visit to two snorkelling spots and a 3 hour lunch break at Koh Russei (Bamboo Island). If you are serious about your snorkelling, you should consider going with one of the three scuba dive shops, to ensure you get proper gear. 
  • Unspoiled Island Day Trip. Finding a clean and unspoiled beach (apart from private Sokha Beach) is challenging in Sihanoukville, but can be found a couple of hours away on the island Koh Rong Saloem. Daily ferries can take you there in the morning or a one-day trips including snorkelling, fishing, lunch and light breakfast. This particular company takes its passengers to a deserted 5 km strip of deserted beach. It's run by a very fun and entertaining German named Robert. There is also accommodation on the island at Lazy Beach. EcoSea Diving offers overnight trips to Koh Rung Sanloem as well, where accommodation is in small basic cottages. Unfortunately there are a lot of sand flies on the island. Prepare to be bitten. USD15. 

Buy

There are several small shops in the town, plus a standard Cambodian market ('Psaa Leu'). Although tourism is growing, don't expect large-scale tourist markets.

Several clothing and souvenir shops are opening downtown and around the Victory Hill and Ochheuteal area as well.

ATM machines can be found throughout the city. Downtown, there are ATMs from ANZ Bank, Canadia Bank, and Acleda Bank. There are also ATMs around the "Golden Lions", on Beach St, at CCS Hotel and one at the Golden Sands Hotel, Occheuteal Beach. There is also an ATM in Otres 1.

  • Rajana (Above the Starfish Cafe). Handicrafts. 

Eat

Along the beaches, especially at Ochheuteal Beach, there are many food stalls and some restaurants serving grilled, meat, chicken, and seafood with chips/fries and a beer for USD3-4. There are a good many restaurants in town as well. Sihanoukville has a surprisingly diverse set of cuisines.

  • Angelo's Restaurant (Near Golden Sands Hotel). Excellent BBQ (try the ribs!) and Greek cuisine. 
  • The Beach Chalet (Otres Beach). Cambodian and Western food, fresh and cheap. Prices are fixed all the year. Staff friendly, always helping you in all what you need. Try the barracuda or red snapper BBQ. 
  • 1 Castaways Beach Bar and Restaurant, Otres 2, Sihanoukville (at the far end of Old Otres, a few places before Secret Garden Resort), ☏ +855 12 998492, . early to 11 pm. Very casual family-run eatery and bar with home-cooked Khmer and Western meals at reasonable prices. Dine in the covered bar/lounge or in one of the couch areas in the sandy courtyard, or right on the beach facing Otres' unforgettable sunsets. This was the original tourist resort and restaurant in Otres and is the only Khmer-run and owned place in the whole of Otres. Marasprao and Luclak and Amok dishes, excellent chicken curry and tom yam, Western menu includes omelettes and pancakes. Or just ask the owner, Ouk, what he would recommend, and let him lay something on you not on the printed menu. Full cocktail menu. Great ambience and rustic authenticity (and good pool table) $2.25-$5. 
  • Cinderellas Coffee Shop (Serendipity Beach Rd, opposite Monkey Republic), ☏ +855 12 613380. Very pleasant coffee shop/cafe just off Ochheuteal Beach with comfortable indoor and terrace patio seating. Reasonably priced menu featuring Western, Korean, and Asian dishes. In addition to coffee there is beer, wine, and cocktails. 
  • 2 Ernie's Burgers. You can build your own burger with over 24 free toppings. (updated Mar 2015)
  • Grand Restaurant Kampuchea (Next to Angelo's and across the road from the Beach Club on Tola St). The chicken amok curry (served in a coconut) is a particular highlight (USD3). Traditional Khmer food. 
  • Happa (Serendipity Beach Rd). apanese teppanyaki (hot plate) restaurant. 
  • Ku Kai (Serendipity Beach Rd). Japanese restaurant. 
  • Look Bar and Restaurant (On Victory Hill in Bar St). Free pool, multiple TVs, Wi-Fi and a wide selection of drinks and food. Weekly blues/rock/rock'n'roll live music and BBQ with Latino music. 
  • l'Luna d'Autunno (On the right hand side of Ekareach St, a short way before the bend down to the Golden Lions). Italian. The staff are well-trained and friendly, and prices are not overly expensive. Pasta or pizza at around USD8-9. 
  • Maharajah (Royal Indian Cuisine Halal) (Victory Hill), ☏ +855 15 966221. Siem Reap's popular Indian, now opened a sister restaurant in Sihanoukville. USD3-10. 
  • The Mexican (Serendipity Beach Rd), ☏ +855 12 315338. Mexican, Western, and Khmer food. 
  • Mick and Craig's Restaurant and Guesthouse (Near the Golden Lions). A Sihanoukville institution which has been providing comfort food in Sihanoukville since 1997. Their Mexican menu and Sunday roast are particular favourites. Also have rooms with fan and bath set in a tropical garden. Clean and comfortable. Rooms, USD8-12. 
  • Noh Kor Phnom (Occheuteal Beach (inland, on first road to beach when coming in from town)). Friendly no-frills seafood restaurant with an extensive menu of over two hundred options. 
  • La Paillote (Victory Beach), ☏ +855 12 632347. French-Khmer cuisine in one of the finest restaurants in the country. USD5-11. 
  • Pim's Restaurant (Ochheuteal Beach). Western a la carte menu, BBQ and wok menu. Traditional Cambodian evenings. Nine hole mini-golf, boules, darts, pool, and table tennis. 
  • La Reserve Sihanoukville (Victory Hill). Gourmet French cuisine with master chef, Patrick Escribe, Table de France. 
  • Same Same But Different. Reasonable food, good prices, good staff. Excellent Thai green curry. 
  • Sunshine Cafe (Otres Beach), ☏ +855 12 828432. Great cafe and beach bar on the more relaxing Otres Beach. Run by a Polish lady and her family who cook excellent food. It has a nice community atmosphere. Her Khmer partner runs boat trips, USD15, to more interesting places than the other boat tours. He also does night fishing boat trips when there are sufficient numbers. They also have a small number of simple beachfront rooms for USD5. 

Drink

Golden Lion Plaza at Occheteal Beach, 10 friendly bars in one street, all for picking up prostitutes. Avoid this area unless you are looking for that.

The trend on Serendipity Beach is to advertise a permanent happy hour, which usually implies cocktails for USD2-2.50 and draught Anchor beer for as little as USD0.50-0.75. Beer prices generally rise to USD1 at night with cocktails remaining USD2-2.50.

  • Dolphin Shack (On Serendipity Beach). USD0.50 happy hour draught, USD2 vodka mixers, outside dance floor. The most crowded bar on the beach for both tourists and locals, especially popular late night. 
  • JJ's Playground (On Serendipity Beach). The main competitor to Dolphin Shack and Nap House, a late night bar open on Serendipity Beach, attracting a large Western crowd and has inexpensive drinks throughout the day and night. Unlike Dolphin Shack, JJ's does not allow in the local "bar girls". 
  • Maybe Later (On the way to Serendipity Beach). Late night bar and Mexican restaurant offering tacos, burritos, quesadillas, nachos and more. Good cocktails and quality drinks. 
  • Nap House (On Serendipity Beach. From Golden Lion Roundabout, go Beach Rd south and continue on steep road down to beach. Last plot on the right, beach front). Open late. Open air disco. Loads of people. 
  • 1 Sky Bar & Restaurant (Just off Serendipity Beach). USD0.50 happy hour draft. 09:00-19:00. USD2.50 cocktails, Western and Khmer food, run by 4 super friendly sisters. A great place to hang out and make new friends. 
  • Utopia Guesthouse (On the hilltop on the main street above Serendipity Beach). Open late. Beers as low as USD0.25 during the day and USD1 at night. A combined budget guesthouse and large bar. More relaxed atmosphere than the hectic beach bars, begins to get crowded after 23:00. Utopia is the main late night drinking spot in the serendipity area that is not on the beach. 

Bars in town:

  • Captain Morgan (Golden Lions Plaza). Open late. Nice looking bar with friendly staff. Food and snacks. 
  • Emerald Bar (Near the bus station downtown). Irish pub, established in 2004. This restaurant and bar serves Irish whiskey, Guinness, and has a great menu of Irish foods. 
  • Cheers Cambodia (About 1km past CT Clinic going towards the new bus station), ☏ +855 34 934585, . The first 100% gay boutique hotel, restaurant and bar in Sihanoukville. Has seating for over 60 at the moment & standing room for over 200. Surrounded by palm trees and gardens, the bar is behind the hotel, so it is very private. The bar is tastefully lit by LEDs. All rooms are deluxe. All rooms have en suite fully tiled baths, 4-6m square with Panasonic hot showers, furnished to the highest standards with furniture from Malaysia, the latest LG LCD flat screen televisions and air conditioning, cable TV, handmade curtains, custom made beds, in-room fridges, and free Wi-Fi in all areas. All air-con deluxe: USD39-69. 
  • Star Bar (Downtown, behind Shell gas station). Extremely cold Anchor draught beer (happy hour USD0.50, rest of the day USD0.75). Friendly waitresses. Good pool table. Decent kitchen with Western-oriented menu. Popular Wednesday evening barbecue, USD2. 

Sleep

Accommodation ranges from basic guest houses on the beach to four-star resorts. There are plenty of guesthouses, however, the cheapest guesthouses directly on the beach frequently sell out. Pre-booking is necessary at peak times such as at New Year.

Budget

Koh Ta Kiev Island - tree houses on the beach (Cambodia)
  • Angkor Inn (Downtown, across from Freedom Bar), ☏ +855 16 896204. Good value rooms starting at USD5 for fan and cold water with cable TV. USD6 gets you hot water and for USD10+ there are air-con options also. Restaurant with free Wi-Fi in front. Can be a little bit noisy in the evening. 
  • 1 Apple Guesthouse (100 m off Serendipity/Ochheuteal Beach), ☏ +855 97 8573786. Clean and quiet rooms, close to the centre. 2 minutes from the beach, private garden, 15 nice rooms, cable TV & free high speed Wi-Fi, motorbike rental, laundry, Internet, international calls and a very useful 24/7 convenience store. USD7-12. 
  • 2 Castaways Beach Bar and Bungalows (Old Otres Beach), ☏ +855 12 998492, . Check-out: noon. Simple bungalows and bar-restaurant on a stunning beach, simple grass huts and a sandy courtyard bar and restaurant. 100% Cambodian family-run business, this was the first of all tourist places at Otres; lovely family contact, home-style cooking and funky and very casual atmosphere and ambience. 15 units, one of them a small treehouse that can sleep up to 3, two with en suite, all around a sandy courtyard right on the beach. Long-term rates negotiable. Motorbikes and kayaks can be rented, laundry available, and whatever you like to eat. Ignore the menu and let Ouk (the owner) decide what to eat. USD15-25. 
  • Cinderellas Dive Resort & Beach Bungalows (Otres Beach), ☏ +855 12 613380. Ocean front accommodations. Great diving and nice service. Sihanoukville is surrounded by small and unspoiled islands and has one of Cambodia's nicest beaches. It is still not overloaded with tourism. All rooms with fan. USD6-25. 
  • Diamond Guesthouse (30m from Serendipidity Beach). Quiet, safe, relaxing. Helpful staff. fan room: USD10; air-con room: USD15. 
  • Green Mood Guesthouse (Victory Hill), ☏ +855 97 8949366. Big, quiet rooms. 2 minutes from the beach, private garden, free Wi-Fi, billiard table, backpacker central in Victory Hill, Italian management. Restaurant offers Italian and Khmer food. Every Friday night free. USD2.50-12. 
  • JJ's (formerly Ana's Khmer Kitchen), ☏ +855 16 368110. Run by an English couple, John and Jackie, JJ's is on the main road in the centre of Sihanoukville. Helpful, friendly staff and management. Good food, clean and good value. Offers free and computer access to guests. Long-stay discount rate available. USD8-17. 
  • The Mango Rooms (Serendipity Beach), ☏ +855 97 3048628, . Check-in: 13:00, check-out: 12:00. Offers a quiet stay in their sea view rooms and bungalows overlooking the beach. Guests can enjoy the seaside restaurant serving homemade food and dine at a romantic table by the beach. USD20. 
  • Oasis Hotel Sports Bar & Restaurant (Downtown), ☏ +855 12 638947. Large Rooms with air-con and cable TV. Free pool table, live sports on the 3m screen. Tasty pizza, Australian steaks. Do not take Room 201 as its very loud facing the bar. Rooms need some upkeep. 
  • Pacinos Guesthouse, Karaoke St, . Check-in: anytime, check-out: 12:00. The night market is really close so you can grab some cheap food there. Also the have Wi-Fi in the rooms. Rooms are clean and safe (security cameras). USD7-15. 
  • Papagayo Guesthouse, Kakda St, Ochheuteal Beach (From Golden Lions Roundabout 250m towards Otres Beach), ☏ +855 77 895104, . Nice clean large budget rooms available with air-con or fan. All rooms are equipped with hot shower, cable TV, and Wi-Fi. Bar and restaurant too. USD8. 
  • Sakal Bungalows (Victory Hill), ☏ +855 12 806155, +855 12 489377, . Offering some cheapish pleasant huts above the bar with sea views (over a huge concrete building next door) and more expensive air-con rooms. The menu is short, but the food is excellent. The bar has a 61-inch TV for sport and films, and stays open as long as it needs to, which is generally 24/7. USD4-15. 
  • Same Same But Different (Next to Malibu Hotel). Guesthouse with basic rooms. USD10-15. 
  • Savannphoum (300m from Serendipity Beach). A nice alternative for people wanting to stay close to rather than on the beach. Most of the guests are Khmer. Good cheap Khmer food, clean rooms, cheap scooter rentals. USD10. 
  • TEN103 (Formerly Jonty's Jungle Camp), Koh Ta Kiev Island (Call or e-mail in advance and you'll be picked up with the boat in Sihanoukville), ☏ +855 92 502374, . Sleep in a tree house or in a hammock with a mosquito net. The facilities are very basic, but that's just what makes the place so special. Koh Ta Kiev Island is full of unexplored jungle, lovely beaches, and almost no tourism. USD7-25. 

Mid-range

  • 2 Above Us Only Sky (Bar & Bungalows) (From Tranquility Guesthouse follow the beach in the quieter direction to 3 buildings further on), ☏ +855 89 822318. Spacious bungalows on a very quiet part of the beach. It has fan and air-conditioning rooms and a nice porch in front of the bungalow with comfortable chairs and couch and brilliant ocean view. Wi-Fi. There is also a nice little bar downstairs. No restaurant, but there are plenty nearby. 
  • Coasters (Serendipity Beach). One of the older restaurant/hotels on the beach, with older wooden huts (fan only) and newer brick buildings (air-con). Location on the beach is superb, close to nightlife yet quiet, but rooms are extremely basic, plumbing is dodgy (to say the least), restaurant gets mixed reviews and service continues to draw complaints. Reservations also have a habit of being meaningless, as the owners have a habit of giving the rooms away to whoever is there first. Fan room: USD8; Beachside air-con: USD60. 
  • Coolabah Resort (Serendipity Beach), ☏ +855 17 678218. Just 300 m from Occhuetal and Serendipity Beaches. Air-conditioned rooms with king beds or twins and all amenities. Jacuzzi pool, massage & beauty treatments available. Seafood restaurant & air-conditioned bar. Live music Wed & Saturday plus Monday quiz night. USD35-80. 
  • The Don Bosco Hotel School (2.5 km from Otres Beach), fax: +855 34 933765, . Hotel in a lush garden with a swimming pool, air-conditioning, and free Wi-Fi, pick-up and shuttle to the beaches and city. It is a training hotel to help young Cambodians learn a skill and find a job. USD30-60 including breakfast. 
  • Independence Hotel, St 2 Thnou, Sangkat No 03 (200 m from Serendipity Beach), ☏ +855 34 943300, fax: +855 34 934657, . A modernist concrete seven-story block on top of the cape and with great sea views, it has a pretty pool and attractive, expansive gardens. A nice touch are some black and white photographs of the hotel in its heyday. The best feature is the adjacent clean pale sand private beach which has crystal clear water and some big rocks, although this may currently be under development as the hotel are planning bungalows. Some distance from town. From USD140, breakfast included. 
  • Malibu Beach Hotel (Serendipity Beach. From town centre, go straight through the roundabout with the lions, continue to the top of the hill and then follow the rocky track downhill, rather than remaining on the road). Another one of the older stalwarts, now encroached on both sides by noisy nightclubs. At the bottom of that, turn right, the Malibu Beach Hotel is the first on the left. There have been a couple of reports of theft, from the rooms and from the hotel safe. Air-con rooms: USD30. 
  • Reef Resort (Serendipity Beach), ☏ +855 12 315338. Boutique hotel with swimming pool. Air-con rooms. USD35-80, including breakfast. 
  • Seaside Hotel (100 m from Ochheuteal Beach). Rooms with air-con and hot water shower. USD30-60, with breakfast. 
  • Sokha Beach Resort (Sokha Beach), ☏ +855 34 935999, . Check-in: 14:00, check-out: 12:00. An international-class beach resort. Very bland and a bit rough around the edges, but the beach is gorgeous and hassle-free, and the resort is family-friendly with children swimming pools and playgrounds. Try their best Restaurant, Lemongrass, and "The Deck" Tapas Bar. 180° views of the gulf. Promotional rates: USD140-810. 
  • 4 Swiss Garden Guesthouse, ☏ +855 97 5736006, . In a quiet area near Ochheuteal Beach, one of the most beautiful beaches in Sihanoukville. There is a nice tropical Garden Cafe which is perfect for relaxing while enjoying a fresh original Swiss coffee. The comfortable double bed rooms are equipped with air conditioning, TV, and private baths with hot shower. USD15-25. 

Stay Safe

While violent crime is extremely rare, purse snatching, pick-pocketing, and petty theft are extremely common occurrences on and near Serendipity beach during both the day and night. Women should not carry purses containing anything valuable, and if possible should not carry any purse at all. Groups of young children often surround women leaving the beach bars at night, cut off their purses and run away. In addition, criminals on motorbikes will often grab a woman's purse and then drive off during both the day and night, dragging the woman behind them until they let go and get off with the bag. The majority of this activity is confined to the Serendipity area and travellers to Otres Beach or the rest of Sihanoukville should be careful, but far less concerned about crime.

  • Jet Ski At least six tourists and one local boy were run over and killed at Ochheuteal Beach and Otres Beach by jet skis since Sep 2009. The number of tourists and locals injured by banana-boats and jet skis is unknown. In 2009 the police marked a swimmers- only area with buoys along most of the beach but the employees of the jet ski & banana-boat operators completely ignore it and keep showing off silly but very dangerous high speed stunts just metres from shore and in the middle of swimmers to hunt and attract customers. Complaints to the police are ignored. On weekends you will see many very drunk Cambodian tourists on jet skis, chasing each other inside the swimming zone and ignoring the simplest safety rules. At Serendipity, the northern end of Ochheuteal Beach, jet skiers race between the coral bommies, completely disregarding the safety of snorkellers, damaging and killing marine life with the oil in their exhausts. All but one jet ski are old models from the 1990s with 2-stroke engines. If three or four jet skies running at the same time, the whole beach stinks from the highly toxic exhaust fumes - not to mention the permanent chainsaw noise the beach is blasted with. If you want to enjoy a quiet, relaxed day on the beach, do not rent a jet ski and tell everybody about the danger – or go to one of the other beaches outside of town and pay USD3-5 for a one way ride with a motodop.

Stay healthy

Medical services in Sihanoukville are very limited and basic. The best medical service is offered by the CT Clinic. This is the only clinic trusted by expats who live in Sihanoukville. The public hospital should be avoided at all costs, as it is terrible. In case of major trouble evacuation is necessary.

HIV/AIDS is nowhere near as prevalent as it was, but the infection rate is still relatively high within certain high risk groups such as female sex workers. In 2006 the infection rate for brothel-based female sex workers was estimated to be 14.7%, but government initiatives have raised the rate of correct and consistent condom use to over 90%. However, many sex workers are now operating outside of brothels, so the rate could be significantly higher in this group.

Connect

Sihanoukville's area code is 034.

Internet

There are many Internet cafes and some guesthouses and many hotels offer Internet access. Many now have Wi-Fi, some for free.

Post

The new main Post Office is near the Victory Park on the left hand side of the road as you go to Victory Hill. There is also a branch at the market downtown, but here you can only leave your postcards during office hours, as it does not feature an outdoor mailbox.

Consulates

  • Vietnamese Consulate (On Ekareach St). M-F, 08:00-12:00, 14:00-16:00; Sa, 08:00-12:00. Issues 30 day tourist visas for pick up at 10:00 the next morning. In Feb 2014 applicants arriving after 12:00 are charged an additional USD5 to have their visas processed same day. USD60 for a 30 day single entry visa (Feb 2015); USD80 for 30 day double entry (Feb 2014). 

Go next

  • Bokor National Park - an abandoned French hill station near Kampot which was a popular destination in the 1920s
  • Kampot
  • Kep
  • Koh Kong
  • Koh Rong
  • Koh Rung Sanloem
  • Koh Russei
  • Bangkok, Thailand - Minibuses offer direct service for USD35
  • Ko Chang, Thailand - Minibuses offer direct service to the ferry crossing
  • Siem Reap - 12 hours by day or overnight bus. At the time of this writing (July 2015) the price is 17-18 dollars and they will not negotiate (probably due to cartel). Be aware if you take the night bus that they will force you to sleep next to a stranger on a small single bed. If you are a big person they may force you to pay double.


Routes through Sihanoukville
Phnom Penh ← Kampot ←  E  W  → END




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