SihanoukVille
"Unspoilt islands, pleasant rural scenry"
is located on the coast of Cambodia, about halfway between Thailand and Vietnam, on the Bay of Thailand. It's locally know as Kampong Som. A spread out tourist town for both foreigners and local people from all over the country. Three sides of the town are bordered by tropical beaches and islands. Filled with empty beaches, crowded beaches, seafood, restaurants, bars, Buddhist Temples, casinos, hotels, and more beaches. At several hundred places, English is spoken; and many French speakers are here as well. About 20 other languages are spoken at various guesthouses and restaurants.
Freight aside, tourism and gambling are the big moneyspinners in Sihanoukville. Casinos, luxury hotels and a great collection of guesthouses are all complemented by a selection of attractive beaches and a fun but low-key nightlife. Most beaches have at least some accommodation -- on some beaches you can stay for free, while on others you can pay over US$100 a night -- there is something for most budgets.
East of Sihanoukville lies Kampot and Kep, two true Cambodian gems in our opinion. Kampot is the launching point for the spectacular Bokor National Park where you can waltz on the bombed out veranda of the 1920's era Bokor casino. The town can also be used to explore nearby salt farms, caves and for taking a boat trip along the river which Kampot faces onto. A sleepy low key destination, Kampot it a refreshing breath of sea air.
Further along the coast, Kep is the archetypal Cambodian beach resort, where the emphasis is on watching the sun go down, eating fresh crab ($1 a bucket) and drinking. There's a bunch of great little traveller hideaways and while the beach is very ordinary, Kep remains nevertheless a fine destination -- take a few good books with you.
Places to see and things to do
Boating, touring around, scuba diving and snorkeling, island trips, drinking, passing out, discos, eating and more drinking.... and a few other things.
Beaches and Islands: Yes we have beaches. White sandy beaches. With blue water and green islands off shore. Most guesthouses and beach places offer boat trips to the islands, with snorkeling and meals, starting at $15 for a day trip. Not a bad deal. You can also take a boat out yourself from Otres Beach.
Underwater: Several foreign owned scuba diving and snorkeling companies are found here. Most have the PADI designation, and have training courses, day trips, and overnight trips.
Motorcycles and Bicycles: Motorcycles and bicycles are rented everywhere here, and bicycles are $1.5 a day. Mountains, beaches, downtown, bar hopping. All favorite destinations. You can get a tour outside of town with Stray Dog Adventures, (dirt bike tours). Also, a few places rent motorized bicycles now, which do not require a drivers license.
Accommodations
Accommodations range from a mat on the beach for free, to an island resort priced over $3,000 for one night (but it's really nice). $5 typically gets you a basic room with a bathroom, TV, bed, fan and not much else. $10 and up gets all the above with maybe a nicer room, air-conditioning, hot water, and a fridge. The couple resorts in town charge $100 and up per night. Prices right on or near the ocean (which would be the Bay of Thailand) cost more.
Gettting there and away
Getting to Sihanoukvilleis easy. From Thailand, just fly from Bangkok to Phnom Penh, about a 45 minute flight. Then take 3 to 4 hour ride by taxi or bus to Sihanoukville. Or take a 4 hour bus or car from Koh Kong island to Sihanoukville, starting just across the border near TRAT, Thailand.
From Vietnam, just fly from Saigon or Hanoi to Phnom Penh and then by bus or taxi. Or take a bus, boat, or car across the Cambodia/Vietnam border to Phnom Penh, and then a 4 hour ride by bus or taxi to get here. Also, from the Kep, Cambodia / Vietnam border, you're just 3 hours from SihanoukVille. Flights will be arriving soon at the new airport, but not yet. Leaving Sihanoukville so soon??? Check out Ana's Travel to and from Sihanoukville page.
Food and drinks
Food everywhere. Every street corner, driving down the street, on the beach, on rooftops and at your hotel. Cheap food, expensive food, good food, and some bad food (fried spiders? grilled dog?) If you're not used to Asia, best to keep away from some of the streetside places, and always drink bottled water. (available everywhere for 12 cents a liter)
Nightlife and entertainment
A few discos in town offer late night music and dancing. They usually open after 9pm and go until late morning. Not many are "family oriented" and some get quite rowdy. They're all fun. Several Karaoke joints as well. Most of these are between downtown and Ocheteaul Beach.
Weather
The Sihanoukville Weather can be broadly divided into four seasons. From November to February the weather is cool and dry, while from March to May it is dry and hot. From June to August the Sihanoukville is hot and wet and from September to October it is cool and wet. During the hottest days the temperature in Sihanoukville can reach up to 37 degrees. After January the Weather of Sihanoukville starts getting warm. In July the temperature reaches 35 degrees making it one of the hottest times of the year. The city faces the rainy season from June to October. During this time rainfall occurs usually for 1 to 3 hours in the afternoon. The Sihanoukville Weather in the morning during this season is usually clear and dry.
But it is very popular during the cooler months. From September to February the Sihanoukville Weather is soothing making it the best time to visit the city and absorb the stunning beauty of the beaches, waterfalls, and the national parks. The end of the rains in November makes it the best time to visit the city. Till January the city experiences a soothing breezy weather. At night the temperature falls to nearly 20 degrees. During December and January the skies remain clear with moderate temperature making it of the best times for the tourists. The tourists can enjoy scuba diving from December to June. After February the Weather at Sihanoukville, Cambodia experiences cool mango showers.
