SIHANOUKVILLE
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
In a land with thousands of
years of history, Sihanoukville is a colorful but tragic upstart. A mere
fifty years ago, a French-Cambodian construction carved a camp out of
the jungle and started building the first deep-sea port of a newly
independent Cambodia. Named Sihanoukville in 1964 after the ruling
prince of the kingdom, the booming port and its golden beaches soon drew
Cambodia's jetsetting elite, spawning the first Angkor Beer brewery and
the modernist seven-story Independence Hotel which, claim locals, even
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, when they made the
mistake of hijacking 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 1997 and in the ensuing ten years Sihanoukville has
been busy picking up the pieces. First visited only by a few intrepid
backpackers, guidebooks 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. More and more Khmers and
expats have settled down to run hotels, bars and restaurants, and the
buzz of what the New York Times dubbed "Asia's next trendsetting beach"
is starting to spread far and wide.
Getting there
By plane
The small Sihanoukville Airport (IATA: KOS | ICAO: VDSV) is located 17km
to the east of town, on the edge of Ream National Park. However, the
airport's only scheduled service, between Siem Reap and Sihanoukville on
PMT Air, was suspended after a fatal crash in June 2007. The runway is
very slowly being extended and international flights are still not
offered as of March 2009 but may be coming soon.
By helicopter
Sokha Helicopters offer a VIP charter service from Phnom Penh and Siem
Reap. They land at their own private helipad at Sokha Beach Resort.
Charter rates start at US$1495 per flight hour plus 10% VAT & 10% SPT.
They also have optional package holidays in conjunction with Sokha Beach
Resort. Helicopters are modern, French-built Eurocopter Ecureuils with
luxury leather seating for 5 passengers. Licensed pilots are from
Australia and Europe. Flight time from Phnom Penh is 55 minutes and Siem
Reap 1 hour and 40 minutes.
By bus
In 2008, Sihanoukville's bus station was moved about 1 km east from its
previous location.
From Phnom Penh: National route 4 from Phnom Penh to Sihanoukville is
one of Cambodia's best roads. There are regular bus services with Sorya
and GST from Phnom Penh (Central Market) which takes about 4 hours at a
cost of 16000 Riel, or US$4.50 through a guesthouse. The first bus
leaves at 7:15 AM, the last one at 2:30 PM. All buses arrive and depart
from the bus station downntown. It's worth reserving the day before or
at least a few hours in advance to be sure of a seat. Mekong Express
also runs two buses a day for US$6, as does Capitol Guesthouse.
From Koh Kong/Hat Lek (border crossing with Thailand): The road between
Koh Kong and Sihanoukville now is paved and generally in good condition,
with ferries replaced by bridges, and the trip takes 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 US$6-8. Rith
Mony bus co., Bun Thou bus co., and Virak Buntham Express operate daily
bus service leaving at 8:30 AM. These are regular air-con buses which
offer assigned seats for $6-8. They will also typically have pickup in
front of the offices on the main strip in town at 7:30a (at which point
they simply drive over to the station to wait until the 8:30 departure
time.) You may be offered pickup at your hotel if you book there
(usually at a slightly inflated price over what you can get directly at
the ticket office.) Sometimes there are buses leaving at 2:00p in the
afternoon but the service may be available only with suitable demand and
ticket prices may be quite high (around $15.)
By taxi
A chartered taxi from Phnom Penh's Central Market can do the trip in
less than three hours and will cost anywhere from US$25-40, 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 US$20/700 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.
By train
There are no longer any passenger services on the Phnom Penh to
Sihanoukville railway line. It may be possible to hitch a ride with the
freight train security guards - enquire locally for further information.
Getting 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 US$1 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 US$5 to most places around town) and 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.
The from the new bus station to Serendipity Beach should cost no more
than $3 during the day.
Another great choice to get around fast and free is to rent a scooter.
Haggle a bit and you can get it for US$5 a day, fuel is quite cheap and
can be bought at many roadside shacks.
Thing to See
The reason to visit Sihanoukville is the beaches. Not as crowded as some
of the Thai resorts, but they can be cramped on weekends and holidays.
Also visitors should be aware that, like many Southeast Asian beaches,
these ones are covered in a lot more rubbish than Western beach-goers
are used to. For diving go to one of the nearby islands. The town itself
doesn't offer much to see. From north to south, the beaches are:
Victory Beach - south of the commercial port with plenty of budget
accommodation nearby on Weather Station Hill.
Independence Beach - also known as '7-chann beach' after the defunct,
seven-storey Independence Hotel.
Sokha Beach - all but 100 meters of it reserved for guests of the Sokha
Beach Resort.
Ochheuteal Beach - the most popular beach, with many restaurants, bars
and food vendors. Pronounced, roughly, "oh-chur-teal". The northern part
is called Serendipity Beach, and offers guesthouses right on the beach.
Otres Beach - south of Serendipity, this is the least developed and
crowded beach.
Other places of interest include:
Kampong Pier Nup Lok - the old fishing port 2 km north of the commercial
port offers some nice views.
Things to do
Koh Russei (Bamboo Island) -
can be reached by private boat for US$5, at the Sunset Cafe on
Occidental Beach, ask the owner the night before you want to go, or from
the beach near Ream National Park (about 20km east of Sihanoukville). On
the island there are 2 sets of huts on either side of the island, both
with bar/restaurant and offering 10 basic huts each for US$10-15 per
night (early 2008 prices). Bookings though Koh Ru booking office or
Coasters Guest houses in Sihanoukville. This pure unspoilt tropical
island experience is a wonderful place to relax. Prices on the island
tend to be about 50% above the average Sihanoukville level and their are
no banks or Atm's so make sure you take enough money.
Koh Ru Resort (Bamboo Island) This recently refurbished bungalow resort
is quite basic with $10 having a shared bathroom but excellent location
right on the sand. The resort has its own private beach with no hawkers
or vendors to be seen. The owners are in the process of building a
dormitory priced at $3 a bed to make the island more accessible to
budget travelers. You can book $10 return boat transfers from the Koh Ru
booking office two doors away from the Boom Boom Room shop on
Serendipity Beach Road.
Scuba diving - there are many islands off the Cambodia coast that have
lots of coral and fish. All the dive boats in Cambodia leave from the
Sihanoukville port area. There are 2 PADI Dive Centers, 1 SSI Dive
Center and instructors from NAUI and CMAS working at smaller dive shops
in town. The main scuba diving area is the Koh Rung Group located 14
miles offshore. There is also some shallow diving at Koh Tas 6 miles of
shore. The best diving is the overnight trips to the Koh Tang Group, 35
miles from Siahnoukville, where large pelagic are seen regularly,
visibility is double what you will find at the close in sites. 2 dive
day trips US$59-70, overnight trips US$185-195 all inclusive.
Snorkeling - is possible around most of the islands, with the best
snorkeling being at the further our islands for visibility, corals and
fish. Many restaurants at Serendipity Beach advertise a snorkeling trip
for 15$, but most are incapable of properly explaining what their offer
includes. Most will boil down to the same trip organized by one of the
travel agents which includes (simple) breakfast at the beach, a visit to
two snorkeling spots and a 3 hour lunchbreak at Bamboo Island.
Ream National Park - a wonderful mangrove nature reserve about 30
minutes driving from Sihanoukville. Probably the best way is to contact
the park rangers by phone and see if they can arrange a guide to show
you around in a boat-hiking combi. The organised trips from
Sihanoukville can be disappointing, as they sometimes fail to supply a
proper guide.
Shopping
There are several small
shops in the town, plus a standard Cambodian market ('Psaa Leu').
Handicrafts organization Rajana has a branch above the Starfish Cafe.
Although tourism is growing, don't go expecting large scale tourist
markets like Siam Reap, Phnom Penh, Bangkok, Phuket. As at November
2008, there is still no tailor.
Several other clothing and souvenir shops are starting to open, both
downtown and around the Victory Hill and Ocheteaul area as well.
ATM machines can now be found throughout Snooky. Downtown, ANZ Bank has
two and Canadia Bank has one and Acleda Bank has one. There's also one
at CCS Hotel and one at the Golden Sands Hotel, Occheuteal Beach.
Eating
Along the beaches there are
many food stalls and some restaurants, especially at Ochheuteal beach.
Many of them serve grilled seafood with chips for only 3-4$. 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.
Happa, Serendipity Beach Rd. Japanese teppanyaki (hot plate) restaurant.
Ku Kai, Serendipity Beach Rd. Japanese restaurant with sashimi (raw
fish) and awesome ribs.
La Paillote, tel. +855-12-632347, Victory Beach. French-Khmer cuisine in
one of the finest restaurants in the country. Entrees US$5-11.
Maharajah Royal Indian Cuisine Halal Siem Reap's popular, Now opened a
sister restaurant in SihanoukVille, at Victory Hill +855-15-966221 menu
from $3~$10
The Mexican, tel. +855-12-315338, Serendipity Beach Road. Mexican,
Western and Khmer Food, sizzling fajitas, tacos, jalapeno poppers,
quesadillas
'Mick and Craig's restaurant' . Near the Golden Lions. Near the golden
lions. A Sihanoukville institution, mick and craigs has been providing
comfort food for travellers in sihanoukville since 1997. Check out the
nightly specials their mexican "tex mex" menu is a particular favourite
and the Sunday roast is just like mom used to make
Monkey Republic. Near the Golden Lions. Favourite dishes are Kekabs,
Baracuda (fish) and Chips, Chicken Amok and Some fine gourmet rolls.
Prices are reasonable and the portions are big.
Noh Kor Phnom, Occheuteal Beach (inland, on first road to beach when
coming in from town). Friendly no-frills seafood restaurant with a menu
of over two hundred options. Try the steamed sunfish with soybeans and
ginger (US$4.25).
Pim's Restaurant', Ochheuteal Beach. western ala carte menu, BBQ, wok
menu.Traditional Cambodian Evenings. 9 Hole Minigolf, Petanque (boules),
darts, pool, ping pong.
Same Same But Different. On the beach, reasonable food, good price, good
staff. Excellent Thai Green Curry. Beware the Happy Pizza, it's very
happy...
L'luna d'Autunno. Situated on the right hand side of Ekareach Street, a
short way before the curve that heads down to the Golden Lions. L'luna
is a wonderful Italian Restaurant offering one of the best dining
experiences in Sihanoukville. The staff are extremely well trained &
friendly. However, the food is well overpriced and really not that
exciting.
Drinking
Sihanoukville is pretty spread out when it comes to drinking and there
are several different areas all depending on what you are looking for.
Victory Hill has a street of open bars offering music and girls.
Downtown has bars dotted along the main road. Freedom Bar down the side
of Orange supermarket is probably the most popular in the area.
Golden Lion Plaza: a beer bar complex which is less exciting than a
caravan site.
The beaches have bars dotted all along, some playing load music, some
with fire jugglers. The busiest all night bar is Dolphin Shack located
on Serendipity beach, offering an outside dance floor, cheap cocktails
and an all night rave.
Places to stay
Accommodation ranges from
basic guest houses on the beach to four-star resorts. There's no
shortage of guesthouses and pre-booking is only necessary at peak times
such as at New Year.
Budget
Common on some beaches are "free accommodation" options, where budget
traveler can get a very basic room for free and pay only for their
meals.
Ana's Khmer Kitchen, Downtown. Great value traditional Khmer food on an
open terrace at the established, popular ANA Internet Cafe, Guest House
(from $5) and Travel Agency
Angkor Inn, Downtown. Good value rooms starting at $5 for fan and cold
water with cable TV. $6 gets you hot water and 10+ there are air-con
options also. Restaurant with free wi-fi in front. Across from Freedom
bar, can be a little bit noisy in the evening as the nightlife there
picks up.
Chiva's Shack, Ochheuteal Beach. US$2-6. Oceanside budget accommodation
right on the sand. Basic rooms with fan, mosquito net, with or without
attached toilet. Popular bar/restaurant. The neekiest beach parties in
town. Tel: +855 12360911.
Mick and Craig's guest house, Serendipity Beach. US$6 Rooms with Fan and
bathroom set in a tropical garden. Clean and comfortable. Great
Restaurant with great value meals.
Monkey Republic Bungalows, Serendipity Beach. US$5-9 Bungalows with Fan
and Bathroom set in a tropical garden. Clean and comfortable. Restaurant
with great value meals.
Rega Guesthouse (Le Jardin aux Hibiscus), Serendipity Beach. Tel : +855
17950515, +855 12219505. E-mail : rega@rega-guesthouse.com. US$8-20
Rooms (Fan or AC), Very clean, 50 meters from the beach, excellent
omelettes among other food items.
'Sakal Bungalows', Victory Hill. US$4-15. 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 brief
but the food is excellent. The bar has a 61 inch TV for sports and
films, and stays open as long as it needs to. Tel +855 12806155,
+85512489377.
Same Same But Different, next to Malibu Hotel. Guesthouse, with basic
rooms for US$10-15.
Small Hotel. Downtown, behind Caltex. Clean and comfortable A/C rooms
US$6-15. Superb kitchen with swedish, international and Khmer food.
Savannphoum, 300 meters from Serendipity Beach. A nice alternative for
people wanting to stay close to rather than on the beach; most of the
guests are Khmer. Good and cheap Khmer food, clean rooms around 10$,
cheap scooter rental.
Mid-range
Malibu Beach Hotel, Serendipity Beach. Another one of the older
stalwarts, now encroached on both sides by noisy nightclubs. 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. At the bottom of that, turn right, the
Malibu Beach Hotel is the first on the left. Rooms with air-con US$30
including breakfast, plus some cheaper options. There have been a couple
reports of theft, from the rooms and from the safe.
Malibu Beach Bungalows, Sokha Beach. A branch of Malibu Beach Hotel, and
better in all respects except one: the location has a good beach, but is
inconvenient for anything else.
Reef Resort, Serendipity Beach Road. Boutique hotel with swimming pool,
Rooms with Air-con starting at $35 including breakfast. +855 12315338
Seaside Hotel, Ochheuteal Beach. 100 meters from beach. Rooms with
air-con and hot water shower US$30-60, with breakfast.
Tranquility Guesthouse, Serendipity Beach. Rooms with fan or air-con and
cold/hot water shower, private bathroom, cable TV US$10-35. Tel. +855
16463492
Splurge
Independence Hotel, Street 2 Thnou, Sangkat No 03, +855 34943300. Opened
in 1962 as the town's elite accommodation, followed by decades of
neglect. A Chinese group set to repairing the damage, reopening the
hotel in December 2007. A modernist concrete seven-story block, it's not
all that much to look at, but it's a fitting symbol of the town's
resurgence. Pool, private beach, restaurants, spa coming soon. US$110.
Sokha Beach Resort, Sokha Beach, Tel: +855 34935999. Fax:+855 34935888.
The only international-class beach resort in the country, and good for
temporarily forgetting that you are, in fact, in Cambodia. Very bland
and a bit rough around the edges, but the beach is gorgeous and
hassle-free, and the resort is family-friendly with kiddie pools and
playgrounds. All restaurants at the resort, though, are badly
overpriced. Rooms from US$100/night up.
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 one
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.
Tours and Travel
ANA Travel, Downtown, next to Orange Supermarket & on Serendipity Beach
Road - next to Top Cat Cinema. Established 2003, western managed. Flight
specialists. Ticketing worldwide and regional specials. Full visa
service. Driving licences. Bus & boat tickets. Tours, taxis, hotels etc.
Up to date, honest travel advice & info. Tel/Fax: +855 34933929; Mobile:
+855 12915301; +855 12372018
Seadragon Travel Agency, Next to Golden Sands Hotel. Local tours,
bus/boat/ferry tickets. Worldwide flight tickets, hotel and guesthouse
reservations, business and tourist visa extensions. Translation Services
Tel. +855 34934391. Mobile. +855 12226357