Also known as ‘Kampong Som’. Sun, Sea and Sand is what best describes this coastal and capital city of Sihanoukville Province. It is the laid back epicenter of Cambodia.
Things to do around town.
There are SihanoukVille’s beaches and islands. There’s Cambodian culture. Then there’s everything else.
The town of SihanoukVille is surrounded on 3 sides by the Bay of Thailand. From the beaches and surrounding hills, many of the country’s small islands can be seen. Many of the beaches are filled with grass hut restaurants and bars, some of the beaches are rocky, a couple are big resorts, and some are pure sandy beach. A dozen Islands surround SihanoukVille, and these are fairly unspoiled for the moment. Beaches, forest treks, diving, swimming, and chilling are the main activities here.
Many vacation activities around town are related to the beaches. Swimming and sunning, trips to the islands, fishing, and snorkeling. Within town, there are many themed restaurants and bars owned by people from all over the world. Buddhist temples, dirt biking, walking around downtown and the central market, shopping, Mini Golf, Chinatown, gambling, and seeing the Cambodian culture are also popular activities. Scuba Diving is also very popular.
Many close by stops await you outside downtown SihanoukVille. The fishing village at Stung Hauv, Kbal Chhay Waterfalls, Ream National Park, day trips to the islands. You can even holiday in the coastal towns of Kampot, Kep and Bokor Mountain, just 2 hours away. Lots of boat trips to the islands.
Daylight ends around 6pm here, and the vacation continues. Many beach restaurants stay open until the last customer leaves. Restaurants with French, Japanese, Italian, Indian and many other cuisines come to life. Some bars and the 12 casinos are open 24 hours a day.
There are a few ways to get around town. While many tourist walk, there are also motorcycle taxi’s and Tuk Tuks (carts pulled by a motorcycle) on every street. To get to SihanoukVille, you can take a car or bus from Koh Kong, near Thailand. From Vietnam, Kampot or Phnom Penh, a bus or car. And cruise ships and Naval ships regularly dock at the port in town. Flights arrive at Phnom Penh and then it’s a 3 to 5 hour countryside ride to town from the airport by private taxi or by bus from downtown. Flights also arrive at the SihanoukVille Airport from Siem Reap (Angkor Wat) and now a few times a week from Phnom Penh.
SihanoukVille offers places to stay ranging from $2 a night, to an island resort costing thousands of dollars per day. Most hotels and guesthouses are either downtown, on “The Hill”, on an island, or on one of several beaches. Typical rooms run $7 to $70. $7 gets you a basic fan room, $11+ gets you a nice room with air-con, cable TV, private bath and fridge. $25+ and you might get a poolside room. $50 and up gets you a nicer, bigger room, or better location (think BEACH).
Our dearest readers, there goes our last article on cambodia, if you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact us, we will assist in any way possible. Happy Travels!
