| Quicklinks | » Book a room now! |
|
» Sights & attractions » Buy a PDF travel guide! |
Sihanoukville is Cambodia's premier beach location, a peninsula ringed by pretty white-sand beaches. Debate rages however over whether its beaches will ever seriously rival those that lure the hordes to neighbouring Thailand. Given international tourism's insatiable appetite for new places, we think they will ... eventually ... one day ... maybe.
Cambodia's youngest city, Sihanoukville town sprang to life in 1955 when a construction team arrived at what was then known as Kompong Som to begin work on Cambodia's first (and only) deep water port. When the port was finished in 1960 the area was renamed Sihanoukville (in honour of then King Sihanouk) but many Cambodians continue to refer to it as Kompong Som.
The Khmer Rouge kept Sihanoukville largely off-limits to all but the most intrepid travellers for years. But today, with a good road from Phnom Penh and an on-again, off-again airport where regular flights may one day become a reality, Sihanoukville is drawing a steady stream of backpackers along with expatriates down from Phnom Penh for lazy weekends.
The first time we visited Sihanoukville we loved it, the second time less so; each time after that less so again, as its seediness kinda started to outshine the prettiness. Yet we still find ourselves returning and keep hoping it will realise its full potential. Despite its newfound popularity, it has a somewhat abandoned feel to it, amplified by the number of half-built or deserted plots of land marked out by high and imposing fences -- plots often "owned" by businesspeople with sometimes dubious land titles and an eye for a fast buck.
Ochheuteal Beach, Sihanoukville's most popular, has a bit of a caravan-park feel to it and the motodops here are among the most dodgy in Cambodia. Over the last few years, Thailand has slowly tightened its visa regulations and it seems there's been a commensurate influx to Sihanoukville of crusty, sex-tourist types who have certainly contributed to the rising number of dodgy bars and bar-beers. Sihanoukville also has a long-running problem with foreign and local paedophiles.
Mick and Craigs
Sunday Guest House Sihanouk Ville
Kangaroo Kitchen GuestHouse Restaurant And Bar
Rega Guesthouse Kompongsom
The Small Hotel
Coasters
Queens Hill Resort
Seaside Hotel
Crystal Hotel
New Beach Hotel
Coolabah ResortHere are some discussions off the Travelfish forum, perhaps related to Sihanoukville. You can find the full forum here.
This site was constructed out of 100% recycled electrons -- if you don't, you should recycle too!
All material copyright Travelfish Pty Ltd ACN 107 758 985 -- please don't steal our content
Thailand FAQ | Cambodia FAQ | Travel related links | Jobs with Travelfish | Press
For ZoneAlarm Users | Contact Travelfish | Privacy statement | About us
Advertise with Travelfish | How do I get my business listed on Travelfish?
Yahoo! FareChase
Last updated pretty recently ;-)
There are 107 visitors online, zigzagry, and your boss!
Travelfish | Blog | Fourelephants | AsiaNewsDesk | BangkokMetro | Affiliates