Shihanoukville Travel Guide

In a land with thousands of years of history, Sihanoukville is a colourful 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 Cambodia, 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 1993 following the historic elections organized 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, 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. 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.

Hot to go 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. Cambodia Angkor Air started flying to and from Siem Reap on December 14th 2011 with three flights a week.

By helicopter

Sokha Helicopters offers a VIP charter service between a private helipad at Sokha Beach Resort and Phnom Penh and Siem Reap. Charter rates start at US$1495 per flight hour plus 10% VAT & 10% SPT, with discount packages for stays at Sokha Beach Resort. Helicopters are modern, French-built Eurocopter Ecureuils with luxury leather seating for 5 passengers. Licenced pilots are from Australia and Europe. Flight time from Phnom Penh is 55 minutes and Siem Reap 1 hour and 40 minutes.

By bus

From Phnom Penh:

Capitol Tours runs multiple large buses a day taking about 5-5.5 hours. The cost is 20,000 riel (5 USD) as of Jan, 2016. The buses depart from Capitol Tours near Orussey market and tickets can be purchased there also. The seats on this bus are quite small, not really comfortable from two large adults sitting next to each other. The bus makes stops along the way to pick up people and goods. It will drop you off in downtown Sihanoukville, about 3 kilometers from Ochheuteal/Serendipity beach, motos and tuk tuks will be waiting there quoting 3-4 dollars for the trip to Ochheuteal/Serendipity. If you get past these and grab a motorbike it should be around 4-5000 riel, a tuk tuk should be 2 dollars, some drivers will stick to their ridiculous prices, so if that happens just move on, don't try to negotiate with them. (as of Jan, 2016)

Phnom Penh Sorya Transport , GST Express, and Mekong Express operate hourly bus services from Phnom Penh, taking 5- hours and costing US$4.5-10, depending on the quality of the bus and the number of stops. The first bus leaves Phnom Penh at 7:00AM; the last bus leaves at 5:45PM. 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 Route 4 between Phnom Penh and Sihanoukville is one of Cambodia's best roads, despite this travel can be at a snails pace due to traffic. (undated info)

Giant Ibis and Mey Hong offer 14-16 seat air-conditioned minibus transport that is aimed at tourists and never have more passengers than seats. Tickets cost $10, although it can cost a few dollars more if you need pickup on Otres or far from their offices. (undated info)

Rith Mony, Bun Thou, and Virak Buntham Express operate daily air-conditioned minibus service leaving at 8:30AM to/from the 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 US$6-8. They will also typically have pickup in front of the offices on the main strip in town at 7:30AM (at which point they simply drive over to the station to wait until the 8:30AM departure time.) You may be offered pickup at your hotel for a premium. Sometimes there are buses leaving at 2:00PM but the service may be available only with suitable demand and ticket prices may be higher (~US$15). (undated info)

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 USD 25/550.000 VND (but bring a photo!)

From Siem Reap:

There are various company night buses running from Siem Reap. Trip takes around 12-14 hours and costs 14-17$ for a sleeping 70% reclining seats/hotel bus with beds. But beware that road is really bumpy, seats may be not like shown on photo in the ticket office, and you may be forced to change bus from sleeping to sitting in Phnom Penh, so make sure you have the direct bus with no changes, assigned seat and seller phone number to get what you paid for when you buy a ticket.

The bus station is far from the city centre and you will need to take a tuktuk or a motorbike. Expect to pay anywhere between $ 1 and 4, depending on how many people there are in the tuktuk.

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 US$25-40 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. As of May 2013, you can get a private taxi to Sihanoukville for $50 - $55. Many of these have an LPG tank in the boot, so one large case is the limit. If two people travel a spare seat can cater for a second large case. Most of the cars are relatively recent Toyota Camrys and comfortable enough. Order from Travel Agents around the city.

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. Several sources quote "persistent rumours" about a future ferry service with the nearby Vietnamese Phu Quoc island, but nothing happened yet.

Boats to the islands offshore - Koh Rong and Koh Rong Samloem, run every day several times per day. You can take a slow boat, speed ferry or make a day out and go on a tour boat. Speed Ferries are the best option if you just want to get out to the island as quickly as possible, as the company runs modern purpose built catamarans with lots of under cover seating. Alternatively, get on a day trip tour boat and you should be able to use your ticket to get off at the island and stay overnight, and return another day.

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

By train

There are no 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. As of autumn 2010, there are efforts to make the Cambodian railways operational again. Since October 2010, a freight service from Phnom Penh to halfway Sihanoukville (Touk Meas) is operational.

Travel 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).

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, US$2 in Phnom Penh, costs US$3 if your bus company pays but they will hit you for US$6 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 its not free, it may save you some overcharging.

The ride from the new bus station to Serendipity Beach should cost no more than US$3 during the day.

Another great choice to get around is to rent a scooter. Haggle a bit and you can get it for US$4 a day or more - it depends of a season. Fuel is not very cheap (about $1,25/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.

WARNING# avoid the "Vuthy" agency on Ochheuteal Street 500 next to Modern Laundry in the Serendipity beach area. They rent ill-maintained, dangerous motorcycles which don't work/ barely work, won't refund anything and get confrontational when you return faulty bikes. Cheaper and better rentals are available pretty much anywhere else.

WARNING# if you have purchased a long distance bus ticket from the bus station office (sorya station) in town, beware; they have a scam where they let you wait till after the bus has already gone without telling you, then try and force you into an expensive motoped to catch up with the bus on its way out of town. To prevent get there early and dont listen to anyone but the real bus driver

What to See ?

The center of town itself doesn't offer much to see. On the edge of town is Otres Marina situated on the Ou Tro jet river mangrove swamp and Otres temple can be visited.

Beaches:

Victory Beach, (south of the commercial port). Plenty of budget accommodation nearby on Weather Station Hill. This beach is close to the seaport.

Independence Beach, Also known as '7-chann beach' after the seven-storey Independence Hotel.

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.

Ochheuteal Beach, (Khmer: ឆ្នេរអូឈើទៀល - Chnay Occheuteal) is a long and narrow strip of white sand beach, and the most developed tourist beach in Sihanoukville. The northern section is misleadingly called Serendipity Beach, when in reality it's all just the same beach. A popular beach with western tourists and increasingly locals, there are numerous hotels, guest houses, beach huts, minimarts, restaurants and travel agencies, as well as growing nightlife making it one of the party beaches of South East Asia. The amenities are found around three main areas: 1) the beach itself, 2) the road running parallel to the beach and 3) the road running perpendicular from the dock at "Serendipity Beach" up to a huge traffic circle. All these areas have numerous amenities that cater to visitors within walking distance. 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 southern end, and a cluster of mid-range hotels and restaurants near the MP base in the middle. Grass umbrellas, rentable beach chairs and little drink huts line the beach from one end to the other. Les Feuilles), within walking distance of the hotels. Further south along the beach in front of the golf course development, a number of budget traveler/backpacker oriented bar/restaurant/beach hangouts have sprung up offering chairs, umbrellas, drinks and a chill-out atmosphere. Be wary thieves on the beach, do not leave any valuable unattended!
Ochheuteal Beach

:*Serendipity Beach. Not a separate beach, but actually just part of Occheuteal Beach. Why it has a separate name is not clear. Guesthouses and bar/restaurants right on the beach, open until the early hours. Huge backpacker nightlife during the peak season and huge, mostly local crowds on New Year's Eve (as of 2016). This area is the most popular with Western tourist.

Otres Beach, (South-east of Serendipity and Ochheuteal Beaches). Amazing 4km long stretch of clean, white sands. Less crowded and definitely more relaxed than other beaches in Sihanoukville. It starts with a strip of beach bars and guesthouse called Otres 1 followed by a 1km long public beach that ends at Otres 2 – another (smaller) strip of beach bars and guesthouses. Tourists will find accommodation in rooms or bungalows (prices ranging from US$10 - 50 p/night). Otres Beach is great place for lazy sunbathing, partying and some other activities also available (catamarans, windsurfing, kayaks, various boat trips, buggy cars, bicycles and jet skis). The beach bars of both strips have a rich bar, sun beds and a local food / western food menu. Most of them also feature bungalows or simple rooms.

Famous places/activities in the beach:

The Otres Marina - Kayaks for lazy river trips along the mangroves, trips to Koh Ta Kiev, Sea and river fishing, sunset cruises and private charter can be arranges from the marina.

Otres Corner – The first bar on the Otres 1 strip (coming from the city) has live DJs during day and night playing electronic music. It's managed by a British expat (who's a chef) that serves an amazing Sunday roast lunch. They've got all night parties there at least once a week so it's always worth checking in for details. A great place to sleep at for party and music loving people.
Everythang – The 6th business on Otres 1, a funky guesthouse (with dorms) on the beach all surrounding an 8 meter geodesic dome. Try the taco or burrito and make sure to catch a sunset on the tree house.
Rent a kayak and row it to one of the mini islands that are close to the beach, or up the small river that reaches a small temple.
Mien Mien – a small and (still) cheap guesthouse, not on the beach but across the street from it with real rooms rather than bungalows.
Otres Market – though not on the beach but a short tuk-tuk ride from it (or ten minutes walk) hosts a live music show every Saturday night.
Richies – a well established beach bar with great food and occasional parties run by a Scottish guy and his family. Very homey fealing.
Windsurfing school – managed by a French expat that is also the teacher. The flat sea makes it an easy place to start surfing. Lessons costs around $30 and windsurfers can be rent fot $8-$12 / hour.
Amongst the "tourist boat tours" that are offered here but are very common to beaches around the world, in Otres Beach there's a party boat, with music, water slides and beer-bongs.

Otres Market. The preferred way to spend your Saturday evenings at Otres beach is the late night market. A big happening with live music shows, food stalls and probably all the tourists in the area. This goes on from 18:00 to early morning. Most notable amongst them is the Wrap stall that serves truly unique wraps (meat / cheese / hummus) that are 100% homemade and naturally also serves alcohol. Mizza, the owner of the Wrap bar also delivers his amazing wraps every other night of the week anywhere at Otres beach (Mizza 0969614357). Getting to the market is a 3$ tuk tuk drive from Otres Beach.

Note:

Kampong Pier Nup Lok, (2 km north of the commercial port). The old fishing port. Offers some nice views.

Ream National Park. A wonderful mangrove nature reserve about 30 minutes driving from Sihanoukville. Take a moto to park headquarters for US$2. From there, park rangers offer walking tours for US$5 or boat tours for US$20 (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.

Koh Russei (Bamboo Island). See the separate article on Koh Russei for more information.

Koh Rong. See the seperate article on Koh Rong for more information.

Buddy Land Water Park. This park is the first and unique water park in Sihanoukville. It has a 12 meter high water slide and a large pool with different sized water balls. You can also enjoy their tornado potato with either onion flavor or BBQ flavor as well as their rainbow sherbet. They also serve AngKor beer for a good price. Besides, they have a small souvenirs shop selling different traditional souvenirs such as hats, bags, jewelries and scarfs. Coming soon: indoor playground for kids and BBQ stand.

Think to Do In Shihanoukville:

Go for a ride with Ride Cambodia Motorcycle Tours. They're based in Sihanoukville at the bottom of Serendipity Beach Road by the pier. By far the most competitively priced motorcycle tour operator in the country, they run single day trips out into the jungle and also run multi day trips across all of Cambodia. If you can ride a bike and fancy an adventure then this is the activity for you.

Scuba Diving. There are many islands off the Cambodian coast that have lots of coral and fish. All the dive boats in Cambodia leave from the Sihanoukville port area. There are 4 PADI Dive Centres, one of which, Scuba Nation PADI 5 Star Instructor Development Centre, provides a range of diving and snorkeling services, day trips. The Dive Shop, another PADI 5 Star National Geographic dive center, offers island based bungalows as well as over night trips to the outer islands. EcoSea Dive , offers SSI courses as well. The newest dive centre, Island Divers , also offers various diving services. Angkor Dive is also based on Koh Rong Samloem who offer over night 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 located 14 miles offshore, as well as at Koh Tang Island 35 miles from Sihanoukville. Overnight trips are necessary in order to reach Koh Tang. There is also some shallow diving at Koh Tas some 6 miles 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 is the overnight trips to the Koh Tang Group, where large pelagic are seen regularly and visibility is double what you will find at the closer sites. 2 dive day trips US$59-85, overnight trips US$185-325 all inclusive.

Golden Spa & Massage, (opposite monkey republic), ☎ 011921110. Offers a wide variety of massages as well as nail care, body scrubs and so on.

Snorkeling. 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 US$15, but most are incapable of properly explaining what their offer includes, but most will be the same trip organised by one of the travel agents which includes breakfast at the beach, a visit to two snorkeling spots and a 3 hour lunch break at Koh Ta Kiev. If you are serious about your snorkeling, you should consider going with one of the three scuba dive shops to ensure you get proper gear.

The Cambodian Children's Painting Project (CCPP). This is located on Serendipity Beach Rd. CCPP is a 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 assistance 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.

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 snorkeling, fishing, lunch and light breakfast can be booked at. This particular company takes its passengers to a deserted 5km strip of pristine beach. It's run by an entertaining German man called Robert. There is also accommodation on the island at Lazy Beach. EcoSea diving offer overnight trips to Koh Rung Sanloem as well, where accommodation is in small basic cottages. Price is 15 USD / Night (2011). Unfortunately there are a lot of sand flies on the island so expect to be bitten.

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 September 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 operator 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 or tourist police are constantly ignored. On weekends you will see many very drunk Cambodian tourists on jet skies, chasing each other inside the swimming zone and ignoring the simplest safety rules. At Serendipity, the northern end of Ochheteal beach, jet ski drivers race between the corral bommies, completely disregarding the safety of snorkelers, damaging and killing marine life with the oil in the exhaust. A number of the jet skis are older models 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 go to one of the other beaches outside of town and pay US$3-$5 for a one way ride with a moto-dupp.
Fitness Resort Sihanoukville, Boray Kamakor Street. Located about 10 minutes tuk-tuk ride from Serendipity beach and 5 minutes from the downtown area. Fitness Resort offers a good gym, sport classes, bungalows and rooms within a relaxing garden area. It has a relaxed family atmosphere and the weights room is in the garden, so no white washed walls... The owner, Pierre, offers personal training classes, cross-fit circuit training and beginners' Muay Thai classes and during high season you can also do MMA and Krav Maga here. There is also an intensive aerobics class and yoga stretching classes which are essential during training. If you want to get fit then spend a few weeks here and do everything on offer, you will be pushed hard but with expert guidance from a fitness professional. Injury rehabilitation is also on offer here.
Serendipity beach to Sokha beach Coastal Path, serendipity beach. This is well worth taking a stroll down one afternoon. The path leads through the conservation area to the west of Seredipity beach and boasts excellent viewing points and a hidden cove. You will also find bouldering and scrambling routes, fishing, headlands, snorkelling and interesting rock formations. Spend a couple of hours exploring the conservation area and you will find your way to Sokha beach which is also well worth a look. Take care when travelling in Sihanoukville, do not carry valuables or purses, they will likely get snatched. It is always best to walk here in a small group.
Mollie Golf Mini Golf, Wat Kraom, Victory Hill (Turn left at Diamond Sea Hotel, (Right after the Post Office) and continue until almost at Wat Kraom. You will see signs (and a golf course) on the left.). 3pm - 8pm and by appointment. Enjoy an afternoon playing 18 holes of Mini Golf in a garden setting in the countryside of SihanoukVille. Including the classic Windmill hole, the SihanoukVille Golden Lions hole, and the Ream Island water hole. Free entry to the gardens and drinks served. Available for private parties. $1.50 to $3.50.

Shopping:

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 Ocheteaul 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 Street", at CCS Hotel and one at the Golden Sands Hotel, Occheuteal Beach.

There are many ATM's located all over town. They all Charge a fee.

Rajana. Handicrafts

Starfish Project (Starfish Bakery & Cafe), 62/7 Makara Street (downtown Sihanoukville) (on a small street behind Samudera Supermarket), ☎ +855 12 952 011 (info@starfishcambodia.org),
7am-5:30pm. Nice variety of handmade bags and handicrafts made with upcycled materials, many of which are produced on site by the local Khemer staff, all of whom have various physical disabilities. It's insightful talking with staff about the Starfish Project while shopping and observing the women sew items in the store. There's also a delicious bakery/cafe and massage studio on the premises--truly a garden oasis in downtown Sihanoukville. All proceeds go directly to supporting the staff and Khmer people in rural areas by providing job skills training, housing, sanitation, medical aid, and educational programs. Highly recommend making a stop here to shop and eat.

Restaurants:

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 US$3-4. There are a good many restaurants in town as well. Sihanoukville has a surprisingly diverse set of cuisines.

The Beach Chalet, At Otres Beach. Cambodian and Western food, fresh and cheap. Prices are fixed all the year. The staff are friendly.

Grand Restaurant Kampuchea, 100m SE from Golden Sands Hotel and opposite Beach Club Resort and OC Hotel on Tola Street. Traditional Khmer food. Amok lovers and foodies in general have to get the Amok here (possibly the best in Cambodia).

Happa, Serendipity Beach Rd. Japanese teppanyaki, or hot plate, restaurant.

Bamboo Vegetarian restaurant, Ochheteaul beach road (just 50 m from the sea). Open 24/7. Provide only fresh healthy vegetarian food. Not using MSG or fish sauce. Use only purified water and ice. Friendly staff, ping-pong and table games. Located on the Ochheteaul beach road, in the center of nightlife in Sihanoukville. Open 24 hours 7 days per week. Welcome.

Ku Kai, Downtown. Japanese restaurant.

The Look Bar and Restaurant . On Victory Hill in Bar St. Free pool, multiple TV-Screens, WiFir and a wide selection of drinks and food. Weekly blues/rock/rock'n'roll live music and BBQ with latino music.

Maharajah Royal Indian Cuisine Halal Siem Reap's popular,Now opened a sister restaurant in SihanoukVille, at Victory Hill +855-15-966221 menu from US$3~10

Mick and Craig's restaurant. 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 .

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.

Reef Resort, tel. +855-12-315338, Serendipity Beach Road. Tex-Mex, ribs and steaks.

Same Same But Different. On the beach, reasonable food, good price, good staff. Excellent Thai Green Curry.

Sandan. 100 meters from the Golden Lions Circle on the road to the Sokha Beach. Tel: T + (855) 34 452 4000 Email: contact@sandan-restaurant.org

Open Mon - Sat 5 pm - 10 pm (Kitchen closes 9pm). Sandan (the name comes from a dried fruit used in flavouring) is a new restaurant that is already making its mark on the culinary scene in Sihanoukville, Cambodia. With a menu that highlights creative Cambodian cuisine and a relaxing and unique ambience, blending candles, plants, Buddha’s, beautiful hand-made lanterns and colourful children’s paintings, it is fast becoming a ‘must do’ attraction for visitors to this city in southern Cambodia . It also has a safe, fun children's play area, a small gift shop and a small stage for performances for M'Lop Tapang's arts team and other artists on special dates. Sandan is run by M’Lop Tapang, an NGO that has been working with street children since 2003 in Sihanoukville, Cambodia.

Starfish Bakery & Cafe (Starfish Project), 62/7 Makara Street (downtown Sihanoukville) (on a small street behind Samudera Supermarket), ☎ +855 12 952 011 (info@starfishcambodia.org), . 7am-5:30pm. A restaurant with a purpose, Starfish serves delicious, fresh food with large portions, outstanding home-baked bread and desserts, coffee, and shakes--all reasonably priced. Staffed entirely by local Khemer with disabilities, the Starfish Project was established in 2000 and is Sihanoukville's oldest and longest running nonprofit. All proceeds go directly to supporting the staff and Khmer people in rural areas by providing job skills training, housing, sanitation, medical aid, and educational programs. Surrounded by colonial style architecture and a beautiful garden oasis with good wifi, it's a great place for a relaxing meal or perfect if you need to work on your laptop all day. There's a cool handmade goods store and massage center on site as well. Definitely a 'must stop' while in town.

NYAM Khmer Restaurant. Near Golden sand Hotel. Delicious Khmer food (Amok and Curry in coconut, Loc Lak) Wifi. Traditional Cambodian food in a lovely setting.

Taj Mahal.

Classic Indian Cuisine Halal is located at the Orecheteal Beach, Sihanoukville, from ancient palaces of Indian Sub-Continent to modern kitchens, hand-blended masalas remain a treasured element of the finest cooking. The rich spices found in these blends are imported from their native countries and mixed with the utmost care by master Chef M. Ahmad and his professional team of the popular Taj Mahal Restaurant, one of the tasty points in Siem Reap.NOW in Sihanoukville at Ochheuteal Bech front on COBRA KTV M. Ahmad's inspiration came from researching the favorite dishes of many royal families who ruled India centuries ago. Free Wi-Fi. Price Range is affordable from 3 US$ to 10 US$.

Restaurant Reaksa, Serendipity Beach (Westside of pier). A Khmer Restaurant, opened 14/04/2015. It offers excellent Traditional Khmer Cuisine and is located to the quiet western side of the pier on the rocks. The views are good as is the food.

What to Drink:

Golden Lion Plaza at Occheteal beach, 10 friendly bars in one street.

The trend on Serendipity Beach is to advertise with permanent 'Happy Hour', which usually implies cocktails for US$2-2.5 and draft Anchor beer for as little as US$0.50-0.75. The latter is only recommendable if you don't mind drinking it with ice, however, as it's often not as cold as it should be.

Dolphin Shack, Located on Serendipity Beach. US$0.50 happy hour draft, US$2 Vodka Mixers, outside dance floor.

Sky Bar & Restaurant, Located just off Serendipity Beach. US$0.75 draft all day, US$2.50 cocktails, popular Western and Khmer food, run by 4 super friendly sisters. A great place to hang out and make new friends.

Monkey Republic, The best backpacker bar in Sihanoukville. Located near the Golden Lions. A great selection of food and drink. Features a pool table and a great menu.

Bamboo Bar, Full cocktail bar, Wine, cold draft beer, shots, teas and more. Friendly staff, ping-pong and table games. Located on the Ochheteaul beach road, just 50 m. from the sea in the center of nightlife in Sihanoukville. Open 24 hours 7 days per week. Welcome.

Maybe Later - Located on the down to Serendipity Beach. Late night bar and Mexican restaurant offering tacos, burritos, quesadillas, nachos and more. Good cocktails and quality drinks.

Bars located in town:

PURE Bar lounge and restaurant, after Golden Lions plaza, Bleu Sea Boutique Plaza on Serendipity road. PURE offer the best view of gulf of thailand and most beautiful Islands. Happy hours 7 -8PM : 0,5$ draft, drnks from 1$ to 4 $. Enjoy dj set (deep progressive house music) every night.

Captain Morgan, Golden Lions Plaza. Nice looking bar with friendly staff. Food and snacks. Open until very late.

Star Bar, Located downtown behind Shell gas station. Extremely cold Anchor draft beer (happy hour 50c, rest of the day 75c). Friendly waitresses. Good pool table. Decent kitchen with western oriented menu. Popular Wednesday evening barbecue US$2.

Where to 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.

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.

Contact

Sihanoukville's area code is 034.

Internet

There are many internet cafes and most guesthouses and many hotels offer free internet access. Almost all now have Wi-Fi.

Probably the best mobile phone network for use in Sihanoukville is metfone. Great reception and decent speed GPRS internet. You can easily register for daily unlimited mobile internet by texting ON3 to number 111. It costs $0.70 per day. This can be cancelled by texting OFF to number 111. The metfone SIM card costs $3. It works well at Otres Beach unlike some other networks and is the only network that works on Koh Russei (Bamboo Island). Tethering / Personal Hotspot capable phones such as the iPhone 4 or newer models, or high spec Android phones will work fine with metfone. To set that up, the APN is metfone, leave username and password fields blank.

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

The Vietnamese consulate on Ekareach Street issues 30 day tourist visas for pick up the next morning. As of February 2015, the cost is US$60. The opening times are 8AM-noon and 2PM to 4PM, M-F, 8AM-noon on Saturday.

Bokor National Park - an abandoned French hill station near Kampot which was a popular destination in the 1920s

Kampot

Koh Kong, bus from the main station for 7$ (they gonna ask 8 or 9, just tell them 7)

Koh Rong

Koh Rung Sanloem

Ream National Park

Phnom Penh, Siem Reap

There are several bus companies offering tickets to both Phnom Penh and Siem Reap. All of them are comparable in terms of quality but the price varies. Try to avoid companies Mekong express and Giant Ibis. The seats in their buses and minibuses are small, uncomfortable, certainly not suitable for larger men. There is no way to adjust or switch off the air-con even in the sleeping busses so it's advisable to take a blanket or two. Also, the wifi on board never works. The price is almost double of what other companies offer for similar service.

Bangkok, Thailand - Minibuses offer direct service for US$35

Ko Chang, Thailand - Minibuses offer direct service to the ferry crossing

Sihanoukville Hotel Association