‘Beach town’, ‘port community’, ‘fledgling tourist destination’: they all describe Sihanoukville, Cambodia’s main beach town. Sihanoukville’s white-sand beaches and the warm waters of the Gulf of Thailand combine with a laid-back, beachy vibe for a little tropical getaway. Sihanoukville is a place to relax on the beach, enjoy ocean-fresh seafood, take a snorkeling or scuba trip, and just generally slow down, kick back, and relax.

Sihanoukville looks different from most Cambodian cities. Built as a port city in the late 1950s, the city is much newer, more urban, and cosmopolitan than most of Cambodia’s provincial cities. Today, Sihanoukville is both a seaside city and a port city, catering to Phnom Penh’s weekend beach-goers as well as an increasing number of foreign visitors. Still, the pace of life in Sihanoukville is very relaxed. Cows occasionally roam the main road, foreign faces out of town draw smiles and curious stars, and most beaches offer only umbrellas, thatched-roof restaurants, and a growing number of restaurants, bungalows, and hotels. .

Sihanoukville has a more than ample choice of accommodation, including a 5-star resort on Sokha Beach, several mid-range places downtown and on the beaches, some “upscale” 3-star hotels, and dozens of excellent holiday homes. guests, especially at Ochheuteal Beach. Considering the moderate number of visitors to Sihanoukville, the city offers a surprising number and variety of restaurants and bars. Fresh seafood, especially crab, prawns and sea fish, has always been one of the city’s biggest draws, but there is also a wide variety of places offering foreign cuisine: Australian, French, Indian, German, Sri Lankan, British, Italian, pizza. places, a couple of western bakeries and even an espresso coffee shop. And these days Sihanoukville also offers some pretty good nightlife with a wide variety of bars that stay open until the wee hours, especially on Weather Station Hill in the city center and the beach bars on Ochheuteal, ‘Serendipity ‘ and Victory Beaches. .

While there are no regular flights to Sihanoukville, it’s still fairly easy to get to. Most people travel from Phnom Penh by bus or taxi (3-4 hours). From the Thai border crossing at Koh Kong, ferry (4 hours) or taxi (6 hours) to Sihanoukville.

So come to this great secluded resort town and have fun without breaking the bank!