"Life is either a daring adventure or nothing."
- Helen Keller
- Helen Keller
Sihanoukville Tourist Attractions
Sihanoukville attractions are simple: it is a beach town. Sihanoukville grew up around the deep water port that was opened in 1960 - the builders of the port and their families became the city's first inhabitants. While the port is vital for Cambodia's trade, Sihanoukville is now a growing beach resort town, popular with backpackers fleeing the highly developed Thai beaches, locals on holiday or honeymoon, or 5* travelers to Cambodia wanting to finish their stay off with a few days at a luxury Cambodia beach resort.
Beaches & Islands
Serendipity Beach and Victory beach are tourist beaches on the east and west sides of the town, with a range of western bars, restaurants and accommodation. Occheuteal is more popular with locals, and is filled with hotels, guesthouses, and stalls selling (mainly Khmer) food and drink. Our picks are either the privately owned Sokha beach - exclusive for the 5* Sokha Beach Resort - or Otres beach, which is a little south from town, and much less developed.
The gulf of Thailand near Sihanoukville is dotted with islands, and offer a more relaxed and secluded setting than the main beaches. Bamboo Island (Koh Russei), Koh Rong, Koh Ta Kiev, and our favorite; Koh Rong Saloem, home of Lazy Beach. Day trips are possible, but (basic) accommodation means you can wake on a deserted beach if you desire.
Ream National Park
If you want a day off the "beach scene" of Sihanoukville, just 18 kilometers from downtown you will find Ream National Park, one of the seven national parks in Cambodia. Thanks to its very well maintained mangroves and beaches the park offers rich wildlife and a range of activities such as bird watching, mountain trekking, hikes to waterfalls or even boat trips.
Diving & Snorkeling
Nearly all the diving opportunities in Cambodia are located in Sihanoukville, with several diving centers available. You can find good diving & snorkeling opportunities at islands within 2 hours of the coast, or you can go for the finest waters of Koh Tang, Koh Prins and Puolou Wai, which are about 4 to 8 hours away.
Fishing
The warm waters of the Gulf of Siam are perfect for recreational fishing. Everything from cheap one day trips to 2 or 3 day island-hopping cruises aboard luxury motoryachts can be easily arranged for your enjoyment.
Sailing & Motorsports
If you can do it on water, you can do it in Sihanoukville - generally much cheaper than in the west. Jetskis (PWCs) are available to hire for the faster among us, while the more relaxation-minded can charter a skippered yacht for a day or longer. Kayaks, fishing boats, windsurfing, etc can all be arranged here.
Peerless service standards and local positioning have made us the tour operator of choice by international luxury travel groups and discerning independent travellers to Angkor Wat, Cambodia and Southeast Asia.
© Andrew J Booth - all rights reserved on website contents 2010-. No text or images may be reproduced or used on another website without written permission from ABOUTAsia.