Sihanoukville, also known as Kampong Som, or Kampong Saom, is a port city in southern Cambodia on the Gulf of Thailand. The city was founded in 1964 to be the only deep water port in Cambodia and its beaches are making it more popular as a tourist destination. According to the Royal Government of Cambodia some 320,000 tourists visited Sihanoukville in 2006, up by 30 percent from 2005.The city is named after King Norodom Sihanouk., Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia Destinations"> Sihanoukville, also known as Kampong Som, or Kampong Saom, is a port city in southern Cambodia on the Gulf of Thailand. The city was founded in 1964 to be the only deep water port in Cambodia and its beaches are making it more popular as a tourist destination. According to the Royal Government of Cambodia some 320,000 tourists visited Sihanoukville in 2006, up by 30 percent from 2005.The city is named after King Norodom Sihanouk., Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia Destinations"> Sihanoukville, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia Destinations
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Sihanoukville

Siemreap_colonial_buildings

The town is increasingly popular with former residents of Pattaya forced to leave by changes in Thailand's tourist visa rules in 2006. Many bars in the centre of town and on Victory Hill (also known as Weather Station Hill) cater to a mixed clientele of older white men and young asian women.[ In 1994, the town was the location where three western backpackers were kidnapped and killed by the Khmer Rouge which effected tourism in the area for many year after.

 

Siemreap_river Because the Mekong was long Cambodia’s major thoroughfare, the coastal region never developed as a trade center. With the Vietnam War, however, Cambodia was forced to look for alternate routes. A sleepy fishing village and almost forgotten container port on Cambodia's short coastline, Sihanoukville became of enormous interest to the government in Phnom Penh in the sixties, when the usual trade routes up the Mekong were suddenly cut because of the Second Indochina War. A road was built from Phnom Penh to the coast with American aid in 1960s. Sihanoukville was founded in 1964 by its namesake, underwent a name change under the Khmer Rouge to Kompong Som, and reverted to its original name upon the return of the king in 1991.


Sihanoukville has two entities, port and resort. This deep-water port in the Gulf of Thailand was developed with Soviet aid. Fishing is a major activity in Sihanoukville, with a cannery north of the main port. The national beer maker, Angkor Brewery, operates from Sihanoukville. There are plans to build an oil refinery, and international companies are exploring along the Gulf of Thailand for offshore oil and gas. Theport is undergoing a $5-million face-lift thanks to a dramatic rise inshipping activity. The Angkor Beer brewery is also based here.Renovations include the construction of a new container terminal,repairs to 1950s-era water-front warehouses, installation of new cranesand cargo-handing equipment, and the purchase of new tugboats. With thenew facilities, Sihanoukville could become an important transit stopfor inter-Asia cargo. The town is receiving a massive transfusion offoreign investment funds, and has been earmarked for major touristdevelopment. For many years, Sihanoukville's pristine, peaceful, whitesand beaches have been a secret of a few hardy travellers.


Pagoda, Siem ReapThough not in anyway the equal of Thailand's magnificent beaches, the palm-dotted sands surrounding Sihanoukville are nevertheless uncrowded and unspoilt by the mass tourism monster - all this is about to change. With the cessation of hostilities throughout the country and a desire to encourage tourism, foreign investment is being channeled towards Sihanoukville, with the intention of making it a popular destination for gamblers. Sihanoukville is slated to become a Casino city. There are plans for a $400-million casino resort on Naga Island off the coast, complete with an international airport.


The Tourism Ministry says casinos will be restricted to foreign passport holders, and that strict controls will be implemented to prevent criminal activities. The government plans to levy a one-percent gaming tax for distribution to worthy cultural and welfare organizations and causes. In the 1950s and 1960s several casinos operated in Cambodia.


SITES TO VISIT
Independence Beach Koh Rong Samlon Prek Treng Beach
Occheteal BeachVictory Beach Sokha Beach
Ream Beach Kbal Chhay Otres Beach
Koh Rong Koh Tang



Ochheuteal Beach

Sihanoukville_ochheuteal_beach2Locates at Sangkat No 3, Sihanouk Ville. The beach has the most beautiful characteristics-large beautiful sand beach, shallow water and quiet sea. We found the beach has specific either geographical aspect or the arrangement. Most of tourists who visit here are foreign tourists. They usually stay at Crystal Hotel and Seaside Hotel

Occheteal Beach is a long and narrow strip of beach lined with Casuarina trees, grass umbrellas, rental chairs and little drink huts. Many huts were bulldozed by the government to make way for a supposed new resort. At the northern end is Serendipity Beach, the most popular beach with western tourists. Serendipity beach offers small guesthouse rooms right on the beach.




Sokha Beach

Sihanoukville_sokha_beach2Sokha Beach is located just west of Serendipity Beach. This beach is privately owned and is the first luxury beach hotel in Cambodia. It provides many facilities with a wide white sandy beach, but hotel guards may prevent visitors who are not guests from going on to the beach.

Occupying all of Sokha Beach, the Sokha Beach Resort offers luxury accommodation, restaurants, bars, water sports, and more. Sokha Beach is open to the general public as well as guests of the resort. The beach is about 1 kilometer long and comparatively wide so that there is plenty of sand left during high tide. The fine, white sand is perfectly groomed these days, but the beach is fairly quiet by comparison to nearby Ochheuteal and Serendipity. Has long length, deep water and crowded by local visitors. The beach has varied food for sale and available accommodation for visitors..




Independent Beach

Sihanoukville_beach Independence Beach is located next to Sokha Beach on its west. The beach was named after the old Independence Hotel. This beach offers a good stretch of clean sand. Situated at the northern end of the beach is Independence Hotel and Koh Pos Beach with a tiny island only 800m off the coast. Koh Pos is known for its rock strewn shoreline.

Independence Beach gets its name from the the 7-storey The Independence Boutique Resort and Spa (formerly the Independence Hotel) at the north end. Locals call this beach ‘otel bram-pul chann (hotel 7-storeys). It is labeled ‘7-Chann Beach’ on the in-town street sign. Independence Beach is, in general, less frequented than other beaches, and sees few foreign visitors. It’s a good beach to escape some of the ‘hustle and bustle’ of the tourist beaches while still having access to beach bars and seafood shacks.

Independence Beach is more than a kilometer long, but the sandy area is quite narrow, making the beach best when the tide is low. Grass umbrellas and drink vendors dot the beach from end to end but it is more touristed toward the southern end, near the beach’s only hotel, Sea Breeze. At the other end is a small fresh water lake (which is the source of the town’s fresh water and is rumored to contain crocodiles)




Otres Beach

Sihanoukville_ochheuteal_beach1 Otres is the next beach south of Ochheuteal and in many way resembles Ochheuteal - a 3 kilometer crescent of near white sand - but far less touristed than Ochheuteal and almost completely undeveloped by comparison. There are scattered grass umbrellas along the beach and a few thatch roof beach bars and restaurants clustered toward the near end including the Star Bar offering beachfront bungalows, bar and restaurant, and Otres Nautica offering water sports equipment - boats, Hobie Waves, kayaks, etc.

The Queen Hill Resort bungalows sits on the hill side at the near end, overlooking the ocean and beach. Otres village and pagoda sit about 1km off the beach. To get there: The road over the hill from Ochheuteal (through Queen Hill Resort on top of the hill) allows easy motorcycle access to Otres but is blocked to cars. By car from Ochheuteal Beach: follow 1 Kanda Street to the end and turn left, cross the bridge and proceed about 1km to the next right turn. Turn and follow the road about 1km to the beach. From downtown, take Omui Street east about 4km to a fork and bear right. At the next opportunity take a left. It is 2km to the beach. It’s a dirt road much of the way




Ream Beach

Sihanoukville_ream_beach1Located in the Ream National Park. Though not untouristed, the Ream Beaches see far fewer visitors than Sihanoukville beaches. Take Route 4 to the Airport road 18km north of town. Turn right, go 9km to the ocean. The beach to the right is long and narrow and frequented more by fishermen than tourists. Behind the beach is a mangrove swamp, which attracts a wide variety of tropical birds.

The beaches to the left nearer the Naval Base now have a few vendors selling drinks and renting tubes. There is a small $5 per night guesthouse run by the National Park. Check at the park HQ opposite the entrance to the airport.




Prek Treng Beach

Sihanoukville_phsunsetAlso known as the ‘Hun Sen Beach,’ the Prek Treng Beach a few kilometers north of town is a long, narrow crescent of sand, a bit rocky in parts, offering comparatively warm shallow waters. Due to Prek Treng’s distance from town and complete lack of services (no guesthouses, restaurants, beach chairs, etc.,) the beach is usually deserted. There is a nearby development project promising a busy future for Prek Treng, but at the moment you can have the beach pretty much to yourself

Just remember to bring drinks and snacks as there are very rarely beach vendors available. To get there follow Hun Sen Beach Drive north a few kilometers past the port area. The beach is on the left just past the first bridge and before you reach the oil port




Kbal Chhay

Sihanoukville_kbal_chhayLocates at Khan Prey Nup in seven-Kilometer distance from the Sihanouk Ville Town, then turning left more nine-Kilometers by a red soil road. The waterfall of Kbal Chhay has many sources from the mountain rank at the seaside. The history of Kbal Chhay waterfall was found in 1960. Until 1963 Kbal Chhay arranged as the clean-water sources for providing to Sihanouk Ville, but the arrangement was failed became a hidden place for Khmer Rouge.

In 1997, Kbal Chhay was changed to the developing zone. In 1998 Kbal Chhay was for bid by Kok An Company on constructing road and changing this site as tourist resort for local and international tourists. Nowadays, the Royal Government of Cambodia has changed this site as the clean-water sources for providing clean water to Sihanouk Ville.




Koh Rong Beach

Sihanoukville_kohrongKoh Rong is situated west of the Sihanoukville coast. It offers the fantastic strand of beach on its southwest, stretching about 5 km. It has fresh water resources on the island and a bustling fishing community on the southeast with basic supplies including fresh water, fish and crab.

 




Koh Rong Samlon

Sihanoukville_kohrong1 Located in the Ream National Park. Though not untouristed, the Ream Beaches see far fewer visitors than Sihanoukville beaches. Take Route 4 to the Airport road 18km north of town. Turn right, go 9km to the ocean. The beach to the right is long and narrow and frequented more by fishermen than tourists. Behind the beach is a mangrove swamp, which attracts a wide variety of tropical birds.




Victory Beach

Sihanoukville_victory_beachVictory Beach is really two beaches divided by a rocky point and a small hill. The southern section is known as ‘Hawaii Beach.’ The northern section near Weather Station Hill is known as ‘Victory Beach’ and a bit further north, ‘Port Beach.’

 

'Victory Beach’ sits at the base of the very popular Weather Station Hill near the Vietnam-Cambodia Monument (‘Victory Monument’). At time of printing, this section of beach was undergoing a development project. The beach was still open beach-goers, but most all of the beach umbrellas and restaurants in this section had been removed. Things are changing fast. Watch for developments. A bit further north along Victory Beach, there are a couple of upscale oceanside seafood restaurants and the Holiday Palace Casino and Resort.

Above Victory Beach, Weather Station Hill (a.k.a. Victory Hill, Port Hill, The Hill) is a thriving budget traveler and bar/nightlife area that offers a real variety of places. Budget and backpacker places dominate the side of the Hill overlooking the ocean and there are several tourist-oriented business on top as well - budget and mid-range guesthouses and hotels, a variety of restaurants and bars, internet, CD shops, and lots more.

The top of the Hill also has one of the fastest growing bar and nightlife scenes in town. The main entrance road to the hilltop from Ekareach Street sports several hostess bars and other drinking venues, many staying open into the early morning hours.

‘Hawaii Beach' is also known as ‘King's Beach,' ‘South Channel Beach' and ‘Lamherkay Beach.' Like the other major beaches, Hawaii Beach is lined with umbrellas and chairs and little beach shack bars and seafood restaurants, though no where near as densely as Ochheuteal. Like Independence Beach, Hawaii is much less touisted than Ochheuteal and ‘Serendipity.' Access the beach from the small road at the southern end.

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