Sihanoukville: A Review

Most of my posts come out sounding like stories. To change gears and practice my travel writing a little more, I thought it might be an idea to do a proper review of a city. So, here's a review of Sihanoukville based on my visit.

Sihanoukville is the perfect chance to relax.

Only four hours by bus from Phnom Penh, this beach town in the south of Cambodia is close enough to the capital for weekend visitors to catch a piece of sun and a quick dip. It also has enough to do for bone-weary travellers to enjoy a long stay.

Serendipity Beach, to the south of the city centre, has gorgeous beaches and clear, warm water. Sunbathers can lounge in a beach chair the entire day for the cost of a drink and a meal - roughly $5 (all figures in USD) - at one of the many restaurants.

Such inexpensive living means that the beach can get crowded. Most visitors don't venture too far from their guesthouses and vendors stroll up and down, hawking bracelets and massages and fruit. At night, beach-front bars offer happy hour specials and big plates of barbequed meat and seafood from massive grills.

One of the bars, the Dolphin Shack, employs a local who twirls fire, two ends of a big staff lit and flaming, to the delight of everyone on the beach, while other party-goers crack the night with mini-fireworks.

This is a place to have fun into the wee hours.

People who want a quiet vacation, however, away from the party, won't have trouble relaxing. They can walk down the beach, or catch a moto for $1 or $2, and find solace in a wider, emptier beach. There are still restaurants and bars that poke out onto the sand but they are fewer and farther between, as are the people and the boats in the water.

If the beach becomes tiresome, there are plenty of other distractions. Top Cat Cinema, just up from the beach, airs four movies a day at $3 per show. Guesthouses and travel agents in the area also organize trips to the nearby national park and the islands just off the coast.

Staying near the beach is very easy. The Monkey Republic offers inexpensive bungalows with fan and cold-water showers for $5-$10 per night. Their bar also does a well-priced mix of Western and Khmer food.

Just across the street, $15 a day at the Beach Road Resort is good for the addition of cable TV and a warm-water shower while $5 more will get a room with air-conditioning.

The Golden Sands Hotel, in the up-market range, has a standard room with a double bed for $30 and an executive suite for $70. These rates apply to the high season, from October to December, and are subject to a %10 increase for international guests. Breakfast will be included for $4.50.

Sihanoukville is also an excellent stop-over for travellers continuing on to Thailand. Buses go to the Thai border and beyond, to locations like Ko Chang, Pattaya and Bangkok, for very reasonable prices. Guesthouses will most likely be able to book a ticket for the trip.

So come down to Sihanoukville for a little fun. It's full of relaxation and partying, by turns, and may even set the stage for an upcoming journey. It's worth a stop.