Sihanoukville travel guide

Background

Sihanoukville, or Kompong Som as it is called during the periods the king is in exile or otherwise ‘out of office’, was founded in 1964 by Prince Sihanouk to be the nation’s sole deep-water port. It is also the country’s prime seaside resort. In its short history it has crammed in as much excitement as most seaside towns see in a century – but not of the sort that resorts tend to encourage. Sihanoukville was used as a strategic transit point for weapons used in fighting the USA, during the Vietnam War. In 1975, the US bombed the town when the Khmer Rouge seized the container ship SS Mayaguez.

Sihanoukville has now turned a corner, however, and with rapid development has firmly secured its place in Cambodia’s ‘tourism triangle’, alongside Phnom Penh and Angkor Wat. Not much of this development is sustainable and incredibly tacky and overpriced resorts have already being built. While a liberal attitude towards the smoking of marijuana attracts a youthful crowd, no amount of intoxicants can cover up the fact that Sihanoukville is rapidly becoming an environmental stain on this already horribly scarred country. If it all becomes too much there is the coastal Preah Sihanouk ‘Ream’ National Park close by.

Ins and outs

There are regular departures from Phnom Penh in comfortable, well-maintained, air- conditioned coaches, costing US$3-4. Buses generally leave every half hour from 0700 until 1330. Taxis cost US$20-30. Without a proper bus linking Sihanoukville to Kampot and Kep, journey along the shoreline is not always the easiest though there are plentiful buses from Phnom Penh to these coastal jewels. Departing from Sihanoukville there are taxis to Kampot and Phnom Penh at around 0700-0800, US$5-6. You can travel to Koh Kong from Sihanoukville or Hat Lek, Thailand.

Sihanoukville

Motos cost 2000 riel around town or 3000 from the centre to a beach. Taxis charge US$5 to a beach.

Buses to Phnom Penh leave from the station on the corner of Ekareach and Sopheakmong-kol St; Phnom Penh Public Transport Co (5 times daily) and GST (4 times daily). There are no longer security risks on this route. To Kampot shared taxi, around 10,000 riel per person, 4 hrs.

Banks

4 banks in town (often shut): Acleda, UCB, Canadia and the Mekong Bank, all on Ekareach St. UCB and Canadia offer Visa/ MasterCard cash advances. Cash advances at Samudera Supermarket. Lucky Web, on Weather Station Hill, charges 4% commission.

Internet

3000-8000 riel per hr.