The best beach in Cambodia: Backpacking Sihanoukville

So i had a few more days to spare before i head to Phnom Penh for a while so i asked my good friend to join me to go the beach. Here's the schedule.

I wouldn't miss traveling' without heading for some beach action. Get set. Go. Book our bus again via Mekong Express onwards to Sihanoukville. Just in case you're coming from anywhere its best to jump start your trip to Sihanoukville via Phnom Penh as the bus we rode from Siem Reap stopped for a bit to head to Sihanoukville.

Photo Source here

Sihanoukville is located in the south of Cambodia. It is 185 kilometers (114.95 miles) southwest of Phnom Penh in a small Peninsula andBahia. Beaches are the main feature that attracts national and foreign visitors. A small archipelago is embedded by the Sihanoukville Bahia off its south and west coast. The commercial and international port is located at the north west. The limits of its territory: North and West Koh Kong province, East Kompot province and south Gulf of Thailand.

The problem with people going somewhere is they tend to compare. I did. If you'll ask me I'm quite disappointed as the beaches in the Philippines are way better. Although the thought of swimming in the foreign shores is quite exciting. If you're from the Philippines, i could compare Sihanoukville beaches as like that of Batangas, only the sand is whiter in Batangas.

Sihanoukville is a sleepy town. Really quiet, very provincial life. Tourists at the time when i went, July 2009, was scarce, it was the low season and most of the foreigners you see are those who happen to own the bars or those who prefer some quiet quality time like the swiss couple we met. 

We stayed in the same resort. Ate in the same restaurant. The next day we were walking along the beach and looking for a cheaper place to stay. I forgot our hotel but its in the Occheutal beach we paid roughly $10/night. Not bad at all for room sharing with two twin beds, air conditioning, ref, cable TV, your own bathroom and toilet, and on the quieter side so you can sleep soundly.


Most of the days were spent walking around hoping to find a cheaper place for our friends. There were heaps of hotels and guesthouses but nothing is better than our original hotel. They got it down to $9. We didn't. I have no idea why. 

Blame it on the low season but for someone like me and my friend to search for a cool place to have drinks and party, there was none we can find around the city center. The next day we went right in Victory beach and we found ourselves drinking to the sounds of Macarena. Awww. I miss it. We were four. The Swiss couple and my friend shared a bucket, i drank beer. My stomach wasn't good as i think i digested bad water in the hostel in Siem Reap. My bad. 


The transportation around Sihanoukville is mostly tuk-tuks with some occasional lancers like the owner of the guest house we stayed in. He gave us a ride towards Victory beach for a fair amount of deal. There's a couple of restaurants and bars but they are quite far from each other. Relatively its very quiet at night with only the sound of tuk tuk engines you can hear. We once went inside a club we rather not mention and found ourselves the only customer inside. So we left and headed back home. We managed to spent about  a few $ for nothing.


The Truth.
There's some issue going on with safety around Sihanoukville. There was supposedly an America guy drunk and was walking along the beach, the next day he was found dead and stabbed to death. So walking at night along Occheutal beach is strongly not advisable.

The next day we went for some tanning at the beach and ordered in one of the shacks some good lemon tea and burger with chips. Lo and behold i myself found a syringe on top of the table, used and left by everyone to see. What is the syringe for, i think you know.

So to tell you honestly, safety in Sihanoukville is an issue. If ever you're going make sure to go during the high season where backpackers are. And make sure to just enjoy the beach and do some more traveling' elsewhere like Kampot, etc.
Day 12 Still Rockin' Cambodia!

Next stop: Phnom Penh

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