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SIHANOUKVILLE -
THE PRISTINE BEACH OF CAMBODIA
Sihanoukville's white sand beaches and warm Gulf
of Thailand waters combine with a laid back, beachy
atmosphere to provide a great little tropical
getaway. Sihanoukville is a place to unwind by the
beach, enjoy the fresh from-the-ocean seafood, take
in a snorkeling or island trip or some scuba
diving... generally slow-down, lay back and
chill-out.
Sihanoukville has a different look and feel than
most Cambodian towns. Constructed as a port city in
the late 1950s, the town is much newer, more urban
and cosmopolitan than most Cambodian provincial
cities. Nowadays, Sihanoukville is as much a beach
town as it is a port town, catering to beach-going
weekenders from Phnom Penh as well as a steadily
increasing number of foreign visitors. Still, the
pace of life in Sihanoukville is very relaxed. Cows
occasionally wander the main road, outside town
foreign faces draw smiles and curious stares, and
most of the beaches offer only beach umbrellas,
thatched roofed eateries, and a growing number of
restaurants, bungalows and hotels.
Sihanoukville has a more than ample supply of
accommodations, including a 5-star resort complex on
Sokha Beach, several mid-range places downtown and
at the beaches, a few 'upscale' three-star hotels,
and dozens of budget guesthouses, especially on
Weather Station Hill (Victory Hill). Considering the
moderate number of visitors to Sihanoukville, the
town offers a surprising number and variety of
restaurants and bars. Fresh seafood, especially
crab, prawns and ocean fish, has always been one of
the town's biggest draws, but there is also a wide
variety of places offering foreign cuisines -
Australian, French, Indian, German, Sri Lankan,
British, Italian, pizza places, a couple of western
bakeries and even a espresso coffee shop. And these
days Sihanoukville offers a pretty good night life
as well with a wide variety of bars staying open
well into the wee hours, especially on Weather
Station Hill, in the downtown area, and the beach
bars on Ochheuteal, ‘Serendipity’ and Victory
Beaches
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