सिहाणौकविल्ले

See

The town doesn't offer much to see. The main areas of Sihanoukville of interest to tourists are Serendipity Beach, Otres Beach, Victory Beach, and the various islands off the coast.

Eat

Along the beaches, especially at Ochheuteal Beach, there are many food stalls and some restaurants serving grilled, meat, chicken, and seafood with chips/fries and a beer for US$3–4. There are a good many restaurants in town as well. Sihanoukville has a surprisingly diverse set of cuisines.

Sleep

thumb|Koh Ta Kiev Island - tree houses on the beach (Cambodia) Accommodation ranges from basic guest houses on the beach to four-star resorts. There are plenty of guesthouses, however, the cheapest guesthouses directly on the beach frequently sell out. Reservations are necessary at peak times such as at New Year. Due the extensive construction works in the city, any list of accommodation might be outdated. As of Sep 2919, it seems that most of the hotels aim at Chinese clientele.

Stay safe

Cambodia National Police: , Cambodia National Police, Sihanoukville Branch: , ,

While violent crime is extremely rare, purse snatching, pick-pocketing, and petty theft are extremely common occurrences on and near Serendipity beach during both the day and night. Women should not carry purses containing anything valuable, and if possible should not carry any purse at all. Groups of young children often surround women leaving the beach bars at night, cut off their purses and run away. In addition, criminals on motorbikes will often grab a woman's purse and then drive off during both the day and night, dragging the woman behind them until they let go. The majority of this activity is confined to the Serendipity area and travellers to Otres Beach or the rest of Sihanoukville should be careful, but far less concerned about crime.

Stay healthy

Medical services in Sihanoukville are very limited and basic. The best medical service is offered by the CT Clinic or Sihanoukville International Clinic. These are the only clinics trusted by expats who live in Sihanoukville. The public hospital should be avoided at all costs, as it is terrible. In case of major illness or injury evacuation is necessary.

HIV/AIDS is nowhere near as prevalent as it was, but the infection rate is still relatively high within certain high risk groups such as female sex workers. In 2016 the infection rate for brothel-based female sex workers was estimated to be 14.7%, but government initiatives have raised the rate of correct and consistent condom use to over 90%. However, many sex workers are now operating outside of brothels, so the rate could be significantly higher in this group.

Connect

Sihanoukville's area code is 034.

Go next

Bokor National Park – An abandoned French hill station near Kampot which was a popular destination in the 1920s Kampot Kep Koh Kong Koh Rong Koh Rung Sanloem Koh Russei Bangkok via Trat Thailand – Minibuses offer direct service for US$35 Ko Chang, Thailand – Minibuses offer direct service to the ferry crossing Siem Reap – 12 hr by day or overnight bus. The price is US$17–18 (2015) and they will not negotiate (probably due to cartel). If you take the night bus, they will force you to sleep next to a stranger on a small single bed. If you are a big person they may force you to pay double.