SIHANOUKVILLE ATTRACTIONS

Sihanoukville (/siːˈhənʊkvɪl/; Khmer: ក្រុងព្រះសីហនុ, Krŏng Preăh Seihănŭ [kroŋ prĕəh səjhanuʔ]), also known as Kampong Som (Khmer: កំពង់សោម, Kâmpóng Saôm [kɑmpɔŋ saom]) is a coastal city in Cambodia and the capital of Preah Sihanouk Province, at the tip of an elevated peninsula in the country’s south-west on the Gulf of Thailand. The city is flanked by an almost uninterrupted string of beaches along its entire coastline and coastal marshlands bordering the Ream National Park in the east. The city has one navigable river, the mangrove lined Ou Trojak Jet running from Otres Pagoda to the sea at Otres. A number of thinly inhabited islands – under Sihanoukville’s administration – are near the city, where in recent years moderate development has helped to attract a sizable portion of Asia’s individual travelers, students, and backpackers. The city, which was named in honour of former king Norodom Sihanouk, had a population of around 89,800 people and approximately 66,700 in its urban center in 2008. Sihanoukville city encompasses the greater part of six communes (Sangkats) of Sihanoukville Province…….! 

GOLDEN LIONS ROUNDABOUT

Golden Lions Roundabout, Sihanoukville OverviewThe Golden Lions Monument is a prominent landmark in the city of Sihanoukville in Cambodia. Known as Vimean Tao Meas in the Khmer language, the monument consists of two golden lions, which symbolises Sihanoukville as a powerful province in Cambodia.It is located on a hill in the heart of the city in the roundabout between Sokha and Ochheuteal Beach and is hard to miss while exploring the city. In the evenings, the promenade around the monument attracts many locals and tourists who hang out in the restaurants nearby or shop from the street vendors selling small souvenirs to local street food.

REAM BEACH

The untouched beach of Ream is located in the Ream National Park. Take Route 4 to the Airport road 18km north of town. Turnright, go 9km to the ocean. The beach to the right is long and narrow and frequented more by fishermen than tourists. Behind the beach is a mangrove swamp, which attracts a wide variety of tropical birds. The beaches to the left nearer the Naval Base now have a few vendors selling drinks and renting tubes. There is a small $5 per night guesthouse run by the National Park. Check at the park HQ opposite the entrance to the airport.
The Ream Beach in Sihanoukville is the perfect place that takes you away from the crowded life of the town. Located on the outskirts it is almost a haven for nature lovers. It brings to you the best of creation and will surely captivate you to come back to it again and again. Located at the farthest end of the town, you have to travel almost 20 Km before you reach the Ream Beach of Sihanoukville…..!

OU CHHEU TEAL BEACH

Ochheuteal Beach, known as UNTAC Beach in the early 1990s and it is now the most popular in Sihanoukville, offering the full spectrum of beach venues from upscale hotels and dining to laid-back budget beach bars and bungalows. Ochheuteal is long, sandy and narrow, with ‘Serendipity Beach’ at the northern end, a golf-course development at the southern end, and a cluster of mid-range hotels and restaurants near the MP base in the middle. Grass umbrellas, rentable beach chairs and little drink huts line the beach from one end to the other. It offers several nice hotels including the Seaside and Crystal, the mid-range Holiday, as well as some of Sihanoukville’s better seafood restaurants, (Sea Dragon, Susaday, Sunshine and Les Feuilles), within walking distance of the hotels. Further south along the beach in front of the golf course develop-ment, a number of budget traveler/backpacker oriented bar/restaurant/beach hangouts have sprung up offering chairs, umbrellas, drinks and a chill-out atmosphere. At Ochheuteal’s extreme northern end, Serendipity Beach’ is the only beach in Sihanouk-ville to offer bungalows and guesthouse rooms right on the sand. Over the past two years Serendipity’s popularity has grown exponentially, as have the number of bungalows, hotels, and restaurants. 

OTRESS BEACH

Otres Beach is the next beach south of Ochheuteal Beach and resembles Ochheuteal in many ways – a three kilometer crescent of near white sand facing the southwest. But Otres is far less developed and touristed than Ochheuteal, offering a more leisurely, relaxed atmosphere, and caught the eye of Forbes this year, listed amongst the Top 22 Beaches in Asia. Though much of the beach was recently closed for a development project, more than a kilometer remains open and retains the same laid back feel. There are no hotels, spas or large restaurants on Otres, just a string of beach-shack bars, restaurants and bungalows stretching along the sand from the intersection to the new development project. Most all of the beach restaurants serve seafood and more, but each place has its own unique flavor. There are several bungalows and small guesthouses on the beach, most sitting right on the sand just a few meters from the water. Price and quality of the rooms and bungalows varies, so shop around for the room that best suits your budget and requirements. Bear in mind that the seclusion and lack of development that affords Otres its tranquil atmosphere also limits some services. After dark it can be difficult to travel between Otres and town.

KOH RONG ISLAND

Koh Rong (Koh Touch) Island is a Cambodian Island in the Gulf of Thailand, at about 40km off the coast of Sihanoukville. Actually, the island is deserted, undeveloped and untouched. It’s a secret island. But it will be soon one of the famous touristic destination of Cambodia. The island is certainly the most beautiful island of the Kompong Som Region. A snowdrift bay, covered by a crystal clear and turquoise water, stretches on several kilometers. At the center, a jungle with thousands of coconut palms and waterfalls invade the island. Paradise found on Koh Rong. It has two ferry options. The slow boat leaves 2-3 times daily and takes 2 1/2 hours. ($5/10$ round trip with open return as of February 2014). The fast boat takes 40 minutes-1 hour and leaves about twice daily. ($20 R/T with open return). Three of the fast boat companies have websites, these are Speedferrycambodia, Sea Cambodia and Buva Sea,  the websites have up to date information on destinations and timetables. The ferries are fairly basic and not very comfortable. The new high speed ferries are pretty comfortable, but often times more tickets than seats are sold, so make sure to show up early if you don’t want to stand for the hour long journey. Make sure you carry a hat and sunglasses for the ride, and use sunscreen if required. As of Feb 2014, water is not sold on the ferry and neither are snacks or other drinks. It may be a good idea to carry some with you, especially if you are travelling with children. There is a small toilet on board the ferry which seems to be clean and in decent working condition.

KOH RONG SANLEOM ISLAND

Koh Rong Sanloem (Khmer: កោះរ៉ុងសន្លឹម, Kaôh Rŏng Sânlœ̆m [kɑh.roŋ.sanlɨm]) is an island off the coast of Sihanoukville, Cambodia, 4 km (2 mi) south of Koh Rong island. It is around 9 km (6 mi) long (north to south), 4 km (2 mi) wide (east to west) and 1 km (1 mi) wide at its narrowest point. Its distance from the local port of Sihanoukville is 25 km (16 mi) (beeline) and 23 km (14 mi) (beeline) from the Serendipity/Ochheuteal beach pier. The word “Sanloem” translates to: 1. drowsiness and to: 2. far out and hard to discern, in a wider sense. Inconsistencies on how to spell the island’s name in its Latinized version date back to the 19th century. The first controversial spelling variants were issued by map makers during French rule. Alternatives have since become widespread and are in common usage. Koh Rong Sanloem is part of Koh Rong City and lies within Sihanoukville Province in Commune 5 (Koh Rong). Alongside its sister-island Koh Rong it has developed into a popular holiday destination for individual travelers. With respect to the island’s very tiny population, by 2014 the tourism sector became the core of the economy. In 1975 the crew of SS Mayaguez was shipped to Koh Rong Sanloem, detained and interrogated by Khmer Rouge soldiers during the Mayaguez incident.

KOH POS ISLAND (SNAKE ISLAND)

“Koh Pos is an island about 1 kilometer from Lomhe Kay beach, off the coast of Sihanoukville. The beach is flat and very quiet. It is attracts few visitors, because it is undeveloped. Those tourists who do visit the island travel in groups and bring their own food. This little beach is home to the rather oddly named Treasure Island Seafood Restaurant, and although not on an island, you can see islands and it’s certainly a treasure of a spot, with seafood that many an expat will tell you is the best in Sihanoukville.” The island of Poh Kos is situated 800 meters offshore from beach Ha-wai in Sihanoukville (Snake Island). The island is mostly preserved jungle habitat, providing a harmonious place for monkeys, king cobras, pythons and other poison snakes. On the north side of the island is a charming beach popular with fishermen who enjoyed swimming and relaxing after a hard days work. The island is mainly popular with the adventure tourist. Koh Pos is a little rocky but is convenient.
Very few Cambodia tour makers come here because it is still undeveloped. So those Cambodia tour makers visit Koh Pos (Snake Island) in groups and bring their own food during their Cambodia holiday.
The island is peacefully removed from the noise and congestion of everyday life, yet just a minute away over the private bridge from Sihanoukville, the third largest Cambodian city.

COCONUT ISLAND

Coconut Beach bungalow on Koh Rong offers you complete privacy, the preserved & unique Koh Rong island culture. Traveler are able to enjoy this peacefulness from their clean and completely private hardwood bungalows, located on the hill by the beach and offering extraordinary sea views. Each bungalow includes a large balcony with cushioned seating and table, ideal for an afternoon of reading or simply feeling the breeze and observing nature’s brilliance.

REAM NATIONAL PARK

The Ream National Park (Khmer: ឧទ្យានជាតិរាម), officially the Preah Sihanouk Ream National Park (Khmer: ឧទ្យានជាតិព្រះសីហនុរាម), is a national park of Cambodia located 18 km (11 mi) from the city of Sihanoukville in the Sihanoukville Municipality of the Sihanoukville Province in southwestern Cambodia. It was established in 1993, as the Cambodian government began to take action for the protection of the country’s threatened natural resources. The national park’s biological value is defined by its combination of rivers, forests, mangroves, estuaries, beaches, coral reefs, wildlife, and marine life. Ream National Park constitutes the south-east of Prey Nob district of the Sihanoukville Province bordering the Gulf of Thailand. The park encompasses 210 km² (81 sq mi), divided into 150 km² (58 sq mi) of terrestrial and 60 km² (23 sq mi) of marine habitats. The landscape of the park is mountainous with a range of habitats and ecosystems including mangrove forests, freshwater wetlands, sea grass beds, evergreen forests, beaches, coral reefs, rivers, and islands. The Park is divided by a freshwater river called the Prek Teuk Sap, which flows through the Park to the ocean. Land to the west of the river is dominated by two larger hills. These hills are separated by the Prek Sampouch watercourse. Located on the most western side of the park is Phnom Mollou. At a height of 277 m (909 ft), it is the highest peak within the Park. The other hill rises to a height of 196 m (643 ft). Between the hills and the estuary of the Prek Teuk Sap lies a narrow discontinuous belt of wetlands. These wetlands are protected by an even thinner band of degraded mangrove forest. The islands of Koh Thmei and Koh Seh comprise the eastern third of the park.

KBAL CHHAY WATERFALL

Kbal Chhay waterfall is located in Khan Prey Nup, about 16 kilometers north of the downtown Sihanoukville. To reach the site from Sihanoukville, take National Road 4 toward Phnom Penh. About 7 kilometers out side of town, there is a sign announcing the site. Turn left and go 9 kilometers along a trail. The water at Kbal Chhay comes from many sources along the mountain range, although only three of these sources are visible. The waterfall, which is 14 meters high, is at the point where those three sources joint. Kbal Chhay was discovered in 1960. Three years later, it was developed into a reservoir to supply clean water to the city of Sihanoukville. The reservoir construction, however, was interrupted due to civil war, and the site became a hide-out for the Khmer Rouge. In 1997, Kbal Chhay was marked for development, and a year later Kok An Company was awarded a contract to construct a road and develop the site for tourism.
Sihanoukville in Cambodia stands distinctly as one of the yet unexplored beach destinations in Asia. It holds the inspiring history of once ravaged by the political upheaval and bouncing back to life and fervor to become ?Asia?s next trendsetting beach? destination (as per the reputed New York Times). Sihanoukville formerly known as Kompong Som offers fabulous Sihanoukville Tourist Attractions that are sure to leave you simply flabbergasted. One of the must visit tourist attractions in Sihanoukville is Kbal Chhay Waterfalls in Sihanoukville which is known for its fascinating natural beauty.