Sihanoukville

Independence Beach gets its name from the deserted hulk of the 7 -storey Independence Hotel at the north end. Locals call this beach 'otel bram-pil chann (hotel 7-stories). It is labeled '7-Chann Beach' on the in-town street sign. Independence is more than a kilometer long, but the sandy area is much narrower making the beach best when the tide is low. The beach is wider and more tourists toward the northwest end near a small fresh water lake (which is the source of the town's fresh water and is rumored to contain crocodiles). At the other end is the beach's only hotel, Sea Breeze. Grass umbrellas and drink vendors only hotel, Sea Breeze. Grass umbrellas and drink vendors now line the beach from end to end but it is still much less frequented than other beaches. The road up to the old Independence Hotel is often frequented by a small troop of Rhesus monkeys but is currently closed while the hotel is undergoing renovation.

 

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Deum Chhrey Beach is located in fornt of the City Hall. Few tourists swim here because there is a big restaurant nearby. It is popular with tourists who like walk along the beach, however, because there is a picturesque park filled with statues, making site popular with photographers.

 

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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.

 

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Koh Pors is an island about 1 kilometer from Lomhe Kay beach, off the coast of Sihanoukville. The beach is flat and very quiet. It is attrachs few visitors, because it is undeveloped. Those tourists who do visit the island travel in groups and bring their own food.

 

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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. The beach now offers several mid-range and budget places including Coasters' well-known bungalows, Uncle Bob's 24-hour restaurant and budget rooms, and The Beach’s mid-range rooms. There are also places popping up on the hill just above the Serendipity such as Diamond Guesthouse and closer to the traffic circle, Sanctuary Bar and Guesthouse. To get to Serendipity Beach follow Ekareach Street straight through the Golden Lion Traffic Circle and UP and over the hill.

 

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Phnom Leu is a nature and cultural site. There is a pagoda on the mountaintop, which offer visitors a panoramic view of the beaches and Sihanoukville international port. Most visitors are local people who visit the site during national festivals.

 

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Though not untouristed, the Ream Beaches see far fewer visitors than Sihanouk ville beaches. Located in the Ream National Park. Take Route 4 to the Airport road 18km north of town. Turn right, 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.

Ream National Park

Ream National Park, It is always called Preah Sihanouk National Park, the park has become known as “Ream” because it stays in the Ream commune. It was built in 1993, inaugurated in March 1995, and encompasses 21,000 ' hectares with sandy beaches, mangrove forests, the Prek Tuk Sap estuary, off-shore coral reefs and two islands (Koh Thmei and Koh Ses). Visitors may see macaques, sun bear, dolphins, over 155 species of birds, and other animals. Park facilities are not fully developed so it is best to arrange a guided tour such as a jungle walk or a boat trip at the Park Office (located 18 km north of Sihanoukville, 500m off Route 4 on Airport Road, opposite the entrance to the airport). The office is open 7 days per week 7 AM to 5PM and there are usually several guides of varying linguistic skill levels on hand. Park Office phone: 012-875096. Several guesthouses in Sihanoukville can arrange transportation and tours of the park.

Sokha or Serendipity Beach

Sokha Beach adjoins O'Cheuteal Beach. It is also long though the water is deeper than here. The beach was once more crowded than O'Cheuteal Beach, because Cambodians prefer it to the other beaches. However, Oknha Sok Kung's Sokha Hotel Company recently took over operations at the beach. The company is building up the area in hope of attracting more tourists to Sihanoukville.

Vistory Beach or Lomhe Kay

The beach is located in front of Koh Pors (Snake Island). It offers a number of services, including comfortable restrooms, fresh water and good transportation service to Koh Pors. Thus, many local and international visitors go to this beach. There are many well organized kiosks along the beach, the waves are not big, and invironment is clean.

 

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Wat Krom is located in Road Sanntipheap, Sangkat 3, Khan Miatpheap, about 3 kilometers (5mn) from Provincial Town.

 

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Wat Leu is located in Road No.24, Sangkat 1, Khan Miatpheap, about 6 kilometes (10mn) from Provincial Town.