With its beaches and casinos, Sihanoukville is primarily a tourist attraction, though one with an industrial deepwater port. Because of the tourist industry, the town has a more lighthearted flavour to it than Phnom Penh. Situated on the eastern part of the Gulf of Thailand, Sihanoukville is a peninsula and has several beaches and small, offshore islands. It was founded in 1964 and is much more urban and modern than other Cambodian cities.
Considering the modest amount of visitors Sihanoukville has, the town features more than ample hotels, restaurants and bars. With its 5 beaches and 3 islands to relax on, Sihanoukville provides a peaceful counterpoint to Thailand's sometimes crowded beaches.
Away from the hustle south of town is relaxed Otres Beach, where cheap bungalow joints and bohemian-flavoured guesthouses are now neighbours with rather swish boutique resorts. Although much of the beachfront will likely be cleared for large-scale development in the future, for now the mellow scene still allows for lazy days of sunbathing and whirlwind nights of bar-hopping.
0 Comments