What happened
Sihanoukville is a largely growing city on the Southern coast of Cambodia. What once used to be a nice town is now a huge construction zone. The roads are definitely struggling under the weight of so many construction vehicles and there doesn’t seem to be many regulations. As we walked along Otres Beach on our recent trip to Cambodia for sunset, all we could think about was the annoying spotlights coming from the nearby casino.
Huge hotels are being built up and casinos are emerging from what seems to be every possible spot. This is mostly due to the Chinese investment. The laws in Cambodia relating to gambling are quite a bit looser than those of China and the Chinese are using it to their advantage. Even though Chinese can gamble in Sihanoukville, the local Cambodians can’t.
And while the construction may be providing jobs for some of the locals, the Chinese are bringing in most of their own workers. Rent has also significantly risen. Our Indonesian friends living in Sihanoukville are struggling to afford a home they used to live in at ease. And the preschool they have may not continue much longer. The Chinese want to buy the building, probably to turn into another casino or Chinese restaurant.
This has happened with many other businesses and houses too. Since the Chinese are willing to pay a lot, some locals are giving in, thinking that the money may help their families.
But is it benefiting other residents, tourists or the environment? No, no, and no.
Thankfully, there are ways you can escape the madness quite easily. Here are 2 tested ideas!
Islands
Before visiting Sihanoukville, many friends had warned us about the situation in Sihanoukville. Because of that, we were planning on spending a night or 2 on one of the islands off the coast. It didn’t end up working out logistically, but we did have the opportunity to day trip out to Koh Rong Samloem.
Koh Rong Samloem is a big island, but the only developed parts are around the coast. There are no cars or even motorcycles because there aren’t roads. It’s easy to book a ferry once you are there. Some boats to Koh Rong Samloem can take around an hour, but ours took just over 30 minutes. If you are day tripping, take the earliest ferry time available. You’ll want plenty of time to relax on the beautiful island. The boats will drop you off at Saracen Bay. Grab a bite for breakfast at one of the few restaurants and play volleyball on the white sand beach.
Another great beach on Koh Rong Samloem is Lazy Beach. It is located on the opposite side of the island and is accessible via a 30 minute jungle walk. It’s quite easy and can be done in flip flops. Some fun things to do at Lazy Beach include snorkeling and swimming- the water is a nice temperature and perfectly clear. There are a couple spots where you can rent snorkel gear along the beach.
After some snorkelling we had lunch at the restaurant on Lazy Beach, then headed back to Saracen bay to wait for the ferry. If you have time, I would recommend staying a night or 2 on Koh Rong Samloem. There are also several other islands like Koh Rong, Koh Rong Samloem’s bigger brother. If you are looking for a more remote island, I would recommend Koh Ta Kiev. There is no wifi and only a couple bungalows and lodges to choose from.
Otres Beach
The main and cleanest beach in Sihanoukville, Otres Beach may well be the only bit of paradise left in the city. Although parts of the beach are overlooked by huge hotels and casinos, there are still some stretches of the beach that have yet to be changed too drastically. Head over to Otres 1 to enjoy a nice sunset or to sip on a coconut.
The right accommodation: where to stay
Finding the right accommodation in Sihanoukville is a huge part of avoiding the madness of the city. We stayed at Papa Pippo. They have 2 locations- one right on Otres 1 and another (the one we stayed at) more inland but within easy walking distance of the beach. The one we stayed at had a nice pool and it almost felt like we were in a different place. I say almost because the electricity went off a couple of times due to all the construction in the city.
We had lunch at the other location once and it looked nice as well. It doesn’t have a pool, but has direct access to the beach. Both locations have delicious Italian restaurants. Be sure to try the gelato, gnocchi, and pizza.
Book a bungalow at the New Papa Pippo Resort- right here!
Final thoughts
Overall, we all really enjoyed our stay in Sihanoukville despite all the problems the city has at the moment. So don’t skip it because of all the bad reviews, just stay on an island instead or at a nice resort like Papa Pippo.
Read more: 7 awesome experiences in Cambodia
PIN IT!
