Sihanoukville travel guide
Island boats, Otres Beach and the mangroves of Ream
Sihanoukville is Cambodia's port city and the departure point for boats to Koh Rong and Koh Rong Samloem, with Otres Beach and Ream National Park nearby. Come between December and April for calm seas. One night, or two with a day in Ream, is plenty. Costs are low, and the visa can be bought online or on arrival.
Sihanoukville occupies a hilly peninsula on Cambodia's south-west coast, built from the 1950s around the country's only deep-water port. For most travellers it is the jumping-off point for Koh Rong and Koh Rong Samloem, and a single night is usual.
In the 1960s the new port drew Phnom Penh's jet set to its beaches and to the seven-storey Independence Hotel. The coup of 1970 and the war that followed ended that era. The hotel still stands above Independence Beach, which locals call 7-chan after its seven floors.
The last decade brought something else. Casinos and high-rises went up at great speed, and the city gained an international reputation for scam compounds and organised crime. Tourists are not the target, but ignore any unsolicited job offer and stick to the beach areas.
Of the beaches, Otres in the south-east is the one to pick for a quiet swim. Serendipity, the northern end of Ochheuteal Beach, has cheap seafood grills and cold beer on the sand. The catch: jet skis come close to swimmers there and bag snatching is common.
Ream National Park, east of town around the airport, has mangrove channels, forest and empty beaches. Closer in, the hilltop pagoda of Wat Leu looks out over the port and the islands.
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Top things to do in Sihanoukville
Island boats, a quiet beach at Otres, mangroves in Ream and the view from Wat Leu.
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Best time to visit Sihanoukville
Month by month, so you can pick the weather and the crowds you want.
Under 50 mm of rain a month from December to February, with the smoothest crossings to the islands.
Each month from June to September brings roughly 490 to 620 mm; storms are frequent and some boats are cancelled.
Book buses, boats and rooms early for Khmer New Year in mid-April and over New Year, when beach guesthouses sell out.
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Getting there
Small airport, the expressway and long-distance coaches
Most visitors come by road: the expressway from Phnom Penh takes two and a half to three hours, with buses from early morning to evening. Sihanouk International, 17 km east by taxi, is tiny and has flights from Siem Reap, Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur and southern China, not Phnom Penh. Check where your bus drops off.
- Airport taxi
- The only real option for the 17 km into town; agree the fare before you get in
- Bus from Phnom Penh
- 2.5 to 3 hours on the expressway, with departures from early morning to evening
- Operators
- Larryta, Mey Hong, Vibol, Giant Ibis and VET Air Bus Express, bookable online or at guesthouses
- Siem Reap or Ho Chi Minh City
- 10 to 12 hours by coach
- Rail
- Royal Railway from Phnom Penh via Kampot
- Reserve a bus seat a day ahead around national holidays.
- Ask your guesthouse to send a pickup to the bus station, which sidesteps the tuk-tuk rank's fixed high prices.
- Operators include Larryta, Mey Hong, Vibol, Giant Ibis and VET Air Bus Express.
- Coaches from Siem Reap or Ho Chi Minh City take 10 to 12 hours; the Royal Railway comes via Kampot.
Where to stay
Serendipity for the pier, Otres for a quiet night
Let the boat timetable decide: an early island crossing argues for a guesthouse near the pier at Serendipity, noisy and with petty theft on the sand, while a spare night is better at Otres, the quietest beach, away from casinos and jet skis. Independence Beach has larger hotels far from the boats.
- Serendipity
- Beach guesthouses a short walk from the island boats; noisy, with petty theft on the sand
- Ochheuteal Beach
- Long strip of hotels and evening seafood grills next to Serendipity; jet skis make swimming risky
- Otres Beach
- The quietest sand on the peninsula, south-east of the centre; a motodop ride from the pier and the bus station
- Independence Beach
- Larger hotels on the western shore below the old seven-storey Independence Hotel; far from the boats
- Book ahead if you arrive on a late flight or bus, because the cheapest rooms near Serendipity fill first.
Getting around
Motodops, tuk-tuks, taxis and scooters
Sihanoukville's beaches and centre are spread over a hilly peninsula, too far to walk in the heat. Motodops are the cheapest hop and carry two with bags. Tuk-tuks, among the pushiest in Cambodia, need firm bargaining. Car taxis called by phone charge fixed rates, often better for groups, and guesthouses rent scooters.
- Motodop
- The quickest and cheapest hop between beaches; fares rise at night
- Tuk-tuk
- Bus station to Serendipity should be a short, cheap ride by day; bargain firmly
- Car taxi
- Called by phone, fixed rate to most places in town
- Scooter hire
- Easy to arrange through guesthouses; bargain and use a lock
- Carry small notes for motodops, as drivers rarely have change late at night.
Know before you go
What makes Sihanoukville worth the trip, and what catches visitors out.
Why travelers love it
- A morning boat to Koh Rong or Koh Rong Samloem, the reason most people are here at all.
- Otres Beach at sunset, the calmest stretch of sand on the peninsula.
- A boat trip through Ream's mangroves, ending at a quiet beach in the national park.
- Dinner at Sandan, a training restaurant serving Khmer set menus of eight or 12 courses.
Good to know
- Jet skis are a real danger to swimmers at Ochheuteal and Serendipity, and tourists have been killed.
- Ignore job offers and approaches from strangers, given the city's scam-compound problem.
- Do not leave bags on the sand at Serendipity, where theft is common day and night.
Trip fit
BookingMentor editorial ratings out of 5, based on a first-time visitor's experience.
Weather in Sihanoukville, month by month
Sihanoukville is one of Cambodia's wettest places, with August rain near 617 mm. May highs reach around 33°C.
Climate figures are approximate long-term averages for Sihanoukville (World Meteorological Organization, via Wikipedia).
One night by Serendipity pier before the Koh Rong boat
Sihanoukville is usually one night on the way to Koh Rong or Koh Rong Samloem: an afternoon bus from Phnom Penh down the expressway, about three hours, a night near Serendipity, where the island boats leave, and a morning crossing. Buy the boat ticket the evening before and confirm which beach it stops at.
Flying in works the same way: a taxi from the airport, a night by the beach, the boat in the morning. If you land late, book a room in advance, because the cheapest beach guesthouses sell out at busy times such as New Year.
On the way back, do not book a flight or a long bus for the same afternoon. Crossings are delayed or cancelled in rough weather, especially between June and September, when the town gets more than 500 mm of rain a month. A spare night here costs less than a missed connection, and it buys you a sunset at Otres or a proper dinner in town.
Ochheuteal grills, Sandan's tasting menus and Street 208 breakfasts
Eat on the sand along Ochheuteal Beach, where huts at the Serendipity end grill fish, squid and meat in the evening with chips or rice and cold beer; keep your bag on your lap. For something more considered, Sandan, near 7 Makara Street, serves Cambodian tasting menus of eight or 12 courses while training young hospitality staff.
For something more considered, Sandan, a block south of 7 Makara Street and easy to find by its brightly lit mango tree, cooks Cambodian dishes and offers eight- or 12-course tasting menus while training young Cambodians for hospitality work. Starfish Bakery and Cafe on Street 208, about 100 m from 7 Makara Street, suits breakfast and lighter lunches.
The building boom of the last decade brought a wave of Chinese restaurants, and the town now has a surprisingly wide spread of cuisines for its size. If you are heading on to Koh Rong Samloem, Seapony Cafe in M'Pai Bai village serves breakfast and lunch every day except Tuesday.
Ream mangroves, Wat Leu and an Otres sunset
With a day to spare, head east to Ream National Park, which wraps around the airport. Boat trips run through the mangrove channels and end at one of the park's empty beaches, a sharp contrast to the high-rises in town. On the way back, go up to Wat Leu, the hilltop pagoda with a view over the port, the town and the islands offshore.
Finish at Otres Beach in the south-east for a swim and sunset. It is the quietest of the town beaches and free of the jet skis that make Ochheuteal risky for swimmers. Independence Beach, below the seven-storey Independence Hotel on the western side, is the other option, and a reminder of the 1960s heyday when Phnom Penh's elite came down for the weekend.
Plan the day around the weather. December to February is nearly dry, with 27 to 41 mm of rain a month and highs of 30 to 31C. From June to September each month brings roughly 500 to 600 mm, often in long downpours, and the islands may be cut off for a day or two. In the wet season, do Ream in the morning, before the afternoon storms build.
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How we research our Sihanoukville travel guide
Sihanoukville's airport, bus operators and island boats were checked against Cambodia's e-Visa portal and the sources below.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Quick answers to the questions travelers ask most before visiting Sihanoukville.
Getting there
About 2.5 to 3 hours, with Larryta, Mey Hong, Vibol, Giant Ibis and VET Air Bus Express among the operators, leaving from early morning to evening. The daily train via Kampot is the slower alternative; there are no flights from Phnom Penh.
In practice, yes: the airport is 17 km out on the edge of Ream and has no public transport worth relying on. Settle the fare before you set off.
Most visitors come by road: the expressway from Phnom Penh takes two and a half to three hours, with buses from early morning to evening. Sihanouk International, 17 km east by taxi, is tiny and has flights from Siem Reap, Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur and southern China, not Phnom Penh. Check where your bus drops off.
General
Only if you have time to fill. Otres Beach and the Ream mangroves make a good spare day, but most people move on to Koh Rong or Koh Rong Samloem the next morning.
Violent crime against tourists is rare, but petty theft on Serendipity is common and the city has a scam-compound problem. Ignore unsolicited job offers.
Otres Beach in the south-east is the quietest and has no jet skis. Ochheuteal and Serendipity are busier, and jet skis have killed swimmers there.
From the Serendipity area, which is why most island-bound travellers sleep there. Buy tickets the evening before and confirm the island stop.
Yes. Boat trips wind through the mangrove channels east of town, near the airport, and usually finish at one of the park's empty beaches. Go in the morning during the wet season.
Sihanoukville's beaches and centre are spread over a hilly peninsula, too far to walk in the heat. Motodops are the cheapest hop and carry two with bags. Tuk-tuks, among the pushiest in Cambodia, need firm bargaining.
Sihanoukville is best known for:
- A morning boat to Koh Rong or Koh Rong Samloem, the reason most people are here at all
- Otres Beach at sunset, the calmest stretch of sand on the peninsula
- A boat trip through Ream's mangroves, ending at a quiet beach in the national park
- Dinner at Sandan, a training restaurant serving Khmer set menus of eight or 12 courses
Let the boat timetable decide: an early island crossing argues for a guesthouse near the pier at Serendipity, noisy and with petty theft on the sand, while a spare night is better at Otres, the quietest beach, away from casinos and jet skis. Independence Beach has larger hotels far from the boats.
Timing & weather
December to April, when the weather is dry and the sea flat. From June to September storms can cancel boats.
Very wet. June to September each average roughly 500 to 600 mm of rain, and storms can cancel island boats for a day or two.
Prices & payment
Yes, drivers keep fares high through an association. Motodops are cheaper, phone taxis have fixed rates, and a guesthouse pickup avoids the bus-station rank.
Visa & documents
Cambodia requires a visa for most visitors. A 30-day tourist e-Visa can be applied for online on the official government portal, or obtained on arrival at international airports and main land borders. Citizens of most ASEAN countries are exempt.
