Sihanoukville

城市概覽

In a land with thousands of years of history, Sihanoukville is a colourful but tragic upstart. A joint French-Cambodian project carved a camp out of the jungle and started building the first deep-sea port in a newly independent Cambodia. Named Sihanoukville in 1964 after the ruling prince of Cambodia, the booming port and its golden beaches soon drew Cambodia's jet-setting elite, spawned the first Angkor brewery, and the modernist seven-story Independence Hotel which, claim locals, played host to Jacqueline Kennedy on her whirlwind tour of Cambodia in 1967. Alas, the party came to an abrupt end in 1970 when Sihanouk was deposed in a coup and Cambodia descended into civil war. The town, renamed Kompong Som, soon fell on hard times. The victorious Khmer Rouge used the Independence Hotel for target practice and, after they hijacked an American container ship, the port was bombed by the U.S. Air Force. Even after Pol Pot's regime was driven from power, the bumpy highway to the capital was long notorious for banditry and the beaches stayed empty. Peace returned in 1993 following historic elections organised by the United Nations Transitional Authority in Cambodia (UNTAC) and in the ensuing ten years Sihanoukville was busy picking up the pieces. First visited only by a few intrepid backpackers, guide books still talk of walls pockmarked by bullets, but any signs of war are hard to spot in today's Sihanoukville, whose new symbol seems to be the construction site. The Independence Hotel is up and running again, more and more Khmers and expats have settled down to run bars and restaurants, and the knowledge of what the New York Times dubbed "Asia's next trendsetting beach" is starting to spread. Sihanoukville has been transformed by Chinese investment; a flood of Chinese tourists and construction workers have arrived to turn it into a Chinese resort city full of casinos. As of 2020, over 90% of businesses in Sihanoukville are Chinese-owned. In the 2020, the town has also bec

如何抵達

By plane 1 Sihanouk International Airport (KOS IATA Sihanoukville Airport) (17 km east of the town, on the edge of Ream National Park). The airport is extremely small, unprepared for the influx of Chinese investments (and people). There is no place to sit on the landside (the landside is so small so that some of the check-in desks are outside). The main airlines are Air Cambodia, which serves Phnom Penh, Siem Reap and Ho Chi Minh City (Vietnam), and Air Asia, which serves Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia) and Phnom Penh. (updated Jan 2025) Getting there and away: The only way to get from/to the airport seems to be taxi. You can arrange a taxi from hotels in the center for around US$15. If coming from the airport to the city, you have to haggle hard to get this price.

By bus Frequent buses arrive in Sihanoukville from Phnom Penh (4-5 hr via National Road 4 or 2½-3 hr via Express Lane 4), Siem Reap (10-12 hr), Ho Chi Minh City (10-12 hr), and Bangkok.

Also Larryta Express, Mey Hong, Vibol Express, and Chan Molyroth operate daily bus services from Phnom Penh, taking 3-5 hr and costing US$10–15, depending on the quality of the bus and the number of stops. For a more premium ride, Giant Ibis has been known for their quality while the newer VET Air Bus Express offers a range of amenities such as WC, Wifi, onboard entertainment, snacks and drinks. The first buses leave Phnom Penh at 07:00, the last at 19:00. All buses arrive and depart from the bus station near the Central Market. Tickets can be booked at the bus company offices, travel agencies, many guesthouses and online ticketing sites such as 12Go.Asia or BookMeBus. In case of a national holiday, it is worth reserving a days in advance. Express Lane 4 between Phnom Penh and Sihanoukville is Cambodia's best road as of 2023. From Kampot, Champa Mekong Travel and Tours runs minivan 3 times daily (08:30, 10:30, 13:3), US$10 from their office in Kampot to their Sihanoukville office ("Champa Tourist Bus") next to the shipping

當地交通

Distances between the beaches are too long to walk comfortably, but getting around is easy, as the roads are wide and bike taxis (motodop) are everywhere. The standard price is US$1 per trip, although expect to haggle at night or if the distance is long. They'll gladly pile on two people and their luggage too. For larger groups, car taxis can be called by phone (fixed US$5 to most places around town). There are dozens of the ubiquitous tuk-tuks around the new bus station and the accommodation areas. They are some of the most persistent and over-charging drivers in Cambodia; they have formed an "association" for price fixing: a trip to the bus station, US$2 in Phnom Penh, costs US$3 if your bus company pays but they charge US$6 if you arrive at the bus station and want to go to the beach. If you have decided where you will stay it can help to call for a pick up. Even if it's not free, it may save you some overcharging. The ride from the new bus station to Serendipity Beach should cost no more than US$3 during the day. Another great choice to get around is to rent a scooter. Haggle a bit and you can get it for US$4 a day or more depending on the season. Fuel is not very cheap (about US$1.25 per litre) but can be bought at many roadside shacks. However, as of 2009, renting scooters to foreigners is illegal, and the police may stop and fine you.

必看景點

The town doesn't offer much to see. The main areas of Sihanoukville of interest to tourists are Serendipity Beach, Otres Beach, Victory Beach, and the various islands off the coast.

Beaches The main reason to visit Sihanoukville is the beaches. They are not as crowded as many of those in Thailand, but can be cramped on weekends and holidays. Like many beaches in Southeast Asia, they are often covered in a lot of rubbish.

Independence Beach (also known as 7-chan beach after the seven-storey Independence Hotel). Ochheuteal Beach (​ឆ្នេរអូឈើទៀល - Chnay Occheuteal). A long narrow strip of white sand beach in Sangkat No 3. The northern section has now become known as Serendipity Beach, a beach popular with Western tourists, noted for small guesthouses right on the beach. There are around 30 beach huts serving good value meals and a wide selection of drinks, a golf course development at the south end, and a cluster of mid-range hotels and restaurants in the middle. Grass umbrellas, rentable beach chairs, and little drink huts line the beach from one end to the other. Further south along the beach in front of the golf course development, a number of budget backpacker-oriented bar/restaurant/beach hangouts have sprung up offering chairs, umbrellas, drinks and a chilled-out atmosphere. Expect noise and exhaust fumes though from the numerous 2-stroke jet skis in the area. Swimming can be dangerous and several tourists have been killed by jet skis. (updated Sep 2016)

1 Otres Beach (SE of Serendipity and Ochheuteal Beaches). Amazing 4-km-long stretch of clean, white sands. Far less crowded and more relaxed than o