Sihanouk Ville
Perhaps beach is not what first comes to mind of most
travelers who visit Cambodia. Many tourists know
Cambodia through its magnificent temple ruins of Angkor,
the Killing Field, and the sprawling capital of Phnom
Penh. Indeed, the country boasts many pristine beaches
on its southern coast. Among them is Sihanoukville, a
small beach town about 3 hour drive south of Phnom Penh.
Sihanoukville was developed from the jungle into the
country the first and only deepwater port in late 1950s.
The original name of the city, Kampong Som, was changed
to the present one in honor of the king Situated 230 km
southwest of Phnom Penh, Sihanoukville is surrounded by
palm-fringed sandy beaches and pristine tropical islands
off its south and west coast. The most popular beaches
are Occheuteal, Sokha, Independence and Victory. From
here, you can go island hopping, diving, snorkeling and
game fishing at the islands nearby (it is recommended
that you use the tour service from a reliable shop). To
spice up the flavor of the trip, visitors here should
not miss a wide selection of seafood at any fine seaside
or hill top restaurants while enjoying the scenic view
of the sun setting from the horizon.
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Kbal Chhay Waterfalls
Essentially, Kbal Chhay is a collection of 3m to 5m high
waterfalls situated on the Prek Tuk Sap River and 30
minutes away from Sihanoukville. It’s not such a great
idea to visit the waterfalls in the dry season (November
till June) as their almost non-existent during this
time. The usual drink and food stands, and covered
picnic areas are available. From Sihanoukville, take
Route 4 north and turnoff at mile marker 217.Koh Pos Resort
Description: Is the quiet island with white sand and
locating at one –Kilometer distance from the beach. This
island has not many tourists because the island has not
been developed yet. Most tourists, who visit the island,
usually as group, need to bring along their food.
Koh Tunsay Resort
Description: A natural resort located 4.5km southeast of
Kep City, Koh Tunsay, with its two white sand beaches
and shallow water provides an excellent location for
swimming. In the sea you will find many different kinds
of fish, plants and corals, making this a most
interesting location for ecological research and scuba
diving. The island covers two-square kilometres of land
area and has many unique and attractive features that
include tourist infrastructure built during the reign of
His Majesty Preah Bat Samdech Preah Norodom Sihanouk.
Koh Rong Samlem & Koh Kon
Koh
Rong Samlem is the best island to head towards on a day
trip (takes 2 hours to get there), it has nine decent
beaches including some sheltered ones on its north side
near to Koh Kon. There are some pretty good reefs around
the island harbor sporting a variety of sea life in both
shallow and deep water, making it a decent spot for
divers and snorkelers alike.
Ream National Park
Known
as Ream because of its location in the Ream commune, its
official name is Preah Sihanouk National Park. The park
has now been operational for ten years and covers an
expanse of 21,000 hectares (which includes sandy
beaches, mangrove forests, the Prek Tuk Sap estuary,
offshore reefs, and the islands of Koh Thmei and Koh Ses).
Dolphins, hundreds of bird species and many different
animals (such as mouse deer and pangolin) can be seen in
the park. It is best to arrange a guided tour, as the
park isn’t well developed and this isn’t hard to do as
you can book a jungle walk or boat trip at the park
office (located 23km north of Sihanoukville and 500m off
Route 4 on the Airport Road). The office is open from
7AM to 5PM every day (Tel: 012 875 096). English
speaking guides are available. Standard set programs are
offered, although the itineraries can be altered to
suite individual or group interests. There’s a good
chance that your guesthouse in Sihanoukville will be
able to arrange transport and tours of the park as well.
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