Sihanoukville Province, Cambodia

Sihanoukville province is a small southern province of Cambodia. The capital sits on a peninsula with beaches and tropical islands around. Sihanoukville (also known as Kampong Som or Kampong Saom) was founded in 1964 to be the only deep-water port in whole Cambodia. It is gradually being redeveloped as a tourist attraction, but despite the promise of massive Malaysian investment - a casino is planned for Naga Island - tourist numbers are still fairly low. Also its nice with sand beaches and several paradise islands have made it popular as a tourist destination.

In honour to the king, who fought for the independency of Cambodia the provincial capital was called Sihanoukville. Located in the southwest corner of Cambodia, 232km from Phnom Penh, Sihanoukville can be reached via National Highway N° 4. White-sand beaches that include O’chheuteal, Sokha, Pram Pi Chan, and Deum Chrey beautify this coastal city. These beaches are known for their quiet, cosy atmosphere and the large stretches of white sand and clear waters and these make them popular spots for families on vacation. These seaside paradises with the refreshing coolness of the fresh water streams can be enjoyed all year round.

Business opportunities in Sihanoukville are varied from financial activities to tourist and travel-related industries in conjunction with the government’s objective of making Sihanoukville a major tourist destination besides its status as an International Offshore Financial Centre. The government welcomes both foreign as well as local investors to participate on a joint-venture basis.

This famous see side resort is formed by wide and huge streets and quite new big concrete buildings, which lost any impression of the former architectonical colonial style. As the town is not a small place due to it’s wide spread urban areas, the best way to get around is to hire a motorbike. Beside the nice beaches and some very nice vantage points there isn’t that much to see in the town itself. To catch a nice view on the city you best climb the small hill to Wat Leu. Wat Krom is another place of interest as this is a recently build pagoda, because the older one was destroyed by the Khmer Rouge and it houses a sanctuary called Yeah Mao, the guardian of the cost. Nearby to the town there are nice places for a detour such as the Ream National Park and the beautiful Kbal Chhay Waterfall.

Geography

Sihanoukville province is a very small province with 868 square kilometres surface. It’s located in the very South of the country and is bordering to the North with Koh Kong, to the East with Kampot and to the West and South with the beautiful Gulf of Thailand. Most parts of the province belong to the peninsula showing a hilly face with some scattered forested areas. Most parts of the province consist of the typical plain wet area for Cambodia, covering rice fields and other agricultural plantations. The northeast of the province end on the hill foods of the Bokor National Park, a relatively big mountain range, which in the end symbolize the southern end of the mighty Cardamom Mountains. The average altitude of the province is supposedly not higher than 40m above see level.

Population

The current population in this province is about 235,190 people or 1.6% of the country’s total population (14,363,519 person in Cambodia, 2007, provincial government data), with 117,250 male and 117,940 female. The population density is therefore 271 people per square kilometer

Climate

The country has a tropical climate - warm and humid. In the monsoon season, abundant rain allows for the cultivation of a wide variety of crops. This year-round tropical climate makes Cambodia ideal for developing tourism. Travellers need not to fear natural disasters such as erupting volcanoes or earthquakes, and the country is not directly affected by tropical storms.

Climate: Cambodia can be visited throughout the year. However, those plans to travel extensively by road should be avoided the last two months of the rainy season when some countryside roads may be impassable. The average temperature is about 27 degrees Celsius; the minimum temperature is about 16 degrees. December and January are the coolest months, whereas the hottest is April.

General information about the provincial climate:

- Cool season: November- March (20-28c)
- Hot season: March- May (26c -35c)
- Rainy season: May - October (24-34c, with humidity up to 90%.)

The best beach weather begins with the end of the rains in November. The dry, warm, breezy weather that follows lasts through January. Night temperatures can get down to a chilly 20° but the days hover around 28°-30°. Many think December and January are best with their balmy temperatures and blue skies.
At the end of January, Sihanoukville begins to warm and continues to get hotter through July (maximum 35°). After February, cool ’mango showers’ occasionally blow in from the north. December through June is said by some local outfitters to be the best scuba weather with clearer (though cooler) waters than the rest of the year.

How to get there?

General Information:
As Sihanoukville improves a lot in parts of trade, tourist business and other sectors, the road to Phnom Penh had to be rebuild properly. Now you can run the perfectly paved National Highway No 4 linking the capital with this seaside resort (230km). The province could also be entered directly through Koh Kong Province from nearby Thailand, as more and more tourists do. It’s doable either by the bumpy Major Road 48 passing the edge of the Cardamom Mountains or by speedboat from Koh Kong town, next to the Thai border.

Bus/Minivan:
To & From Phnom Penh:
Bus relatively comfortable; a/c buses depart Phnom Penh several times per day (starting from 7am to 1pm). The price is around 12,000R -16,000R for the 4 hours ride. The buses start mostly at the southwest corner of the Central Market (Phsar Thmey). In Sihanoukville, all buses arrive and depart from the central bus station on Street 108.

Minivans and guesthouse buses like from the re-known Capitol Guesthouse in Phnom Penh is running daily minivans to Sihanoukville. Departs Phnom Penh at 7:1am. 14,000 riel one-way. Buying a round trip ticket will grant you a little discount. In Sihanoukville contact Capitol Tours on Ekareach in the middle of downtown. SHV to PP departs at 12:30pm.

Share Taxis:
Most share taxis depart Phnom Penh before 10:00am, though you can still find one into the mid afternoon. The price varies between $3-5/person. Shared taxis offer a cramped and harrowing 2 1⁄2-3 1⁄2 - hour ride with 8 or more people stuffed in a compact car. Private taxis run about $20-$25. In Phnom Penh taxis wait at the southwest corner of the Central Market (Phsar Thmey). In Sihanoukville, Phnom Penh bound taxies wait on Street 108.

Boats:
There are daily boats departing from Sihanoukville (500Baht, 4 hours) around noon for Krong Koh Kong. Most foreigners are unfortunately asked to pay 600Baht or $15. It’s worth the tour as you pass by some virgin beaches and nice costal formations.

Motorbike Info:
It is a 230 km, 4-5 hour trip on NH No 4. 200cc minimum. Rent motorcycles at Lucky Lucky Motorcycle on Monivong, near Street 184 in Phnom Penh or at Angkor Motorcycles on street 51 near the famous Walkabout Bar. Fast, easy, but still relatively dangerous road. Speeding taxis and reckless Lorries are the norm. Slow down through the villages, watch for slow animals and oblivious children. By all means wear a helmet and bear in mind that medical help and rescue is virtually non-existent in the countryside.

Air:
There has been a slight rumour in recent years, that the 13km airport near Ream has been renovated, but there are still no scheduled flights to Siem Reap for the temples-beach combo tour.

Province Travel Guides in Cambodia

Siem Reap City |Phnom Penh City|Kampong Thom Province|Kampong Chhnang Province|Kampong Cham Province| Battambang province| Banteay Meanchey Province|Kep City |Kratie province|Mondulkiri Province|Kandal Province|Koh Kong Province|Prey Veng Province|Oddor Meanchey Province|Pailin City Province|Sihanoukville Province|Takeo province|Preah Vihear Province|Kampot province|Ratanakiri Province|Pursat Province|