Cambodia
Sihanoukville
Cambodia's gateway to its best islands, with Otres Beach the quiet reason to stay a night.
Cambodia's main deep-water port and the mainland jump-off for ferries to Koh Rong and Koh Rong Sanloem, Sihanoukville was remade after 2017 by a Chinese-funded casino and tower boom that left a skyline of half-finished and abandoned high-rises. Today most travellers pass through for a night on the way to the islands, while those who linger head south to Otres Beach, still the calmest stretch of mainland sand, and out to the mangroves of Ream National Park.
Suggested stay
1–3 days
Language
Khmer
Currency
KHR
Timezone
UTC+7
Why you'll love Sihanoukville
Island gateway fast boats run daily to Koh Rong, Koh Rong Sanloem and the quieter Koh Ta Kiev, under an hour away.
Otres Beach a long, swimmable stretch south of town with far fewer crowds than the city beaches and cheap beach bungalows.
Ream National Park mangrove channels, forest trails and empty coastline a short ride from town.
Hilltop views the old temple on the town's hill looks out over the port and the sea.
Best time to visit
Nov-Feb
Beach season · 31-32° days
10.622° N, 103.522° E
UTC+7 · Asia/Phnom Penh
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Weather & when to go to Sihanoukville
Month by month: typical highs and lows, rainfall and rain days.
✓ Best Nov-Feb
Conditions Jan Beach season · Feb Dry & calm · Mar Hot & humid · Apr Extreme heat · May Monsoon starts · Jun Heavy rain · Jul Monsoon · Aug Heavy rain · Sep Monsoon peak · Oct Heavy rain · Nov Seas calming · Dec Beach season
Watch for Jul-Oct typhoons risk · Jul-Oct monsoon flooding risk
Cards tinted by verified verdict · big number = typical daily high, small = low · hover for conditions
When to avoid Sihanoukville
Apr-Oct brings peak heat then monsoon seas that cancel boats, and year-round the town centre is a messy sprawl of casino towers, half-built shells and construction with litter on the busier beaches.
Top things to do in Sihanoukville
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Otres Beach - swim the quieter southern sands
scenic 👍 PopularThe beach is still the best in town, and the 2 km stretch between Otres 1 and Otres 2 remains largely empty. Otres 1 is the more built-up end, with guesthouses and beach bars like Otres Corner, while Otres 2 is calmer. Expect half-built towers and some litter behind the sand since the post-2019 megaproject sprawl.
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Ream National Park - mangrove boat trip on the Prek Tuk Sap estuary
nature wildlife ⭐ Highly recommended18 km east of the city, the park takes in mangroves, the Prek Tuk Sap estuary, beaches and offshore islands. The river boat trip is the most popular outing and the best chance of spotting wildlife. There is no entry fee: parking is about USD 1, a hiking guide USD 2-3 per person and a boat trip around USD 6-7. A round-trip taxi with waiting runs about USD 50, and it is best visited Nov-Apr.
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Wat Leu - sunset over the city from the hilltop pagoda
culture arts scenic 👍 PopularThis forested hilltop temple sits 1.5 km northwest of the centre, with a three-headed white elephant, a huge black Buddha and views over the casino skyline to the coast. Come at sunset, and dress for a working pagoda.
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Psar Leu market - the city's everyday Khmer market
food shoppingSihanoukville's main local market has fresh seafood, produce, dried fish and household goods, with snack stalls priced in riel (KHR 2000-6000 for small bites). It is a more local experience than the beach strips, and you bargain for goods.
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Kbal Chhay waterfalls - a wet-season cascade outside town
nature wildlifeThese falls are about 16 km out of the city, the last 9 km on a dirt track, so arrange a driver. They are worth the trip in the wet season (Jul-Oct) and nearly dry up in the dry season. There is a small admission fee, and an optional water-slide park nearby charges about USD 30.
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Tumnob Rolok fishing village - wooden boats and the morning catch
culture arts off beaten pathA working fishing community on the northern shore by Hun Sen Beach, with wooden boats and docks where the catch comes in. Go early in the morning in the cool months (Nov-Feb), by tuk-tuk or taxi, and treat it as a living village rather than a show.
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Golden Lions roundabout and the Preah Thong statue - the city's landmarks
history culture artsThe Golden Lions roundabout is the old symbol of the city, and the 1985 Independence Monument stands on Ekareach Street toward Victory Hill. The newest landmark is the 27 m copper statue of Preah Thong and Neang Neak at the Ream Beach roundabout. Put up in 2022, it is Cambodia's largest copper statue, honouring the nation's founding legend.
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Eat your way around Sihanoukville - amok, crab and grilled seafood
foodSandan on Serendipity Beach is a training restaurant for at-risk youth that serves fish amok, banana blossom salad and beef curry at modest prices. The Secret Garden on Otres 2 does red Khmer curry right on the sand. Treasure Island and Chhe Meas are local picks for seafood, and cheap Otres shacks serve lok lak and amok for around USD 3-5.
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Koh Tang and Koh Prins - overnight dive trips to the outer islands
adventureCambodia's best visibility (often 20 m+) is at Koh Tang and Koh Prins, 4-5 hours offshore, reached on 1-2 night dive safaris (about 5 dives for 1 night, 8 dives for 2). Most dive shops now base themselves on Koh Rong Sanloem, so check where the boat leaves from. Scuba Nation is still PADI-listed in Preah Sihanouk.
Best areas to stay in Sihanoukville
$ Budget $$ Mid-range $$$ Premium
Otres 2
Beach-first slow travellers $Quiet southern beach, low-rise guesthouses, cleanest water
Explore hotels in Otres 2 →
Serendipity and Ochheuteal
Island-bound backpackers $Ferry-pier hub, hostels, bars, murky water
Explore hotels in Serendipity and Ochheuteal →
Live nightly prices from Booking.com, Agoda and others, centred on Sihanoukville
Getting to & around Sihanoukville
Getting there
Fly into KOS 25 km out, or ride the expressway bus about 4 hr from Phnom Penh
Flight
Sihanouk International Airport (KOS)
25 km (about 35 min) to town: airport taxi from the arrivals counter around USD 25, Grab or PassApp from about USD 15 when a driver turns up, or a slower tuk-tuk for USD 7-20; there is no public bus or shuttle.
Coach
Operator offices in town (Giant Ibis, Larryta, Virak Buntham)
Phnom Penh to Sihanoukville is about 240 km on the expressway, roughly 4 hr, from about USD 12; premium Giant Ibis seats cost more. No direct bus from Techo International (KTI), so connect via central Phnom Penh.
Train
Sihanoukville railway station
Royal Railway's southern line from Phnom Penh via Takeo, Kampot and Kep, about 6.5-8 hr, roughly USD 9-12; check the Royal Railway Facebook page for the current timetable.
Flights
Sihanouk International Airport (KOS)
Direct flights from Kuala Lumpur and Ho Chi Minh City, a daily Cambodia Airways hop from Siem Reap (from June 2026), plus seasonal Chinese routes; the Phnom Penh link is patchy, so most visitors from the capital take the bus.
Coach
Operator offices in town
Minivans from Kampot run about 2-3 hr for USD 5-12 (Champa Tourist Bus, Kampot Transports).
Getting around
Rideshare tuk-tuk (Grab/PassApp)
Fixed app fares sidestep street tuk-tuks' inflated, negotiated prices.
USD 1.50-3
Street tuk-tuk
Agree the fare before getting in; prices run higher here than elsewhere in Cambodia.
USD 3-6
Island ferry
Speedboats to Koh Rong and Koh Rong Sanloem take 30-60 min; book a day ahead in high season.
USD 14
Day trips from Sihanoukville
Koh Rong Sanloem
1-2 daysIsland beaches
The quieter of the two big islands, with white-sand Saracen Bay and M'Pai Bay; doable as a long day but better overnight.
Getting there
ferry
45 min by speed ferry
Koh Rong
1-2 daysIsland beaches
The larger, livelier island with Long Set Beach and Koh Touch's backpacker strip; plankton glows on night swims.
Getting there
ferry
30-60 min by speed ferry
Ream National Park
Half dayMangroves and beaches
About 18 km from town: boat trips through mangrove channels to quiet beaches, with good birdwatching.
Getting there
car | tour
30 min by tuk-tuk or car, then boat
Koh Ta Kiev
Full dayRustic island
Undeveloped jungle island with hammock-strung beach camps and almost no roads, a short hop from Otres.
Getting there
ferry
30 min by boat from Otres Beach
Kampot
Full dayRiverside pepper town
Colonial riverside town known for its pepper farms and Bokor Mountain; tours combine the two, or catch a minivan and stay over.
Getting there
bus | train | tour
2-3 hr by minivan or train
A little history of Sihanoukville
Sihanoukville is a young city. Until the mid-1950s this stretch of coast was little more than fishing villages, and Cambodia's trade ran through the shallow port at Kampot or down the Mekong through Vietnam. After independence, a French-funded deep-water port at Kampong Som (with a US-financed road to Phnom Penh) gave the country its own outlet to the sea; the town was renamed in honour of Norodom Sihanouk in the late 1950s, reverted to Kampong Som after the 1970 coup and took the Sihanouk name back in 1993. In May 1975, weeks after the Khmer Rouge took power, the seizure of the US container ship Mayaguez offshore led to a deadly US Marine assault on Koh Tang island.
From the 2000s the town became a backpacker beach stop on Serendipity, Otres and Victory beaches. Between roughly 2016 and 2019 Chinese investment turned it into a casino and construction boomtown, a run that ended with a deadly building collapse in June 2019 and a ban on online gambling announced that August, after which tens of thousands of Chinese workers left and many towers were abandoned half-built. Since then the city has been tied to online scam compounds, and Cambodian crackdowns through 2025 and into 2026 have had mixed results, while the 2022 expressway cut the drive from Phnom Penh to around two hours by car.
Construction begins on Cambodia's first deep-water port at Kampong Som, funded by France; it was inaugurated in 1960.
Kampong Som is renamed Sihanoukville in honour of Norodom Sihanouk; the name switches back to Kampong Som after the 1970 coup and is restored in 1993.
The Khmer Rouge seize the US ship SS Mayaguez on 12 May; the US Marine assault on Koh Tang on 15 May leaves dozens of US servicemen dead.
A Chinese-owned building under construction collapses on 22 June, killing at least 24 people, mostly construction workers; on 18 August the government announces it will end online gambling licences, triggering a mass departure of Chinese workers.
The Chinese-built Phnom Penh-Sihanoukville Expressway opens on 1 October, cutting the road trip from about five hours to around two.
Cambodian authorities step up raids on online scam compounds, with Amnesty International identifying 22 scam sites in and around the city.
What Sihanoukville costs
Per person, per day
Shoestring
$25–40 USD /day
≈$25–40 USD
Otres dorm beds run about USD 4-8, street and market meals KHR 6000-10000 (about USD 1.50-2.50), local beer USD 1-2, short tuk-tuk hops USD 2-5; low-season (May-Oct) rates drop a further 10-20%.
Midrange
$55–95 USD /day
≈$55–95 USD
A comfortable guesthouse or hotel room around Ochheuteal or Otres at USD 30-70, sit-down restaurant meals USD 5-10, a USD 20 day of tuk-tuk hire or an island boat trip spread across the stay.
Comfort
$130–260 USD /day
≈$130–260 USD
Beachfront resorts at USD 90-180 a night, Western dining and cocktails, private drivers and fast-boat transfers to Koh Rong or Koh Rong Samloem.
Prices are planning estimates.
Know before you go
Payment
Cash preferred
English
Widely spoken
Wifi
Workable
~25 Mbps
Power
Type A / B / C / F / G
230 V, 50 Hz
Dialing
+855
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Monsoon flooding risk in this window; check current conditions before you go.
The months our climate read flags to avoid: the wettest, lowest-rated weather of the year.
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FAQs about Sihanoukville
▸ When is the best time to visit Sihanoukville?
Nov-Mar is the dry season and the best time to visit, with calm seas, sunny beach days and the smoothest ferry crossings to the islands. Apr is the hottest month, and the southwest monsoon brings heavy rain and rougher seas from May to Oct, when boat services can be delayed or cancelled.
▸ How many days do you need in Sihanoukville?
One night is enough for most travellers, usually to catch a morning ferry to Koh Rong or Koh Rong Samloem. Add a second day if you want to visit Ream National Park, Otres Beach or the local markets.
▸ Is Sihanoukville worth staying in, or should you go straight to the islands?
Most travellers now treat the city as a transit point rather than a beach destination: the casino and construction boom left half-finished towers, traffic and a patchy beachfront. The islands offer clearer water and quieter beaches, so stay overnight only if your arrival time means missing the last ferry, which typically leaves mid to late afternoon.
▸ Is Sihanoukville safe for tourists?
Most visits pass without trouble, and violent crime against tourists is uncommon. The main risks are bag snatching and petty theft, unlicensed boats and drivers, and late nights around the beach bar strips. The city has been linked to online scam compounds that lure foreigners with fake job offers, so never accept unsolicited work offers there. Australia's Smartraveller rates Cambodia 'exercise a high degree of caution' because of the Thailand border conflict; Sihanoukville is not in the border no-go zone, but check your government's current advice before you go.
▸ Do I need a visa to visit Sihanoukville?
Sihanoukville follows Cambodia's national entry rules. Most nationalities need a tourist visa, available online as an e-Visa or on arrival at the international airports, including Sihanoukville, for around USD 30. Air arrivals must also complete the free online e-Arrival Card within 7 days before landing. Your passport needs at least six months of validity. Check the official sites before you travel, as fees and rules change.
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