As a booming industrial and touristic center with a deep-sea port, Sihanoukville (also: Kampong Som, Kompong Som, Kampong Soum; nickname: Snook) is the only Cambodian coastal city of significance. With a population between 200,000 and 250,000 inhabitants it's also one of the biggest cities of Cambodia.

The Lion Monument

The lion roundabout at the edge of Sihanoukville's city center. Image by Asienreisender, 2014

The place is situated in the southeast of Cambodia on the shores of the Gulf of Thailand. The touristic attraction lies mostly in a number of fine sand beaches close to the city, a couple of islands and a developed touristic infrastructure and facilities of many kinds.

Sihanoukville is as well a city as a province. The surroundings are coined by the sea and a larger number of smaller and bigger islands, and by a forested, hilly landscape, the foothills of the damrei (elephant) mountains. It reminds to the French mediterranean coast at the Côte d'Azur.

Allegedly Sihanoukville was already a seaside resort in the time of the French rule, although I personally didn't see any trace for that claim. In Kep, the other former seaside resort of the French, are the remains of a number of old colonial villas left. Kep became a seaside resort in 1917. However, both places compared, Sihanoukville is the potentially more attractive and versatile place. Therefore it's spoiled by business, tourism, criminality and development, while Kep is still a quiet place, good for relaxation. Sihanoukville's other name, Kampong Som or Kompong Som, is dating back to a time before the Cambodian independence.

The Old Times...

In the 1950s Sihanoukville's coastlines were coined by mangrove forests; a few fishermen families lived along the coasts and beaches. Image by Asienreisender, 2014

However, appart from this rumour, Sihanoukville's history reaches back only to the mid 1950s. After the independence, Cambodia's access to the open sea depended on the free passage along the Mekong River between Phnom Penh to the South China Sea. But that meant to pass over Vietnamese territory and included Vietnamese restrictions. To get an own seaport, in 1955 the construction of a deep sea port at Kampong Som begun.

The foundation of the small province and the new town happened then in 1960. The name was given after the then prime minister and prince Norodom Sihanouk.

The port was also in the focus in the American Vietnam War. After the (US-backed) coup d'etat against Sihanouk and the establishment of the American-friendly Lon Nol regime, American war supplies came into Cambodia over Sihanoukville's port.

At the end of the American Vietnam War there was a remarkable last military episode happening in Sihanoukville. An American freighter, the Mayaguez, got captured by the Khmer Rouge in May 1975. The US navy tried an invasion to rescue the crew. It became another disaster for the Americans; instead of freeing the hostages they lost fifteen marines and most of their helicopters. In revenge corporate America did what it can best - it bombed Sihanoukville's infrastructure. Seems to be it's basic qualification and the only thing they are really good in. Is there a problem? Well, let's bomb them! America appears too often like a dinosaur: big body, strong armor, little brain. Ironically, as it turned out later, the Khmer Rouge had set the crew of the Mayaguez free already on a Thai fishing boat before the bloody US intervention started.

Independence Hotel

Architecture of the 1960s: the Independence Hotel. Once the best hotel in town, hosting guests like Jaqueline Kennedy and Catherine Deneuve, nowadays it has a lot of competition. An exclusive part of Independent Beach belongs to the hotel; though, it has the charme of a graveyard. Image by Asienreisender, 2014

In the four years rule of the Khmer Rouge the contact to the outer world ceased almost completely. Though, part of the imported weapons might have come over Sihanoukville's seaport.

In the years after Democratic Kampuchea it was a long, long way for recovery. Khmer Rouge guerilla was still fighting in the forests along the Cambodian coastline.

In 1998 there was a remarkable toxic-waste scandal. The Taiwanese company 'Formosa Plastics' deposed 3,000 tons of heavy-metal contamined waste ten kilometers outside of Sihanoukville. Five workers died while working in the action. In a reaction to that, several thousands of local inhabitants fled the surroundings. Considerable resistance from the people of Sihanoukville led to a removal of the waste in 1999.

Since the 1990s the city is developing, meanwhile in a considerable speed. Big building projects are undertaken and the touristic infrastructure is expanding massively. Sometimes local people who are residents and/or have businesses at attractive beach spots get dislogded by big investors who plan their business at the spot. Bulldozers appear one morning and create facts...

A Tourist Boom

There is since years an ongoing hotel and guesthouse boom in Sihanoukville. There is good accommodation for any budged. Here a new hotel building. Image by Asienreisender, 2014

A larger part of Sihanoukville's economy is based on tourism. An increasing number of tourists from other Asian countries, from Russia, Europe, Australia and America visit Sihanoukville as one of the central touristic destinations in Cambodia. The only two other touristic alternatives along the Cambodian coastline are Kep and Koh Kong. Apart from the visiting tourists a considerable number of ex-pats from various countries settled down in the city; they make either business or enjoy their monthly old-age pensions.

However, the tourist boom does the place not only good. Although it's certainly a crucial source of income for a great deal of small restaurant and bar owners, it's also attracting big investments. Together with the touristic party din, booze, drug abuse, prostitution and gambling dominate the scene. In fact, the touristic beaches give an ugly impression. Consumerism everywhere, and the only cheap thing here is alcohol. And accommodation. There are plenty of hotels and guesthouses for all budgets. Sihanoukville is kind of a Cambodian Pattaya.

Mangroves

The surroundings of the city give an impression how the whole place must have looked in the time before 1960 - dominated by mangrove forests. There were, of course, the sand beaches already. Image by Asienreisender, 2014

On weekdays and holidays, particularly the songkran holidays (here: Khmer New Year), many wealthy Cambodians from Phnom Penh spent time in Sihanoukville. The national road 4 becomes then more dangerous than ever.

Sihanoukville's beaches, let's say Serendipity and Occheutreal beaches, compared in April 2014 with a first visit in January 2007, the scene totally changed. A couple of years ago there was already much beachlife, but the buildings were simpler. Bamboo and wood construction changed to a lot of plastic and concret. It all looks much more artificial now as it did before, besides most of the places look a bit run-down.

The surroundings also became built-up - everywhere are new restaurants of international style like pizzerias or burger king-like fast-food restaurants, bars, bars and more bars, mini-supermarkets, souvenir shops and guesthouses.

It might look somewhat better on some of the many islands around, but of course they all are part of touristic Sihanoukville at the end.

Serendipity Beach

Serendipity Beach a few years ago. Already busy and touristic, but now there is even more tourist activity. Image by Asienreisender, 1/2007

Snake House

The Animals of Snake House

A choice of the animals of Snake House: an owl (same kind seen on 4000 Islands), a mildly venomous Golden Tree Snake, a slow loris, a flying fox with a length of some 30cm, a Mangrove Cat Snake (mildly venomous as well), a very excited young cobra, a crocodile and another cobra. Images and photocomposition by Asienreisender, 2014

Very surprisingly, driving down Soviet Street from Victory Hill, there is a Russian restaurant left hand, called 'Snake House'. It's such an extraordinary place that it is worth to be mentioned in some detail.

Snake House is a restaurant which offers a variety of Russion food. The place is styled following a greenhouse concept. It's a quiet, open, very green place, coined by a very large aquarium in the middle and a great number of terrariums and cages with different Southeast Asian animals inside. The most of them are reptiles, but there are also mammals and birds. It's a green oasis in Sihanoukville which includes a larger spot and extends far behind the restaurant itself. In the back there are more cages and terrariums and a trench, filled with water in which quite some crocodiles are living. There are also fish, some birds of the jungle, a monkey, some slow loris' and different snakes, most of them poisonous cobras, vipers and kraits. Most of the cages are labelled with a plaque which gives the name and some basic information of the animal.

The whole place is clean and looks for beeing good cared for. And it's defenitely a lot of work to keep such a zoo up. Besides, the food in the restaurant is fine, so far I tried it. Russian cuisine has defenitely it's highlights.

Kbal Chhay Waterfall

One of Sihanoukville's recreation 'attractions' is Kbal Chhay Waterfall, a few kilometers east of town. Following the NH4, some 5km before Hun Sen Boulevard, a dirt road turns left into the green. Following this road a few kilometers, one reaches a large parking, where the fall is just behind. On half of the way there is the unavoidable ticket booth, where one has to pay money for nothing.

The waterfall itself is a bigger fall over a few cascades, the biggest of them about a few meters deep. Some pools, good for swashing, are there. Even in the driest time of the year the river carries some water. In rainy season it must be a powerfull spectacle. The sandstones here look, similar to Popokvil Waterfall on Bokor Mountain, neatly cut. Maybe the site served as a quarry in former times.

Coming from the parking, where the first foodstalls are placed, there is a rough wooden bridge over the river. On the other side the stream is paralleled by many more foodstalls. The bit food which is to buy here is heavily overprized and of no good quality. It's probably so that the stall owners have to pay extra permission for running their business here. Most of the places here sell drinks only. The Khmer visitors who come here usually in bigger groups bring their own food and leave their litter where they eat. Wooden shacks are for rent, most of them are equipped with hammocks. Here and there a loudspeaker cares for the necessary din. An overall impression is similar to the site of Teuk Chhou Rapids near Kampot, but Kbal Chhay Waterfall is defenitely much more impressive.

Kbal Chhay Waterfall

Waterfall and quarry? Kbal Chhay Falls. For those who like it, they can have an organized hula-hula faked paradise experience with unforgettable photos. Images and photocomposition by Asienreisender, 5/2015

Safety

The 'Same Same But Different' bar, restaurant and guesthouse at Sihanoukville's Serendipity Beach. Image by Asienreisender, 2007

The security situation in Sihanoukville is not relaxed. Cambodia generally is a country in which criminality and violence play a considerable role, much more than in neighbouring Thailand. Sihanoukville seems to be a crystallization point of criminality. Booming business, gambling, drugs and prostitution attracts dubious people. Records about crimes against tourists alone are plenty in Sihanoukville. People, among them many tourists, get mugged and sometimes also killed. Not only a high number of websources speak for that. The travel guides already years ago informed about murders and security risks. Personally I have heared various hair-raising stories about violent robberies in Sihanoukville from victims.

Besides more serious, physically violent crimes one has to be aware of pickpockets and snatch-and-run thefts. Particularly at the beaches are belongins not safe if one does not have always a close eye on them. When swimming it's a must to have a guard for anything left at the beach.

On the motorbike it's too risky to put things in the front basket or having a bag loosely over the shoulder. Offenders sometimes snap it while passing by and risk or even enforce a dangerous accident for the victim.

The Gambling Passion

Another reason to visit Sihanoukville: gambling. And the casino always wins. Image by Asienreisender, 4/2014

Besides tourism there are a number of factories producing in Sihanoukville. There is for example to mention the large Angkor brewery, where also Bayon beer and Pepsi Cola are bottled. Due to the boom of the place, real-estate speculation is good business here. Even textile industries settled down in the city.

The Angkor Brewery

'My Country, My Beer' - the slogan of the Angkor beer producer. A large brewery is located in Sihanoukville. The Angkor brewery is blamed to be an investor in the Don Sahong dam on the Mekong River at the 4000 Islands. Environmental groups therefore call for a boykot.

Images and composition by Asienreisender, 4/2014

A couple of years ago there was one casino in the place what attracted gamblers from further away. Many came from Thailand, where gambling is prohibited. Now there is a growing number of different casinos in the city.

Additionally Sihanoukville is home for the good, old fishing industries, some aquaculture, but also for mining and oil. There are offshore oil deposits along the Cambodian coastline around the place.

Smuggling certainly happens in a larger scale in exchange with the neighbouring countries Thailand and Malaysia, but certainly also with Indonesia and other countries around.

The Bus Station

This sad place is Sihanoukville's bus station. It's situated on a hilltop behind victory hill, seen from the city center. It seems that bus stations are intentionally neglected places. Image by Asienreisender, 2014

Sihanoukville is connected to the outer world by an in the last years upgraded infrastructure. The national road 4, maybe the most dangerous road in Cambodia, is part of the Asian Highway 11 and connects Sihanoukville with Phnom Penh. At a junction at Veal Rean the national road 3 to Kampot is branching off. To the north and west there is an upgraded road connection via Sre Ambel to Koh Kong and from there to Thailand. Since this road was so miserable in the recent past, there was a frequent boat service to Koh Kong, but after the improvement of the road connection the ferries lost importance and go infrequently now. It's to expect that they will cease service completely.

There is no inner-city public transport in Sihanoukville. One has to walk, to rent a bicycle, a motorbike or whatever, or depends on the local tuk-tuk and taxi drivers. There is a bus station in the northern part of the city. It is, as almost always nowadays, too far away from the city center. Modern city planning in Southeast Asia is very ambitious to make it bitter even for good walkers to avoid additional transport from/to the bus stations.

Sihanoukville Harbour

Sihanoukville commercial port. Image by Asienreisender, 2014

The city center is concentrated near the 'Golden Lion Roundabout'. In the center is a big fresh market, banks and a lot of other business of different kinds. The roads are wide and there is a lot of traffic on them. Be aware of the fact that Cambodian drivers don't know any rules. 'I AM COMMING' is the only rule. Better drivers accompany their coming with a horn signal.

Sihanoukville is still, until the completition of the new port near Kampot, the only Cambodian city with a deep sea harbor. A great deal of the import and export of the country is running over the port here. Meanwhile the trade route the Mekong River upwards between the South China Sea to Phnom Penh is open again, so that Cambodia is no more exclusively depending on the Sihanoukville port in it's access to the sea. Though, the container terminal is of limited capacity, for the harbour basin is only eight meters deep, what is (far) not deep enough for the contemporary large container ships. Middle seized vessels can dock here.

Oil & Gas Depot

The oil and gas reservoirs near the oil jetty, some kilometers northeast of Sihanoukville city. Image by Asienreisender, 2014

There is a particular pier for oil and gas a few kilometers northeast of the city. The road which leads along there, it's the 'Hun Sen Beach Drive', is also a much quieter and safer alternative to drive to Kampot or Sre Ambel. This road is also running parallel to the renewed railway line via Kampot to Phnom Penh. Sihanoukville's commercial port has a railway station which marks the endpoint (or starting-point) of the line.

Eighteen kilometers east of the city, directly behind the province border, lies Sihanoukville airport. It's a small airport with little traffic and seems to play no important role at the moment. It's in discussion to expand the airport for flights to Phnom Penh, Siem Reap (Angkor) and for visitors to Bokor Hill Station.

Power Plant

Sihanoukville's brand new electric power plant. Image by Asienreisender, 4/2014