Beach towns in Cambodia?

[katie23]

Hi all, I'm planning a trip again and a side trip to the beach might be in the itinerary. It will be a short multi-city/country backpacking trip again, because that's the way I roll. I may be travelling with friend(s) and we'd like to try a beach in Cambodia. The itinerary is not yet final, since we don't have flights yet (and waiting for the airline promo), so I/we are open to suggestions.

What are other beach towns, aside from Sihanoukville? Any suggestion(s)? How to get there from Phnom Penh or Siem Reap? (by public transport)

Re: Sihanoukville - which beach? Independence, Otres, Occheuteal? Which is best for a chill, laid back atmosphere? We'll be at the beach for 2-3 nights only, since we'll be going to other places too. We don't do drugs but a beer (or three) may be in the scene. Any hotel/resort recos - cheap ones, preferably less than 60 usd? (we're poor backpackers, lol) I've had a brief look at Agoda and there are hotels/resorts <60 usd, but if there are recos from here, then I'll consider them.

I've glanced at wikitravel, travelfish & wikivoyage, but would like to hear some personal accounts.

Many thanks! Maraming salamat!

[beerlaodrinker]

Kep and kampot are on the way to sihanoukville, I haven't been to either though, but I've heard kep is famous for pepper crab, there's also an island not far away called rabbit island, sihanoukville also has offshore islands easily accessible and catering for all budgets,I've heard the train is running again from PP to sihanoukville, might be slower than road but would also be safer

[PlanK]

Was in Sihanoukville last year during the off-season so prices may differ.

I got a simple large room, double bed for about $7 a night and motor-scooter rental for $6 a day. Petrol was so cheap as to not even worth mentioning the price. You can scooter around to all the beaches in the area. Just watch out for the police checkpoint/bribery post on the main roundabout. You don't have to go through it, easy enough to navigate around it by going down the side streets and entering the roundabout by another entrance.

I didn't personally find much of interest happening there during the off-season. I'm not into drugs or picking up dodgy hookers. I did have quite a pleasant time zipping around on the bike and getting stories from some of the expats in the bar area that have made their home there.

[katie23]

Thanks for the replies. I've been to Phnom Penh (by land frm Bkk - long bus ride w/ a story), then from PP by bus to Saigon in 2015, so it won't be my first time in Cambodia.

@bld - salamat, will check out Kep & Kampot. Look forward to your vacay pix when you've got time.

@plan b - thanx for the ideas. I don't think we'll be moving too much or motorbiking when we're there. We'll prolly just laze around the beach & soak up the sun. The resort/hotel that I'm looking can be w/ or w/o pool, but must have aircon. Cheers.

[forreachingme]

a Swiss guy living in Thailand invested and build a resort on an island just next to Thai border. Seen pics few years earlier when they started, looked as a quite nice project.

Must be a few island with resorts down there, may be a google map aerial view could tell

[Luigi]

Cross the water to Vietnam:

https://teakdoor.com/vietnam-nepal-an...peditions.html (Wayne Kerr’s Phu Quoc Expeditions - Vietnam)

[beerlaodrinker]

Thanks for the replies. I've been to Phnom Penh (by land frm Bkk - long bus ride w/ a story), then from PP by bus to Saigon in 2015, so it won't be my first time in Cambodia.

@bld - salamat, will check out Kep & Kampot. Look forward to your vacay pix when you've got time.

been back from my trip about a week now, still uploading my pics to photobucket, very slow process for some reason, I find I can load about 5 at a time and only early mornings, hopefully bung up a Fred next week sometime

[cyrille]

I've met quite a few people who rate the island luigi linked to. Haven't really heard much good about cambodian beaches.

[BaitongBoy]

Will you be singing on this trip, Katie?...Better pack yer "kit"...Heh...

Enjoy!...

[Luigi]

Don't forget the bikini shots.





I mean, err, have a great trip K-pop.

[katie23]

Thnx for the replies & suggestions. My itinerary is still unfixed, only Siem Reap is definite at the moment. The entry & exit points of the trip are not clear yet, but for sure they will be in different countries, with Angkor Wat and a beach visit in.between. I/we could go to a beach in Cambodia or in Vn. I'm thinking either Phu Quoc or Vung Tau. Nha Trang seems a bit far. Depends on logistics, flights and number of leave days that we can get.

I could go to Bkk & Pattaya, but frm what I see/hear frm here, Pattaya isn't a nice beach place, and I/we aren't interested in the gogo bars. It would be nice to taste the famous pies touted in the other thread, though. Mr. Pie-man has offered complementary pies since I'm woman of the year. Heh.

@bb - I could insert a few singing gigs, if anyone is interested in hiring me. As long as they have "Hot Stuff, Dancing Queen & Baby One More Time (britney spears)" in their karaoke playlist, I'm good to go. The LBD and heels are lightweight & can fit in my backpack. The bikini (for beach) can fit in one of the pockets. Travel light, ya know.

@luigi - don't worry, will try to get some bikini shots. But not of me! Heh. Cheers!

[khmen]

Kampot is a nice chilled little town but its more of a riverside town than a beach town - IIRC there is an (artificial) beach at Kep which is about 25km away. I think you're pretty much limited to Sihanoukville as far as beach towns in Cambodia, there's obviously a load of beaches along the coast but none aside from snooky have any real tourist infrastructure.

I haven't been to Snookville in a few years so can't really recommend anything as I hear its changed a fair bit - but generally Occheateal and Serendipity beaches are where all the bars/beach restaurants etc are located. Otres beach used to be the nicest, most undeveloped beach but I hear there is resort development etc since my last visit.

Personally, I'd avoid Phu Quoc - I went there recently and the beaches are dirty and construction of roads/resorts makes it far from ideal for a relaxed getaway...

[khmen]

Oh btw Katie if you're travelling between Sihanoukville/Kampot and Phnom Penh the train is, as mentioned, now an option but it only runs on weekends.

I caught it from Kampot to PP in November and it is most definitely the best way to travel that route. It passes through some stunning countryside, right through rice paddies etc...far preferable to the hot, stuffy and dangerous bus journey up NH1

Takes only slightly longer than a bus too, around four hours. To book tickets go directly to the train station yourself.

[crocman]

Take a ferry from Sookyville out to Koh Rong . It takes about 40 minutes on the fast boat or 2-3 hours on the slow one. Plenty of cheap bungalows to be had. There are some amazing beaches that remind me a little of Koh lipe.

If all goes well the Dragonlady and I are headed that way in Holy Week.

[katie23]

@khmen - thanx, very useful tips esp. abt the train during weekends only. Will have to consider that when planning.

@croc - will consider Koh Rong, maybe just a day trip from Snooky, though. I might travel in April (holy week) or May, depends on several factors. Btw, did your brother go diving in Puerto Galera last xmas break?

As of now, I'm partial to either Snooky in Cambo or Vung Tau in Vn, due to accessiblity by public transport. But nothing is final yet, so keep those suggestions coming...thnx all!

[beerlaodrinker]

It's a good ride to vung tau on the hydrofoil Katie, but I read that the govt are planning on banning them soon due to there age, beaches in vung tau are underwhelming compared to Philippine ones but there's some good seafood to be had and the towns nice enough. I think I posted pics of vung tau in my BLD goes to the beach thread, got plenty of greens and a few reds for the moob shots, lol, I think it was the same thread I posted some pics of Phuket quod as well

[katie23]

^thnx Bld, will look for that thread. I think I haven't seen that one. I've read somewhere (wikitravel?) that the hydrofoil service contract will end/ has ended Dec 2016, due to competition frm bus companies, which are cheaper & just ~30 min longer. They've built better roads since my last reading, I think. Thought of going to Vung Tau 2 yrs ago but didn't push thru, again due to time constraints. It doesn't matter to me if the beaches are a bit underwhelming. I've seen & stepped on Boracay sand. I've also been to Calaguas island, which is also a white beach but the sand is not as fine as Boracay, but was better than Puerto Galera. Even crocman has said that among the beaches he has been to (and he's been to a lot!), Boracay sand is still the finest.

Vung Tau is also good for me, since I can hike to the small hill to see the Jesus statue. I like hikes & I like Jesus too, so win-win. Lol.

Due to the recent bad reviews abt Phu Quoc, it's out of the list.

[Dillinger]

Beaches...... Cambodia ?????

[brisie]

If you want to see kep hire a bike from kampot and ride there and take a day trip. The crab market is turned into a yuppy stalls selling other than that not much else. Kampot is full of pompous stoners but the evening river boat cruise up the river is good and ride a bike to Bokor and you can see phu quok elevation is 1200
MTR I think. 4 days in kampot would be plenty first trip.
As for kampong saom I have a lot of friends there I like to stay on Tola st 1 back from the beach road where the boat jetty is. From what I hear there are a lot of tranies blokes in a blouse on the beach once the resturuants side closes so drugging and mugging are the norm like coconut bar pattaya.

[Neo]

Otres was great... very chilled. Was a while ago.





I have a friend that lives in Kampot... quite a nice little scene going on there, not sure about beaches but it is by the coast. Famous for it's pepper though.

[crocman]

@khmen - thanx, very useful tips esp. abt the train during weekends only. Will have to consider that when planning.

@croc - will consider Koh Rong, maybe just a day trip from Snooky, though. I might travel in April (holy week) or May, depends on several factors. Btw, did your brother go diving in Puerto Galera last xmas break?

As of now, I'm partial to either Snooky in Cambo or Vung Tau in Vn, due to accessiblity by public transport. But nothing is final yet, so keep those suggestions coming...thnx all!

Hey Katie, my brother didn't end up in Galera. I think he got a bit nervous about all the bad publicity surrounding Duterte. He opted for Thailand instead which worked out alright as he took our father there for his first visit.However my daughter spent New Years in Boracay. Tougher than her uncle

If the stars align the Dragonlady and I are hoping to land in PP on April 18 and then head to Sookyville and Koh Rong for about 10 days. You never know our paths may cross.

If not Cambodia, we are definitely back in Los late June and all of July. Doing the usual beach and island trip.

[Geezy]

I spent a few months in Sihanoukville. The road trip from PP is quite hairy - Mad Max stuff.

Sihanoukville is okay. Just okay. The downtown is an eyesore, and the beaches, other than Otres, bleh.

Loads of low-end 'travelers', beer and dope heads, dealers and purse snatchers.

You're a gal - best to keep in a small group. I can think of dozens of better beach towns in SEA (Vietnam, Philippines, Thailand), but Sihanoukville (Otres) is about the best Cambodia has to offer.

[Nicethaiza]

Have fun with your trip Katie...Hope to see your great pics thread soon...

[Dillinger]

^ why dont you go with her and find out what Siem Reap means

[Nicethaiza]

Can you tell me first whats mean?