A Beach Less Travelled: Undiscovered Beaches of Cambodia by Graham Simmons
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Back in the early 90s, when Ray Zepp in his trailblazing book "Cambodia Less Travelled" suggested that the Cambodian countryside was worthy of exploration, people thought he was crazy. At that time, venturing off the beaten track in Cambodia was a strict no-no. 'If the Khmer Rouge don’t get you', went the saying, 'the landmines surely will'.
Back in the 60s, Sihanoukville was poised to become the sand and sun capital of South East Asia. Then came the Vietnam War and US bombing raids over Cambodia, and then the final horror -- the genocidal reign of Pol Pot. During the Khmer Rouge period, many fine hotels and villas that had sprung up along Sihanoukville’s beaches were razed to the ground.
These days, things in Cambodia are radically different. In particular, travelling to the south of the country is a breeze, with some of the best and most unspoiled beaches in the whole of South East Asia just three hours by good road from the capital Phnom Penh. The whole coastline around the sleepy provincial town of Sihanoukville is poised to take off like a skyrocket with rabies.
Sihanoukville’s beaches stretch like a string of pearls along the coast to the south-west and south-east of the city, from Victory Beach through to Ochheuteal Beach. The further east you go, the finer the beaches become, with Sokha and Ochheuteal being probably the pick of what is on offer. East again of Ochheuteal are the completely undeveloped Otres Beach and the National Park-contained Ream Beach (with a couple of rustic bungalows on offer).
Nowadays, finding a relaxing hotel in Sihanoukville is not so easy, as properties have over the last decade tended to be located in town rather than on the beachfront. But this is rapidly changing, as locals start to wise up to what foreigners are looking for. Development is now proceeding again near the beaches, hampered only by bureaucratic red tape and high prices for building materials. At Independance (sic) Beach, the brand-new Koh Takeiv Hotel is within five minutes walk of the beach, while at the 'town-end' of Ochheuteal Beach the palatial and stately Seaside Hotel and the over-the-top Crystal Hotel sit next to one another.
Further along Ochheuteal Beach, some of the most laid back and friendly places in Sihanoukville can be found. I was privileged to stay right opposite the beach at Susaday Guest House opposite the beach, just a minute’s walk from the surf line.
At the farthest (NW) end of Ochheuteal, the sand strip recently dubbed 'Serendipity Beach' now boasts half a dozen bar-restaurants, several guest bungalows and a small guesthouse. All but one of these facilities has sprung up since the start of 2001. Such is the fast pace of change around these parts.
Dang Seng came to Sihanoukville from Battembang (Cambodia’s second city) in 1982. The Khmer Rouge had killed his wife and daughter, and he wanted to start a new life. As a teacher of French, he bemoans the fact that all the young people today are learning English or Thai instead. "It’s sad", he says. "The French way of life is part of our culture, yet our kids get carried away by American dreams."
For Dang Seng and many others, a popular Francophile hangout in Sihanoukville is Les Feuilles, a boule’s throw from the beach at Ochheuteal. Géralde and his Khmer wife Tschantal have created a home-away-from-home not only for homesick French but also for hordes of other visitors who come to enjoy fine food, good cold Angkor beer and great music. Les Feuilles also has rooms to let, at French minimalist prices.
At the entrance to town stands the Catholic Church of St Michael, a simple but elegant concrete structure. Father René, now in his 80s, has been priest here for nearly fifty years, weathering the murderous Pol Pot era. During that time the church was used as a prison and later as a storehouse, before re-opening in 1993. Today the original paintings (mainly crucifixion scenes depicting the principal characters in Khmer costume) once again line the church walls.
As in any other Cambodian town, life in Sihanoukville centres on the market. In the mud lanes that swell to dirt rivers after rain, stallholders have time for a leisurely game of cards in between serious note-counting sessions. Amongst the crude stalls the odors of fresh durians, semi-fresh fish and pork of dubious age mingle in a full nasal assault.
Victory Beach, near Sihanoukville Port, is far from the best of Sihannoukville’s beaches -- but it’s where all the action is happening. Across from the Beach, the huge Holiday Palace Casino Hotel offers blackjack, roulette and baccarat (plus the ubiquitous slots), 24 hours a day. Right next door, an equally large hotel is under construction. But the beachfront itself is as bucolic as in a silk-screen painting, set in landscaped gardens with a shrine to the Lady Buddha set under a superb banyan tree. Here also you find the excellent Chhne Molop Chrey seafood restaurant providing unrivalled sea views towards the islands.
Weather Station Hill, behind Victory Beach, is where the backpackers hang out. At the Melting Pot guesthouse Serena from Ireland describes how, by saving five dollars a day on accommodation, she can prolong her stay here by three weeks. If duration of stay could be translated to quality of experience, this would be ample reason to stay here.
One popular mixing place on Weather Tree Hill is Chuck’s Place, a delightfully tumbledown wooden shack featuring CNN and huge fish meals. Chuck’s is where a lot of the expat bar owners hang out -- including Lenny and Siobhan from Scotland, who own the new Bedrock Café (a great spot from which to watch the sunset) just down the road.
Getting around Sihanoukville and its environs is relatively easy, thanks to the ubiquitous 'motodops', pillion motorcycles offering highly negotiable fares. You can even take a motodop out of town -- or better still hire your own motorcycle. One suggested trip is to the Ream National Park, a 21,000-hectare sanctuary of wetlands, undiscovered beaches and mangrove-fringed rivers. Out of the rain paddies encircling the Park, forested limestone cliffs soar like petrified dragons, while within the Park boundaries you can take riverboat trips by arrangement with Park headquarters.
Offshore, a number of islands provide recreational facilities. The closest is Koh Pos (Snake Island), just 800 metres from Victory Beach, but Koh Koang Kang (about an hour’s trip from the mainland) offers better snorkelling and some good beaches. Further offshore, the island of Koh Pueh boasts pristine rainforest, good diving and a fine sandy beach. Chez Claude offers trips to the islands.
The whole of the Sihanoukville region is worthy of prolonged exploration. The Kbal Chhay waterfalls are just a short trip out of town, and the old French colonial town of Kampot is about an hour away via a very scenic ocean road. Just one thing – save plenty of time for relaxing on the beach!
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