Som Swakum - Welcome to Sihanoukville!

Tourists come to enjoy the white sandy beaches and the warm waters from the Gulf of Thailand which caress them. The atmosphere is totally laidback in this tropical getaway.

Sihanoukville is a low lying town founded as recently as 1964, and is located in southern Cambodia in the Gulf of Thailand, southwest of Cambodia's other tourist hotspots, Phnom Penh and Siem Reap. The town thereby looks newer and is more urban and cosmopolitan than other Cambodian cities. The only deep water port in Cambodia, Sihanoukville was named after King Norodom Sihanouk. However, it is the beaches of Sihanoukville that bring it all the attention as a tourist destination. Many would argue that Cambodia’s best beaches are in Sihanoukville, dotting the western side of the city and extending from the north to south, namely Lamherkay Beach, Victory Beach, Koh Pos Beach, Independence Beach, Sokha Beach, Serendipity Beach, Occheuteal Beach and Otres Beach.

Although the main agenda for most visitors to Sihanoukville is to find a nice Sihanoukville hotel and then relax on its beautiful beaches, there are lots of other things to see and do and a number of tours in Sihanoukville to enjoy. There are opportunities to indulge in adventure sports like snorkelling and scuba diving, and most visitors hire water taxis to nearby islands for diving, snorkelling and fishing. You can also tuck into some fresh seafood from the thatched roof eateries on the beaches. Foreign faces are met with curious glances and smiles by the amiable local people.

There are ample places to stay in Sihanoukville for its growing number of tourists. Our site features an interactive map and pictures of each of the hotels in Sihanoukville, including individual rooms and facilities. With us, you will never need to wonder what kind of hotel and room you are booking or exactly where it is. You can also find out a little about who you are staying with and features details and images of the hotel owners and/or managers. Check out the "Host" section for each accommodation type and discover the people who give each Sihanoukville hotel - and particularly the family-run guesthouses - a story and personality.

Lately, Sihanoukville has been witnessing a rocking nightlife and a lot of bars are kept open till the wee hours of the morning. These are located on Weather Station Hill and in the Ekareach city centre. There is always some sort of merry-making on the Ochheuteal, Serendipity and Victory Beaches. Parties, sports events and happy hour specials – Sihanoukville is indeed raring to go!

A great way to ge to this part of South East Asia is through Bangkok. You could then sample the delights of Thailand, before heading north to Laos or east to Cambodia and Vietnam. You can get to Sihanoukville from Thailand by both boat or overland.

Sihanoukville has had a chequered past. When a French-Cambodian construction company transformed a jungle into a deep sea port in 1964, nobody imagined that the port would boom and attract Cambodia’s elite. Very quickly these golden beaches got their first brewery called the Angkor Beer brewery and a modern hotel called Independence Hotel , which supposedly played host to Jacqueline Kennedy on her 1967 Cambodian tour.

However, all this proved too good to be true and did not last long. In 1970, Sihanouk was overthrown in a coup and Cambodia was plunged into the darkness of a civil war. The Khmer Rouge which came into power renamed the town Kompong Som and used the Independence Hotel as a hideout and a shelter for the Untac forces. When the Khmer Rouge hijacked an American container ship, this beautiful port was bombed by the U.S Airforce. The beaches were left empty and desolate and even after Pol Pot was driven out from power, the beaches stayed that way.

When peace returned in 1997, Sihanoukville had the mammoth task of restoration before it and its recovery to normalcy has not been easy. Only a few intrepid backpackers initially made their way back to the beaches here. But to Siahanoukville’s credit, the scars of war are not very visible and as the New York Times puts it, it is now known as ‘Asia’s trend-setting beach’. After years of being empty and desolate, the Independence Hotel has undergone some major renovation and is all set to put its unhappy past behind it and rise from the ashes.

Sihanoukville Hotel and Guesthouse Reservation Service is locally owned and operated by the bustling team from WHL Cambodia. Being local we are perfectly placed to help you choose accommodation, tours and actvities and assist in making the most of your travel to Sihanoukville - Why not try some delicious local seafood or explore some of the secluded islands or simply just lay back and relax on the beach.