The knowledge: Cambodia's coast
Every week a reader gets a chance to put a travel question to the Been there community and travel experts. How does this work?
The question:
I will be travelling to Cambodia for a couple of weeks in December and while I'll be staying for a few days in Siem Reap and Phnom Penh, I want to head south and explore the coastline. I was wondering whether anyone had much experience travelling around the south coast and if they could recommend anywhere to stay? Also I'm interested in visiting some of the islands off the south coast.
Adam
The expert reply:
Andy Hayes, travel writer for www.matadornetwork.com, the world's largest independent travel magazine.
Adam, you've made a great choice as this is one of my favourite countries. Sounds like you're covering the main cities, but the coast is a whole different experience in itself. Your coastal tour will likely either start or end in Sihanoukville. It's hard to believe that in 80s and 90s Sihanoukville was torn by civil war, but by January 2006 the New York Times proclaimed it "Asia's next trendsetting beach."
Ochheuteal and Serendipity are the two main beaches in Shianoukville, being the most popular and most crowded. Take a tuk-tuk just out of town to Otres beach - it's just as nice as Ochheuteal but less crowded. Spend the night on Cloud 9 cloud9bungalows.com (pun intended - it's beach bungalows.)
You mentioned islands, and there are a few to choose from. I suggest you have a look at Koh Tonsay (Rabbit Island), which you can reach from Kep. It's tranquil and has the blinding white beaches that truly make the trek worth the effort. If you don't overnight on Rabbit Island, then have a look at the eco hotel Le Flamboyant back on the mainland in Kep.
Kampot is also an excellent place to stay as well - check out the coast boutique-style at the Rikitikitavi rikitikitavi-kampot.com. And while you're exploring, don't miss the old French hill station in Bokor National Park. It is an eerie and spooky look back at Cambodia's past.
Be sure to check in with your travel agent or accommodation before you travel - the rules on visiting parks and various areas seem to change with the seasons, so plan ahead to avoid disappointment.
The reader replies:
I travelled to Cambodia about two years ago and while I was there I met
some of the most wonderful people with whom I still stay in touch. If
you're on a tight-ish budget, the place to go is the Monkey Republic
in Sihanoukville. The hospitality is absolutely amazing. It's run by
group of British ex-pats (Lee, Stu, Duncan, Scott and Clare) and I
believe they've recently expanded. It's not right on the beach but
about a five minute walk from it.
There, they have all the connections for any activities you want to
do. There's a guy with a boat that will take you to your own private
island beach for the night or few nights. There's a couple of people who
do dirt-bike tours. I took a trip out to the National Park in that
area (a dirt bike is recommended for the road conditions) and it
was absolutely astonishing.
Also, dont miss out on the Angkor Brewery Tours (sign up at the Monkey
Republic.) Free tours, free beers!
Angela
The place to stay in southern Cambodia is Kampot. Very sleepy village which has been neglected over the years. There are several really nice guesthouses facing the river near to the old town centre. Not far out of town is a National Park which you really require a tourist guide. Road is extremely difficult but once up in the hills be ready for a unique experience.
Bus trip from Phnom Penh is an adventure in itself.
Can also reccommend Kampong Chhnang and Battambang north of Phnom Penh for quiet places to stay.
John Swanson
Sihanoukville is the 'main resort', though it is probably very low-key compared with Thailand. It is easily accessed by a good road from PP. From there I suggest you head south to Kampot, a lovely little town near the coast, on a river bank in the shadow of the Bokor escarpment. Take a trip up Bokor to the ruined hilltop resort. I think you can still stay at a hostel at the top. It was a lovely quiet nostalgic place (though I did hear it was to be renovated).
Then move on to Kep, about 20k further. Kep is on the coast, and used to be a very up-market resort until the 60s: now it is very laid-back and popular with day-trippers from PP. Check out the crab-market restaurants and the many limestone caves nearby. From Kep you can take a boat to Rabbit Island, clearly visible a couple of miles offshore. You can stay the night in a hut, and food is available too; just a few families live there.
Cambodia is a delightful place, without the sophistication of Thailand or the austere commercialism of Vietnam. We spent four years there, two years at Kampot, leaving in 2006. I hope you enjoy your trip.
Peter & Pamela
I am a Cambodian currently living in New Zealand. You should go to visit Kep, the old French town, Kompong Som or Seyhanukvil. Also you can visit Kos Kong. They are not much explored by many visitors. Cambodia has a lot of islands example Bamboo or Tonsia islands. The most coastal beaches are full of white sand except Kep beach in Kompot province. There are world class hotels for visitors such as Sokha hotel in Sihanoukville city. It is very close to the beach of this city. If you want to find a peaceful place to get away you can try to hire a boat to the islands. Food is affordable and one more suggestion: goods' price are sold differently for the visitors.
Enjoy your trip
Yarang
My wife and I spent three days down on the coast in Cambodia in August and loved it. We mainly stayed in Kep which is a fairly quiet and low key place compared to the main tourist areas around Sihanoukville. We stayed at Vanna Bungalows, which was cheap ($15 for both of us without A/C) and does reasonable food at a low cost. We also visited Rabbit Island just off the coast and it was beautiful. Plus the food at the Crab Market is excellent and well worth trying. Kep is a good place to chill out for a few days although it doesn't have the same quality of beaches as Sihanoukville (apart from on Rabbit Island). Getting to Kep is also more of a challenge although one regular bus goes through via Kampot every day.
Darren Oliver
The question:
I will be travelling to Cambodia for a couple of weeks in December and while I'll be staying for a few days in Siem Reap and Phnom Penh, I want to head south and explore the coastline. I was wondering whether anyone had much experience travelling around the south coast and if they could recommend anywhere to stay? Also I'm interested in visiting some of the islands off the south coast.
Adam
The expert reply:
Andy Hayes, travel writer for www.matadornetwork.com, the world's largest independent travel magazine.
Adam, you've made a great choice as this is one of my favourite countries. Sounds like you're covering the main cities, but the coast is a whole different experience in itself. Your coastal tour will likely either start or end in Sihanoukville. It's hard to believe that in 80s and 90s Sihanoukville was torn by civil war, but by January 2006 the New York Times proclaimed it "Asia's next trendsetting beach."
Ochheuteal and Serendipity are the two main beaches in Shianoukville, being the most popular and most crowded. Take a tuk-tuk just out of town to Otres beach - it's just as nice as Ochheuteal but less crowded. Spend the night on Cloud 9 cloud9bungalows.com (pun intended - it's beach bungalows.)
You mentioned islands, and there are a few to choose from. I suggest you have a look at Koh Tonsay (Rabbit Island), which you can reach from Kep. It's tranquil and has the blinding white beaches that truly make the trek worth the effort. If you don't overnight on Rabbit Island, then have a look at the eco hotel Le Flamboyant back on the mainland in Kep.
Kampot is also an excellent place to stay as well - check out the coast boutique-style at the Rikitikitavi rikitikitavi-kampot.com. And while you're exploring, don't miss the old French hill station in Bokor National Park. It is an eerie and spooky look back at Cambodia's past.
Be sure to check in with your travel agent or accommodation before you travel - the rules on visiting parks and various areas seem to change with the seasons, so plan ahead to avoid disappointment.
The reader replies:
I travelled to Cambodia about two years ago and while I was there I met
some of the most wonderful people with whom I still stay in touch. If
you're on a tight-ish budget, the place to go is the Monkey Republic
in Sihanoukville. The hospitality is absolutely amazing. It's run by
group of British ex-pats (Lee, Stu, Duncan, Scott and Clare) and I
believe they've recently expanded. It's not right on the beach but
about a five minute walk from it.
There, they have all the connections for any activities you want to
do. There's a guy with a boat that will take you to your own private
island beach for the night or few nights. There's a couple of people who
do dirt-bike tours. I took a trip out to the National Park in that
area (a dirt bike is recommended for the road conditions) and it
was absolutely astonishing.
Also, dont miss out on the Angkor Brewery Tours (sign up at the Monkey
Republic.) Free tours, free beers!
Angela
The place to stay in southern Cambodia is Kampot. Very sleepy village which has been neglected over the years. There are several really nice guesthouses facing the river near to the old town centre. Not far out of town is a National Park which you really require a tourist guide. Road is extremely difficult but once up in the hills be ready for a unique experience.
Bus trip from Phnom Penh is an adventure in itself.
Can also reccommend Kampong Chhnang and Battambang north of Phnom Penh for quiet places to stay.
John Swanson
Sihanoukville is the 'main resort', though it is probably very low-key compared with Thailand. It is easily accessed by a good road from PP. From there I suggest you head south to Kampot, a lovely little town near the coast, on a river bank in the shadow of the Bokor escarpment. Take a trip up Bokor to the ruined hilltop resort. I think you can still stay at a hostel at the top. It was a lovely quiet nostalgic place (though I did hear it was to be renovated).
Then move on to Kep, about 20k further. Kep is on the coast, and used to be a very up-market resort until the 60s: now it is very laid-back and popular with day-trippers from PP. Check out the crab-market restaurants and the many limestone caves nearby. From Kep you can take a boat to Rabbit Island, clearly visible a couple of miles offshore. You can stay the night in a hut, and food is available too; just a few families live there.
Cambodia is a delightful place, without the sophistication of Thailand or the austere commercialism of Vietnam. We spent four years there, two years at Kampot, leaving in 2006. I hope you enjoy your trip.
Peter & Pamela
I am a Cambodian currently living in New Zealand. You should go to visit Kep, the old French town, Kompong Som or Seyhanukvil. Also you can visit Kos Kong. They are not much explored by many visitors. Cambodia has a lot of islands example Bamboo or Tonsia islands. The most coastal beaches are full of white sand except Kep beach in Kompot province. There are world class hotels for visitors such as Sokha hotel in Sihanoukville city. It is very close to the beach of this city. If you want to find a peaceful place to get away you can try to hire a boat to the islands. Food is affordable and one more suggestion: goods' price are sold differently for the visitors.
Enjoy your trip
Yarang
My wife and I spent three days down on the coast in Cambodia in August and loved it. We mainly stayed in Kep which is a fairly quiet and low key place compared to the main tourist areas around Sihanoukville. We stayed at Vanna Bungalows, which was cheap ($15 for both of us without A/C) and does reasonable food at a low cost. We also visited Rabbit Island just off the coast and it was beautiful. Plus the food at the Crab Market is excellent and well worth trying. Kep is a good place to chill out for a few days although it doesn't have the same quality of beaches as Sihanoukville (apart from on Rabbit Island). Getting to Kep is also more of a challenge although one regular bus goes through via Kampot every day.
Darren Oliver