I recently returned from A trip to Thailand and Cambodia. If you're interested in seeing more of Cambodia than Phnom Phen and Siem Reep you might want to try Sihanoukeville out on the coast.

Cambodia's only salt water port is starting to see developers come in. New hotels are being built and travelers are just starting to find the area. There are three major beaches the cleanest of which is around the point from the ship yard.

Hotel prices range from the $5 guest house with out ac to a swanky $15 price at the Palace with a view of the ocean.

There are several bars in town where you can meet girls but the real action is down in the ship yard at the BiBa Dancing Bar. All the taxi drivers will know exactly where it is.

Do not let the taxi drivers negotiate for your girls. They will add at least $10 on to the going rate.

BiBa is a Karioke Bar playing only Asian music. As such it isn't the kind of place you want to hang out. But there are at least 50 girls by 9pm. Several 8's and 9's. If the girls are wearing a number than they are available for a $10 massage in a semi clean room in the back. You'll also find a set of photos of all the girls on the wall. You can pick and choose from here. Best bet is to look at the photos and then ask to see a girl. They are all dressed to kill for the photos but all you get is a head shot.

A $10 test drive in the back rooms is a good idea as well. Makes the night a bit more expensive but this way you get to see if the girl has any personality at all- is she going to be a like a dead fish or a willing participant?

Mama Son (sp?) will start out asking for $35 but in the end they will take $15 to take the girl back to your hotel. All U.S. dollars in Cambodia.

I found it best to take only one girl as two tend to be more interested in talking to each other than focusing on the nights entertainment.

How did you get there, isn't it far away from civilization...of what little civilized people there are in Cambodia.

Blazers,

You can fly to Sihanoukville out of Phnom Penh or take the AC bus from either Seim Reap or Phnom Penh. Travel out of Pattaya by mini bus down through Trat and Koh Kong is the most interesting. (got my mini bus ticket at the travel agency across soi 8 from Flipper). AC bus from Bangkok to Trat, 45 minute mini bus ride to Cambodian boarder just 3km from Koh Kong is a possibility.

Sihanoukville is an incredibly beautiful place. You know my opinion of Cambodia from previous posts ... I was totally amazed that a place like Sihanoukville could exist in Cambo. In my whole Trip through Coastal Cambodia I DID NOT SEE EVEN ONE BEGGAR !!! A far different scene from Phonm Penh and even Siem Reap.
Up scale beach with some nice hotels to many smaller beaches and "BackPackers Hill". 3 or 4 red light streets with the biggest one being down by the Port. As Reltney mentioned the Port red light zone is also the home of Biba ... the only halfway classy joint in town. There is also a chicken ranch a few Km out of town.

I was only there for 3 days and could easily have spent a week. Wanted my SeaKayaks badly. Many many small Islands and coral reefs close in for exploring, snorkle and scuba and even a couple of Golf Courses going in. Some good swiming beaches. Some nice restaurants. This is an up and coming place. It looks to have been a resort area from the old French days I saw more Europeans and Kewis than anything else. Word on the street and in the cabs is that some VERY big money from Singapore and Hongkong with some VERY important friends in Cambodia is investing here.

Vietnam is only 3 or 4 hours down the coast if you want more travel.

Check out www.canbypublications.com for hotel info.

PS. On the Cambo side of the boarder (Koh Kong) watch out for a thieving little bandito goes by the name of "Sam". Sam is a good guide and driver but you will pay double for everthing.

McDIJJ (who is going back to Sihanoukville next fall)

PPS. Rasta is headed that way even as I type ... hopefully he will add some info to this board. (hint hint)

Best part about Sihanoukville is the dirt road ride into the Biba Disco area near the port. After dark you can only dodge the bumps at about 5 miles per hour. Women on both sides of the road will call out to you. Be prepared to be chased by women intent on wrestling you off the back of your motorcycle taxi into their bar. It is so much fun you will almost fall off laughing. Some are not bad looking either.

This chicken ranch dirt road is alive and well. The girls look pretty good and you shouldn't have to pay more than $3 ST or $5-10 LT. I paid a little hottie $10 for all night and she nearly jumped out of her skin with excitement so I know I overpaid. Biba is really hot, but the girls there will set you back for $6 or more ST. Worth more because they have AC and real showers. And real babes. I did the spinner lead singer from the band who did not have a number on her chest. Not good, but too beautiful to pass up.

They had very strict rules at the casino in my hotel in Sihanoukville.

Hi all, any word as to the scene in Sihanoukville recently? Will be visiting Cambodia in about a week, looking for places to try out. Thanks in advance.

I was there at the end of February. You'll find some good info in my (short) trip report here.

Singlet means 'wifebeat'? -
I'm a little disappointed I can't bring in my bombs.

soo sday (hello in khmer)
don't have time to read this section so i apologize for any repeat/redundant info.

rural cambodia cheap. reil is nat'l currency but us$ is used. for amts < $1 they use riels.

from phnon penh 4.5hrs by bus (paramount angkor express, $5). fr bus stn to beach mototaxi 2000 riels. beaches nothing special but not bad getaway from heat/humidity in PP & siem reap. serendipity bch very narrow & crowded. ocheuteal bch less crowded. p4p in weather station hill. moto taxi will find u & ask if u want 'boom boom tonite?'

beach bungalows $3-7. some bars open 24 hrs & offer free accomodation, $0.25 draft beer. meals $2 or less.

Reading another forum a BM says there's going to be a big bar complex built at the back of the pier side of Ocheateal beach.

There's going to be over 100 plots most of which the BM says have already been reserved, should all be finished in three months time. I'll keep everyone informed.

PM me if you want the forum and thread starter there's pictures of the plans there.

Photos from redbus

Above Yuliya vasilya,Russia national, being arrested with cocaine in sihanoukville.

I'm ask is Sihanoukville a good place to monger and I really don't know, its been years since I went there. I've heard good and bad reports about the place, and to be honest I would suggest you can't go wrong going to Phnom Penh.

Sihanoukville seems to suffer from bar owners buying other bars that are doing well, they seem to do this by going down the police shop and accusing the bar of either money laundering, selling drugs or having underage girls.

The bar gets closed down where the new owner buys it, so now expats don't go there because they want to see their old friend, the two week millionaires don't have their favourite girls and general holiday makers don't want to pay the high price of beers the now bar owners put up, so now the bar is continually empty where he eventually abandons it which is why you take your chances to monger in Sihanoukville.

Seems to be from news reports that Asian companies buy land in Sihanoukville where bars and vendors have to go, which is,I suppose, why theres very few bars.

Because the chinese have near taken over Sihanoukville, the Hotel casinos are getting calling cards offering escorts and massage slipped under doors of hotel rooms the same as its done in china.

Above:trafficking laws has caused police and local authorities to look into leaflets being distributed around the casino's in sihanoukville, they seem to be advertising woman with Chinese characters.

Maybe we'll see western style bars again, as women are free to come and go as they please.

Above: sihanoukville authorities have been taking signs down by local chinese businesses, thanks to google translate signs in bad Cambodian have been taken down because the chinese are using google.

boys busted for having a bad haircut, oh and something about drugs.