Beach Guide to Sihanoukville

Sihanoukville offers virtually untouched soft white sand, clear aquamarine water teeming with life, and majestic awe-inspiring sunsets enjoyable from any angle. Like Cambodia itself, Sihanoukville is a blend of traditional local culture, stunning scenery, delicious food, and endless opportunities for adventure.

Sihanoukville is a beach-goer's paradise, for it has a plethora of beaches, each with its own distinct features and atmosphere. If you are looking for warm shallow waters to snorkel in, you will find them here. If you are looking for a festive beach atmosphere, there is a beach for that too.

If sun, sand, and surf are what you seek, then look no further. The lowest sea temperatures occur in January and are around 26 C (80 F). Seasonal highs occur in May, at around 31 C (90 F). Many people actually prefer the cooler temperatures of the winter. A wetsuit is not required.

Beach	Independence Beach	Victory	Sokha	Prek Treng	Otres
Location	Closest to Sihanoukville	About a 20-minute walk from Sihanoukville	20 minutes in a cab or tuk-tuk	4 km from the city center	8 km from the city center
Known for	Beginners' snorkeling and diving, white sandy beaches	Quiet but easy to access, close to backpacker- hub Victory Hill	Good quality, well groomed beaches	Unused beaches and warm water	Diverse options for activities
Popularity	Known to Westerners and locals, popular year-round	Once popular with back- packers, now popular with all travelers	Mostly Western travelers	A few locals	Mostly Westerners, but also plenty of locals
Getting there	Walk from the city or take a tuk-tuk	Walking is almost the same speed as a tuk-tuk	Not a fun walk on a hot day, so look for a tuk-tuk	An air-conditioned private car or cab	Avoid excessive eating and drinking.
Crowd-levels	Moderately crowded	Less crowded, but can get busy during high season	Not crowded, even in peak season	Least crowded	Moderately crowded
Visiting times	Nov-April	Nov-April	Year-round	Nov-April	Busy during peak season
Budget (including hotel, tour, and food)	Around $100 a day	$100 in a backpacker area, up to $200 for a nicer hotel	$200 or more, depending on accommodation	$100 a day if packing a picnic lunch to take with you	Private car or cab is recommended

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Which beach to visit

Feeling overwhelmed by all these wonderful options? Fear not! Here is a quick analysis.

If you want to go somewhere without crowds then your best two options are Prek Treng and Sokha beaches. Prek Treng is usually empty, and Sokha is carefully overseen by the Sokha resort staff, so locals are usually nowhere to be seen.

In short, Sokha is empty but touristy and expensive while Prek Treng is also usually empty but further away and less-well maintained.

If you prefer a more active atmosphere then Victory Beach is probably the best bet, as it is close to town, close to the former backpacker hub Victory Hill, and is a nice mix of locals and foreigners.

Otres is similar to Victory, but just a bit further away. It does, however, have a unique river delta and village nearby, so if you want to spend a whole day out but not in the sun, then maybe choose Otres over Victory.

Last but not least comes Independence Beach which, being so close to town needs almost no introduction. Almost every visitor will pass by the beach at least once during their stay. Expect moderate crowds and LOTS of activities like snorkeling.

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Victory Beach

Location: right at the base of Victory Hill (you can't miss it)

Best time to Travel: November to January

Transport: Victory Beach is just outside Sihanoukville, about a 15-20 minute walk from the edge of town or a few minutes in a tuk-tuk or cab

Features: near to Victory Hill, quiet during the day, more lively at night, white sand

You are recommended to travel to this beach during November to January when the days are a bit shorter, so you do not have to wait as long to see a sunset. Victory Beach is the most popular for watching sunsets.

Victory Hill or "the hill", once the main hub for backpackers and budget travelers in the area, has begun to change, and the beach itself is now very quiet during the day and is not packed with BBQ carts and vendors.

The top of the hill maintains some of its old charisma but the beach itself is very nice and some say the most "Western" of Cambodia's beaches.

Independence Beach

Location: north of Victory Beach

Best time to travel: November to April

Transport: being a little further from town a tuk-tuk or rented bicycle can deposit you here in under 15 minutes

Features: quiet, free, white sand, good BBQ, near other beaches

One day soon, Independence Beach will be dominated by a new hotel and casino. For the time being, however, it is one of the quietest beaches close to town. The beach is over one kilometer long meaning there is plenty of room to spread out.

Independence Hotel, after which the beach is named, sits at the north end of the beach. The hotel is worth a visit if you have time. Further south there are fewer crowds and some small, but seriously good, BBQ shacks and restaurants.

Independence Beach, namely the pier at the southern end of the beach, is a popular rendezvous destination for locals as well as a launching point for many scuba and snorkeling trips.

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Sokha Beach

Location: Street 2 Thnou, Sihanoukville, 18204

Best time to travel: off-season for lower prices, but nice year-round

Transport: If you are already beach-hopping you might be in walking distance, otherwise take a tuk-tuk or cab for about 20 minutes

Features: up-market, groomed sand, quiet, no locals, finer foods

Sokha Beach is predominantly used by guests staying at the Sokha Beach Resort. As such, it has gained a reputation as one of the swankier beaches in the area. Virtually no locals use the beach, which means you can nap undisturbed and without being offered a massage or fresh fruit.

The beach is a kilometer long so it has plenty of space. The resort offers gazebos and umbrellas for a small fee and regularly grooms and maintains the sand.

There are plenty of outdoor activities at Sokha Beach but the resort has a monopoly on the area, so if you are not content with the prices you will need to head to another beach.

If you want to pick out your own snacks there is a very nice market close to the south end of the beach.

Prek Treng Beach

Location: about 4 km north of the city so take a tuk-tuk or expect a sizeable walk

Best time to travel: even during peak season this beach is hardly used

Transport: tuk-tuk or taxi from the city center or a long walk up from Victory Beach

Features: warm waters, shallow water, groomed sand, isolated and serene

Although one of the more distant beaches on the list, it is also one of the quietest and most peaceful. Even on a weekend it is rare to see more than a few picnickers, making this beach an ideal choice if you are traveling during peak season and still hope to avoid the crowds.

Where the waters at Victory Beach are deep and cool, the waters here are much shallower and consequently a bit warmer, making this beach a nice stopover during the cooler months and a great place for families with children.

Bring your own food though, as there are only a few small stands selling snacks and if there is no one on the beach they will often close up shop early.

Otres Beach

Location: about 8 km south of town

Best time to travel: this large beach is pleasant year-round

Transport: walking is a possibility on a nice day, but most travelers grab a bike or tuk-tuk

Features: one of the largest beaches, a variety within the beach boundaries, plenty to see, plenty to eat and drink

Otres Beach spans 3 kilometers and is pretty diverse along the way. The so-called 'near end', due to it being closer to the city, has a number of fun bars and beachside restaurants. On weekends, there is often live music and there is a lively atmosphere along the whole beach.

Along towards the southern, 'far end', the beach is quieter and feels more isolated. There are still a few food options and delicious snacks around, but the overall feeling is much more relaxed.

Otres River village is near the beach, sitting next to where the Otres River flows into the ocean. The village is a mix of locals and backpackers and can be a great break from the heat after a long afternoon on the sand.

The Otres Market is a food-and-crafts market, opening on Saturdays. You can expect plenty of snacks, fresh squeezed juices, and live music. There is a lot more going on in the market during the high season, but it will shut down if the monsoon rains are heavy

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