Sihanoukville, Cambodia: The Next Phuket?
Well, not quite. At least not yet. But if Cambodian entrepreneurs would have it, they are fashioning this still-sleeping-but-slowly-awakening seaside town to be the next beachside party place.
Along the touristy strip of sand known as Serendipity, several restaurants brazenly advertise “happy” pizza and “happy” pancakes, seasoned with a certain illicit herb. Nearby, Victory Hill is trying to become Cambodia’s version of Soi Cowboy, one of Bangkok’s more garish red-light districts.
And, yes, every month there’s a full-moon party, reminiscent of Ko Phangan’s infamous drug-addled raves.
Yet, it’s a far cry from, say, Phuket, where the sex trade rules the streets. Sihanoukville’s white, sandy beaches may run riot with local girls, but they are selling only handmade bracelets and fresh fruit.
So far, at least. Wait til others get wind of it and realize that there’s more to Cambodia than just Angkor Wat. With accommodations even cheaper than those in Thailand (a double room at the Monkey Republic costs just $6!), it’s just a matter of time til hordes of tourists come!
Of course, if the beach is not your scene, and money is no object, you can also opt for luxury accommodations.
Technorati Tags: Cambodia, Phuket, Asian resorts, beach resorts, Thailand, Asian beach resorts, hotels
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POSTED IN: Asian Adventure/Trekking, Asian Hotels and Resorts
2 opinions for Sihanoukville, Cambodia: The Next Phuket?
Travelfish
Apr 17, 2006 at 7:52 pm
Hi Ruth - like what you’re doing here & thanks for the link.
As one who lived in Phnom Penh for a couple of years and spent way too many weekends down at Sanookyville, this — the latest in a batch of very superficial, glitzy pieces the Times has run of Cambodia — was a very disappointing read. The story has a number of factual problems — Ko Phi Phi is not a remote island, the sex trade doesn’t rule the streets on Phuket and guesthouses in Sanookyville are not significantly cheaper than those in Thailand. But more importantly (IMO) was that the author opens his story talking about Cambodian entrepreneurs, yet every place he mentions is foreign owned — the story reads like he went down to Sihanoukville for the w/e, spent an evening drinking at Monkey Republic and Bar Ru (who, by chance owns one of the two resorts on Ko Russei that he happens to mention) and then returned to Phnom Penh.
I’d expect better from the NYT.
Ruth
Apr 20, 2006 at 5:57 am
Thanks for droping a comment. Sure more pleasant to read from people who’ve also been there to give us all a better perspective. Still, $6 is dirt-cheap!
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