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Sihanoukville


randiuno

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I now this is an old thread, but me and about 5 mates from the plb forum are planning a trip to sihanoukville in November for 4 nights and would love a reccomendation of a good hotel close to the action if possible never been there so am putting this in your hands!LOL 

I hope this is the right place for this, and any advice would be helpful for sure, als can we fly to sihanoukville direct or do we have to go to PP?

Thanks for taking the time to read and hope you guys can help.

Iceberg:yes:

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There are no direct flights from Thailand to Sihanoukville.

Would recommend that that you spend a couple days in Phnom Penh and hire a private minivan just for the six of you for door to door service.  Get a case of cold beer and enjoy the ride!

This will be the biggest invasion of ladyboy-mongers in Sihanoukville history!  :yahoo::drinks::yahoo:

The only recent precedent that I know of was when the rear guard of the Red Horse Battalion invaded back in 2011.  It's one thing if two or three mates are in town together. But when six guys are on a road trip it's a bonanza for the ladyboys.

I would recommend that you stay in the Ochheuteal Beach area (a small part of Ochheuteal is called Serendipty).  I don't have any specific hotel recommendations on Ochheuteal though.

I used to stay in the Victory Hill area. It was more of a monger/sexpat area while Occheuteal was more of a backpacker area back then. Used to stay at a guesthouse that I found quite charming and could pay by the week or day to use the beautiful pool at a much more upscale hotel just a minute away.  I'd go in low season and the upscale hotel was always empty but when I inquired about price they didn't want to budge.  Now, I see that at least for low season you can get this place for 20 bucks on Agoda.  

http://www.asiahotelandtravel.com/index.php/topic/9-cambodia-accommodation/#entry390

At this price it's my strong recommendation for anyone staying on Victory Hill. Note with Agoda their listed price is not the final price. In Pattaya you have to add 17.7% but in Sihanoukville you have to add 23.4%.  So some low prices are somewhat deceiving.

But I think Occheuteal is where you guys will like much better.  There is one dead end street with 10 beer bars and a big complex with about 25.  You will find a ladyboy or two sprinkled around these areas.

But the real ladyboy action is after midnight at the Ochheuteal beach bars. No barfine!  If a ladyboy works on Victory Hill, after her bar closes she'll get on her bike and go down to Occheuteal by these bars. 

When Randiuno wrote his post JJ's was the best spot. When I was last there it was Dolphin.  Could be a different joint now but you will find it easily as these late night backpacker bars are all on the same strip,

Btw, you don't want to stay on Independence Beach, Hawaii Beach, Sohka Beach or Otres Beach. They are not suitable for mongers.

 

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I have booked the REEF RESORT with booking.com for next year, looks pretty good 

 

One of our bestsellers in Sihanoukville! Reef Resort is situated a 5-minute walk from popular dining options along Ekareach Street and 200 yards from Sihanoukville’s Serendipity Beach. It houses an outdoor swimming pool and offers complimentary Wi-Fi access.

Sihanoukville city centre is a 10-minute drive away, while the Sihanoukville International Airport is a 20-minute drive away.

Rooms feature a flat-screen TV, a wardrobe and an en suite bathroom with hot/cold shower facilities, toiletries and a hairdryer. Tea/coffee making facilities and a minibar are included.

Open from 07:00 to 23:00, the restaurant serves Khmer cuisine, seafood dishes and Western specialities. Room service is provided.

Guests can head to the 24-hour front desk for assistance with luggage storage, massage and transport rental services. Laundry and airport shuttle services are also available. 

 

This property is also rated for the best value in Sihanoukville! Guests are getting more for their money when compared to other properties in this city.

 

We speak your language!

Reef Resort has been welcoming Booking.com guests since 20 Aug 2013

.............................................................................................................................

Additional Information about Reef Resort

Address: Serendipity Beach Road | Near the Golden Lions, Sihanoukville, Cambodia
Region:Cambodia >Sihanoukville Province >Sihanoukville
Price Range: £13 - £30 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
Hotel Class:3 star — Reef Resort 3*
Number of rooms: 15
 
I am booked in a Pool Access Room, great value imho at under £20 a night B)
Room size: 269 ft²
 
 
Bed: 1 large double bed

This double room features a cable TV, air conditioning and tile/marble floor.

Garden view Flat-screen TV Air Conditioning Private bathroom Free WiFi 
• Garden view • Cable Channels • Flat-screen TV • Safety Deposit Box • Air Conditioning • Desk • Fan • Tile/Marble floor • Wardrobe/Closet • Shower • Free toiletries • Toilet • Bathroom • Slippers • Minibar

Free WiFi is available in all rooms.

 

pool1.jpg

pool7.jpg

pool2.jpg

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2 hours ago, duke007 said:

I am booked in a Pool Access Room, great value imho at under £20 a night B)

Looks like a great deal to me Dukey!   

However, that sort of deal may not be available in November which most hotels consider the beginning of high season.

Here's a link to it on our sister site, Asia Hotel and Travel.

Reef Resort on Asia Hotel and Travel

The Booking.com map is a good one which shows the layout of Ochheuteal Beach. There's a paved walkway along the beach and in back are three parallel roads.  Anything from Golden Lion Roundabout to the beach or on those three parallel roads is a good location.  

On that map where you see Zana Beach Guesthouse is the little street with 10 bars. It's just off the parallel road furthest from the beach. I think it's mislabeled because there was no guesthouse of that magnitude on that tiny bar street unless the street was redeveloped. The big beer bar complex is on the middle of the three roads quite close to Golden Lion Roundabout.

Reef Resort on Asia Hotel and Travel

The lively late night beach bars such as Dolphin are close to the road that leads from Golden Lion to the beach.

Draft Beer is cheap in these bars, usually just a buck which is 35 baht.  BBQ :bbq: on the beach just three bucks with draft beer 75 cents.  If you look hard enough you find some places with 50 cent draft (18 baht).

ATMs in Cambodia dispense USD which is nice for Yanks because you don't get hit with exchange rate ripoffs although most ATMs charge a $5 fee for withdrawals so take out the maximum money you can in one shot.

I change my USD to Riel though since the unofficial street rate is 4000 riel per dollar while at the moneychangers in Phnom Penh you get more than 4000. If you use dollars you wind up paying 2% more for everything.

Unless a place as a computerized system you can just give 4000 riel if the cost on the menu is 1USD.

Think of the 1000 riel notes as quarters.  Btw, only paper money in Cambo; no coins.

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49 minutes ago, Pdoggg said:

 

ATMs in Cambodia dispense USD which is nice for Yanks because you don't get hit with exchange rate ripoffs although most ATMs charge a $5 fee for withdrawals so take out the maximum money you can in one shot.

I change my USD to Riel though since the unofficial street rate is 4000 riel per dollar while at the moneychangers in Phnom Penh you get more than 4000. If you use dollars you wind up paying 2% more for everything.

Unless a place as a computerized system you can just give 4000 riel if the cost on the menu is 1USD.

Think of the 1000 riel notes as quarters.  Btw, only paper money in Cambo; no coins.

 I read up on this yesterday as it happens PD  :biggrin:

 

Dealing with U.S. Dollars & Riels 

Riels and U.S. Dollars are both used in Cambodia. Make sure that your dollars are clean, with no marks and no tears. Most vendors in Southeast Asian countries prefer crispy new bills. Your bills may be rejected if they have marks or are too warn, or have tears, even the slightest tear.

Prices are both in United States Dollars and Riels. You can pay either in U.S. Dollars or Riels or a mix of U.S. Dollars and Riels.

If you pay in U.S. dollars you may be given change back in either U.S. Dollars (for the part greater than $1) and Riels (for the part less than $1). E.g. If you give a $5 bill to buy an item that cost $1.5 you will be given back $3 and the remaining in Riels.

Most small businesses, tuk tuk drivers and hotels currently use an exchange rate of 4000 riel to the dollar

n some shops, notably minimarts and supermarkets  2 exchange rates are used within a same transaction:

- 1 USD = 4200 Riels

- 1 USD = 4000 Riels

  • The rate applied is always to the benefit of the seller (as a tourist you are often the buyer).
  • An item costs $1. You can pay it in dollars or  with 4200 riels (1 USD = 4200 Riels).
  • An item costs $1.5. You give $2, the seller will give you back 2000 riels (1 USD = 4000 Riels).
  • An item costs 5000 Riels. If you pay in USD you will pay $1 + 1000 Riels (1 USD = 4000 Riels)  

Inflation has been quite steep in Cambodia, so check out the Riel/Dollar exchange rate before you go.

Hotels, apartments and restaurant food have all gone up in price significantly in the last year, but street food, alcohol and cigarettes have barely changed in price.

It is recommended to make small buys in Riels, for example going to markets to buy fruits. Paying in USD means you will lost a lot of cents.  

While traveler's checks have become somewhat obsolete in many places due to the advent of ATM's, in Cambodia they are quite useful.  You can cash U.S. dollar checks at most banks and money exchange places for a 2% charge,  and get your money in U.S. dollars.  This is no more expensive than using an ATM, once you figure in bank fees.  Note that this is most useful if you can buy your checks without a commission, which some banks and other organizations (the AAA in the U.S., for example anMarks and Spencers in the UK) offer their customers.

In some areas (such as Sihanoukville) you may find Western Union Offices have a daily limit of $300 per customer, so make sure you take some smaller denomination travellers cheques. Banks normally will change whatever amount you like.

Beware of ATM fees. Current charges are about $4 for using a foreign ATM card in a Cambodian bank plus whatever your bank charges for foreign use.. However, if you have a visa debit card, you should be able to use Canadia Bank ATMs for free. Branches in Sorya Mall and check their website for others. Some visa debit cards may still be charged, depending on your bank but you will be warned before the transaction is complete.

You can also use a Visa debit card in some banks over the counter to withdraw as much as you like, subject to available funds. In this case their is normally  a fee of 1% or $5, whichever is the greater. The exchange rate used will be set by your bank, normally thevisa rate which you can check online on the visa website.

Banks here are good. If for any reason you wish to set up a bank account in Cambodia, ACLEDA Bank is well recommended. Dutch owned, and plugged into the global banking system (great if you are sending money transfers to Cambodia) the bank has an ethos of supporting small business and the community. It is widely regarded amongst the Asian banking community is a good high service, ethical establishment. However it may pay to shop around. The ANZ offers good service though slightly steeper requirements in terms of setting up a local account - and these are not the only two Western banks by any means. Do ask about their fee structures because they appear to be somewhat different from those in the West; for example charging a fee for money that arrives in these accounts. Their fee structure may reflect the fact that they cannot earn much money from relatively small transaction by locals. Canadia bank seems to be growing very fast and there are now branches almost everywhere.

For wiring money, there's are Western Union offices everywhere (they cash Travellers Cheques also) but in general terms WU is a very expensive way to send money. They take a big margin compared to the banks, and their exchange rates are also less favourable. Still, if you're stuck in Siem Reap and need your family as a lifeline - this might be the quickest way to go. Western Union transfers are instant while international bank transfers take 2-4 working days. If you need money sent to you then it is far cheaper to get the sender to do the transaction online at the Western Union website. The fees are much less than those charged by Western Union Agents. MoneyGram is also widely available but it is more expensive.

Credit cards are accepted at very few places.  Malls, grocery stores, larger stores and more expensive restaurants will accept credit cards. However, make sure that your credit card is signed with your name.  If you put "Please see ID" instead of signing your card, you may run into issues.

 

 

Her Majesty's pound baffled me too  :wacko:

1.00 GBP = 5,389.34 KHR
British Pound Cambodian Riel
1 GBP = 5,389.34 KHR 1 KHR = 0.000185551 GBP
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btw ....the Reef Resort were showing vacancies for this November at $30 a night for a Pool Access room if you are interested through their own website

 http://www.reefresort.com.kh/

But " book early" before they go because they will very quickly, the great thing about Booking.com is that you can pre-book the rooms without paying a penny and cancel up to 4 days before your arrival free of charge

 

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4 minutes ago, duke007 said:

However, if you have a visa debit card, you should be able to use Canadia Bank ATMs for free. Branches in Sorya Mall and check their website for others. Some visa debit cards may still be charged, depending on your bank but you will be warned before the transaction is complete.

At some point maybe two years ago Canadia started charging a fee for my Mastercard. At one point it was free.

"Think" they charge extra for Visa but I've heard this is another bank that doesn't. Have to look it up.

If you have lots of credit/debit cards, it's a good idea to bring more than one just in case and one should be a Visa Card.

Not really sure where is the best place to change pounds to dollars as it's an issue that that doesn't apply to me. 

Btw, thanks for mentioning travellers checks as I have some 15 year old AMEX checks in $20 denomination which are prohibitively expensive to exchange in Thailand. Maybe I can get rid of them in Cambo. 

 

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12 minutes ago, duke007 said:

Reef Resort

It appears that the Poolside Rooms have Double beds while the cheaper Standard Rooms have Queen beds.

Being by the pool is nice though. But even if sleeping alone I like the biggest bed possible so I'm for Queen and Country!   :biggrin:

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5 hours ago, Pdoggg said:

But the real ladyboy action is after midnight at the Ochheuteal beach bars. No barfine!  If a ladyboy works on Victory Hill, after her bar closes she'll get on her bike and go down to Occheuteal by these bars

Hey PD been a little while  since I was there,  I, stayed at Occheuteal as well and  agree it is a good base but can't   remember  if I saw any LBs in the bars,  are they actually  in the bars these days   or are they on the beach just outside? 

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In at thread about Phnom Penh visa runs Luung said:

Quote

Would going to Sihanoukville & then from there onto Patts be a realistic option? Or would it be an ordeal for someone who doesn't want to be away for too long?

 

 It's a realistic option. I've done this twice.  But there are problems.

You can buy a combined Cambodian Bus and Thai Van ticket from Sihanoukville to Pattaya for about 25 USD.

The bus takes you to the border, you then walk across and get into a van on the Thai side. 

The bus is great.  A very pleasant trip with no traffic.  The van ride sucks.  The van won't leave until every seat is occupied,

My van trip was the worst of my life.  The driver passed thousands of vehicles on the trip and I only counted two that passed him.  The only time he'd slow down a bit is when he was talking on his mobile phone.

The second time I figured I'd stay overnight in Trat and then take the bus from Trat to Pattaya.

What we did was rent a private van for two to take us from the border to Trat.

Much more cost effective though would be booking from Snooky to Trat.  Then you can take a first class bus from Trat to Patts for about 300 baht.  Conflicting reports on the net as to the schedule. You might want to stay in Trat for one night just to see it.

Problem is the worst part of the van trip is from the border to Trat as this is a two lane road and he'd pass vehicles on blind curves at 100 km/hour.  On the main road from Trat to Pattaya he never went slower than 140 km/hr except when talking on his mobile phone. But at least no blind curves. 

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3 hours ago, Pdoggg said:

 

The bus is great.  A very pleasant trip with no traffic.  The van ride sucks.  The van won't leave until every seat is occupied,

My van trip was the worst of my life.  The driver passed thousands of vehicles on the trip and I only counted two that passed him.  The only time he'd slow down a bit is when he was talking on his mobile phone.

 

Exactly my experience.  Never again.

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  • 1 month later...
  • 1 year later...

Hi guys update from November 2017 , airport wise not much happening regarding flights from anywhere so still white knuckle ride on road from phnom penh , mini bus from $7 private taxi from $50 , will be lucky to make it in 4 hours the road is really busy with many old hgv's breaking down blocking the road .

In snooky massive development is going on all over Chinese funded of course Russians been squeezed  out apart from victory hill , the target area seems  to be otres beach , in serendipity beach which is monger central casinos are popping up everywhere  (thailand losing out big time re casinos) big money can be made if you have funds and contacts .

Its a shame but sihanoukville will not be a little gem for much longer , don't know why but even the beach bars have been pushed back along serendipity beach here's  couple of pic's from 2 years ago and some from November this year .

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10 hours ago, jeffs said:

In snooky massive development is going on all over Chinese funded of course

  Interesting, before the financial crisis of around 2008 the main foreign player seemed to be South Korea. Sorry to see the Chinese flexing their muscle.

  Not sorry to see no casinos in Thailand. We pretty much don't trust the Thais about anything so happy to skip a casino. I went in a casino in Phnom Penh long ago and the blackjack rules were so against the player I had dinner and left.    

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  • 5 months later...
On 6/15/2018 at 8:34 PM, wishfull said:

now nothing left the last beer area the square close end ofjune every thing else is now a Chinese construction site

Thanks for the update Wishfull!    :drinks:

Are the ladyboys freelancing out of the beach bars such as Dolphin on Occheteal Beach very late at night?

Are there any bars left up on Victory Hill?

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Today Australia's Fairfax Media (newspaper and online news organisation) has a great in depth report on whats happening in Sihanoukville and includes videos, maps, photos etc.

A must read for those interested in what China is up to not only in Cambodia but elsewhere in the world as well.

 

https://www.smh.com.au/world/asia/the-next-macau-china-s-big-gamble-in-cambodia-20180615-p4zlqg.html

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  • 1 month later...
  • 4 weeks later...

Reading a few recent reports looks like it's all over for mongers in sihanoukville .

Seems the Chinese want to develop the hole area and turn it into a gambling city .

Picture from the pier of serendepity beach a few years ago , and another picture further along beach a few days ago .

20160221_145424.thumb.jpg.36c5019d534d623a6e101375ebe06f5f.jpgconstruction-projects-are-shown-near-sihanoukvilles-city-centre-earlier-this-week.-heng-chivoan.jpg.7910dc34298db2cc7c046ba39322ff6d.jpg

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  • 2 months later...
On 9/10/2018 at 10:14 AM, jeffs said:

Reading a few recent reports looks like it's all over for mongers in sihanoukville .

Seems the Chinese want to develop the hole area and turn it into a gambling city .

Picture from the pier of serendepity beach a few years ago , and another picture further along beach a few days ago .

20160221_145424.thumb.jpg.36c5019d534d623a6e101375ebe06f5f.jpge.construction-projects-are-shown-near-sihanoukvilles-city-centre-earlier-this-week.-heng-chivoan.jpg.7910dc34298db2cc7c046ba39322ff6d.jpg

Holy Cow...this is so sad.  Similarly, last year I took my oldest daughter on a college graduation trip through S.E. Asia, and on our stop in Phnom Penh, I tried to find the "Flamingo Hotel" that I stayed in on my first trip to region, and the whole neighborhood had similarly been razed and new construction going up.  I guess enjoy the spaces while they exist as nothing last forever.

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  • 1 year later...

Congrats, Cambodia. I'm sure this will end well.

In scrappy Cambodian casino town, Chinese plan future beyond coronavirus

 

SIHANOUKVILLE, Cambodia (Reuters) - When casino owner Kang Qiang looks out the window of his 20th floor office in this city on the remote Cambodian coast, he sees construction cranes sitting idle.

The Chinese-funded gambling enclave of Sihanoukville has suffered a double blow. Travel restrictions imposed in recent weeks to slow the global coronavirus pandemic have deepened the effects of a ban last year on lucrative online gambling.

But Kang is betting on a future beyond the pandemic, banking on the return of money from China to finish transforming the scrappy frontier town into a gleaming metropolis.

In a sign of his confidence, Kang's casino has installed gold urinals.

"China speed", exclaims Gavin Gao, a gleeful young Chinese tech entrepreneur from Chengdu who has chosen to stick things out.

"Sihanoukville is going at China speed ... Here is China 2.0!"

Cambodians have mixed feelings about the Chinese. Their arrival brought money and jobs - and now their sudden absence is causing problems.

 

The expatriates' confidence is buoyed by China's apparent success in fighting the coronavirus pandemic. As cases skyrocket elsewhere in the world, zero local transmissions have been reported on some days in China, where the virus originated.

"They got it under control," says Bob Zhao, an earnest 28-year-old from Shandong who came to Sihanoukville seeking his fortune and found it as a sales consultant for a Chinese property developer.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/scrappy-cambodian-casino-town-chinese-232757192.html

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The Sihanoukville story is such a sad one.  Snooky will never be the same again.

I'm so glad I spent a good amount of time there between 8 and 10 years ago, before greed and corruption took their toll.

So many problems around the world. One country name always seems to be in the thick of it.

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On 3/31/2020 at 12:39 PM, dixon cox said:

before greed and corruption took their toll.

Lots of guys found their thrills on Victory Hill!   Dollar drafts, chilled vibe, and my playlist on their computer made  Sunflower Bar one of my favorite bars of all time.  They even had B-52s!    :biggrin:

Anyone know if Victory Hill has any bars left?

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