Beaches are the most popular and the busiest with plenty of nearby hotels, guesthouses, bars and restaurants. A bit farther from town, Sihanoukville’s out-of-the-way beach Otres continues to grow in popularity, but is still maintaining its relaxed, laid-back vibe. On the other side of town, Independence Beach, though small, offers a pleasantly tranquil atmosphere and beachside bbq shacks.
The Village...
Otres River Village sits about a half-kilometer behind Otres Beach 2 - an Aquarian corner on the the Otres River with an eclectic mix of people, accommodations and drinking places in an laid back environment. Set
amongst mangrove forest along a small lake and estuary, the village is a backbeach enclave in a natural area, offering kayaking, boating and an eco-friendly ambiance. To get between the village and the beach you can
rent a bicycle or even kayak to the beach. ...and the Market...
The Otres Market is a Saturday market of crafts and food vendors, both local and foreign,
in the spirit of the beach markets of Goa - live music, shopping, cold drinks, hot food and good vibes. At time of printing it is the beginning of low season and the market was preparing to shut down until the end of the monsoon season, probably in October or November. Check Facebook for current info. Located in Otres River Village. When running, the market
Independence Beach
(7-Chann Beach)
Independence Beach draws its name from the historic Independence Hotel that sits atop the headland at the
north end, often called ‘otel pram-pul chann (‘hotel 7- storeys’) by the locals.
Independence is better than a kilometer long, but more than half is closed for a development project.
A long slice at the north end remains open to the public - a lightly touristed 500 meter strip of sandy beach, sporting a dozen beach front BBQ huts, restaurants and bars. The quieter, more relaxed near-town beach. A good place to escape the crowds of Ochheuteal Beach.
The fresh water lake at the north end of the beach serves as the source and reservoir of Sihanoukville's water supply. On the curving road past the northern end of the beach, behind the Independence Hotel, monkeys (macaques) often congregate along the road and beg for food, especially in the late afternoon.
Victory/Hawaii Beaches
Two long beaches divided by a rocky point, so named for the nearby ‘Victory Monument’. The southern section is Hawaii Beach and the northern near the Monument is Victory Beach, now partially closed and fairly quiet. Mid Victory beach the sand narrows and a couple of upmarket seafood restaurants hug the water’s edge. QueenCo and Golden Sea casinos stand nearby. Above Victory Beach, Victory
Hill offers a variety of guesthouses, dining and bars. The road at the top of hill is one of Sihanoukville’s nightlife hotspots.
Sokha Beach
Occupying all of Sokha Beach, the Sokha Beach Resort offers luxury accommodation. Sokha is a beautiful beach, a crescent of sand about one kilometer long and comparatively wide. The fine
pearl white sand is perfectly groomed but the beach is fairly quiet, frequented primarily by resort guests. There aren’t any little seafood shacks, but dining gazebos and an up-market beach bar/restaurant run by the resort.
Ream Beach
A distant beach, 27 kilometers north of town, Ream Beach is long and narrow, sitting at the edge of ‘Ream National Park.’ The beach is largely untouristed and of very average quality. The road toward Naval Base offers a nice oceanside drive and parts are lined with ocean’s edge seafood shacks and a thin beach. Take Route 4 18km north from town to the Airport road at Ream. Turn right, straight on 9km to the ocean.
Prek Treng Beach
Another distant beach, Prek Treng is a long, wide crescent of brilliant white sand a few kilometers north of town, offering comparatively warm shallow waters. The beach is in good shape, groomed and landscaped, but is usually all but deserted. Sometimes a couple of food shacks stand open at the near end. To get there follow Hun Sen Beach Drive north a few kilometers past the port area. Best to bring along some of your
own drinks and snacks.
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