The Cambodia Coastal Visitors Guide 52nd

ochheuteal & more beaches

16

Victory/Hawaii Beaches

Two long beaches divided by a rocky point, so named for the nearby ‘Victory Monument’ that sits in the center of the beach road. The southern section is Hawaii Beach and is much more popular with locals than for- eigners. The north- ern section near the

O chheuteal Beach is by far the most pop- ular and touristed beach in town with ‘ Serendipity

Monument is Victory Beach, now partially closed and fairly quiet. Mid Victory beach the sand nar- rows 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, especially of the hostess variety. The road at the top of hill is one of Sihanoukville’s nightlife hotspots. Sokha Beach eqñrsuxa

Beach ’ at the arcing northern end and busy Serendipity Beach Road stretching from the beach to the Golden Lion Roundabout. Restaurants that line Ochheuteal typically offering full bars and food, especially seafood BBQ at sunset. Ochheuteal is also the partyingest beach in town with many of the bars open very late night, with cheap drinks, fire dancing and parties into the wee hours.

Sokha Beach Resort occupies all of Sokha Beach - kilometer long crescent of perfectly groomed fine pearl white sand. But the beach is fairly quiet, frequented primarily by resort guests. There aren’t any seafood shacks, but dining gazebos and an up- A distant beach off the beaten track, 27 kilo- meters 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 Ream Beach eqñrram

Independence Beach (7-Chann Beach) eqñrsNæaKarR)aMBIrCan; Independence Beach is the quieter, more relaxed near-town beach. The beach draws its name from the historic Independ- ence Hotel that sits atop the headland at the north end, called ‘otel pram-pul chann

market restaurant run by the resort .

(‘hotel 7-storeys’) by the locals. Independence is better than a kilometer long, but more than half had been closed for several years for a devel- opment project. A few months ago most of the beach was reopened to the public, but unlike Ochheuteal and Otres Beaches, Independence is not lined with restau- rants and vendors. Currently, about a dozen beach front BBQ huts, restaurants and bars are clustered together on a lightly touristed 500 meter strip of sandy beach at the north end. It’s a nice family beach and a good near- town beach to escape the crowds of Ochheuteal. 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.

oceanside drive and parts are lined with ocean’s edge seafood shacks offering seaside hammocks, fresh seafood dishes and a very local ambiance. There are a couple of guesthouses in the area including the Ream Beach Guesthouse (see Hotel listings.) Take Route #4 18km north from town to the Airport road at Ream. Turn right, straight on 9km to the ocean.

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