The Phnom Penh Visitors Guide 62nd

Destinations

Landmarks & Points of Interest Cambrew Brewery Cambrew Brewery brews Angkor and Bayon beers and Pepsi products. It was constructed in 1966 and operated by the government from 1967-75 brewing beers by the same name. The brewery was refurbished and production was reinstituted in 1991. Located on Route #4 at the road junction on Sihanouk Ville Mountain. Fishing Port The Fishing Port (Tom Nup Roluk Port) sits about 2 km north of the main port on Hun Sen Beach Dr. Its wooden quay and surrounding village are a whirl of color and activity. A photogenic place. Fishing boats stream out of this port every night just before sunset - an amazing sight, especially from Victory beach. Vimean Tao Meas, ‘Golden Lions Monument’ The Golden Lion Monument is a prominent landmark located in the middle of the traffic circle between Sokha and Ochheuteal beaches. The monument was constructed in 1996. The traffic circle is surrounded by Cambodian restaurants and karaoke places and the gardens around the monument have become a popular evening hangout for the locals, particularly local teens. Independence Square The Independence Square consists of an open meeting hall, the Independence Monument (Vimean Ekareach), a small shrine and park area. It was constructed in 1985 and honors the independence and war dead of Cambodia. Ceremonies are held at the hall on January 7th. EcoSea Dive Ecosea Dive center offering authorized PADI and SSI Dive Courses at affordable prices in several languages. Providing daily fun dives, adventure dives on their very safe, custom dive boat. Instructors are highly trained and qualified. Recommended. Tel: (+855) 016 603 400 www.ecoseadiver.com Scuba Operators There are several dive centers in Sihanoukville and on the islands of Koh Rong and Koh Rong Sanloem. Most can organize, outfit and lead almost any sort of diving excursion from introductory dives to fully outfitted multi-day scuba expeditions for experienced divers. Koh Rong Dive Center Dive center, offering a full range of PADI diver training classes, from PADI Open Water Scuba Diving certification through PADI Dive Master. In addition. Kids programs available. Twice a day scuba diving and snorkeling trips to areas around Koh Rong. Located near the Golden Lions and on Koh Rong Island. Tel: 034-934744 http://kohrong-divecenter.com

Port of Sihanoukville Constructed 1955-60. The port waters are 11-13m deep except for an 8-9m point in the channel near Koh Pos. The original quay can be seen from Victory Beach jutting 290m into the ocean. The northern section consists of a 350m quay and 3117m of breakwater. Ships approach from the west or southwest between Koh Pos and the mainland. Sihanoukville Mountain This 132m peak offers a spectacular view of the city, the islands and the beaches from Otres to the port. Take Route 4 about 2.5km north of town. Make a right turn at the brewery and follow the road up the hill, about 200m past the Wat Leu pagoda. Park at the end of the road and walk out onto the rocks. Excellent sunset spot. St. Michael’s Church , named after the patron saint of sailors, was constructed in 1962. Designed by French missionary Father Ahadobery and renowned Cambodian architect Vann Molyvann. Note the 'ship's sail' brickwork at the front and the boats on the sides. The church served local Catholics until 1975 when the Khmer Rouge came to power. From 1975-79 the church was used as a prison, and after 1979 as storage until it reopened in 1993. It is currently active and serving several dozen mostly Vietnamese families. St Michael's is one of the two churches in Cambodia that survived the Khmer Rouge. The other 71 churches including the Cathedral in Phnom Penh were destroyed. The Independence Hotel The Independence Hotel located on the point between Victory and Independence beaches, was Sihanouk Ville’s premiere accommodation in the 1960’s. It was built in 1963 or 1964 during the heyday of Sihanouk Ville’s early development, and was finally abandoned when the Khmer Rouge seized power in 1975. The hotel opened briefly again during UNTAC’s stay in the early 1990’s. In 2004 renovation work began on the hotel. Completed two year later the Independence Hotel has been fully and carefully restored to its former opulence and reopened as modern upscale resort hotel. Victory Monument The Victory Monument on the road just off Victory Beach at the base of Weather Station Hill (aka Victory Hill) presumably lends its name to the beach. The monument was built in 1985 to symbolize Cambodia’s friendship with Vietnam and the 1979 Vietnamese-assisted victory over the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia. One of these monuments can be found in almost every major town in Cambodia. Wat Chotynieng Wat Chotynieng (aka Wat Leu, ‘upper wat’) overlooks town from the top of Sihanouk Ville Mountain. Paintings in the vihear depict the life of Buddha. At the rear are portraits of the founder, Prince Junot, and Lok Om (left), the leader of the Buddhist community in this area until his death in 1999. In front of the chapel is a statue of Lok Om, erected in 1996. Wat Utynieng Wat Utynieng (aka Wat Krom meaning ‘lower wat’) sits on a small hill on Santipheap St.. Picturesque grounds with statues depicting Buddhist lore and a large reclining Buddha behind the vihear overlooking the town and ocean Also quite unique, this wat contains a building containing a large shrine dedicated solely to Ya-Mao, a local deity.

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