Beached in Sihanoukville

Coming from Bokor's rocky roads, Sihanoukville can't be a more well planned destination. By the time i finally got myself a room at the GST guesthouse, i was giving myself major pats on the back, especially when i saw the nice, clean shower. And it didn't cost a bomb. You even get cable TV at 7 dollars. Best part of the deal was that it was a nice 5 minute walk from the beach - Bungalows right on the sand are available but you would have to bear with the noise and the higher prices. Another plus was the internet cafe downstairs.

Going to Sihanoukville from Kampot was an almost 3 hour ride by taxi (covered in previous post extolling the virtues of buying 2 seats for some breathing space), over smooth, beautiful tarmac, a real highway at that. Passed through a small town on the way, asked for the name and forgot it by the time the trip was over. A seat should cost 3 to 4 dollars.

From Phnom Penh buses run to S'ville (4 dollars) and vice versa, smooth ride, few hours. Cant remember exactly, must be around 4. It was that uneventful that i think i managed some sleep. Shared taxi also ply this road, if you feel the urge to get squeezy or are rich enough to travel in comfort by chartering the whole cab. There is also the option of going by a combination of boat/bus from Thailand.

Other things to do at S'ville, besides the obvious suntanning/swimming/getting drunk/partying/very happy shakes include visits to Ream National Park and Koh Russei (Bamboo Island). Both can be visited on day trips organised by guesthouses in town, which, speaking of, deserves some exploration. Most people just wind up on the beaches, but the town was rather interesting too, a nice diversion. Quiet, some nice restaurants, places to discover, a nice town to explore and get lost in. Landmarks around town include the weather station hill and the Golden Lions roundabout. Was walking from Victory beach out to town when i bumped into Jake, coming from the opposite direction, from the Lions. Settled down for dinner, had a nice banana shake right on the beach watching the sunset before we went our separate ways only to bump into each other at Phnom Penh and Siem Reap again, by sheer, sheer coincidence (literally walking into each other around a corner).