Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
5
YEAH MAO: THE BLACK GRANDMOTHER
There are regular tra
c jams on NR4 south of Kirirom at the
Pich Nil pass
. This is due to
Cambodian motorists breaking their journey to make offerings at the shrine of
Yeah Mao
, or
Black Grandmother
, who is believed to protect travellers and fishermen - the most popular
story has it that she perished in the waves after setting out to find her husband who had left to
fight at sea.
To pick out her shrine, follow the eye-watering haze of incense - a smoke-dimmed image of
her can be found within it. The rows of spirit houses are recent additions and are a bit of a
scam by local stallholders, but most Khmer would prefer to make an offering rather than risk
offending the spirits.
Chambok Eco Tourism Site
T
012 500142,
E
info
@ccben.org,
W
chambok.org.
Community-based
homestay project established in 2001, with 37 homes
enrolled. Meals cost $3-$4. Sadly the programme has been
in decline i
n re
cent years and getting in touch can be a trial.
Per person
$4
Kirirom Hillside Resort
Opposite the park entrance at
the foot of the hill
T
016 590999,
W
kiriromresort.com.
A/c rooms and smart bungalows scattered around
landscaped gardens, plus a few tents for rent. The dinosaur
sculptures and piped birdsong in the restaurant may not be
to everyone's taste, but the
Paradise
café is good for a
sundowner, and the resort (non-residents $5) offers an
impressive range of activities, from canoeing and fishi
ng to
tennis
and
horseriding, as well as a small zoo. Tent
$35
;
double
$50
Sihanoukville and the beaches
Cambodia's primary coastal party town,
SIHANOUKVILLE
occupies a hilly headland
rising above island-speckled waters and six gently shelving white-sand beaches. The
sprawling, workaday town centre, also known as “
Downtown
” sits a little way inland,
and offers few attractions - though this is where you'll find the banks, internet cafés,
markets and supermarkets, and it does at least have the relaxed atmosphere you'd expect
of a seaside resort.
The main hub of activity is on and around
Ochheuteal Beach
, roughly 4km south of
Downtown, and the southern end of
Serendipity Beach Road
, off which you'll find the
majority of the bars, restaurants and guesthouses. In recent years, development on
Otres
, the town's furthest-flung beach, has mushroomed, yet still poses a mellower
alternative to the inner town strands. The sixty off-shore
islands
dotting the Gulf of
Thailand offer further escapism; a handful are easily accessible from town (see p.258).
There are also a couple of inland
waterfalls
to visit north of Sihanoukville.
Psar Leu
Psar Leu
is a huge market that was given a facelift after being devastated by a fire in
2008. You can stock up here on everything from fishing lines to fruit and vegetables
before heading out to the islands, and it's a great place to meander, especially the fish
section with its sea urchins, octopus, huge coloured crabs and mighty sea creatures with
fierce eyes and bristling whiskers.
Wat Leu and around
Wat Leu
, on the summit of Phnom Sihanoukville, is one of five pagodas in town.
Accessed by a track behind the Cambrew Brewery, the temple atop this 132m hill
- otherwise known as the “Upper Wat” - is the highest point in town and worth a visit
for the panoramic views. It's easily visited in conjunction with
Wat Krom
, set on a
boulder-strewn hillside off Santepheap Street, which is home to a sanctuary
commemorating
Yeah Mao
, the “Black Grandmother” (see above).
