Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
5
Motorbike rental
Renting
a
motorbike is a brilliant way
to explore the coastline and it's no longer illegal for tourists
to ride, though you may be stopped by the police (see
p.251). Guesthouses rent bikes from $8/day.
Car/driver hire
Hotels, guesthouses and tour operators
can help you hire a car and driver for the day (from $30).
Alternatively, head to the transport hub by the market and
negotiate with the drivers directly.
ACTIVITIES
Cookery courses
Traditional Khmer cookery classes are
offered at 335 Ekareach St, near the Independence
Monument ($15/half-day, $25/day;
T
092 738615,
W
cambodiancookeryclass.com).
Flyboarding Cambodia
Queenco Palm Beach Resort,
Otres 1
T
0888 301150,
W
flyboardingcambodia.com.
Offers a new way to get high on Otres Beach for $50/15min.
Hurricane
Queenco Palm Beach Resort, Otres 1
T
017
471604,
W
windsurf-cambodia.com.
Western-run outfit,
with good equipment, tuition for windsurfing ($25/hr),
surfing ($19/hr) and stand-up paddleboarding ($15/hr),
plus gear rental. Also rents kayaks ($15/5hr) for jaunts to
nearby Koh Kreah Island.
Massage and spas
Blind and sight-impaired masseurs
work at Seeing Hands 3, 95 Ekareach St, near the
Holy Cow
restaurant (daily 8am-9pm; $6/hr;
T
012 799016). More
exclusive is the Jasmine Spa at the
Sokha Beach Resort
(from $50;
T
034 935999).
Otres Nautica
Otres 1
T
092 230065.
Established
sailing club that rents sit-on-top kayaks for $8/half-day
and Hobies from $30/half-day. Also offers trips to the
closest, uninhabited islands.
Sea Cambodia
Sokha Beach Resort
W
seacambodia
.com.
World-class watersports facility with jet skis,
wakeboards, kneeboards, water skis, tubes, kayaks and
wakesleds, plus regular fishing excursions.
Swimming pools
You can pay to use the swimming pool
and other facilities as a day-visitor at the
Beach Road Hotel
($5) and at the
Sokha Beach Resort
($5/day Mon-Fri, $7/
day Sat, Sun & public holidays).
Tennis
There are floodlit tennis courts ($5/hr) at
Sokha
Beach Resort
.
ACCOMMODATION
From $4 bunks to $400 suites, Sihanoukville caters to all budgets. Hotels and guesthouses can get incredibly busy during
public holidays and festivals, when it's as well to
book
if you want to stay at a particular place, though you're unlikely to be
completely stuck for anywhere to sleep. During peak season (Nov-March) and major holidays (particularly Khmer New
Year), hotels may hike their prices up by 25-30 percent. It's worth trying to negotiate a discount if you plan to stay for a
SIHANOUKVILLE DIVING
Diving
Cambodia's uncharted waters is a colourful experience, all the better for the lack of
other divers. In places
visibility
reaches up to 20m, and, with a wealth of islands to choose
from, operators can offer itineraries ranging from reefs encased in coral to an almost
overabundance of marine life, including barracuda, puffer fish, moray eels, giant mussels and
parrot fish. Closest to Sihanoukville at just two hours away,
Koh Rong Samloem
(see p.260) is
the most popular day-excursion; trips include a couple of dives, a lazy lunch and a spot of
beachcombing on its gloriously white sands. You could also stay overnight. Further afield,
more experienced divers might prefer overnight trips to Koh Tang and Koh Prins (each a
5-7hr boat ride away), with reefs, coral bommies, a wreck or two and better visibility in their
deeper waters.
DIVING OPERATORS
The Dive Shop
Serendipity Beach Rd
T
034
933664,
E
diveshopcambodia.com.
Friendly
German-owned PADI five-star dive centre - HQ is at
Robinson's Bungalows
on Koh Rong Samloem. Offers
two-dive day packages ($80), two-night liveaboard
trips ($295) and three-day Open Water courses ($320)
with free dorm accommodation on the island, plus a
number of speciality courses.
EcoSea Dive
Between the Golden Lions
roundabout and Serendipity Beach
T
034 934631,
W
ecoseadive.com.
running PADI courses, fun dives, day-trips and
overnights including accommodation in dorms, tents
or bungalows, from their base on Koh Rong Samloem.
Scuba Nation
MoHaChai guesthouse, Serendipity
Beach Rd
T
012 604680,
W
divecambodia.com.
Fully
insured five-star PADI outfit with highly qualified
instructors and some of the most advanced courses in
Cambodia; options include four-day Open Water courses
($445), day-trips ($85) and overnighters ($220-325) -
including night dives - on their tailor-made boat; the
pricier trips make for Koh Tang.
Another
experienced
outfit
