Reason #427 you should come here.

Reason #427 you should come here. (EHP photo)

As it was once said, a journey of a thousand miles begins with but 1 step. What's never talked about though, is the next bit. What's at the end of those thousand miles? Is it good? Bad? A set of really steep stairs? Honestly, I don't know, but I can tell you what came after the end of the road trip.

...#428

Sihanoukville is beautiful. The skies are nearly always picture perfect, the sand is the consistency of warm brown sugar, and if you know where to go, you can always find a secluded spot to chill. For me, I found a number of favorite haunts and hangouts.

Two words. Unlimited. Aircon.

My first fav, of course, was the hotel. The Golden Sands is quite reasonably priced. For 44$, you get a nice room, soft bed, air conditioning (see caption), and a nice view of the ocean and pool.



You also get a fridge full of soda (Still have to pay for it. Sorry!), some free bottled water (useful!), and an in-room safe which likely doesn't work. Rule of thumb for staying in a hotel here - take your valuables with you, or lock them in the car if they are too large to carry. This will give you more peace of mind, and criminals less reason to visit.

View from the room. See the ocean in the back?

The hotel includes a restaurant, complete with an all you can eat breakfast bar. The fried chicken wings (Yes, fried chicken is breakfast here. So is bacon. I told you - awesomeness.) were a particular hit with Ginny and Aidan.

Surfer dude.

While that was great, we actually ate most of our meals at Sorin, a nice little cafe and BBQ joint within walking distance of the hotel. Sorin serves some excellent food, especially seafood and incredible onion rings.


That's another point to mention about this place as opposed to Phnom Penh. Walking around Phnom Penh, I've encountered some of the deadliest walking conditions you could imagine. Just the other day, a moto coming from behind came so close, that had I raised my arm, I would have elbowed him in the jaw.




Walking in Sihanoukville is different. There's not many vehicles on the road, and if you need to go somewhere, almost all of the tuctuc drivers speak English. There's also that nice beach-y air to keep your spirits uplifted. Nice, huh?

At any rate, I digress - the best hang out of all is a no-brainer...

The islands you see in the distance are quite open to visitors. I'll catch you up on that part of the trip next time!

...the beach! Yes, the sand, the sun... gorgeous blue and green waters... it was by far the best place to be. Along the sands you'll encounter almost anything. There's a plethora of eateries - most of which make shakes or tasty fruity drinks (Jess loved the Dtuek Kroah Chimah - ice lemon water. It's like lemonade, but with mad ninja skills). There's also chairs and umbrellas for rent - only $2.50 - and a number of masseuse on hand ready to help you relax.

This lil' guy is still in school, and works to help his family. We checked. :)

 For souvenirs, a multitude of children are willing to sell you shells or handmade rope trinkets. Do be careful on this point though. Some of these kids have been trafficked, and are being forced to do this against their will. It's important to ask them if they are still in school, and why they sell on the beach.

It's supposed to be 'Serendipity', but wooden planks are expensive, you know. ;)

The other point of interest worth noting is that when you come, make sure you go to the Khmai side of the beach. How will you know which one that is? Keep walking until you see a beach free of trash and that doesn't have very many beggars. You'll find friendlier people there, as well as a touch more honesty in dealing with the vendors.

Well, for now, that about covers it. For all you beach lovers, my next post on Sihanoukville will take us to several offshore - and mostly deserted - islands. Yes, there will be sand... surf... and he passengers of Oceanic Flight... oh wait, that's a different island.

See you soon. :)