Things to do at the beach...

You remember I wrote awhile back about my first visit to Sihanoukville? Well, not that long ago, we took a second trip down (up?) there. This time around, rather than shuttle you, my beloved audience, through the sun, sand, and mostly deserted islands again, I thought I would give you something a little more practical - a rundown of what you can do once you get to the beach!

Wave jumping.

Wave jumping is a semi-sport common to all beaches. Run out and hop over the waves. Easy, yeah? In Sihanoukville, the wave sizes vary greatly depending on the current, weather (unpredictable), and passing boats. A word of caution - see the little buoys in the photo? As it turns out, those are jellyfish nets. If you see those, stick to the very shallow waters. We found this out the hard way with Aidan getting stung about 10 times. Ow.

Mmmmm

 Have a snack! There are a multitude of little shacks along the boardwalk just waiting for you to sit and eat there. In fact, they try to corral you as you walk along! We tend to sit further along, so you have to wade through a few of these ah... tourist-snagging specialists.

Yes, that's a giant plate full of lobster.

If you'd rather eat some of the local flavor, food and snack vendors wander the beach regularly, bringing you fruit, more fruit, and ready-made lobster. The lobster are relatively cheap too, so feel free to eat your fill!

Sunglasses anyone?

You can also shop - right from the comfort of your little (rented) seat. No, really! People will wander up to you and offer to sell you sunglasses, braided rope bracelets, shells, and pretty much anything else they can get their hands on. It's like having your own mall - complete with food court - right at your fingertips.

Lots and lots of strings attached.

My personal favorite are the bracelet makers. They love to sit with you and chat - provided you buy something of course. The trio that we tend to come and see are kids that use the money to help earn their way through school. Like with many enterprises in Cambodia, before buying products like these, you have to check with the seller and see why they sell and what the money goes to. Many of the children are trafficked and forced to sell handicrafts for the people to which they are enslaved. Yes, it's very wrong.

Water rides

There are plenty of things to do in the water too. I mentioned the island tours last time, and those certainly are a valid way to go, but there's also the little floaty thing out there. Essentially, you pay a little, hop on, and they drag you around behind a boat. As an added feature, the boat brings you back to shore with a twist - literally. Please remember to close your mouth as you are catapulted through the air. You wouldn't want to swallow a jellyfish when you land. ;)

Ya, I know, I look goofy with a camera.

Outside of the beach, there are plenty of scenic places to visit and take pictures. Sihanoukville is quite hilly, and overlooks aren't hard to stumble across (neither are water buffalo, but you should probably leave them alone). What's more, sometimes the local wildlife comes out to play! What are the local wildlife?

Bwahahaha!

Monkeys! Yes, that's right - my old archenem...er... friends, the always-cordial and well behaved velociraptors. Uh... monkeys. You can get some excellent shots - especially if tourist groups decide to feed them. You can get a nice YouTube video as well if they get too close.

It's quite beautiful here. Bring mosquito repellant though.

If you drive out a little, you'll eventually come to a nice waterfall. This is an even better place to take pictures, as there's a small village built up around the falls with cool rickety bridges and such. If you are hungry, they sell snacks, and souvenirs.

See? The snacks follow you!

Once you are done wandering around, head back to your hotel for a nice dip in the pool and some much-needed air conditioning. :)

Don't forget to sample the local music.

All in all, there's plenty you can do, and plenty you can not do (like leaving your beach chair, for example). Either way, you'll find this to be a pleasant town full of relaxation and fairly nice people. Just remember, help keep our cities clean...

Well, at least they tell you where to do it...

...and don't eat the jellyfish. :)