February 16, 2006
Occheaceal/Serendipity Beach guide, Cambodia
Sihanoukville Cambodia is about a four hour bus ride (the roads aren't too bad) from Phnom Penh and its most famous beach, called Occheaceal or Serendipity Beach is a popular vacation spot for Cambodians and Westerners.
The sand is white and the tiny grains feel great swishing between your toes. It's food and accommodation is affordable. Food ranges from Khmer to pizza to fish and chips. Along the beach there are a hundred or so little beer bars. At night, the candles from all the bar tables make for a romantic glow. Some bars might have a little bonfire going.
It's easy to take trips to the local islands. Ream Nah Para has a mountain view and a great beach. Snake Island has birds and monkeys while Koh Thas Island has birds and nice views of the ocean. Ta Kiev Island has snorkeling and coral while Russey Island has snorkeling and coconut trees.
Bokar Mountain is a slighlty more involved day trip, about 2 hours away. The entrance fee is $5 and another 5 dollars lets you stay the night. If you're feeling generous, you can take food to the monks who live on the mountain. That has to be good karma!
Note about taking the train from Phnom Penh to Sihanoukville. This will be memorable but probably not comfortable (not that I recommend it, the bus is better for many travelers). Look for a seat among the broken benches, make sure your baggage is not near any of the holes in the bottom. When travelers can't get a seat, they sometimes carve holes in the wall to hang up their hammocks or climb up on the roof to get some sun. At least that's what I'm told. It does seem somewhat hard to believe.
Posted by James Trotta at February 16, 2006 2:33 AM