7/14/10 - 7/17/10 (phnom penh)
Jon Carr
Phnom Penh - Sihanoukville
The last leg of our exploration in Cambodia was the southern beaches along the Gulf of Thailand. We had spoken to many people and this area came highly recommended. Annie and I had an early departure from our hotel in Phnom Penh on the Paramount bus. This ride was four hours and filled with some of my favorite Cambodian karaoke. We had arranged to stay at the Reef Resort in Sihanoukville based on Paul’s recommendation and after speaking to the manager, I had a strategy to handle the frenzied tuk tuk drivers upon arrival. We hoped off the bus to a swarm of drivers and I grabbed the luggage and had the drivers gather around. I assertively told them I wanted to ride in a tuk tuk to the Reef Resort and would pay only five dollars. I took the bull by the horns, I think Annie liked it. After a little haggling, we were on our way.
Sihanoukville is a laid back beach town lined with white sand beaches and undeveloped coastal islands. Things were beginning to pick up for this once sleepy village and it is starting to resemble the neighboring beach towns in southern Thailand. Everyone was selling a tour to the nearby islands and things were geared toward western lifestyle. It is kind of sad to see in a way, the gringo trail influenced by Lonely Planet. Then again, I guess we were contributing to it.
The Reef Resort turned out to be located right in the center of the main street. After unpacking, Annie and I stepped out to do a little exploring. We walked down to Serendipity Beach. The beach was lined with nearly empty restaurants offering cheap beer and fresh seafood. The sand was white and the water warm. It was th rainy season as wass many of the other destinations we have visited and things were pretty quiet as a result. This town definitely had a party feel and it was the most backpackers we had seen since leaving Krabi in Thailand.
Did I mention it was rainy season? We arrived in Sihanoukville with a week left in Cambodia and then we would return to Bangkok to resume our exploration of Thailand. When we came to the beaches we were hoping for a little sun and some relaxation on the beach. Instead over the next four days, it rained heavy and often. As a result, we haven’t had an opportunity to explore the area as much as we hoped. Instead, we did experience a multitude of dining opportunities with a heavy emphasis on Mexican being the house restaurant at the Reef Resort. The rain gave us an opportunity to catch up on the blogging. We extended for several days hoping for just one sunny day but unfortunately each day rained harder. On the final day Annie and I decided to book a ticket back to Phnom Penh. We would be staying at Paul’s place for our final few days to hang out with our friends at Cafe Metro. Like much of our trip, when the extended rain comes, it is time for us to move on and Sihanoukville was no exception.
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