Cambodia’s deep-water port and the jumping-off point for Koh Rong. The city has changed enormously in a decade — the beaches south of town are the reason to stay.
Be clear-eyed about Sihanoukville: a casino construction boom transformed the town centre, and it is not the sleepy backpacker beach of the 2010s. Much of the half-built skyline remains.
That said, Otres and the southern beaches are still pleasant, Ream National Park on the eastern side is genuinely lovely, and almost every traveller passes through because the fast ferries to Koh Rong and Koh Rong Sanloem leave from the Serendipity and Occheuteal piers.
Most people treat it as a one-night transit stop. If you want mainland beach time, Otres 1 and 2 or the Ream side reward an extra day.
Book the first ferry of the morning to the islands — afternoon crossings are the ones that get cancelled when the wind picks up.
November to April for calm seas and reliable ferry crossings. June to September can bring choppy water and cancelled sailings.
Sihanouk International Airport (KOS) has regional flights. The Phnom Penh–Sihanoukville Expressway cut the drive to about 3 hours; buses and minivans run all day.
The calmest stretch of mainland sand, about 5 km south of the centre.
Mangrove channels, quiet beaches and a boat trip up the Prek Toek Sap river.
Fast ferries to Koh Rong (≈45 min) and Koh Rong Sanloem (≈45–60 min).
Named for the 1960s Independence Hotel that still stands above it.