Happy New Year Cambodia!

Khmer (Cambodian) New Years is almost here! April 14 - 16th, and (but really April 11th to the 19th), is Cambodian New Year.

The town will once again be full of party goers filling up every room in SihanoukVille.




Some new places have opened in town.... including

* iBall - you step in a giant plastic ball, and roll down a hill???
* Paco's has moved from downtown to Victory Hill
* Ann's Thai Pub & Restaurant opened downtown.
* Escape Gourmet Coffee opened in the Beach Road complex.
* Sunset Cafe, a Japanese restaurant opened near the Golden Lions Circle
* and Cafe Sushi, another Japanese restaurant opened near Poco Loco
* Airport beach bar and restaurant, another project from the Snake House people, opened on Victory Beach.
* Ecstatic Pizza opened (almost right next to Happy Herb Pizza) on Ocheteaul Beach
* Rainy Season opened a Pizza place on Ocheteaul Beach
* Aegean Guesthouse opened at Ocheteaul Beach
* At least 3 new bars opened on Victory Hill, with 2 more readying for opening
* A guesthouse opened on Victory Hill, with great ocean views.
* Sri Ramas Indian is open on Ocheteaul Beach
* Traktir Russian Restaurant opened (next to Sri Ramas)
* Several new bars and restaurants opened on Otres Beach, including WonderLand, with horseback riding
* the Fitness & Boxing Center moved to a new location on CT Street with a restaurant, massage training, acupuncture, spa.
* Several beach bars on Ocheteaul changed names and owners
* Le Gaugan, a live music restaurant opened downtown
* Casa bar opened on Beach Road next to Monkey Republic
* 3 new tattoo shops opened around town

and that's about it.

If you're coming to town during Khmer New Year, don't forget to make hotel or guesthouse reservations!

Sour S'day Chnam Thmei

Happy New Year from SihanoukVille, Cambodia.

2009 started with a blast, here on SihanoukVille's beaches. A light, unseasonal rain couldn't dampen our spirits as 2009 approached. About 12,000 tourists and locals lined Ocheteaul Beach for drinking, dancing, BBQ, and fireworks.

Now, in the second week of January, the temperature has dropped to freezing, which is in the mid to low 20's. Fortunately, we're not in America, where this would be be cold enough to freeze water. Here, it only relieves us of the daily heat.

Many improvements? to town lately, new traffic signals everywhere, the old market, which burned down last year is now the new market, and the new market is now the old new market. The bus station has moved from the center of town to the front of the old new market now.

The main road though downtown is being widened the full length, and sidewalks are being installed.

Bridge construction to Snake Island continues, and the marina is still almost finished. Some of the condos are now occupied.

Many new places have opened in town, and can be found in the Sihanoukville advertiser:

*The Terrace on Ocheteaul Beach has authentic Thai Cuisine.

*D.D. Canada has moved across the street and taken over The Marlin Hotel building

*Diving 4 Conservation has opened up scuba diving services on one of the islands.

*Aahaa Resort, behind Ocheteaul Beach has a Swedish managed hotel and restaurant

*Ocean Pearl Guesthouse and Bar opened across from Ocheteaul Beach with a German Bistro.

*Part-Art opened above Kangaroo Kitchen

*Funky Sun Silver, a silversmith shop with original designs opened up near Poco Loco.

*Maharajah Indian Restaurant, famous in Siem Reap has opened on Victory Hill.

*New travel services from MOttah and ABC opened around town.

*Holiday Palace Hotel & Casino opened up Palais Coffee downstairs and an Indonesian Restaurant upstairs.

*Golden Sunset Beach Bar, camping, restaurant opened on Otres Beach

*Aegean Guesthouse opened up next to Golden Sands Hotel & Casino.

Also, de Roos restaurant and Cinderella's Coffee on Ocheteaul Beach, Swiss Garden near the Golden Lions Circle, and Airport Disco, Bar & Restaurant, and the Indonesian Restaurant at Holiday Palace Casino on Victory Beach.

Other than that, the town has been full with the usual yearly residents, yearly returnees and their friends, tour groups, and cruise passengers.

Bye Bye 2008, From SihanoukVille, Cambodia.

2008 is coming to an end soon, and it's been a great year in SihanoukVille.

Worldwide recession, sky high gas prices, food costs skyrocketing, a one day border war, now the main airport in Thailand is shut down, (and the secondary one) where everyone transfers to and from Cambodia, visa renewals for tourists and businesspeople wishing to remain in Cambodia have stopped, and yet the rain in the dry season hasn't, yet tourism is still booming here.

Several dozen new guesthouses, hotels and resorts, restaurants, tour companies, and entertainment venues have opened in town, prices are coming down, the weather is improving, and SihanoukVille is only getting more popular.

Ocheteaul and Serendipity Beaches have seen the biggest improvements, with a number of both backpacker guesthouses and mini-resorts moving in. The restaurant selection has tripled in the last year.

The new airport is opened? but doesn't have any flights yet, except for charters. This year has seen the most visitors from cruise ships, and 2009 should be even better. All the world's navies want to be friends with SihanoukVille, and we've even seen the first Chinese naval ship in the county. Also, the American, French, Australian, and Indian navies have been here.

The number of Casinos has quadrupled in the last year, and one more (at least) is due soon. Cambodia's first inland sea marina is almost finished, and Cambodia's first bridge between the mainland and an island has started. The tallest building in SihanoukVille, and once all of Asia, the 7 story hotel at Independence Beach was renovated and newly opened for the first time in a couple decades.

During all the big holiday weekends and weeks, all the rooms in town were filled, with people sleeping on the beach as well. (take note: Christmas / New Years is coming up. Think "reservations").

2009, see you soon!

Another day in Paradise.

Cheers!