SihanoukVille, Cambodia. Winter 2013.

The party begins again in SihanoukVille!  The rainy season, which will now be called the "Sunny, Not Rainy Season" has ended, and the town and islands are booming.

The weather's been great, all year here, and we expect many warm, sunny days for the next several months.

While SihanoukVille is filling up with tourists, the islands, Koh Rong Island, Koh Rong Samloem Island, and Koh Ta Kiev Island are all starting to grow up.

Several new places have started up in the last few months:


Amore Italian Restaurant - It's love at first taste in OcheSquare Plaza
Art 'n Tchai Jewelry Store - Jewelry, with a free shot of Tchai Tea in OcheSquare Plaza
Bada Bing Bar - Bada Boom, at SihanoukVille Square,
Battered Steve's -  Fish.... and..... Chips!  Next to Thida's Inn.
Beach River Resort - On Otres River
Beauty Cafe - Bar and Restaurant.  Ocheteaul Beach.
Bistro Istanbul - Turkish Chef, Turkish Restaurant, at Pim's Plaza
Chi In Vegetarian - Fish, Beef, Pork, Lamb and Chicken, all made from veggies, downtown.
Copanhagen Bar - Danish Restaurant on Ocheteaul Beach
Coral Gardens Dive Resort - On Koh Rong Samloem Island
Dau's Restaurant - German, French and Thai cooking on Victory Hill
Dune Restaurant - Fine French Dining on "Near O" Otres Beach
Eolia Beach Resort - French Dining and Luxury Bungalows on "Near O" Otres Beach
Fun Shop Cambodia - Buggys and Glow Sticks.  It's fun.  Serendipity Beach Road
HomeStay Koh Rong Samloem - Beachside Bungalows
Il Barrocio Bakery - Italian Bakery on Serendipity Beach Road
Island Bikes - Mountain Biking on Koh Rong Samloem Island
Jamrock Italian - Italian food with your favorite Marley Toons
Jigsaw Restaurant - Beachside bar and restaurant on Ocheteaul
Le D'Artartagnan - Dowtown luxury boutique
Le Provincal - Victory Hill Boulodrome, snack bar and guesthouse
Leng Meng Koh Rong Samloem - Beachside Bungalows and restaurant
Love Chinese - China loves you, so love Chinese food on Serendipity Beach Road

McGuinness's Irish Cottage - McMaurice serves fine Irish and Western Food at SihanoukVille Square
Mokka Cafe - Air-conditioned comfort on Ocheteaul Beach
Moonflower Bungalows - Otres Village rooms and bungalows in a rice field
New Hill Hotel Resort - Tennis and Movie Stars at the top of Victory Hill overlooking the port.
Olive & Olive Restaurant - Mediterranean food (and maybe belly dancing).  Serendipity Beach Road
Raysmey Sorya Photo - Camera sales and accessories, downtown.
Red Cross Guesthouse - behind the Red Cross Office of course
Rise Restaurant - and Bakery and rooms on "Near O" Otres Beach
RockStar  - rooms, meals and Rock on "Near O" Otres Beach.
Ropanha Boutique - New boutique hotel with pool off Ocheteaul Beach.
Ryo Ma II Japanese - restaurant #2 of the Ryo Ma Family
Shooters - restaurant and bar on Victory Hill
The New New SihanoukVille Night Market - Newer than the newest Night Market, across from OC Hotel
Sok San Base Camp - on Koh Rong Island.  Beachside bungalows.
Sokhom Romnia Guesthouse - downtown guesthouse
Sor Diny Guesthouse - downtown guesthouse
Swiss Boutique Guesthouse - downtown guesthouse and restaurant
Swiss Garden Guesthouse - Ocheteaul Beach guesthouse & restaurant
Tattoo Chill - or Chill Tattoo.  Western Artist on Serendipity Beach Road
The Black Bar - at SihanoukVille Square.  The New Night Market
The Green House - downtown guesthouse
Tom's Restaurant - Asian, Western and Thai food in OcheSquare Plaza.  Ocheteaul Beach.
Win Hill Guesthouse - New downtown guesthouse
Windmill Hotel - on Victory Beach.  Yes.  It has a windmill out front.
Xiao Hong Guesthouse - Chinese Hotel in Chinatown.  Downtown.

And there's probably a few that we missed.

Koh Rong Island and Koh Rong Samloem Island have started to take off.  We now have half hour speedboat trips several times a day to the island for $20 to $25.

Enough for now.

If you want to know more, just come and visit a few days (or weeks).

Cheers.

Rain and Crowds in SihanoukVille. Summer 2013.

 It's been rainy and sunny and very busy in SihanoukVille these last few months.  Many hotels have been booked full, and the island bungalows (there's more than 50 now) have all been full for most of the time.

The rainy season here has been less rainy than usual, and tourists are still flocking here.

Many new places have opened up in the last 3 months,  including.....

• Beauty Cafe - Cafe / Bar / Restaurant off Ocheteaul Beach.
• Blue Ocean Japanese Restaurant  - has a 2nd location on Beach Road
• Buddha Bungalows - on Serendipity Beach Road
• Chaka Bar - New hangout on Victory Hill 
• Holiday Villa Nataya - After 8 years of construction, a new 5 star hotel on Serendipity Beach Road
• Ochaya Hamayaki Japanese - One of many new Japanese Restaurants, this one featuring BBQ
• Pretty Woman - Selling high quality bags and accessories in Pure North Plaza
• Queenside Guesthouse - New guesthouse by GBT 1 on Ocheteaul Beach
• Ryo Ma Japanese - The only Japanese restaurant on the Golden Lions Circle (for the moment)
• Samurai Japanese - No warriors here, just great Japanese Sushi
• Smoke & Pepper Restaurant - Chilled out new bar and restaurant across from Beach Club, Ocheteaul Beach
• Strawberry Bungalows - New bungalows on "Far O" Otres Beach
• Strawberry Guesthouse - Ocheteaul Beach.  Third road from the beach. 
• The Black Dog Cambodia  - Biker Bar in Downtown SihanoukVille
• Villa BBQ - Brand new BBQ Restaurant on BBQ Street.  Ocheteaul Beach
• White Sand Bungalows - New bungalows on "Far O" Otres Beach

Our sister coastal city, Kep, Cambodia is getting this years Kep Sea Festival.  Hopefully, the 50,000 visitors that showed up to SihanoukVille's last festival won't all go try to get one of Kep's 1,000+ hotel rooms.

You can check out our 500 videos of SihanoukVille on YouTube or pictures on FaceBook.  You can find over 100 places in the SihanoukVille Advertiser.  Or you can pick one of SihanoukVille's Islands, and start exploring right now!

Koh Rong Island

Koh Rong Samloem Island

Koh Ta Kiev Island

Hope to see you here in 

Sometimes Sunny SihanoukVille SOON!

The fun never stops in Sunny SihanoukVille, Cambodia. 2013

Spring is here in Sunny SihanoukVille, and it's the hot and sunny season.  Khmer New Years and The King's Birthday Celebration weeks have finished, and it'll be quiet now until July.

What were power and water problems in town are now, thankfully, history.  The Islands off SihanoukVille's coast, including Koh Rong, Koh Rong Samloem and Koh Ta Kiev Island continue to increase in popularity, as does the mainland.

New Places in town include.....

• Am Knick -  A German Restaurant known for it's ribs
• Anna Sweet - and how sweet she is at the New Night Market
• Aramona - Guesthouse on Serendipity Beach Road
• Asian Food - formerly Singaburi Kitchen, up near the Angkor Beer Brewery
• Bangalo Samout Ream - at Ream National Park
• Blue Lagoon Kite Surfing -  SihanoukVille's first and only, on Otres Beach
• Elephant Garden - Rooms and Cuisine on Otres Beach
• Ernie's Burgers -  THE Best Burgers in Town.  Fomerly of Space Cat fame
• Free Rider -  now has big bike rentals and guided tours
• Hi 5 Bungalows -  on Ocheteaul Beach
• Ho's Kitchen - down the street from Hi 5
• Hotel Gold - formerly Phka Champey Hotel.  Suites near the beach
• Khmer Camelot Resort -  An English Castle Restaurant and rooms
• Koh Rong Samloem Villas - luxury villas courtesy of EcoSea Dive
• M'lop Chrey Poki Seafood Restaurant - Seafood on Victory Beach
• OC Beach Club - Otres Beach's newest luxury restaurant
• Otres Corner Bar & Restaurant - Chill out on Otres.  Rooms too!
• Ozona Hotel - on the hill over the port.  Great views
• Princess Village Massage - on Sokha Lake.  Restaurant and rooms also.
• Pure Bar & Restaurant - in Pure North Plaza.  Serendipity Beach Road.
• Sun & Moon Gulf Resort - now a beach restaurant, soon a golf course/casino/resort
• Sunset Bungalows Koh Rong - beachside bungalows
• Taj Mahal Indian - Restaurant that is.
• The North Face Store - featuring North Face clothing and backpacks
• The Place - Restaurant and Bar
• Wei Li Ya Chinese Restaurant - Downtown.  Fresh Seafood
• White Beach Bungalows - right on Otres Beach "Far O"
• Zan Nara Spa -  and massage and beauty parlor.

Updated SihanoukVille Videos on YouTube.

And don't forget to check out the newest edition of  

The SihanoukVille Advertiser.  May to July.

Winter 2013 in SihanoukVille, Cambodia

It's been a busy year already in Sunny SihanoukVille.  Christmas to International New Years, the town was packed.  Every Island bungalows off the coast has been full or nearly so for 3 months now.

We just finished the mourning period for King Sihanouk, our town's namesake.   And now..... it's Chinese New Year.  And only 2 more months until Khmer New Year, the biggest party of the year.

Several new places opened around town, including

Ataman's Bungalows - on Koh Rong Samloem Island
Coral Beach Bungalows - on Koh Ta Kiev Island
DC Boat Tours - Spear fishing and squidding

Several new bars and restaurants in  SihanoukVille Square (The New Night Market)
Sin City - just like the movie
Poison - it is, if you don't watch out.
Dream Bar - and the other 3 sister bars

Hotel Yanathyna - Ocheteaul Beach, 3 star hotel with big rooms
Legends Bar - on Victory Hill.  British all the way.
Lions Motor - Cars and Motorcycles for rent and sale around the Golden Lions Circle
Mama Clare's Riverside Treehouse - Otres Village on the Mangrove River
Mambo Cafe - across from OcheSquare on Ocheteaul Beach
Mediterraneo Pizza - Karaoke Street, 'cause you can't have too much pizza
Otres Beach Buggy - 4 wheeling it on the beach
Queenco Palm Beach - just as fun as Queenco Casino, but you don't lose money.  "Near O"
Rock Tree Mountain Bike Tours - Cody from T'Maw Art Colony needs some excercise
School Massage - Learn the right way, downtown
So Latino - Spanish Bar downtown
Stone Boutique Hotel - when you need to get away. (outside downtown)
Sunset Bungalows - Koh Rong Island
Tamu - Food now, rooms later.  "Far O" Otres Beach
We One Cafe - Coffee, Art Gallery, and Love at OcheSquare on Ocheteaul Beach
White Sand Beach - on "Far O" Otres Beach

and

3 Stone Bungalows - on Koh Rong Island
Abyss Absinthe - home made, on Koh Ta Kiev Island
Aka Koh Rong - on Koh Rong Island
Clay Cult Cambodia - Maker of hand made ceramic beads
Food Point - Russian food near Serendipity Beach
Fun Buggy - SihanoukVille's original Beach Buggys
German Butcher Bakery - Downtown,  Bread and Meats
Hacienda - rooms and food in Otres Village
Heartbreak Bar - and it will, on Victory Hill
Hofbrauhaus - German food at the German Bakery and Butcher, downtown
K1 Carjeep - Jeep sales and rentals at The New Night Market
Koh Rong Backpackers - dorm rooms on the beach.  Koh Rong Island
Mango Lounge - Koh Rong Island Restaurant and rooms
Mealea Villa - first class hotel on Victory Hill
Nice Beach Hotel - off Ocheteaul Beach
Odyssey Greek - restaurant at the SihanoukVille Square
Olivier Restaurant - Russian on Victory Hill
Otres Village Saturday Arts Center - that's what and where it is.
Paddy Festy's Irish Bar - on Victory Hill
Palm Beach Bungalows - Koh Rong Island
Riverside Lodge - Otres Village on the Mangrove River
Rising Sun  - Koh Rong Island Guesthouse and Coffee Shop
Same Same but Slightly Different - but mostly the same
Samsara Coconut Oil - made right here in Sunny SihanoukVille
Saracen Bay Resort - Koh Rong Samloem Island
Smile Guesthouse - next to Serendipity Beach
The Pizza Company - straight from Phnom Penh to downtown SihanoukVille
Wild Beach  - on "Far O" Otres Beach

and probably a few more, but that's enough for a couple months.

Don't forget.... Make reservations soon!