Perhaps beach is not what first comes to mind of most travelers who visit Cambodia. Many tourists know Cambodia through its magnificent temple ruins of Angkor, the Killing Field, and the sprawling capital of Phnom Penh. Indeed, the country boasts many pristine beaches on its southern coast. Among them is Sihanoukville, a small beach town about 3 hour drive south of Phnom Penh.

Sihanoukville was developed from the jungle into the country's first and only deepwater port in late 1950s. The original name of the city, Kampong Som, was changed to the present one in honor of the king.

Situated 230 km southwest of Phnom Penh, Sihanoukville is surrounded by palm-fringed sandy beaches and pristine tropical islands off its south and west coast. Beaches here lies on the west contour of the city, from north to south, namely Victory Beach, Lamherkay Beach, Koh Pos Beach, Independence Beach, Sokha Beach, Serendipity Beach and Occheuteal Beach. The most popular beaches are Occheuteal, Sokha, Independence and Victory. From here, you can go island hopping, diving, snorkeling and game fishing at the islands nearby (it is recommended that you use the tour service from a reliable shop). To spice up the flavor of the trip, visitors here should not miss a wide selection of seafood at any fine seaside or hill top restaurants while enjoying the scenic view of the sun setting from the horizon.