Go: Sea and Sand, but no Sun, at Sihanoukville

I don't know if, like me, you've been studying your calendar recently, but October and November are very good for public holidays here in Cambodia.  The best thing about Cambodian Public Holidays is they tend to come in groups of three (so much better than this one day here and one day there business).  So my current project is to figure out how I am best going to take advantage of these days off.  

In search of inspiration, I've been flicking through photos of our last few trips, including a flying visit to Sihanoukville one weekend a few months ago.  We only went for a night, just to get a bit of sun, sand and sea.  Unfortunately, as it was the beginning of wet season, there wasn't much sun.  But we did enjoy the sand and sea.

We set off early on Saturday, stopping at a market along the way to pick up supplies.

The Rambutans were especiallly delicious, freshly picked from the orchard across the road.

We spent most of out time at Otres Beach.  Being a little way out of town, Otres Beach is lovely and quiet, and, relatively, clean.   Its about 10-15 mins drive from Sihanoukville, but worth the trouble, I think.

We bought a seafood feast at the market, which we brought with us to the beach (although there are plenty of places to eat at the beach).  The barbequed calamari was delicious! 

We weren't the only ones excited by this feast.

We didn't spend much time in town, apart from dinner at one of the BBQ restaurants on Tola Street, where you can get freshly barbequed seafood, potatoes and salad for a few dollars.  

I am not a fan of Occheuteal Beach (the main beach) although we did stroll down there one evening to watch the crowds setting off their fireworks.

We stayed at at Sea Sand Guesthouse, mainly because you can get an AirCon room for $12 per night.  The rooms are basic, but clean and come with TV, hot shower and AirCon, which was all we needed.  It is a bit of a hike from the beachfront  (that's what tuk-tuks are for), but it is just around the corner from the market (Psaa Leu), which we found very handy.

If you want somewhere closer to the action, you could try Orchidee Guesthouse.  Or, if you want something more upmarket there's the Independence Hotel or Sokha Resort, both of which have private beaches.

We had breakfast at Douceur du Cambodge, a cute little French bakery just down the road from our guesthouse (and the  market).  We got the last little table available and has one of the best value breakfasts I've had.  For 10,000 Reil ($2.50) we got a cooked breakfast with eggs, baguette with butter and jam, and a espresso coffee.  I didn't take a photo, but here's someone else's:

Image from here

On our way back to PP we stopped by a 'waterfall'.  Not exactly my definition of a waterfall, but still a nice spot to stop and eat.  There are little bungalow type things you can rent and we brought our own food.

If you're looking for other ideas down the coast, check out my post on Kep.

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Go: Escape the city in Kep

I'm longing for a little break from Phnom Penh. Don't get me wrong, I love living here, but every so often I just feel the need to get out and have a break from the pollution and traffic and just chill. Unfortunately circumstances don't permit it at the moment, well at least not for another couple of months. But, if I could, I'd be spending my weekend reading a book in the hammock on the balcony of this bungalow.

This bungalow is in Kep, the perfect place to escape from Phnom Penh. Its only a few hours drive and the trip costs only a few dollars if you take the bus, or a bit more if you want splurge and get a taxi. If you're after great beaches, bars and parties then this is not the place for you. But if you want a quiet place by the sea to chill out and go for a bit of a wander, without being hassled by touts then go to Kep. (Last time I was there I actually saw the tourist police tell a tuk-tuk driver off for calling out to me!)

There's not a whole lot to do in Kep, but normally I go there because I don't want to do a whole lot. Maybe a bit of a wander around the mountain...

...lunch at the crab market

where you can watch someone fetch your lunch from the ocean when you order it.

Explore some abandoned villas and imagine yourself in the Kep of the 1960's, when it was the premier destination for Cambodia's elite.

Wander along the beach.

Or take a dip in a pool with ocean views.  (If your accommodation doesn't have a pool, you can always grab lunch somewhere that does, many resorts will let you use the pool if you eat there.  Last time I was in Kep we had lunch and a swim at Kep Lodge.)

And, at the end of busy day, doing not much, curl up in your hammock, and watch the sunset over the ocean.

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