Pays to Travel During Low Season

Trip Start May 04, 2011

124

125

Trip End Oct 08, 2012

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Where I stayed

New Seaview Villa, Sihanoukville
Read my review - 5/5 stars

Flag of Cambodia Sihanoukville, Cambodia
Saturday, July 7, 2012

I heard only negative things about Sihanoukville that had me writing it off completely. However, with plenty of time to spare I figured why not spend one night and assess it for myself. The timing was perfect. I arrived on a Sunday afternoon, just in time to witness how Phnom Penh escapees spend their weekends. The Serendipity Beach boardwalk restaurants were lined with extended families and friends sitting in short lounge chairs at tables adorned with liter bottles of Angkor beer. Next to each table sat a homemade BBQ grill; a small grate sitting on top of a large planting pot. Piled on the fire were fresh jumbo prawns, squid, etc…These authentic cultural experiences are the fuel that keeps me going.

I surprised myself at how delayed I got here in Sihanoukville, a destination with a reputation on par with Pattaya, Thailand. The seediness here is defined by creepy, old beer drinking men past their prime seeking nearly juvenile girls to accompany them at the bars. Equally unappealing are the dodgy motodops and young foreign backpackers on a non-stop mission to experiment with drugs while dancing until daylight. However; I saw a different Sihanoukville. Perhaps because we were approaching low season I was lucky enough to dodge the aforementioned scene and find tranquility chilling out on Otres Beach, or passing the evenings listening to the crashing waves while hanging at Cloud 9's cliff side bar.

After getting my fill of Western grub, including killer tacos at American owned Maybe Later; I was ready to move forward.

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