- Where to go to sunbathe?
- Weather features of a beach holiday in Cambodia
- Classics of the genre
- If you dream about islands
This pretty Asian country does not yet have such a level of tourist service as in Thailand, but this is precisely the special charm of a beach holiday in Cambodia: there are no crowds of people in need of getting into the sea, quite pleasant prices for hotels, food, and for entertainment there, and nature is in no way inferior to Thai. The road here can cause a little difficulty, but experienced travelers advise several options:
- Flight from Moscow to Phnom Penh via Ho Chi Minh City or Bangkok and then by taxi or bus to the resorts of Cambodia.
- From Bangkok, you can take a bus to Sien Rip, look at Angkor Wat and then move towards beach activities. Crossing the Thai-Cambodian border on your own is not particularly difficult, but it is better not to go on such a trip with small children.
A visa to the country is placed at Phnom Penh airport or obtained at a ground crossing when moving from Bangkok. You can get it in advance via the Internet or at the country's consulate in Russia.
Where to go to sunbathe?
The list of places for a beach holiday in Cambodia does not look too impressive and actually consists of only three points, but this will be quite enough for those who are in love with the sea:
- The undisputed leader of beach tourism in the Khmer country is the city of Sihanoukville on the Gulf of Thailand in the South China Sea. The distance from the capital is just over 220 km.
- Islands, among which the most famous is Koh Rong. It attracts tourists with its pristine nature and pristine beaches, where fans of solitude feel great.
- The small and almost abandoned resort of Kep is located south of Sihanoukville. He could not stand the competition with a more successful neighbor and tourists almost stopped coming here. But for lovers of wild beaches, Kep guarantees seclusion and relaxation in complete fusion with nature.
Weather features of a beach holiday in Cambodia
August and September are the wettest time on the Cambodian islands. Heavy rains can seriously disrupt beach plans, and therefore it is not worth planning a trip for these dates. In general, Koh Rong and other islands in the Strait of Siam are the rainiest areas in the country, and it is most comfortable here in late winter and early spring. The temperature in February is + 26 ° C, but in summer thermometers often exceed the 30-degree mark, which, in combination with high humidity, is very difficult to tolerate.
In Sihanoukville, the temperature difference between summer and winter is hardly noticeable and the mercury column rises on its beaches during the day above + 30 ° C at any time of the year. During the wet season, it usually rains in the afternoon in the form of heavy downpours, but sometimes it can charge for a couple of days without stopping.
Classics of the genre
Sihanoukville is a classic of the Asian beach genre. Dozens of hotels for different tastes and wallets, a whole street of restaurants with authentic cuisine, inexpensive and varied shopping and the ubiquitous tuk-tuk that are ready to take guests to the ends of the world. Photos of Sihanoukville hotels and prices for tours can be very different: it all depends on the possibilities of the tourist budget.
You can rent a room in a guesthouse here for $ 20, especially if you only need to leave a spare towel and a toothbrush in the room and come there for a short nap after an incendiary evening in a nightclub. At the same time, the room will have hot water, clean linen and even wireless Internet.
A bungalow on a distant beach can be found for less money, but it only has a mosquito net and a washbasin. These beachfront hotels are very popular with backpackers and other budget travelers.
You can dine at the resort right on the beach - in a cafe or by buying a portion of tiger prawns and fruits from the hawkers for $ 5.
When deciding where to arrange a beach vacation in Cambodia, it is important to keep in mind:
- Victory Beach is quite civilized and loved by compatriots. There is a Russian hotel and restaurant not far from this beach.
- Ochheuteal Beach offers the widest range of activities. It is here that there are most cafes, among which are the ubiquitous McDonald's, and establishments with dumplings and borscht for those who are tormented by nostalgia.
- Otres is the farthest beach, with plenty of thatched bungalows and restaurants serving cheap alcohol and fresh seafood. On the Section, you can find both partners in active sports, and comrades in absolute idleness.
- The territory of Sokha Beach is almost entirely owned by the hotel of the same name, and only a small section of the beach is provided for public access.
For safety reasons, tourists are not advised to be alone on the beaches after sunset.
If you dream about islands
Seven kilometers of flawless white sand stretching like a crescent along the turquoise waters of the Gulf of Thailand are the beaches of Koh Rong Island. Beach holidays in Cambodia can be different, but the days spent on this island are usually called paradise.
The island is a couple of hours boat ride from Sihanoukville and has several hotels, consisting of beach bungalows. The owners of guest houses do not guarantee luxury service, but the unique nature of Koh Rong will fill the gap and make your beach holiday in Cambodia unforgettable.
Everyone can find something to their liking here. For example, take scuba diving and dive into the magnificent underwater kingdom and meet the inhabitants of the coral reefs. Or go fishing with the local villagers. At night, the waters near the coast gleam with an abundance of plankton, delighting romantically-minded couples, and at the shellfish farm, guests are invited to taste the freshest oysters for almost nothing.
