Sihanoukville

This town was hacked out from the jungle in the 50’s to create the Las Vegas of Cambodia. It was named after the then Prince Sihanouk and frequented by the rich and famous (very few and far between hence its small size). Apparently 2 ½ hours from Kampot but we made it in 1 ¾ hours, despite the clapped out taxi, as the driver was on a mission. My brainwave was to stay at one of the casinos as the rooms are practically given away on the basis that they will recoup the money and more at the gaming tables. We stayed in a massive suite for less than £30 and I ended up in credit on both trips to the Black Jack table although it took me hours to make the princely sum of £20 on consecutive nights. The other bonus was a free shuttle bus that we took full advantage of to head to the various beaches: Serendipity was promising until we spotted the intermittent sewage channels; Independence was rugged but spoilt by construction work in progress, including the recently re-opened hotel of the same name where we took advantage of the excellent pool; Sokha was the best of all owned by the Sokha hotel group (Cambodia’s 8th largest company that interestingly gets 25% of all income from Cambodia’s largest tourist attraction of all by miles Angkor Wat). The beach was a beautiful crescent of pure white sand with excellent sheltered swimming and a fantastic lunch although at appropriate 5 star prices. The second time we took our own picnic but still managed to sneak in a bottle of delicious rosé which matched the views from the restaurant balcony. After a final dinner in the strangely themed restaurant ‘The Snake House’, where snakes live in the tables you eat from and you can pass ‘crocs’ in a pit on the way to the Gents, we left for the capital Phnom Penh.