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Getting
to Sihanoukville and Southern Cambodia
 Phnom Penh and Koh Kong are the primary gateways to
Sihanoukville and southern Cambodia. From Phnom Penh, most people travel by bus, taxi or
motorcycle to one or more of the most popular southern cities -
Sihanoukville,
Kampot and Kep. There are several daily
buses between Phnom Penh and Sihanoukville.
The international border crossings at
1) Had Lek, Thailand/Koh Kong, Cambodia;
2) Xaxia, Vietnam/Prek Chak,
Cambodia ('Ha Tien') and;
3) Tinh Bien, Vietnam/Phnom
Den, Cambodia all allow international overland access
to southern Cambodia. The Had Lek/Koh Kong crossing allows easiest access to
Sihanoukville as it is a long-established crossing and regular
transportation between Sihanoukville and Koh
Kong are also well
established (ferry or road.) The 'Ha Tien' crossing with Vietnam is now
open and allows direct and easy access between
Kampot and Vietnam. See the Overland
Border Crossing page for details about overland travel from Thailand
and Vietnam to Sihanoukville and southern Cambodia.
Phnom Penh to/from
Sihanoukville
 Bus
Most visitors to
Sihanoukville travel
from Phnom Penh by bus or
taxi. Several different bus companies run multiple daily a/c buses
to/from Phnom Penh. Sihanoukville
can also be approached by road from Kampot
town, and by daily coastal ferry and by road from Koh Kong city.
Though currently not the usual point of entry for most visitors, the
Port of Sihanoukville
is an international gateway and visas are available for cruise ship
passengers and other international arrivals at the Port on prior
arrangement.
Phnom Penh Sorya
Transport
PP to SHV : 7:00, 8:00, 9:00,10:00, 11:30, 12:45, 13:45, 14:45
SHV to PP : 7:10, 8:00, 9:00, 10:30, 12:15, 13:10, 14:00
Full-size a/c buses - 15,000R-16,000/pax
Phnom Penh Station: Near the Central Market.
Mekong Express
PP to SHV : 7:45, 14:30
SHV to PP : 7:45, 14:30
Deluxe a/c buses - $7/pax
Phnom Penh Station: 87AEo, Sisowath Quay, on the riverfront
Capitol Guesthouse
PP to SHV : 7:15, 8:45, 11:15, 13:30, 14:30
SHV to PP : 7:15, 8:00, 9:00, 12:30, 13:30
Full-size a/c buses - 15,000R/pax
Phnom Penh Station: Capitol Guesthouse, corner of Streets 107 and
182.
Taxi
 Share taxi: Shared taxis offer a
cramped and harrowing 2˝-3˝-hour ride with seven or more people stuffed
in a compact car. 25,000R/person.
Private taxi: Private taxis run about $40-$50. In Phnom Penh,
Sihanouk Ville bound taxis wait at the southwest corner of the Central
Market (Phsar Thmey). In Sihanoukville,
Phnom Penh bound taxies can be found at the downtown bus and taxi
station on Street 108.
Motorcycle
 It is a 230 km, 4-5 hour trip on Route #4.
Most cyclists rent 250cc off-road bikes for the trip. Leaving Phnom Penh, follow Confedertion dela Russie (Airport Road) south past the
airport and out of town. At the well marked Route #3/#4 fork just east
of Phnom Penh (Chum Chao), bear right. National Route #4 to
Sihanoukville is now a toll road with booths located just south of Phnom Penh
and north of Sihanoukville. The toll is nominal, less than $1 for most
vehicles. Route #4 is a paved and smooth, fast and easy, but is still a
relatively dangerous road. Speeding taxis and reckless lorries are the
norm. Slow down as you pass through he villages, watch for errant cows
and dogs and oblivious children on the road. By all means
wear a helmet and bear in mind that medical help and rescue is
non-existent in the countryside. Stop for a refreshment break at one of
the many road side restaurants just south of the Pich Nil pass near the
half way point. You can’t miss all of the buses and taxis parked along
the road. Just north of the
restaurants, on top of the pass, there are dozens of spirits houses and
shines dedicated to local spirits and the deity Ya-Mao. It’s a good
photo opportunity and they say it’s good luck to burn a few incense and
leave a small donation, and maybe even a hand of bananas.
Kampot/Kep
to/from Sihanoukville
From Sihanoukville, travel
north on National Route #4 to Veal Renh (43km). Turn east on Route #3 to
Kampot. Route #3 and #4 are both paved and in good condition. 1˝ - 2
hours, 110km total. Currently none of the larger bus companies offer
service between Kampot
and Sihanoukville. Most
travel by taxi and guesthouse mini-bus.
Bus Service There are no full sizes buses running between Kampot
and Sihanoukville. Some tour operators and guesthouses run daily
mini-bus service
G’Day
Mate/Outback
Daily, a/c mini-bus service between Sihanouk Ville and Kampot. $7.50/pax.
Book a day in advance. The bus will pick you up at your guesthouse.
Call
012-1707857
SHV to KPT : 11:30AM; KPT to SHV : 9:00AM
Taxis In Sihanoukville,
taxis can be found opposite the market (Phsar Leu) and at the downtown
bus and taxi station. In Kampot,
taxis wait at the taxi stand. Taxi price, $4-$5/person for shared taxi and
$20-$25 for a private taxi.
Koh Kong
to/from Sihanoukville
From Sihanoukville you
can travel to/from Koh
Kong City by road or daily coastal ferry. The road trip to/from both Sihanoukville
and Phnom Penh follows Route
#48 from Koh
Kong through the picturesque Cardamom Mountains, which, after
several years of construction, is now complete and in excellent
condition. Route #48 connects to National Route #4 which leads north
to Phnom Penh and south to
Sihanouk Ville.
Bus
Since the completion of Route#48, most now choose to
travel to/from Koh
Kong by road rather than by ocean ferry.
Virak-Buntham
bus company offers direct daily bus service between Koh
Kong and Sihanoukville using full size a/c buses. $10/person. About
4 hours duration. Departs about 8:00AM. Check current schedule. In Koh
Kong the bus office is located on Street 3 in the center of town. In
Sihanoukville the office in located at the bus station .
Taxis
40,000R/person for a share taxi or $60 for a private
taxi
Coastal
Ferry
 Ferry service between
Sihanoukville and Koh
Kong is currently suspended until further notice. It is not clear
when or if the service will resume. When running, there is one daily
ocean ferry going each direction between Koh
Kong and Sihanoukville.
The trip takes about 4 hours. ~US$25 for foreigners. Check departure
schedule for changes. The ferries are in no way up to international
safety standards. Check for the current departure schedule. In Koh
Kong the ferry dock is located on the riverfront 500m south of the
bridge. In Sihanoukville,
the ferry arrives/departs the ‘Port of Passenger Ship’, near the
Port of Sihanoukville.
Thailand
to/from Sihanoukville
 The Had Lek/Koh Kong Border
crossing (officially the Cham Yeam Crossing) is the only Thai border
crossing allowing easy access to the southern coast of Cambodia and
Sihanoukville. Both Cambodian and Thai
visas are available on arrival at the border. This border crossing
has been open to international travelers since 1998 and is fairly busy,
with plenty of onward transportation available on both sides. To get to
Sihanoukville from Thailand travelers enter Cambodia at
Had Lek/Koh Kong
and then travel from Koh
Kong to Sihanoukville either by bus (4 hours) or ocean ferry (daily, 4 hours).
See the overland international border crossing
page
for detailed information on travel from Thailand to Sihanoukville via the Had Lek/Koh Kong crossing.
Also see above for travel from Koh Kong to
Sihanoukville.
Vietnam
to/from Sihanoukville
The opening of the 'Ha Tien Border Crossing' (officially the 'Xaxia/Prek
Chak Border Crossing) last year represented the removal of the last road block on the coastal
travelers trail from Koh Chang Thailand, though the beach towns of
Cambodia (including Kep,
Kampot, Sihanoukville and Koh
Kong) and on to
southern Vietnam and Phu Quoc Island (Koh Tral). Using the
Had Lek/Koh Kong crossing in the west and the Ha Tien crossing in the east of
Cambodia, overland travelers can now
beach hop across Indochina without ever having to leave the coastal
roads. To travel from Sihanoukville to Vietnam, first
travel to Kampot. See details
above. The road is good and the trip takes about 2 hours from
by taxi. Then travel from
Kampot to the Ha Tien crossing,
by motodup or tuk-tuk. Most of the road is in good condition, requiring
1 - 2 hours to make the trip.
See the overland international border crossing
page
and the Kampot page for more details on
the Ha Tien border crossing and travel between
Kampot and Sihanoukville.
Siem Reap Angkor
to/from Sihanoukville
There is no direct transportation between
Siem Reap and
Sihanoukville,
requiring travel via Phnom Penh. From
Sihanoukville,
bus or taxi to
Phnom Penh and then connect with onward transportation.
From Phnom Penh, Siem Reap is accessible by direct daily flights as well
as by bus or taxi. Some bus companies in
Sihanoukville such as Paramount
Angkor and Mekong Express, offer package bus tickets to
Siem Reap with a
change of bus in Phnom Penh, running about $16 and taking 10 hours.
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Orientation and Arrival in Sihanoukville
 The
Sihanoukville town area is spread thinly across a peninsula,
surrounded on three sides by beaches, with a
downtown area near the center of
the peninsula a couple of kilometers from the beaches. If you are
arriving in town by bus or taxi, you’ll be dropped off at the bus
stop downtown. If you’re coming from Koh
Kong by ferry you’ll
disembark at the ferry dock north of town. There are always dozens
of motorcycle taxis (motodups) and a few car taxis waiting for new
arrivals. Some guesthouses and hotels offer a free shuttle for
pre-booked guests. Look for a placard displaying your name. Motodup
prices to the various parts of town are posted on the wall at the
bus stop. Car taxis cost $6-$7 from the bus stop to almost anywhere
in town. Bear in mind that with rising fuel costs, prices may vary
slightly.
Touts will try to direct you to commission paying hotels. Do not
believe stories that the hotel you want to go to is “dangerous,
damaged, dirty, closed,” etc. Insist on being taken directly to your
requested hotel.
Hotels, guesthouses and
restaurants can be found across the entire
peninsula, but many are concentrated into three areas: 1) The
Downtown Area, about 5 minutes
from the beaches by moto taxi. All regular tourist services are
available including several mid-range hotels, budget guesthouses,
lots of restaurants and bars, the main market, convenience stores,
banks, and the bus/taxi stands. Many of the downtown hotels are
within walking distance of the bus stop. Motodup from the bus stop
to downtown: 3000-4000R; from the ferry dock to downtown:
$1.50-$2.00; 2) Ochheuteal and
‘Serendipity’ Beaches offers a variety of mid-range and
budget hotels, guesthouses and bungalows as well as restaurants and
bars. ‘Serendipity Beach’ at the northern end of Ochheuteal is the
only beach in Sihanouk Ville with selection of rooms and bungalows
right on the sand. Motodup from the bus stop to Ochheuteal:
3000-5000R; from the ferry dock to Ochheuteal: $1.50-$2.50; 3)
Weather Station Hill (Victory Hill),
above Victory Beach, has long been popular with budget travelers for
its hilltop budget guesthouses, bungalows, restaurants and bars.
Motodup from the bus stop the Hill: 3000-5000R; from the ferry dock
the Hill: 3000R-5000R.
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Getting Around Sihanoukville
 Motorcycle Taxi (motodup, moto) drivers expect foreigners to pay
1000-2000R in town, and 2000R - 4000R from town to the beaches. (A bit
more from the bus station.) Locals
pay less but getting the local price is nearly impossible. Prices go up
for multiple passengers and at night. Some
Sihanoukville motodups are
some of the most assertive touts in Cambodia. Settle on a price and
destination before taking the ride and insist on being taken directly to
your requested destination.
 Moto-romauk (‘tuk-tuk,’ moto-trailer) Long popular in Phnom Penh
and Siem Reap, ‘tuk-tuks’ have just begun to operate in
Sihanoukville.
‘Tuk-tuks’ - more properly referred to by the Khmer ‘moto-romauk’ - are
two and four passenger motorcycle trailers. Unlike motodups, the covered
and semi-enclosed trailer offers some protection from sun and rain,
though tuk-tuks are a bit slower climbing Sihanouk Ville’s hills than
motodups. Currently, the price for tuk-tuks seem to be in flux, but are
charging near the same prices as a car taxi.
 Motorcycle Rental
The official ban on tourists renting motorcycles is an on-again
off-again affair which, at time of print, seems to be off-again.
Currently tourists do seem to be able to rent motorcycles. Most hotels,
guesthouses travel/tour companies are either renting motorcycle or can
arrange a rental for you. 100cc bikes run $5-$8/day. 250cc dirtbikes for
about $7-$8/day. 100cc is more than sufficient for travel in town and to
the beaches. Most rental places required a passport as security. Always
lock your motorcycle or leave it in guarded parking. Motorcycle theft is
not uncommon.
Car Rental Car rental (with diver) can be arranged through your
hotel or travel agent. Taxis at the downtown bus and taxi station are
also available for private hire. Cars cost around $20/day with driver.
They can also be hired for short jaunts in town ($4-$6) and specific
trips such as sunset mountain ($10) the waterfalls ($15) or Ream ($17).
Last updated 02/10
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