Sihanoukville

Sihanoukville was Cambodia's best-kept coastal secret — a cluster of beaches and islands on the Gulf of Thailand that once offered the kind of laid-back tropical experience that Thailand's islands provided decades ago. Named after King Norodom Sihanouk, the city has undergone dramatic transformation in recent years, but its offshore islands and more distant beaches retain a beauty that justifies the journey.

The Ream National Park, south of the city, protects a remarkable ecosystem where mangrove forests, coral reefs, and tropical jungle converge along a coastline largely untouched by development. Boat excursions through the park's mangrove channels reveal long-tailed macaques, monitor lizards, and bird species that thrive in the transition zone between land and sea. The park's beaches, accessible only by boat, offer the solitude that the mainland's popular stretches no longer guarantee.

The offshore islands — Koh Rong, Koh Rong Sanloem, and the more distant Koh Tang — represent Cambodia's finest marine environments. Koh Rong Sanloem in particular has emerged as one of Southeast Asia's most beautiful island destinations, its Saracen Bay curving in a perfect crescent of white sand fringed by crystal water. Bioluminescent plankton illuminate the shallows on moonless nights, turning each footstep in the surf into a burst of blue-green light — a natural phenomenon that leaves even experienced travelers speechless.

Costa Cruises, Oceania Cruises, Regent Seven Seas Cruises, and Seabourn include Sihanoukville on Southeast Asian itineraries, with shore excursions that wisely focus on the offshore islands and natural areas rather than the rapidly changing city center. The Cambodian seafood served at beachside restaurants — grilled squid, pepper crab, and fish amok steamed in banana leaves — represents some of the region's most flavorful and affordable cuisine.

November through April provides the dry season's calm seas and sunny skies ideal for island hopping and snorkeling. Sihanoukville's story is one of change — sometimes jarring, occasionally regrettable — but the natural beauty that first attracted visitors remains indelible in its offshore waters and protected forests, rewarding those who venture beyond the port to discover Cambodia's coastal soul.