The Best of Cambodia & Laos

Ochheuteal Beach to Victory Beach costs $3. A tuk-tuk costs double that, though they
struggle up the hills. You can hire a small motorcycle from most guesthouses for $5 a day.
Wear a helmet. Even better, buy your own (you can buy a good one downtown for $17).
The helmets provided by guesthouses are thin plastic with loose straps, and will not
protect you in the event of an accident. Taxis cost $5 around town and your guesthouse
can call one for you.
Sihanoukville
ATMs There are ATMs all around Sihanoukville. They take all international cards.
The best one to use is the Canadia Bank, since they have the lowest charges.
Banks & Currency Exchange Canadia Bank (197 Ekareach St.; & 034/933-490;
open Mon–Fri 8am–3pm, Sat 8–11:30am), UCB (195 Ekareach St.; & 034/933-833;
open Mon–Fri 8am–3pm), ANZ (215 Ekareach St.; open Mon–Fri 8:30am–4pm),
and ACLEDA Bank (135 Ekareach St.; & 034/320-232; open Mon–Fri 7:30am–
4pm, Sat 7:30am–noon) are all situated downtown. They all cash traveler’s checks,
exchange major foreign currencies, and issue advances on Visa and MasterCard.
Business Hours Business hours are generally between 7am and 7pm from
Monday to Friday. Nightlife in parts of Sihanoukville runs 24 hours.
Doctors & Hospitals Medical care in Sihanoukville is woeful. The CT Clinic (47
Boray Kamakor; & 034/934-222; open 24 hr.) should be your first stop if in need.
Apart from that, you should head up to Phnom Penh and on to Thailand for
anything complex or serious.
Internet Access There are Internet cafes scattered around all areas where there
are tourists. Many of the machines are so badly maintained and so riddled with
viruses that they do not function. The excellent Beach Club Resort (p. 156) has
Wi-Fi in the restaurant by the pool.
Pharmacies The CT Clinic (see above) has a pharmacy that you can trust. Other
more dubious ones can be found downtown.
Post Office The main post office (Ekareach St. at the intersection of Mittapheap
and Kampuchea-Soviet St.) is open Monday to Friday 6am to 5pm and Saturday
8am to noon.
Telephone Internet cafes are equipped for long-distance calls. There are also
scores of shops selling mobile SIM cards and phones all over the center of town.
A new SIM card costs as little as $2 and is your best option if you want to make
local calls.
Tourism Information The best source of information is from guesthouses and
hotels. They will book trips to the islands and onward travel.
WHERE TO STAY
There are good accommodations in Sihanoukville at very attractive rates. The best area
to stay is around Ochheuteal Beach. The town itself is grim and unpleasant.
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SIHANOUKVILLE