The Best of Cambodia & Laos

Beach Road Hotel Covering both the low midrange and the budget categories,
Beach Road is central to the emerging nightlife area on the road to Serendipity and is a
place that aims to tick all the boxes and succeeds with style. The rooms are sparkling and
disarmingly fashionable in a way that doesn’t cloy. There is a nod to the boutique aesthetic
with a touch of draped traditional silk and vessel washbasins but it is in no way
overdone. The rooms are situated around a courtyard with a pool in a slightly alarming
amphitheater style, but it does have a quiet and sheltered feel. There is a lively attached
restaurant and bar, and you are also next to the weirdly wonderful Top Cat Cinema if
you fancy watching a movie or playing X-box on a truly enormous screen.
Road to Serendipity. & 017/827-677. www.beachroad-hotel.com. 80 units. $10 double fan; $15 double
A/C; $25 deluxe. MC, V. Amenities: Restaurant; Wi-Fi. In room: A/C, TV, fridge.
Cloud 9 Bungalows The urge to greet the management of this charming, jungly
option with the words “Me Tarzan. You Jane” is tempered only by the fact that he is
German and has a handlebar mustache. The property gives will make you feel like you’re
deep in the jungle and roughing it in the wildlife, yet while providing all modern conveniences
and friendly, family service. The rustic bungalows in leafy surroundings afford
good views of the ocean. They are equipped with mosquito nets and fans. Eats are a
gentle stroll down the hill to the beachside restaurant.
Serendipity Beach. & 012/479-365. www.cloud9bungalows.com. 7 units. $10–$35 double. No credit
cards. Amenities: Restaurant; Internet; Wi-Fi.
Markara Guest House This is one of the best budget options in Sihanoukville
and is often full. Even the cheaper fan rooms are large and spotless and have a brand-new
large-screen TV. The staff is very helpful and run a smooth travel agency operation without
being on the sell or in your face. The manager speaks very good English and very
elegant French. They rent out well-maintained motorcycles and also have an Internet cafe
with machines that are not totally consumed with spyware and viruses—unusual for
Sihanoukville. The beach is just across the road and the Markara offers free beach mats.
All in all the Markara is a very friendly and well-run operation.
14 Mithona St. (south end of Ochheuteal Beach). & 034/933-448. 41 units. $7 double fan; $10–$15
double A/C; $22 double with balcony. Amenities: Restaurant; Internet; Wi-Fi (not in rooms). In room: A/C,
TV, fridge.
Malibu Bungalows Owned and operated by the friendly Ms. Lina, Malibu is a
cool collection of beach bungalows on a steep hillside overlooking the beach. There’s also
a small hotel block farther back. Beautiful orchids line the balcony. There’s a cozy little
sitting area near the entry, and the hotel’s restaurant offers great views of Sokha Beach
below and the sea beyond. There’s a central dining area, the breakfast buffet is delicious,
and Ms. Lina can, upon request, arrange for a unique Khmer-style royal meal. The rooms
are simple, free-standing bungalows lining the precipitous steps along a verdant hillside
path. They are a little small and pokey, but have rustic charm. Electricity can be erratic
here. At the bottom is a bar area and small private beach. There are also air-conditioned
apartment blocks near the entry at the top of the hill. Mosquito nets and bamboo furnishings
give the place a certain Robinson Crusoe feel.
Group 14, Mondol 4, Sangkat 4, Khan Mittapheap, Sihanoukville (on a small rise above the Sokha Beach
Resort). & 012/733-334 or 016/770-277. www.malibu-bungalows.com. 19 units. $40–$45 double;
$35–$45 bungalow. No credit cards. Amenities: Restaurant. In room: A/C (in rooms only, bungalows have
fans), TV, fridge, minibar, no phone.
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SIHANOUKVILLE