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162<br />
SOUTHERN CAMBODIA<br />
8<br />
SIHANOUKVILLE<br />
Incident” in 1975 when American marines battled the Khmer Rouge to regain control<br />
<strong>of</strong> a captured ship and its crew—the last American fight <strong>of</strong> the Indochina wars in which<br />
the U.S. Marine Corps suffered high casualties.<br />
<strong>The</strong> Dive Shop (road to Serendipity Beach near the Golden Lions; & 012/161-5517;<br />
www.diveshopcambodia.com) is a PADI Dive Center <strong>of</strong>fering courses on Introductory<br />
Discover Scuba, PADI Open Water, Advanced Open Water, and Rescue and Dive Master.<br />
Other options include fun dives, overnight trips, and custom tours.<br />
EcoSea Dive (225 Ekareach near Ochheuteal Beach and the Golden Lions; & 012/<br />
654-104; www.ecoseadive.com) is a dive center <strong>of</strong>fering authorized PADI and SSI Dive<br />
Courses. EcoSea provides daily fun dives and $10 snorkeling on their custom dive boat.<br />
<strong>The</strong>y also have beachside accommodations for divers and snorkelers on Koh Rung<br />
Samloem.<br />
Scuba Nation PADI 5 Star Dive Center (Mohachai Guesthouse on Serendipity<br />
Beach Rd.; & 012/604-680; www.divecambodia.com) is <strong>Cambodia</strong>’s first PADI five-star<br />
National Geographic Dive Center, <strong>of</strong>fering daily trips and live-aboards to the islands,<br />
plus PADI dive courses in English and other languages. All dives include food, PADI<br />
diver insurance, and the only custom-made dive boats in <strong>Cambodia</strong>.<br />
Fishing & Boat Trips<br />
<strong>The</strong>re are lots <strong>of</strong> angling opportunities in the waters around Sihanoukville. <strong>The</strong> best<br />
fishing is in the dry season when the weather is fair. A variety <strong>of</strong> game species swim in<br />
the local waters, including the much-prized barracuda. If you want to take a day trip, you<br />
can get a tourist boat right <strong>of</strong>f <strong>of</strong> the beach, or you can arrange it through your guesthouse<br />
or a tour operator. Prices start at $6 to $10. <strong>The</strong> standard tour will take you to one<br />
to three islands for snorkeling, swimming, and lunch. <strong>The</strong> Fisherman’s Den Sports Bar<br />
(downtown, alongside the Star Mart; & 034/933-997) <strong>of</strong>fers fishing and other kinds <strong>of</strong><br />
boat trips on a 16m (54-ft.) Western-style fishing boat with shower, toilet, wet bar, and<br />
all necessary equipment. <strong>The</strong> skipper is a very experienced pr<strong>of</strong>essional fisherman from<br />
New Zealand.<br />
Ream National Park<br />
Sihanouk National Park is more commonly called Ream National Park, for the district<br />
in which it is located. It was established in 1993. It encompasses a large portion <strong>of</strong> the<br />
coastal area, including sandy beaches, mangrove forests, the Prek Tuk Sap Estuary, <strong>of</strong>fshore<br />
coral reefs, and two islands (Koh Thmei and Koh Seh). It is also the habitat <strong>of</strong><br />
elusive creatures such as macaques, sun bears, dolphins, mouse deer, pangolin, and over<br />
a hundred species <strong>of</strong> birds; and some say that it is also home to a tiger although there are<br />
no proven sightings. Guesthouses and tour operators in Sihanoukville <strong>of</strong>fer a number <strong>of</strong><br />
different tours <strong>of</strong> the park including jungle trekking and riverboat trips along the Prek<br />
Tuk River through the jungle and mangroves and on to the sea. <strong>The</strong> river trip is the most<br />
popular tour and is also the most likely to yield sightings <strong>of</strong> wildlife. Most tours are less<br />
than a half-day. <strong>The</strong> nearby Kbal Chhay waterfalls are spectacular and refreshing in wet<br />
season, although in dry season they virtually cease to exist. It is a good place for a picnic.<br />
Tours may be arranged through a tour operator directly through the Park at the Park<br />
Office (located 23km/20 miles north <strong>of</strong> Sihanoukville, 500m/1,640 ft. <strong>of</strong>f Rte. 4 on<br />
Airport Rd., opposite the entrance to the airport; & 012/875-096 or 215-759). <strong>The</strong><br />
park <strong>of</strong>fice is open daily from 7am to 5pm.