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With pristine beaches rivalling Asia's best holiday destinations, a
five-star hotel, a reopened airport and a golf course in the
pipeline, Cambodia's beach town of
Sihanoukville is poised to jump into the global tourism arena.
 Thousands
of tourists are already lured to Cambodia by the ancient Angkor Wat
temple complex, but few other sights attract their attention or
their desperately sought-after dollars.
Sniffing opportunity, the government and private investors are
lining up to position the southwestern port town of Sihanoukville as
a tropical getaway, competing with the likes of Thailand's
Phuket and
Indonesia's Bali.
"If we compare, the potential is better than Phuket because of
the quality of sand — it's white — and the water is clean. The
offshore islands have coral reefs, there's fishing," enthuses city
tourism director Teng Huy.
A port town established in the 1950s, it remains Cambodia's
youngest city. Sihanoukville became a popular resort among the elite
until the rise of the Khmer Rouge, which embarked on a genocide that
decimated the country.
It was re-discovered by backpackers in the 1990s and today
retains a sleepy, faded charm, with the occasional cow wandering
through the streets and ramshackle restaurants on many of its
beaches.
"Great sand, great sea"
The locally-owned
Sokha Hotel has extended Sihanoukville's appeal beyond
backpackers to well-heeled travellers by opening its 15-hectare,
180-room hotel, the first five-star operation in town.
 Sokha
Beach Resort Sihanoukville
The Sokha Beach Resort Sihanoukville is set amidst an expansive 15
hectares of gloriously manicured beachfront garden along 1.5 kilometers
of pristine white sandy beach. Its 166 suites, deluxe and superior
accommodation with balconies, blends in with natural lush surroundings
while offering resplendant sea and garden views. All guestrooms are
comfortably and spaciously designed to create a perfect haven of
relaxation. The Asean House Cafe offers international buffet breakfast,
lunch and dinner aside a comprehensive selection of both local and
international a la carte menus. The Sea Side Restaurant offers Alfresco
dining while the Sokha Wine and Karaoke Bar is a delightful yet warm
setting offering international beverages. The Pool Bar and Lobby Bar are
other places to relax. Amidst other facilities provided, a spa and
health club is at your disposal for relaxation. |
"The beach product is excellent, it's top class. Great sand,
great sea, that's a great start, we're out of the gate and running
well," says general manager Anthony O'Neill, a 12-year veteran of
the Asian tourism industry.
More government help however is needed to rebuild the
infrastructure shattered from conflict that only ended in 1998, as
well as better attractions, to secure Sihanoukville's place on the
international circuit, O'Neill says.
A nine-hole golf course being developed by Malaysia's Ariston
Holdings along nearby Occheuteal beach is one such crucial drawcard,
he says.
"The golf course concept has to be raced along... because if you
can't get core features you simply can't contain people in a holiday
resort and even think you're going to challenge your competitors in
Asia," he says. "I'm competing with Bali, Phuket, even
Pattaya. It's these
markets we keep an eye on — can we do it here?"
More tourist attractions needed
Scheduled flights — also seen as vital to Sihanoukville's
rejuvenation — are on the horizon with the reopening of its airport
last year to chartered flights. Martin Standbury, the project
manager for the golf course due to open within the coming year, says
Sihanoukville may be sleepy for now, but its potential is enormous.
"For now tourists get a bit bored. There's the beach, cheap beer,
seafood — they probably need a few more attractions," he says. "I
reckon there is huge potential here over the next three to five
years, not just for foreigners but the locals," he says, noting that
Cambodia's emerging middle class has begun holidaying here again.
Business owners — many of them foreigners who were travelling
through but decided to stay, captivated by the landscape and
laidback lifestyle — say they have noticed a steady increase in
numbers.
On the up despite SARS, riots
"Despite the anti-Thai riots (in Phnom Penh in January 2003),
SARS, (the terror attacks in) America and the elections, my trade
has increased in the last year as has everybody elses," says hotel
and bar owner Richard Blackley.
Blackley, who moved here four years ago, says the town was once
awash with small arms — like the rest of the country — but has
normalised and authorities are making an effort to renovate the
town.
"Infrastructure is being repaired, government buildings are being
repaired, you can see improvements with parks and gardens... And the
race for land on the beaches is phenomenal," he says.
"I'm extremely optimistic. Every day something new is being
done."
Li Li, a Chinese technical worker on a hydropower plant in a
nearby province, comes here every few months with a half dozen
colleagues who are drawn by the seafood and scenery.
"Sihanoukville is very, very beautiful — the water, the sky," he
told AFP after a beachside seafood feast. "I think more and more
people will come to Cambodia and here."
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