The Sihanoukville guide

The premier destination is the Koh Rong Archipelago, led by the sprawling party and beach hubs of Koh Rong and the quieter, scenic Koh Rong Sanloem. Closer to the mainland, near-shore islands range from the rustic, eco-friendly Koh Ta Kiev to the bridge-connected Koh Puos. High-end luxury defines private escapes like Song Saa, Six Senses Krabey, and Koh Russei, while islands within Ream National Park, like Koh Thmei and Koh Seh, serve as heavily protected sanctuaries for marine and bird wildlife. Finally, remote deep-sea outposts like Koh Tang and Koh Poulo Wai host naval stations and offer untouched, crystal-clear waters favored by open-ocean scuba divers. Together, these island clusters offer a complete spectrum of tropical experiences, ranging from vibrant nightlife and ultra-luxury resorts to raw, off-the-grid conservation zones.

Celebrated along the Gulf of Thailand for its white-sand beaches and rich marine ecosystems, it has earned the title of the "Rising Star of the Southwest" — evolving from a quiet seaside outpost into a sophisticated international hub groomed as an ASEAN metropolis and sustainable "Smart City," connected to the capital by a modern expressway and supported by an upgraded international airport. Since May 2011, Cambodia's coastal areas have been recognized as members of the elite Club of the Most Beautiful Bays in the World, a continuous pledge to protect the province's "Green Gold" of sustainable tourism. Beyond its natural beauty, the coastline fuels Cambodia's ambition of high-income country status by 2050 — home to the nation's only deep-water autonomous port and the Sihanoukville Special Economic Zone, while advancing toward high-tech manufacturing, blue-economy aquaculture, and cross-border digital finance.

Located 20 kilometers east of Sihanoukville City, it serves as the essential aerial gateway to the country's coastal resorts, the Sihanoukville Special Economic Zone, and tropical islands like Koh Rong. Following major modernization projects, its runway was extended to 3,300 meters to safely handle long-haul, wide-body aircraft. Managed by Cambodia Airports under a long-term concession, it hosts regional carriers with direct flights to hubs like Kuala Lumpur, Ho Chi Minh City, and various cities in mainland China.

As the only deep-sea port situated in the Bay of Kompong Som, it enjoys natural advantages — deep water, a chain of islands shielding it from strong winds and tidal waves, and a location that requires no permanent dredging of navigational channels. Built in early 1956 and expanded continuously, the port now has 13 berths equipped with modern cargo-handling equipment; cargo throughput has grown more than 10 percent over the past five years, reaching 3.8 million tons in 2015 excluding 391,000 TEUs of containers. The port can accommodate vessels of 60,000 DWT or container ships of approximately 4,000 TEUs.