Sihanoukville Serendipity Beach, Cambodia | Paradise Destroyed In Kampong Saom

[KED]

I have read so many good reviews about Sihanoukville that I was considering planning a trip, but then a friend sent me this youtube http://

'> link

What are people's experiences?

[craigt3365]

Great video. The last part is especially important. It's not just the locals fault.

I've not been, but hope to soon. Very sad if this video represents the present situation there.

[taninthai]

went two years ago believe me the amount of beggars on that that beach are more annoying than the rubbish ,constant line of children coming up wanting to sell you something not relaxing at all ,i went up to the beach at victory hill much cleaner no beggars and nice food there.

to be honest the rubbish on the beach does not look anything different to what you see on alot of the beaches in thailand ,welcome to s.e. asia where there is rubbish everywhere.

[simple1]

At least in the video their was only one dog on the beach, unlike Thai beaches that have so many wandering around. It's a great shame the amount of rubbish on the beaches. I watched another video dated 2009 of a snorkeling trip to an island off the coast of Sihanoukville & the voice over was complaining about the amount of plastic rubbish. Like craigt3365 I am planning to visit Sihanoukville, hopefully their are better beaches such as thaninthai recommended.

Off topic, but last week I visited the beach at the navy base at Sattahip, the second one in, and the amount of rubbish on the beach was terrible; didn't stay. It used to be lovely, now the unfortunate side effect of high volume tourists, local & foreign. What struck me was the people selling drinks at the small restaurant, selling souvenirs and hiring out beach chairs were just sitting around chatting without any concern whatsoever.

[mrdome]

Why is it like this? Because the rubbish ends up in the water somehow from all the countries around the Gulf and the China Sea. Then it stays because nobody gets paid to pick it up. To expect a caring mentality in a country like Cambodia where many people struggle to make the couple of bucks per day they need to survive is just not realistic though. Also, this is true Sysyphus work, the more you collect it, the more crap you will find the next morning. If I had a business on the beach, I'd do something about it for sure (i.e. pay someone to keep my stretch clean).

We are truly trashing the planet.

[Asiantravel]

Surely it wouldn't take much to clean up periodically?

Just going back inland from where the couple made this film is the absolutely palatial and ultra luxurious Sihanoukville home of the Prime Minister , who arrives periodically in his helicopter...........

[Almera]

With all the peasants there, how much would it cost to have hired cleaners going up and down the beaches?

[bartender100]

Same happens here in the rainy season, I have seen Pattaya and Jomtien beach's look like that after a big storm, in fact many people have posted pics before.

The business's along that beach, could all chip in and employ 2/3 guys with rakes every morning, they probably all have staff standing around doing sod all as well

[Almera]

^ I had a New Year's trip to Koh SiChang for New Year's once. Unbelievable, the sea was full of plastic bags and there was everything upto 5 liter oil cans along the beach. Apparently the cleaners were on holidays for 3 days over New Year's.

Will post pics if I could be bothered.

[MrWorldwide]

Right - Hun Sen's boys had to have the International Aid 'gun' held to their heads to start raiding K-11 - probably the worst kept 'secret' in SE Asia - and we are asking if they will do something about rubbish on a beach ..... <deleted>.

You only have to look at Kuta's beaches to know that it has little to do with the locals - the Indonesian government simply wont pay people the pittance it would cost to get cleanup crews down there each day, and Bali makes a hell of a lot more money from tourism than Cambodia.

Here's the video they should have shown Hun Sen (for all lthe difference it would make to his attitude....):

http://www.ledonja.org/en/projects/k11-confessions-of-a-sex-tourist-

[NeverSure]

I think Sihanoukville is a hell hole divided between the impoverished and the rich. The trip into and out of there is worth it for the scenery once, but I don't see myself going back. There is some very good Western food in a few barang owned places, but that's true in PP or Siem Reap. Cambodia is so backward that unless one just needs to see the "real" people in rural areas, he might want to consider traveling in and out, and mainly staying in Siem Reap or the more developed areas of PP.

There was a building fire in Sihanoukville last week. A friend emailed me some pictures. It was a nearly new building with a bar, a dive shop and I forget what else. They had just kept adding to it. The walls were bare wood and the roofs were thatched. It was a fire trap. Luckily no one was hurt, but it wouldn't have been hard to exit. Kick a board out of your way and walk out.

There was little water to fight the fires, due to corruption in the public officials. Hydrants were there with no water. It's easier to just post a link. I would say the old joke about the fire department arriving in time to save the foundation, but there wasn't one, LOL.

Link

[NeverSure]

Of course it could be much worse than a few plastic bags ………………….

“ Radioactive water may have leaked at Japan's crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in the latest of a series of troubles at the facility.

The fresh leak on Sunday comes a day after Tokyo Electric Power Co. (TEPCO) said up to 120 tonnes of contaminated water may have escaped from another of the seven underground reservoir tanks at the tsunami-damaged plant. “

http://www.aljazeera.com/news/asia-pacific/2013/04/20134764630896437.html

The story with no end. Thanks for the link.

I think that many of these third world cities run their sewage into the ocean too. I know of no sewage treatment in Sihanoukville, but I could be wrong.

[Almera]

^ I had a New Year's trip to Koh SiChang for New Year's once. Unbelievable, the sea was full of plastic bags and there was everything upto 5 liter oil cans along the beach. Apparently the cleaners were on holidays for 3 days over New Year's.

Will post pics if I could be bothered.

The Thai version in Koh Sri Chang.

Beautiful, ain't it.

[ALFREDO]

Same happens here in the rainy season, I have seen Pattaya and Jomtien beach's look like that after a big storm, in fact many people have posted pics before.

Absolutely right, it depends on the season, the wind and weather.

You have some beaches in Phuket who look very nice in the High Season (they are also kept more clean from rubbish at that time)

and look awful bad during the Monsoon summer season with many rubbish floating to them at that time of the year!

I was surprised myself!

Sihanoukville has, as it seems until now not understood the necessity of regular, day by day clean ups on their beaches.

You will for sure, not have a dirty beach at the SOKHA BEACH in front of the 4-5 * Sokha Beach Hotel.

I was many times in Sihanoukville and I liked it, as it and Cambodia is still different in many ways!

[allalong]

I was there at new year , for the first time , The guest houses doubled the room rate for 3 days over new year ,so I thought do I really want ro pay $30.a night in a filthy hole as sihanoukville?No so I left

[ALFREDO]

It seems, you choose a "filthy" Guest unfriendly policy introducing, "hole" as a Hotel (10 Dollar a night ) in the first place.

Regarding -filthy- Sihanoukville.

You have to have a different approach to such an extremly underdeveloped country. I LIKE it as it is different in many ways in comparison to the nowadays very overcrowded (traffic! ) area island, of Phuket-Patong and surroundings.

Cannot write so much about Pattaya, as I am seldom there, but think not much different to Phuket in numbers.

[phuketrichard]

head out to Otres beach or better yet out to Koh Rong for some beautiful beaches,

as to phuket being dirty in low season, of course.. You have onshore winds so each night all the shit comes in and out with every tide,

Still will take Kamala Andaman Sea over SHV. bay

You should have booked at Aqua resort or the beach club >>>>>>

[cardholder]

I was there at new year , for the first time , The guest houses doubled the room rate for 3 days over new year ,so I thought do I really want ro pay $30.a night in a filthy hole as sihanoukville?No so I left

Sometimes you get what you pay for....

[taninthai]

Right - Hun Sen's boys had to have the International Aid 'gun' held to their heads to start raiding K-11 - probably the worst kept 'secret' in SE Asia - and we are asking if they will do something about rubbish on a beach ..... <deleted>.

You only have to look at Kuta's beaches to know that it has little to do with the locals - the Indonesian government simply wont pay people the pittance it would cost to get cleanup crews down there each day, and Bali makes a hell of a lot more money from tourism than Cambodia.

Here's the video they should have shown Hun Sen (for all lthe difference it would make to his attitude....):

http://www.ledonja.org/en/projects/k11-confessions-of-a-sex-tourist-[/quote that is one hard hitting documentary had to watch it with the sound turned off couldnt bear to listen to the nonse,puts things in perspective a couple of spoilt backpapers playing with there new video camers complaining about a little rubbish on the beach spoiling there holiday, when there are obviously a lot bigger problems facing the people in these countries.

I sure hope the guy in the video got whats coming to him, whatva sad sad world we live in.

Sent from my GT-P7500 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[Chalongian]

Right - Hun Sen's boys had to have the International Aid 'gun' held to their heads to start raiding K-11 - probably the worst kept 'secret' in SE Asia - and we are asking if they will do something about rubbish on a beach ..... <deleted>.

You only have to look at Kuta's beaches to know that it has little to do with the locals - the Indonesian government simply wont pay people the pittance it would cost to get cleanup crews down there each day, and Bali makes a hell of a lot more money from tourism than Cambodia.

Here's the video they should have shown Hun Sen (for all lthe difference it would make to his attitude....):

http://www.ledonja.org/en/projects/k11-confessions-of-a-sex-tourist-

[Chalongian]

Right - Hun Sen's boys had to have the International Aid 'gun' held to their heads to start raiding K-11 - probably the worst kept 'secret' in SE Asia - and we are asking if they will do something about rubbish on a beach ..... <deleted>.

You only have to look at Kuta's beaches to know that it has little to do with the locals - the Indonesian government simply wont pay people the pittance it would cost to get cleanup crews down there each day, and Bali makes a hell of a lot more money from tourism than Cambodia.

Here's the video they should have shown Hun Sen (for all lthe difference it would make to his attitude....):

http://www.ledonja.org/en/projects/k11-confessions-of-a-sex-tourist-

That's rubbish your talking about Kuta! They have a massive beach cleaning truck that drives up and down Kuta beach every morning. Scoops up everything in from of it and drops out the clean sand behind it. The majority of the rubbish on that beach appears overnight starting at sunset when hordes of people go there and it's mainly Indonesians on holiday and some locals too, who bring there plastic trays of food, cups, beers crisps all in seperated plastic bags and just leave it all there along with their fag ends. I go there quite often and surf Kuta in the evening when they all start to arrive, I usually go back in the morning to check the waves when I see the deveztation from the night before. If it wasn't for that big cleaning truck every morning it would be a rubbish dump by now. Sometimes it does come in with the tide and if u ask any local they'll tell you it comes from java. If you see the sate of Kuta early morning when half of the <deleted> has probably washed out to sea you will know where it came from origionaly.

[MrWorldwide]

Right - Hun Sen's boys had to have the International Aid 'gun' held to their heads to start raiding K-11 - probably the worst kept 'secret' in SE Asia - and we are asking if they will do something about rubbish on a beach ..... <deleted>.

You only have to look at Kuta's beaches to know that it has little to do with the locals - the Indonesian government simply wont pay people the pittance it would cost to get cleanup crews down there each day, and Bali makes a hell of a lot more money from tourism than Cambodia.

Here's the video they should have shown Hun Sen (for all lthe difference it would make to his attitude....):

http://www.ledonja.org/en/projects/k11-confessions-of-a-sex-tourist-

That's rubbish your talking about Kuta! They have a massive beach cleaning truck that drives up and down Kuta beach every morning. Scoops up everything in from of it and drops out the clean sand behind it. The majority of the rubbish on that beach appears overnight starting at sunset when hordes of people go there and it's mainly Indonesians on holiday and some locals too, who bring there plastic trays of food, cups, beers crisps all in seperated plastic bags and just leave it all there along with their fag ends. I go there quite often and surf Kuta in the evening when they all start to arrive, I usually go back in the morning to check the waves when I see the deveztation from the night before. If it wasn't for that big cleaning truck every morning it would be a rubbish dump by now. Sometimes it does come in with the tide and if u ask any local they'll tell you it comes from java. If you see the sate of Kuta early morning when half of the <deleted> has probably washed out to sea you will know where it came from origionaly.

Yes, it is rubbish I'm talking about, and you admit that it IS on the beach (Kuta is a huge strip for those who havent been there) until said truck arrives. Given that Bali is an island (and not a particularly large one at that), should we feel better that they have a giant tip somewhere and that 'paradise' will progressively become landfill ?

[allalong]

It seems, you choose a "filthy" Guest unfriendly policy introducing, "hole" as a Hotel (10 Dollar a night ) in the first place.

Regarding -filthy- Sihanoukville.

You have to have a different approach to such an extremly underdeveloped country. I LIKE it as it is different in many ways in comparison to the nowadays very overcrowded (traffic! ) area island, of Phuket-Patong and surroundings.

Cannot write so much about Pattaya, as I am seldom there, but think not much different to Phuket in numbers.

When i went to school 30/2 was 15 but i guess you liked to say 10$ to make a "nothing" point

Sent from my GT-S7500L using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[RefinedGentleman]

If it bothers them so much then why don't they grab a trash bag and start picking it up? They could have picked up a lot of that trash in the time that they spent making that video.

[bangkokburning]

My first trio to Kampong Som was in 93. Beaches remained clean enough for few yrs after that.

I never liked the place. Beaches notbing conpared to Thailand. Distance between beach and town, the moto mafia that dug itself in ages ago. The hill (what a hike) with its marginal accomadation and pricey backpacker food.

Fast fwd...beggars, trash and whatever else.

Live in Phnom Penh, use South Thai or Malay beaches.

Its a complicated, poor, corrupt country. Sad.

[lapd]

No different than any other 3rd world country. When half the population is struggling just to survive littering is a pretty low priority for them. It wouldn't take much to clean up that beach though. Offer to pay the locals some small amount per kg and that beach would be spotless.

[jombom]

Was in Sihanoukville during Songkhran. Avoided Serendipity and Ocheutal area as it seemed too crowded. Swam at Independence and Otres, where the water seemed clean and no floating rubbish ---- no rubbish on beach either.

Only saw 2 people tamely throwing water, and none of the insanity as per Pattaya.

Over the years, I have been in Snook maybe 10 or 12 times, and never saw rubbish in the quantity depicted.

[lapd]

Was in Sihanoukville during Songkhran. Avoided Serendipity and Ocheutal area as it seemed too crowded. Swam at Independence and Otres, where the water seemed clean and no floating rubbish ---- no rubbish on beach either.

Only saw 2 people tamely throwing water, and none of the insanity as per Pattaya.

Over the years, I have been in Snook maybe 10 or 12 times, and never saw rubbish in the quantity depicted.

It could have been they were there after a storm or an unusual tide or something.

[oldsailor35]

went two years ago believe me the amount of beggars on that that beach are more annoying than the rubbish ,constant line of children coming up wanting to sell you something not relaxing at all ,i went up to the beach at victory hill much cleaner no beggars and nice food there.

to be honest the rubbish on the beach does not look anything different to what you see on alot of the beaches in thailand ,welcome to s.e. asia where there is rubbish everywhere.

You have obviously never heard of Maenam Beach on Koh Samui Thailand !