I visited Cambodia in March and spent a few days at Serendipity beach. It was great as a party beach--cold drinks, readily available funny smokes, and lots of prostitutes. However I advise against walking on the beach or swimming in the water. The beach, which looked idyllic at a distance were disgusting close up, as the attached pictures show.

There were also bags of mystery muck floating in the water. Someone who had been visiting Cambodia for years told me that a well connected bigshot had taken millions of euros in aid money to build an incinerator and dispose of all the country's medical waste, then just paid someone with a small ship to dump the waste offshore. The waste then spread to all on the beaches in the Sihanoukville area. I don't know if this is true, but I stayed off the beach and out of the water and left soon after.

So back to the topic title; are there any clean beaches in Cambodia? I don't mean clean as in virtuous, I don't mind the alcohol, herbs and shady ladies, but I want a beach where I can walk on the sand and swim in the water.

depends on season, but Otres, Sokha, Independence will be far cleaner

as well as the islands

The beaches PhuketRichard mentioned are generally much cleaner, and quieter, than Serendipity. For the best beaches though, head out to the islands.

Agree, islands are best. Snooky is a s**t-hole anyway.

depends on season, but Otres, Sokha, Independence will be far cleaner

as well as the islands

Just to be clear,does far cleaner mean I won't find hypodermic needles in the sand and bags of muck floating in the water, or just not as many?

Went to Koh Prins earlier this year and the beaches were as clean as they get these days.....

Sokha Beach is very clean, but it is not free. You need to pay about 10 USD when you want to stay there. So, at the Otres beach are a few places with very good seaside. For example the "Wild Beach". Or you can go to the Realm national park beach. It is the best beach in Cambodia, I think. But it is about 40km far away from Sihanoukville.

Just back from a week visiting friends in Sihanoukville. They have a business on Otres Beach 2.

Very quiet, very clean, no garbage, gently sloping sandy bottom, no rocks, nice.

Kep beach is well cared for and more beaches are nearby at Koh Tonsai.

Most beaches worldwide would (will) eventually look like this if it weren't for the daily cleaning they receive, due to all the crap floating around in the seas.

Now also highlighted by the search for MH 370, turning up all kinds of reddish objects that so far always turn out to be not from the MAS 777.

hi..

depends on season, but Otres, Sokha, Independence will be far cleaner

as well as the islands. islands are best.and if you want to travel in any where in u.s.a bard travel is the best traveling company .