Cambodia's main seaport on the Gulf of Thailand and the gateway to the islands of Koh Rong and Koh Rong Samloem. The town centre was transformed by the 2016–2019 Chinese casino and construction boom: many casinos, half-finished abandoned high-rises and dusty building sites. For clean, quiet beaches head to Otres, Ream or the islands. The city has been a hub for online-fraud 'compounds', so never trust a 'well-paid job' offered online. No direct flights — fly via Bangkok, Guangzhou or Ho Chi Minh City to KOS airport, or via Phnom Penh and then the expressway.
🛂 Visa: e-Visa · 30 days✈ Flight: 10h☀ Best months: December, January, February, March
Orange — daytime average, blue — night, grey bars — rainfall, green — sea temperature. Best months: December, January, February, March.
Things to see (12)
🧸 for kids
Otres Beach★ 4.2 (3,000)
BeachFree (loungers usually free if you order a drink)24 hours
A long, quiet white-sand beach ≈5 km south of town, split into Otres 1 and Otres 2, lined with small bungalows and cafés. Far from the building-site noise of the centre, so families and people wanting to relax usually stay here. There is new construction around it too.
Like a well-travelled friend for a first-timer: before you go, landing, SIM, transport, money, food, safety, manners, apps, leaving — step by step.
🧳Before you goMongolians need a Cambodian visa, but it is easy to get: an online e-visa or on arrival.+
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Visa: $30 tourist e-visa
Mongolian ordinary passport holders need a visa (the visa-exemption agreement covers only diplomatic and official passports). A tourist (T) e-visa on evisa.gov.kh costs $30, arrives as a PDF in ≈3 working days and allows a 30-day stay. Or get a visa on arrival at the airport for $30 (US dollar cash, passport photo). Your passport must be valid for 6+ months.
Tip: Only evisa.gov.kh is official; look-alike sites in search results charge extra.
Within 7 days before your flight, complete the free Cambodia e-Arrival on arrival.gov.kh (or in the app): immigration, health and customs declarations in one form. It is separate from the visa.
There are no direct flights from Ulaanbaatar. Sihanouk International Airport (KOS) has flights from Bangkok, Ho Chi Minh City and Guangzhou, but only a few. The alternative is to fly to Phnom Penh's Techo airport and continue overland on the expressway. Buy both flights on one booking so your bag is checked through.
Tip: Get travel insurance, including medical evacuation.
🛬Landing and getting to townKOS airport is a fair way east of town; from Phnom Penh the expressway is the fastest route.+
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From KOS airport to town
The airport is ≈20 km from the centre, ≈35 minutes by car. An airport taxi costs ≈$25, Grab or PassApp from ≈$15, a tuk-tuk ≈$7–20. There is no reliable public bus.
On the ≈190 km expressway opened in 2022, buses and minivans take ≈3 hours, with tickets ≈$10–15. Minivans and private cars also leave straight from Techo airport. The train takes ≈6.5 hours for ≈$10 — slow but relaxed.
With children or a late arrival, book a pick-up through your hotel: the driver waits with your name on a sign. Don't go to a 'different hotel' a taxi driver suggests.
Tip: Staying at Otres or Ochheuteal beach keeps you away from the construction noise.
📶Phone and internet+
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Tourist SIM
Smart, Cellcard and Metfone tourist SIMs cost ≈$5–10 with plenty of data, registered with your passport. If the airport counter is closed, buy one at an official shop in town. On the islands Metfone and Smart have the best signal.
🚇Getting around and to the islandsThere is almost no public transport in town; use tuk-tuks, apps and speedboats to the islands.+
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Tuk-tuks — by app
Book a tuk-tuk or car in PassApp or Grab and the price is shown upfront. If you hail one in the street, agree the fare first. The beaches are spread out, so take a tuk-tuk rather than walking.
Several speedboats a day leave the Sihanoukville Autonomous Port and the GTVC pier (the Serendipity pier closed in 2023) for Koh Rong and Koh Rong Samloem: ≈$12–24 one way, ≈45 minutes–1 hour. A return ticket is cheaper.
Tip: In the monsoon (May–Oct) the sea is rough and sailings can be cancelled, so leave a spare day before your flight home.
Renting a motorbike is popular, but roads are broken, dusty from construction and traffic is chaotic. Without a Cambodian licence, insurance usually won't pay out.
Prices are usually in US dollars, with small change given in riel (៛). Torn or worn dollar notes are refused, so bring new, clean bills. ATMs are scarce on the islands, so take cash from town.
Cards work in big hotels and supermarkets; markets, tuk-tuks, beach restaurants and island bungalows are mostly cash. Haggling is normal at Phsar Leu market. Tipping isn't required but is appreciated.
🍜FoodSeafood is the highlight; the town also has a great many Chinese restaurants.+
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What to eat
Grilled crab, prawns and fish; crab with green Kampot pepper; amok — fish steamed in coconut milk; lok lak — stir-fried beef with rice. For children, fried rice, grilled chicken and tropical fruit.
Tip: Seafood is priced by weight — ask the price before you order.
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Water, ice and hygiene
Don't drink tap water — use bottled water. Eat seafood fresh and fully cooked. Drink plenty in the heat to avoid stomach trouble.
Police 117, fire 118, ambulance 119. Operators usually speak Khmer, so asking hotel staff to call is faster. Mongolian citizens in an emergency should contact the consular department of Mongolia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Sihanoukville has been one of the main places where people lured by fake 'easy work, high pay' ads had their passports taken and were forced to work in online-fraud compounds; official advisories still warn about it. Don't accept job offers from social media or agents, never hand over your passport, and don't go to walled casinos or 'company' compounds.
Tip: If someone you know has received such an offer, alert the consular department of Mongolia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs at once.
Don't leave belongings unattended on the beach; phones are sometimes snatched from motorbikes at night. In the monsoon waves and currents are strong — keep a close eye on children in the water. Hospitals in town are limited, so serious cases go to Phnom Penh.
🙏Manners+
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At temples
Cover shoulders and knees at temples such as Wat Leu, and take shoes off in temple halls. Women shouldn't touch monks, and don't point the soles of your feet at a Buddha.
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On the beach and in town
Don't walk around town in swimwear, and nude sunbathing is banned. Greet with the 'sampeah', palms pressed together; don't touch people's heads.
PassApp is the most common in Sihanoukville and Grab also works; prices are shown upfront, so there is no haggling. When heading to Otres or Ream, arrange your ride back in advance — cars are slow to find in remote spots.
KOS is a fair way east of town, so leave early. If you fly from Techo, add the overland time on the expressway — going to Phnom Penh the day before your flight is the safest plan. Allow for the island boat back being cancelled.
The 30 days count from your arrival day; overstaying means a daily fine at exit. Spend leftover riel before the airport — it is hard to exchange abroad.
AI answer: double-check anything beyond our researched facts with an official source.
Free
24 hours
The town's biggest and busiest beach: seafood restaurants and bars along the sand, and the ferry piers and hotels on Serendipity Road. Cambodian families flock here at weekends; grilled seafood is cheap in the evening.
The west-side beach below the famous 1960s Independence Hotel: relatively calm water and a favourite local picnic spot. Local food stalls set up at weekends.
BeachBeach free (resort section for guests)24 hours
A semi-enclosed bay with fine white sand, mostly run by Sokha Beach Resort. Nearby Victory Hill is the old backpacker quarter, with sunset views over the port and islands from the top.
NatureEntry ≈$5; ranger-led boat trip ≈$20–50Daily; best early in the morning
A protected area ≈18 km east of town covering mangroves, rivers, beaches and islands: take a boat up the Prek Tuek Sap river through the mangroves, spot monkeys and birds, and relax on a quiet beach. A good half-day nature trip with children.
Koh Rong and Koh Rong Samloem (ferries)★ 4.5 (6,000)
BeachSpeedboat ≈$12–24 one waySeveral sailings a day, ≈45 min–1 hour
The main reason to come: speedboats from the Autonomous Port or the GTVC pier run to Koh Rong (Koh Touch, Long Set) or Koh Rong Samloem (Saracen Bay). White sand, clear water and glowing plankton at night. In the monsoon the sea is rough and sailings can be cancelled.
Tiered falls ≈15 km north of town that supply the city's drinking water. Cambodian families come to picnic on the rocks. Water is highest at the end of the rainy season (Sep–Nov); in the dry season the flow is weak.
The 'Upper Temple' (Wat Chotynean) on Sihanoukville Mountain: a three-headed white elephant, Buddha statues and the best view over the town, bay and islands from the temple grounds. Come before sunset; cover shoulders and knees.
NatureBoat from Otres ≈$10–15 returnBoats usually leave around 11:00
A barely developed forested island about an hour by boat from Otres: jungle trails, empty beaches and snorkelling. Electricity and internet are limited and facilities basic; suits families with older, adventurous children.
The town's biggest central market: fresh seafood, Kampot pepper, fruit, clothes and household goods. Most vendors don't speak English, so be ready to haggle and show numbers with your fingers; US dollars are accepted.
The town's landmark, built in 1996 with two golden lions, at the top of the road down to Serendipity and Ochheuteal beaches. Restaurants and street vendors around it come alive in the evening; a quick photo stop.
Long Beach and Coconut Beach in the southern part of Ream park: far from town, so clean, quiet and shaded by casuarina trees. Mostly Khmer families come at weekends; facilities are few, so bring water and food.
