Fishermans Den, Sihanoukville
By Casper | May 4, 2008
The Fishermans Den was one of the first Bars to be established in Sihanoukville and it’s with regret that I have to inform you that this Rooftop bar will soon be no more. The good news however, is that Brian, Toy and the rest of the crew will very quickly be establishing their new Fishermans Den only a stones throw from their current location.
Due to the expansion of the guesthouse below, the Fishermans Den has not had it’s lease renewed and have had to look for other premises. Fortunately, a little way on down the same road and to the left, they found a perfect location, on the ground floor! Many of the Fishermans Den’s regular customers will be pleased to hear that news, as the climb to the third floor of their old bar was a little of a challenge.
Whilst being a little smaller than the rooftop bar and obviously not having the same view, you can be guaranteed that their will be the same friendly atmosphere in their new spot. The popular Fishing Trips and Charters will, of course, still be available as well as “The Best Fish & Chips in Sihanoukville”.
A friend of mine from Thailand recently paid a visit to Sihanoukville and after his first sampling of the Fishermans Den Fish & Chips, returned every single day of his weeks stay, in order to have the same meal. Very good indeed and excellent value.
Sihanoukville Online wishes Brian, Toy & the Crew, continued success in the new Fishermans Den.
Topics: Places to Eat, Sihanoukville Bars | No Comments »
Road Safety warning
By Casper | April 27, 2008
It is with sadness that I write this, I’ve had news this morning that a friend of mine who I met in Pattaya, Thailand has passed away today after a serious road traffic accident.
Yes, he was probably drunk and yes, he was riding a motorbike … obviously, this is one of the combinations that is most likely to result in a death. It’s virtually impossible to get adequate insurance for exactly this reason.
That said, I’m not seeking forgiveness or sympathy for my friend, but only seek to pass on the ‘commonsense’ warning that this isn’t something that only happens to people we read about in the paper. It happens to people we know, people we love and, if we do this ourselves, it will eventually happen to us.
Alcohol and motorised vehicles do not mix, we know this when we are sober, why can’t we appreciate this when we are drunk?
Please, enjoy a drink, but make use of the many motortaxi’s and tuk tuk’s in town, your life or a few dollars ….. “up to you”.
R.I.P my friend.
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Sihanoukville Online goes Multi-Lingual!
By Casper | April 23, 2008
Due to the fact that Sihanoukville seems to attract a very mixed selection of nationalities, we’ve decided to provide a translation of the entire Sihanoukville Online website into 12 languages.
Simply click one of the Country Flags from the selection at the top of the right hand column to translate the website.
Topics: Sihanoukville Blog | No Comments »
Sihanoukville is changing
By Casper | April 12, 2008
Yes, Sihanoukville seems to be changing fairly rapidly. In the very short time that I’ve lived here, two of the ‘best’ Sihanoukville beaches have been closed down to make way for the new developments.
There is also the fact that Ochheuteal Beach will be closed at some stage to enable the building of more Beachfront Hotels. This will certainly have a major impact on the town since Ochheuteal is by far the most popular beach.
What about all the many beach bars too, guess they’ll be closing never to return. This is the same thing that happened during the closure of Independence Beach and the section of beach at South Ochheuteal (near the fishing village and bridge to Queens Hill Bungalows). Many Cambodian livelyhoods have been effected. Such a shame.
Further in from the beaches, Hotels and quality accomodation are shooting up at a rate of knots, some of the prices being asked are pretty ridiculous though, at least based on current market prices.
Property prices too have increased four or five fold in the past year and now surpass many parts of Thailand. Too much too quickly in my opinion, but only time will tell.
Topics: Sihanoukville Blog | 2 Comments »
The Cambodian Visa Run
By Casper | March 30, 2008
Well after two months in Sihanoukville, I’ve decided that I’d like to stay around for a little while (I knew I would). So the next thing to do, was to travel back to the border and pick up a Type ‘E’ Business Visa.
Business Visas in Cambodia, unlike Thailand, are very easy to obtain. Exit Cambodia into Thailand, then return sameday and ask for one at immigration. The ‘official’ price is just 25 USD, however, the actual amount you pay can vary depending on your port of entry / border crossing point.
I decided to make the journey to Koh Kong for my Business Visa. I booked the return coach journey via Ana Travel (Ekreach Street), with VET.
On previous trips to this border with Thailand, i’ve always used the ferry and on all but my last trip, the waters have been calm and the journey extremely pleasant. The last trip was last October and during the worst rain of paticularly damp ‘rainy season’. It was not fun, the boat felt all too frequently as if it was about to ‘roll’ any second and I’m sure the constant ‘jarring’ from bouncing wave to wave wasn’t doing my spine any good.
Despite the good weather currently (late March) I decided on the Coach. I’d heard that at least two of the bridges are not completed as yet and that the ‘minibuses’ have to be ferried across the rivers. Not sure about how a 43 seater would cope with this, but it sounded like fun!
Now, i’m not really a great ‘planner’ and occasionally come up with some pretty ‘dumb’ ideas, the night before this trip was no exception.
Since my coach was going to be leaving from Sihanoukville Bus Station at 7:45am, I decided that, seeing as though a couple of friends were ‘up for it’, I’d drink and socialise through the night and sleep on the bus during the 6 hour journey to Koh Kong.
Big mistake, huge. I managed the drinking till 7:00am without a problem, but decided to return to my room and do a quick ‘freshen up’ and change before getting on the bus …….. I woke up at 4pm later that afternoon, best laid plans eh?
Ok, I decided to try my luck and just turn up with the out of date, but unused tickets the next morning. Low and behold, some people i’d met in the Hard Rock Bar were returning home to Finland the next morning and were actually catching the same coach as me in the morning.
So …… we decided to drink through the night and sleep on the coach (haven’t I been here somewhere before?!). This time though, I managed it, problem now was …. would they accept my out of date tickets. I smiled and looked humble in the presence of the ‘Boss’ of Sihanoukville VET. Basically I played ‘dumb’, something that I seem to have very little trouble doing.
He accepted that it was a genuine mistake made between myself and the booking agent, I could still use the tickets. Wonderful! Just saved myself 36 USD, not a fortune, but better in my pocket than anyone elses.
Coach loaded and off we set.
Most of the journey is through relatively flat countryside, it’s pleasant enough, but nothing to write home about. That is until we come to the first ‘incomplete’ bridge.
The ’span’ of the bridge is finished, but the surface and barriers are yet to done. Nevertheless, we were all asked to vacate the bus and take the walk across the bridge platform.
The views from the bridge are wonderful and well worth making the journey for. All in all, you have to walk across two unfinished bridges and this was, for me, the best part of the trip. Once over the bridge, another coach was there waiting to take us on the next ‘leg’ of our journey.
Arriving in Koh Kong I saw a side of it that I hadn’t noticed on previous occasions as I was sped quickly from the port to the border in the back of a truck ……. it really is a ‘dust bowl’ of a place. It lacks soul and personality ….. it’s bland and uninspiring.
This is my personal opinion based on a short moto tour I conducted in the hope I’d find something worth photographing …… I returned to my hotel disappointed.
Since the coach dropped me off at their branch in the town and I could see a hotel / guesthouse in easy walking distance, I ended up staying at the ‘Dugout Hotel’. Far from a 5 star resort and curiously charged in Thai Baht. Very strange I thought.
Topics: Sihanoukville Blog, Travel Information | No Comments »
Cambodian Visa Online
By Casper | March 26, 2008
If you are planning on making a visit to Sihanoukville, this online service could possibly be of use to you. It does cost an extra 5 usd on top of the usual visa fee, but it could help avoid some of the issues you may experience at the land border crossing (pressure to pay ‘over and above’).
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation has launched e-Visa, which enables you to apply for a Cambodia tourist visa online. Instead of applying through Cambodian Embassy, all you need to do is to complete the online application form and pay with your credit card. After receiving your Visa through email, print it out and bring it along when you travel to Cambodia.
To visit the e-Visa website, just click here Travel Visa for Cambodia
Topics: Travel Information | No Comments »
Hard Rock Bar, Sihanoukville, Cambodia
By Casper | March 26, 2008
The Hard Rock is one of the newly opened bars in Sihanoukville. This Finnish owned bar is already proving to be a ‘hit’ with locals and visitors alike.
Since its opening on the 16th March 2008, the Hard Rock Bar has picked up a loyal following amongst the local expats and visitors to Sihanoukville. This is due, in part, to the wide range of events that are offered by the team behind the Hard Rock. Everything from Martial Arts and Self Defence Classes to Texas Hold’em Poker Nights!
This is, i’m sure, going to be one of the most successful bars in Sihanoukville.
Upon entering the Hard Rock Bar, you are immediatly greated by the friendly Cambodian staff, they are currently learning / improving their English and will happily engage you in coversation to improve their skills.
The layout of the very large bar area is comfortable and relaxed. There’s a projector TV Screen to view the Sports to one side and a well ’set up’ Pool Table on the other.
Here’s the current Schedule of Weekly Events at the Hard Rock Bar.
Mon - 6pm - Thai Boxing | 8pm - Darts Tournament
Tue - 6pm - Mixed Martial Arts | 8 pm - 8 Ball Pool Tournament
Wed - 6pm - Thai Boxing | 7pm - Texas Holdem Tournament
Thu - 6pm - Mixed Martial Arts
Fri - 6pm - Thai Boxing | 8pm - 9 Ball Pool Tournament
Sat - 6pm - Buffet | 7pm - Texas Holdem Tournament
In addition to well priced drinks, the Hard Rock also offers a good selection of Western and Asian Food at reasonable cost.
Certainly the Hard Rock Bar is well worth paying a visit. It’s a little off the beaten track, but only a couple of hundred metres from the main Ekreach Street. If you are heading to the Golden Lions, turn right at the Total Gas / Petrol Station and simply follow the road straight down til you come to the Hard Rock Bar on your left.
Topics: Places to Eat, Sihanoukville Bars | No Comments »
The Freedom Bar, Sihanoukville, Cambodia
By Casper | March 11, 2008
The Freedom Bar in Sihanoukville is one of the best known Bars & Guesthouses in town. Being centrally located and right opposite the Bus Station means that it’s probably one of the first establishments that visitors to Sihanoukville see. As such, it’s often used as a reference point to direct Tuk Tuks and Motorcycle Taxi’s. Basically everybody knows the Freedom Bar!
The bar itself consists of a pretty large central ‘island’ bar with plenty of seating around it, together with tables set to the outer reaches and in the outdoor area. Service is provided by the ’service’ staff / waitresses who’s attention can be called with the ring of a bell. Some waitresses are more friendly than others, but as this is a very busy bar, you can appreciate that it’s hard to be happy all of the time!
German owned by Stefan from Munich and his wife Joy from Thailand. The atmosphere is traditionally German (though without the Oumpah-pah!) with a mixture of music played from the mid 80’s together with, i’m sure, some very popular German ‘classics’.
The Freedom Bar is also home to the busiest Pool Tables in Sihanoukville, this is ‘The Place’ were Taxi Girls congregate, drawn here by the free pool, cheap draught beer and ample supply of male customers.
They aren’t pushy though and it’s possible to get through the evening with just a few friendly, inquisitive smiles. That said, I would dare to say that most of the guys there have more practical reasons for visiting than the cheap drinks and German music.
Food is available at the Freedom Bar, though the menu is pretty uninspiring with some of it actually inedible. I personally would not recommend anything that claims to reference Thai food. Believe me, unless you have already numbed your tastebuds with an excess of alcohol, it will not be a pleasureable experience.
They do offer a few passable options though, the German Sausages (obviously) are acceptable as is the Cordon Bleu (chicken or pork). Either of these will suffice as something to soak up the beer.
However, the purpose of the bar is not to offer Family Dining nor does it attempt to claim a ‘Gastronomic Experience’, it’s a place for simple food at relatively good prices. Which judged by the number of guys sitting around the tables eating, they seem to be doing pretty well at.
The Freedom Hotel also offers Low Cost accomodation, I would say Budget, but seeing as though their are many places in town that actually offer ‘free’ accomodation, those visitors on a genuine ‘budget’ will probably find themselves elsewhere. The rooms are basic and reasonably clean, with Fan and AirCon options. At between $8 and $15 US Dollars though, don’t set your standards too highly as you will be dissappointed.
In summary, the Freedom Bar & Hotel does what it does extremely well. It’s not for everyone, but they are well aware of who their customers are and they cater for them successfully.
With cheap draught beer at 75 cents per handled glass, free pool, economical rooms and simple food, they have set out there stall and have probably become the busiest bar in town. There are alternatives, but I believe that nobody does what they do, better than the Freedom Bar & Hotel.
For savings of up to 60% on Sihanoukville Hotels ……. click here
Topics: Places to Eat, Places to Stay, Sihanoukville Bars | No Comments »
Holy Cow Restaurant, Sihanoukville
By Casper | March 7, 2008
In our continuing mission to find the best (and safest) places to eat in Sihanoukville, our quest has led us to the Holy Cow Restaurant, Bar and Café on Ekreach Street, just about half way between the town centre and the Golden Lions.
A good friend has recommended this place during a previous visit to Sihanoukville and we did plan to pay a visit, but as always ‘plans’ just don’t go down well in towns like this. Somehow the ‘laid back’ attitude and ‘go with the flow’ nature of the place grabs you and you feel quite happy to be casually guided by instinct.
Plans are for Big City’s and ‘back home’.
Our instinct tonight, led us to a last minute decision to visit the Holy Cow and we strolled over to the two nearby ‘Tuk Tuk’ drivers. The first one seemed cheerful and spoke great English. I said “the Holy Cow, please. Not far”, “wow, very far …… have to go up the hill” he exclaimed.
Since I already knew that, from the centre of town, the Holy Cow is actually walking distance and infact ‘downhill’, I decided to move on to the second ‘Tuk Tuk’ driver. “You know where the Holy Cow is? Far or not far?” I asked, “Not far” he replied and we climbed aboard.
Lesson there, try to familiarise yourself with the town before you trust the ‘Tuk Tuk’ and Motordops here. Like many ‘tourist towns’ they will make an attempt to ‘prey’ on the unwary. However, in Sihanoukville there are fortunately many maps and guides available from just about every bar, guesthouse and hotel. A little research can save a lot of ‘hassle’.
3 or 4 minutes later we’ve arrived at the Holy Cow Restaurant. It’s a very inviting place and the discreet lighting radiates a ‘warm glow’ from the roadside. It looked expensive.
We were met by one of the waiters as we approached and we looked around for a free table. The large tables inside were empty, but most of the downstairs ‘outdoor’ tables were occupied so we said we’d like to sit upstairs. Sadly, after climbing the wooden stairs, we found that the upstairs was actually the ‘bar’ side of the business, so we bashfully made our way back down the stairs and to the smiling waiter. “We would like to sit here please”.
The service was very polite and attentive, with very good English spoken. He explained the ’specials of the day’, a “Chicken Kampot with pepper sauce”, “Tom Yam Prawn”, Chicken in Oyster Sauce” and “Fried Chicken with Rice”. Sounded good.
To the honest, the rest of the regular menu wasn’t really ‘inspiring with a small selection of Western food (Shepherds Pie, etc), Italian (Spaghetti Bolognese, etc), a single option of Khmer food (though with a choice of chicken, beef or pork) and a selection of ‘breakfast’ and ’sandwich’ type dishes. Though they do also offer a small selection of Vegan / Vegetarian main courses and deserts too.
We decided on the “Chicken Kampot” and “Tom Yam Prawn” from the ’specials board’.
It would appear that the Holy Cow does not have ‘Air Con’ inside (though I may be mistaken), but outside there are plenty of ceiling and wall mounted fans to provide a cooling breeze and a break from the steamy heat of the Sihanoukville night air.
The food arrived, was well presented and came in fairly generous portions. Both of us agreed that we were both surprised and pleased at the taste too. That’s not a reflection on this establishment, just that from experience in Sihanoukville, you never really know what your going to get when you order food.
I can honestly say though, these dishes were delightful, full of flavour and well prepared. My girlfriend, being a Thai and no slouch in the kitchen, even admitted that the Tom Yam was “good”. Praise indeed!
Despite the size of the main courses, we decided we’d follow up with desert. Again, not a huge selection available on the menu, but a few of the old favourites never the less. Ice Cream and a Banana Split were ordered (adventurous to fault!) and enjoyed.
All in all, we spent a very pleasant few hours at the Holy Cow, and I find that it is an establishment that I can wholeheartedly recommend.
I mentioned earlier that, judged solely on first impressions, the place ‘looked’ expensive. How wrong could I have been?!
Two main courses, two deserts, two beers and one water. $11.75 which surely must make the Holy Cow one of the best value eateries in Sihanoukville. A ‘gem’ of a place and certainly one to which we will be making many, many more repeat visits.
You should make it a ‘must’ during your stay in Sihanoukville too, good food like this is, i’m afraid to say, in relatively short supply.
Topics: Places to Eat | No Comments »
Fun at the Pocoloco
By Casper | February 29, 2008
I remember the Pocoloco Bar from my first trip here to Sihanoukville, I liked the place then, but having spent one month in the town I can honestly say that this is now my favourite bar.
I’ve met a couple of the partners involved and they’ve talked about their future plans for Pocoloco, seems to me that the place can only get better too. Prices are more than reasonable with a great selection of drinks, the pool tables are free and there’s always a willing girl available to play with.
It’s a very large bar area with one full size Snooker Table and two Pool Tables, plenty of ‘elbow room’ to move around them too. They have an outdoor and indoor eating area and as the night progresses, for those so inclined, there’s a ‘disco’ with podiums too (always popular with the girls!).
Here’s a few images taken during my last visit, it was Meas’ Birthday party and a great night was had by all.
Topics: Sihanoukville Bars | No Comments »
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