Sihanoukville

[Aussie Fella]

I didn't end up adding Sihanoukville to my itinerary but when I checked, the plane tickets to this place was super expensive and travel websites warned of its danger currently.

Are the websites just not up-to-date on Sihanoukville's travel advisory, or is it actually dangerous right now?

Were you looking at flight prices into Sihanoukville itself? I never flew into there. The local airport was upgraded to allow international flights, mostly from China, around 2017 or so. I always flew into PP and spent a night barhopping there before taking a morning bus down to Snooky. I think Snooky has always had a bit of a seedy reputation but I never found it particularly dangerous. I guess the thing to remember is that there's a lot of poverty there, as in much of Cambodia, and some people are willing to use violence to get what they want.

It's probably still worth visiting Sihanoukville along with Kampot. They're not that far apart so doing both is quite easy.

[HelloIm]

I didn't end up adding Sihanoukville to my itinerary but when I checked, the plane tickets to this place was super expensive and travel websites warned of its danger currently.

Are the websites just not up-to-date on Sihanoukville's travel advisory, or is it actually dangerous right now?

[Aussie Fella]

This seems to be the "group speak" around here, and it actually deterred me from visiting Cambodia two years ago. I went to Bali instead (big mistake). Since then I have actually met (in the flesh) travelers who have been to Cambodia in the past few years. One was a local acquaintance I hadn't seen in years, but ran into at a party a year ago. The others were a small group of French tourists (actually one young guy traveling THREE cute women) whom I met in Petropolis, Brazil last year. When I mentioned the influx of Chinese into Cambodia and Sihanoukville, they seemed puzzled. The story that the Chinese had taken over didn't seem to resonate with them. They hadn't noticed any such thing and strongly recommended I visit Cambodia.

So this begs the question: where did this all start? In the news media, obviously and not the most credible news media, either. Al Geezer? Please. But, these ideas get perpetuated. Not from people on the ground. Just from people on the internet. And those are the people I have never met, and have no reason to believe.

Yes, I know I'm replying to a very old post, but since there's nothing new here I guess it's ok. I've no doubt these tourists you refer to didn't know what you were talking about as they wouldn't have seen the Snooky of old. I lived there regularly until early 2018 and saw its transformation. It went from a laidback city of around 60 k people to double that in very quick time. The many, many high rise hotels, apartments and casinos weren't there in those days. They went up very quickly as part of the Chinese invasion. The entire character of the place changed within 6 months. There were pitched battles between Chinese men and Khmer men when the Chinese weren't happy with the service they received from the Blue Mountain ladies and demanded money back, becoming violent when it was denied. These things happened and there were contemporaneous media reports which you can likely still find. This was the point when many long time expats moved out.

Of course, everything is relative. If one hadn't seen the place prior to 2017, there's not a frame of reference to compare it to. Also, Hun Sen changed gambling regulations in the Kingdom in late 2018/ early 2019 which resulted in many Chinese leaving.

The massive changes brought by the Chinese aren't fiction. I saw them with my own eyes. This doesn't mean Snooky isn't worth visiting. If you don't know what it was like before, it's probably a nice place to visit now. I still have local friends there and will likely go back someday to visit them, but it will never be what it was. That was a beautiful time which left me with many happy memories.

[Jamesd77]

Does anyone know if there's currently any action going on in Sihanoukville (bars or freelance)? I know the Chinese had largely taken over, but have been told many left after a ban on online gambling. Obviously, the pandemic has affected things as well, but I'm curious to know if anyone has been there recently has any up-to-date info.

[Rick Rock]

RR, your intel is way out of date. As of 6 months ago (before the shit hit the fan) there were at least half a dozen, probably closer to 10. That said, they were doing little business and asking stupid money, usually. If you were feeling generous and were not too fussy you could get 50 bucks long time. Now that Covid has practically wiped the tourist trade and severely curtailed business of all kinds I suspect we may be back to, well, 2!

So was it is 6 or 10? Names of the bars? Which of the 3 streets in Kampot were they on?

[Kazeu]

This seems to be the "group speak" around here, and it actually deterred me from visiting Cambodia two years ago. I went to Bali instead (big mistake). Since then I have actually met (in the flesh) travelers who have been to Cambodia in the past few years. One was a local acquaintance I hadn't seen in years, but ran into at a party a year ago. The others were a small group of French tourists (actually one young guy traveling THREE cute women) whom I met in Petropolis, Brazil last year. When I mentioned the influx of Chinese into Cambodia and Sihanoukville, they seemed puzzled. The story that the Chinese had taken over didn't seem to resonate with them. They hadn't noticed any such thing and strongly recommended I visit Cambodia.

So this begs the question: where did this all start? In the news media, obviously and not the most credible news media, either. Al Geezer? Please. But, these ideas get perpetuated. Not from people on the ground. Just from people on the internet. And those are the people I have never met, and have no reason to believe.

I'm willing to bet that your aquantences have only been to Cambodia once. And thus do not have a point of reference to compare it to. Anyone who has been to Cambodia multiple times over the course of the past 5 years would have noticed the difference. There is definitely an undercurrent of animosity toward the Chinese among the Cambodians that I know. The Chinese take over is not imaginary. Many people have gotten rich from the foreign "investment" along with bribes. But this is much the case of the rich getting richer and the poor being left behind.

For some context. I've been to Cambodia probably 5 tilmes over the past 10 years or so and most recently last year.

[Eszpresszo]

https://www.aljazeera.com/programmes...210128003.html

Chinese are taking over the town with 100's of casinos and rents the locals can no longer afford. Dirty money from China criminals is flooding into town so its mongering days is on the edge.

This seems to be the "group speak" around here, and it actually deterred me from visiting Cambodia two years ago. I went to Bali instead (big mistake). Since then I have actually met (in the flesh) travelers who have been to Cambodia in the past few years. One was a local acquaintance I hadn't seen in years, but ran into at a party a year ago. The others were a small group of French tourists (actually one young guy traveling THREE cute women) whom I met in Petropolis, Brazil last year. When I mentioned the influx of Chinese into Cambodia and Sihanoukville, they seemed puzzled. The story that the Chinese had taken over didn't seem to resonate with them. They hadn't noticed any such thing and strongly recommended I visit Cambodia.

So this begs the question: where did this all start? In the news media, obviously and not the most credible news media, either. Al Geezer? Please. But, these ideas get perpetuated. Not from people on the ground. Just from people on the internet. And those are the people I have never met, and have no reason to believe.

[SouthEaster]

RR, your intel is way out of date. As of 6 months ago (before the shit hit the fan) there were at least half a dozen, probably closer to 10. That said, they were doing little business and asking stupid money, usually. If you were feeling generous and were not too fussy you could get 50 bucks long time. Now that Covid has practically wiped the tourist trade and severely curtailed business of all kinds I suspect we may be back to, well, 2!

[Rick Rock]

Sex is basically in dilapidated buildings without aircon or a shower.

Sounds like a lot of Europe.

[Rick Rock]

Best playground is Phnom Penh and Kampot. After Sihanoukville become Chinatown a Lot of girly bars opened in Kampot.

A lot? I've heard of two. And they're both closed already.

[Rick Rock]

If westerners are leaving Sihanoukville due to influx of the Chinese, where are they going to play now?

They're not leaving. Leaving is present tense.

They already left years back. Few of them were "players. ".

You're mostly talking about barefoot hippies and pensioners at the end of life. Most of them were in Sihanoukville for the $2 a night fan rooms and 50 cent beers. So they just moved to other cities with cheap beers and available shelter. That's like Kampot, Kep, Koh Kong.

Unless you're talking about the Russian criminal element. But their departure was further back.

[AskeAske]

If westerners are leaving Sihanoukville due to influx of the Chinese, where are they going to play now?

Best playground is Phnom Penh and Kampot. After Sihanoukville become Chinatown a Lot of girly bars opened in Kampot.

[BJtemp]

If westerners are leaving Sihanoukville due to influx of the Chinese, where are they going to play now?

[Finkel60]

First, why visit China shithole place when travel to Cambodia, second, sextaxes today is higher than Europe course idiots accept and pay.

[Berrys66]

https://www.aljazeera.com/programmes...210128003.html

Chinese are taking over the town with 100's of casinos and rents the locals can no longer afford. Dirty money from China criminals is flooding into town so its mongering days is on the edge.