Introduction - Sihanouk ville

Sihanoukville province is a small southern province of Cambodia. The capital sits on a peninsula with beaches and tropical islands around. Sihanoukville (also known as Kampong Som or Kampong Saom) was founded in 1964 to be the only deep-water port in whole Cambodia. It is gradually being redeveloped as a tourist attraction, but despite the promise of massive Malaysian investment - a casino is planned for Naga Island - tourist numbers are still fairly low. Also its nice with sand beaches and several paradise islands have made it popular as a tourist destination.

In honour to the king, who fought for the independency of Cambodia the provincial capital was called Sihanoukville. Located in the southwest corner of Cambodia, 232km from Phnom Penh, Sihanoukville can be reached via National Highway No 4. White-sand beaches that include Ohchheuteal, Sokha, Pram Pi Chan, and Deum Chrey beautify this coastal city. These beaches are known for their quiet, cosy atmosphere and the large stretches of white sand and clear waters and these make them popular spots for families on vacation. These seaside paradises with the refreshing coolness of the fresh water streams can be enjoyed all year round.

Business opportunities in Sihanoukville are varied from financial activities to tourist and travel-related industries in conjunction with the government's objective of making Sihanoukville a major tourist destination besides its status as an International Offshore Financial Centre. The government welcomes both foreign as well as local investors to participate on a joint-venture basis.

This famous see side resort is formed by wide and huge streets and quite new big concrete buildings, which lost any impression of the former architectonical colonial style. As the town is not a small place due to it's wide spread urban areas, the best way to get around is to hire a motorbike. Beside the nice beaches and some very nice vantage points there isn't that much to see in the town itself.

To catch a nice view on the city you best climb the small hill to Wat Leu. Wat Krom is another place of interest as this is a recently build pagoda, because the older one was destroyed by the Khmer Rouge and it houses a sanctuary called Yeah Mao, the guardian of the cost. Nearby to the town there are nice places for a detour such as the Ream National Park and the beautiful Kbal Chhay Waterfall.

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Railway upgrade links Sihanoukville

Australia’s Toll Holdings finalising rail agreement to refurbish lines as part of regional network, says broker

Photo by Tracy Shelton

The agreement with Toll Holdings would see Cambodia’s rail network upgraded.
THE Cambodian government and Toll Holdings of Australia are close to signing an agreement on outsourcing the management of the state railway, said an official close to the negotiations on Wednesday.

“By the end of the [Khmer] New Year, we should have an agreement,” said Paul Power, team leader at the Railway Restructuring Project for Canarail, who is brokering the deal.

Under the US$73 million proposal, 594 kilometres of Cambodia’s neglected rail system would be repaired and refurbished with new sleepers and railcars and 48 kilometres of destroyed track would be replaced. The project is seen as a major step in upgrading the country’s ailing freight and logistics system.

Toll Holdings would be given the concession to manage the system and collect revenues for 30 years, with payments to the government commencing in the sixth year of operation. The Cambodian government would retain ownership of the tracks after the upgrade.

Sources close to the discussions say the parties are still finalising details of risk and cost sharing.

“This deal is extremely important to this country because, until now, there has been only one mode of land transport and that’s road. I think everyone appreciates the problems with congestion on Cambodia’s roads,” said Power.

This is part of a wider project to link Cambodia to the region.

Cambodia’s rail network was built in 1929 and saw its last upgrade in the 1960s. Protracted war and conflict destroyed or damaged parts of the system from the 1970s until the 1990s.

Of the $73 million budget, $12 million would come from a 32-year Asian Development Bank (ADB) loan at 1 percent interest for the first eight years and 1.5 percent for the remainder. The Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) would provide $13 million, and the Malaysian government would supply $2.8 million in used rails. The Cambodian government would pitch in $15.2 million, according to the ADB.

Renovations are planned for the Sihanoukville-Phnom Penh stretch, which would be capable of carrying 20 tonnes of freight at a top speed of 40-50 kph, up from 15 tonnes currently. The Phnom Penh-Battambang line would also be refurbished and would carry 15 tonnes, followed by the Sisophan-Poipet stretch, which needs to be completely rebuilt.

A line would also run to the Sihanoukville Port, which businesses said would reduce cargo transport costs.

Crews started replacing the sleepers in March 2008, and the system upgrade is set to be completed in early 2011.
The ADB’s external relations coordinator Chantha Kim said the railway upgrade will benefit Cambodia’s rural economy and link the country to a regional rail network.

“It will allow better transport and allow products to be transported from rural areas to the cities at a much cheaper price,” he said. “This is part of a wider project to link Cambodia to the region through the Singapore to Kunming rail project,” he said.

The Singapore-Kunming network will link up Asia’s railways in a system stretching from Singapore to southern China, the ADB said.

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Book Ship, MV Doulos, Arrives in Sihanoukville

The Education Ship MVDOULOS arrived into the port of Sihanoukville today, 10th July, for it’s fifth visit to the town since 1987.

At 95 year old vessel, only two years younger than the HMS Titanic, MVDoulos is the worlds oldest Ocean going passenger ship and has been used as a floating library with the slogan ”Bringing Knowledge, Help and Hope” by German charity ‘Good Books for All’ since 1977. During this time they have sailed to over 100 countries and received over 21 million visitors onboard.

MVDOULOS will be in Sihanoukville until the 28th July and during their stay here they will be holding daily ‘bookfairs’, entrance is 1000 rield, and a number of Internationally themed Events, including …

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Sihanoukville

Sihanoukville (Khmer: ក្រុងព្រះសីហនុ - Krong Preah Sihanouk), also known as Kampong Saom, is a province in southern Cambodia on the Gulf of Thailand. This port city is a growing Cambodian urban center, located 185 kilometres (115 mi) southwest of the Cambodian capital, Phnom Penh. The province is named after King Father Norodom Sihanouk and grew up around the construction of Sihanoukville Port. Construction on the port began in June 1955 and it was the only deep water port in Cambodia.The port was built in part due to the waning power of the French leading to the Vietnamese tightening their control over the Mekong Delta and hence restricting river access to Cambodia. Sihanoukville's beaches have made it a popular tourist destination.

The province is served by Sihanoukville International Airport, 18 kilometres (11 mi) from downtown, although it has a limited commercial operation. The planned flights between Sihanoukville and Siem Reap may encourage visitors to Angkor temples in Siem Reap to extend their stay, though the crash of a charter flight in Phnom Damrey on 25 June 2007 from Siem Riep, has caused concerns. The flights are scheduled to start on December 14, 2011.

Sihanoukville attracts tourists with its relaxed beach atmosphere when compared to Thailand's more developed ones. However, the city has attracted not only tourists, but several NGOs and foreign and national investors in the last years in order to develop not only the growing tourist industry, but its capacity as an international sea port^[5] and other sectors like textile and real estate. In Sihanoukville is also located the main factory of Angkor Beer, the Cambodian national beer.

Sihanoukville was the place of the last official battle of the United States army in the Vietnam War, although the incident took place outside Vietnam. It is known as the Mayagüez incident on May 12–15, 1975 between the US forces and the Khmer Rouge. Currently, visitors dive in Koh Tang, one of the Sihanoukville islands where the major battle to free the SS Mayagüez took place. Divers can see two shipwrecks 40 metres (130 ft) down.

On 22 December 2008, King Norodom Sihamoni signed a Royal Decree that changed the municipalities of Kep, Pailin and Sihanoukville into provinces, as well as adjusting several provincial borders.

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