Cambodia - Sihanoukville

[Gaybutton]

I've never been to Cambodia. I'm thinking of making trip to Phnom Penh, Angkor Wat, and Sihanoukville.

 

I would be grateful for any information you have about Cambodia - the gay scene in Phnom Penh, etc.

 

I'm also thinking about going to Sihanoukville. If any of you have ever been there, I'd appreciate any information you can provide. Are there any gay beaches? I understand a gay friendly hotel in Sihanoukville is Deva Raja Villa ( http://www.devarajavilla.com ). Has anyone ever stayed there or can make other accommodation recommendations?

 

What about currency exchange? Are there any ATMs in Sihanoukville? If not, is it better to bring US dollars, Thai baht, or exchange currency in Phnom Penh?

 

Also, what's the best way to get to Sihanoukville from Phnom Penh?

 

Would you recommend starting in Phnom Penh and then making a trip to Sihanoukville, or do you think it would be better to start in Sihanoukville and work backwards to Phnom Penh, Angkor Wat, and then back to Thailand?

 

Any information you can provide would be greatly appreciated. I'm not finding very much about Sihanoukville on the web.

[Gaybutton]

Wow! Less than an hour after sending an inquiry to the Deja Raja Villa, I received the following response:

__________

 

I assume from your email that you are a Gay man. I have written this from that standpoint. If I have made a miscalculation please accept my apologies.

 

There are three ways to get to Sihanoukville from BKK. One is thru Phnom Penh taking the Mekong Express bus from PP to Sihanoukville. This bus leaves PP at 7:45 AM and 2:30 PM everyday and arrives in Sihanoukville approx. 4 hours later.

 

The second way and probably the most scenic, longest in time and most arduous and expensive is to get to the border at Koh Kong (Had Lek on the Thai side of the river) then go by bus to SNKVL.

 

One of the fastest and easiest ways is to take the express boat ferry from Koh Kong to SNKVL. this takes about 4 hours costs US20$ and leaves at 8 AM everyday.

 

Thai baht is not acceptable here, but is readily used in Koh Kong. Only USD$ and Riel are accepted beyond the border towns.

 

There are many ATM's in Sihanoukville the best of which belong to ANZ Royal bank. The current exchange rate is about 3800-4000r/1 USD$ however this rate is not important as the USD is the dominant currency here and is used for everything everywhere so there is no need to change money from USD to Riel. You will generate plenty of Riel in change.

 

Sihanoukville is laid back and slow but there are many opportunities for fun here. Cambodian guys are very accommodating and friendly and while there are no Bars that are Gay there are plenty of young men looking for adventure. You will find it less commercial and the beaches and the town far less busy than Thailand. Once here I can point you in the general direction of some places to go.

 

Below is our standard e mail reply to a request for a room, I hope it helps. I would appreciate knowing how you heard about us.

 

Alan

 

Thank You for contacting DevaRaja Villa;

 

 

 

Our room rates are $30 per night for a Double Room orTwin Room and $35 per night for the Family room or the Bungalow. *

 

 

 

All of our Villa rooms have Air Conditioning, Cable TV, Mini-Bar, Mini-Fridge, Hot Water, Shower and Bathtub, and Innerspring Mattresses for a comfortable night's sleep.

 

 

 

Our Bungalow has a two person shower with glass blocks and marble tile with western style fittings throughout. Cable TV installation will be completed shortly. Its thatched roof, verandah and unique architectural style add to the charm of this Bungalow. Of course the bungalow has Hot Water and Air conditioning as well. The Bungalow sits at the edge of our property and has a view towards the ocean.

 

Our Villa is located in a beautiful Tropical Garden setting with views of the beach from our grounds and Bar. It is a short 3 – 5 minute walk to both Ochhueteal and Serendipity beaches. DevaRaja Villa is in a quiet area with cool ocean breezes most of the day and evening.

 

 

 

We serve a full Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner Menu in our restaurant and bar. We do not include breakfast with the room, preferring to keep the room rates lower and offer you a much wider choice of excellent breakfasts.

 

 

 

At DevaRaja Villa we maintain the highest standards of Service, Cleanliness and Security.

 

 

 

We can provide Airport or Hotel Pickup in Phnom Penh and transport to Sihanoukville. We also offer a full range of Tours and Excursions to the nearby Islands and Ream National Park. We can also arrange Diving Trips and Lessons.

 

If you wish to reserve a room, we will need the following credit card information from you: type of card (example Visa), card issuer, name of card-holder, and credit card number. No charges will be put against your card and you will be able to pay cash at the end of your stay.

 

 

 

We Accept Visa, Mastercard, JCB and ANZ Royal cards for payment.

 

 

 

We would also like to know your inbound flight number to Cambodia. Check in time is by 1:00PM. If you are going to arrive later than this please contact us and let us know your arrival time to preserve your reservation.

We look forward to hearing from you.

 

 

 

Thank You

 

Alan Perry &

 

Mary Swenson

 

 

 

*Please note that the rates listed on the web site are not necessarily applicable during special events or holidays.

 

 

 

Cancellation Policy; If you fail to cancel at least 24 hours in advance of your reserved arrival time your credit card will be charged for one night.

 

 

 

Late Arrival: If you are arriving later than 2:00 PM your reservation may be subject to release and the room rented unless we are notified in advance of your late arrival time. Notification can be made the same day before 2:00PM

 

--

DevaRaja Villa and Bungalows

Intimate Stylish Personal Attentive

Sihanoukville, Cambodia

Reservations: 855-1600-374

myroom@devarajavilla.com

http://www.devarajavilla.com

[Guest TOQ]

Now there is a man who takes care of his customers. Fast and detailed reply and took the time for the personal touch instead of just the standard form letter.. It is a shame more hotel / guest houses arent the same. His reply alone would make me want to book with him instead of any other options.

 

john

[fedssocr]

That is a detailed reply. As he says you basically pay for things in USD and get small change in Riels. Most prices are quoted in dollars.

 

As for gay scene, there isn't much of one. There are a couple of gay or gay friendly bars in Phnom Penh. I visited Salt Lounge while I was there. It's very friendly. I happened to be there for their 3rd anniversary party which was quite an event. I know I have written about it elsewhere if not here before. They set up a stage out front with a tent over it that took up about half of the street. They had some (bad) drag, candle and fire dancers, and a few other things. For the Cambodians who had never been outside of their country before it was something the likes of which they had never seen. If you are used to shows in BKK and elsewhere I think it was a bit quaint. But I felt kind of honored to be there to share the experience with them. They have a website: http://www.thesaltlounge.com/ The Sticky Rice guide to gay Asia has links for gay places in Cambodia.

 

There is also apparently a gay bar in Siem Reap (Linga Bar) that is supposed to be really nice. I was so tired after visiting the temples all day that I never ventured out to find it.

 

I loved Cambodia. I will be going back for a few days in November on my next return to SE Asia. I am not really into beaches so I don't have much interest in Sihanoukville. This time I will be heading down to Kep and visiting the old sites around that area. Although the lodging options in Kep are fairly dire from the looks of things so I am sure S-ville is much better in that regard. I think Bokor is easily doable from S-ville though as well.

[Guest MonkeySee]

I'm also thinking about going to Sihanoukville. If any of you have ever been there, I'd appreciate any information you can provide. Are there any gay beaches?

 

I did not find anything gay in Sihanoukville when I was there about two years ago. Things might have changed, but if you find a guy you like in Phnom Penh, invite him to the beach. He will know where to catch the bus. It is an easy bus trip and the road is quite good since many of the goods come in through the port to the capital.

[Gaybutton]

I did not find anything gay in Sihanoukville when I was there about two years ago.

 

I'm somewhat surprised, but I'm glad you posted this. I had heard that Sihanoukville is an up-and-coming gay area, but based on what you are saying, you may have just saved me a trip.

[Guest Steve1903]

Two years is a long time GB and things may just have changed.

The reply you received was exceptional. I've never really considered Cambodia other than for a one day, in and out, type experience but the reply you received would certainly send me in the direction of the emailer if I was going.

[Guest MonkeySee]

I'm somewhat surprised, but I'm glad you posted this. I had heard that Sihanoukville is an up-and-coming gay area, but based on what you are saying, you may have just saved me a trip.

Steve is right in that two years is a long time. Just because I did not find it, does not mean it is not there. After hooking up in the capital, I guess I needed the rest.

[Gaybutton]

That's certainly encouraging. Ok, it looks like a trip is back on my things-to-do list.

[Guest MonkeySee]

That's certainly encouraging. Ok, it looks like a trip is back on my things-to-do list.

 

Have a good trip. I am anxious to hear your report. Let's hope you find the gay hot spots.

[Gaybutton]

I am anxious to hear your report.

 

I'm not exactly planning to go tomorrow morning. I doubt it will be any time soon, but I'll get there.

[Guest MonkeySee]

I'm not exactly planning to go tomorrow morning. I doubt it will be any time soon, but I'll get there.

 

With the Air Asia Free Seat Give-A-Way, it might be a good time to book a flight to the Cambodia capitol. Sihanoukville is an easy bus ride (I think it is only around 3 hours, if my memory serves me right). I think the Air Asia sale is for travel between the end of June and the end of October.

[Guest zugrenner]

Villa Deja is strange. The American owners ( the guy) appears to have the mission of preventing any guests hooking up with the local boys. He seems to want to keep them all for himself, which is unfortunate as they don't seem to like him very much - although they suck up to him they say some pretty nasty things about him as soon as he is not around. They seem to be afraid of him.

[Gaybutton]

Villa Deja is strange.

Can you recommend other places to stay? What else can you tell us about the gay scene there? Are there gay bars? How do you hook up with boys there? How much do the money boys expect? Any details you can tell us would be very helpful. Also, if you have any tips, restaurant recommendations, and that sort of thing, whatever you can tell us would be appreciated. Also, are there ATMs there? Can you recommend the best mode of transportation to get there from Phnom Phenh?

[Rogie]

They seem to be afraid of him.

 

Am I the only one a bit mystified here? The silence from this newby - who's had more than 10 days in which to respond to Gaybutton's perfectly reasonable questions - speaks volumes. My reading of this is that the Villa is gay-friendly, not gay-owned and I see from an earlier post it is run by a guy called Alan and a woman. I would be greatly surprised if the owner, who responded so well to Gaybutton's original enquiry and who came across at the very least as gay-friendly, could turn out to be some sort of kill joy. The only sure fire way to resolve this would be for Gaybutton to message the owner (along similar lines to his original approach) putting these accusations to him and getting a response. Any decent hotel/guest house should be more than happy to 'set the record straight'.

 

[Guest gorcum]

I know this post is a bit old, I want to go to Sihanoukville in January, as wondering how people who have been there liked it?

[Guest gorcum]

I know this post is a bit old, I want to go to Sihanoukville in January, was wondering how people who have been there liked it?

[Guest]

Finding information on Sihanoukville is difficult.

I planned to visit there in December 2008. However, there was a yellow shirt occupation of BKK airport. I still visited SE Aia, but Sihanoukville had to be removed from the final itinerary.

There was very little information on the gay scene there.

 

For me Siem Reap & Phnom Penh are musts. Why not also go to Sihanoukville, but ensure you have the flexibility to move on if it is not to your liking? I don't know where you begin and end your trip, but a loop through Siem Reap, Phnom Penh, Sihanoukville, Pattaya was what I planned. All you have to do is move on quickly if Sihanokville is a disappointment.

 

 

I seem to remember reading some very mixed reports on Villa Deja.

[Guest gorcum]

I visited Siem Riep and Phnom Penh 3 years ago. I live 4 to 5 months in Pattaya.

This time I like to visit Phnom Phen again and try Sihanoukville.

If Sihanoukville is a disapointment I just go back to either Pattaya or Phnon Penh.

 

I will just see what is happpening.

[Guest MonkeySee]

Sihanoukville is definitely worth a look for a day or two. I wish they had some gay action but I did not find any a few years ago. Maybe it has changed? I had a friendly motorcycle taxi guy give me a tour of a few brothels but it was all girls. When I asked for boys, he looked shocked. He took me to a place down by the docks but it turned out to be more girly bars. Cambodian guys are friendly and so maybe you can find someone on the beach.

[Guest GaySacGuy]

I have yet to travel to these spots yet, and I only live a few miles from the Cambodia border, so I guess I should do some checking. I wonder if I can travel from Ubon by ground transportation??

[Rogie]

Cambodian guys are friendly and so maybe you can find someone on the beach.

 

Indeed you can!

 

Agree with you about the brothels, plenty of ladies there.

[Guest MonkeySee]

I have yet to travel to these spots yet, and I only live a few miles from the Cambodia border, so I guess I should do some checking. I wonder if I can travel from Ubon by ground transportation??

Cambodia roads and transportation systems are the pits. I would not attempt crossing the border close to Ubon and venturing to Sinoukville. On the other hand if you like a challenge and have plenty of time on your hands, it might be an adventure.

[Guest]

Cambodia roads and transportation systems are the pits. I would not attempt crossing the border close to Ubon and venturing to Sinoukville. On the other hand if you like a challenge and have plenty of time on your hands, it might be an adventure.

 

Some roads have been upgraded in the last couple of years, so it might be worth checking on Travelfish or even Khmer440 about this particular route.

A non-paved Cambodian road might be rather slow in the wet season, but at least it might add a bit of adventure to the trip.

[Guest MonkeySee]

Some roads have been upgraded in the last couple of years, so it might be worth checking on Travelfish or even Khmer440 about this particular route.

A non-paved Cambodian road might be rather slow in the wet season, but at least it might add a bit of adventure to the trip.

 

Roads in Cambodia are much better now than they were 5 or 10 years ago. It might be slow going in the wet season but dirty and dusty in the dry season.