Thanks for watching guys ☺️ don’t forget to check out our whole series on Cambodia! ua-cam.com/play/PLC6SbCuy0SDQJb8z9RMvyi3qikiMRzlWl.html Behind the scenes on Instagram ☺️ instagram.com/abbyandgaz?igsh=emlxaGptdTFzeTg2&
I left this town back in late 1979 and the city was like a ghost town with a lot of old buildings were destroyed from the war. I've returned to visit my birthplace every year for the last ten years since my retirement from the US. Cambodia has come a long way since the prolonged civil war ended abruptly in 1998. There are always pros and cons no matter where we live. Most of my family members did not survive the atrocities there. Life is short to do the things we don't love doing. Be mindful. Be kind whenever possible. Take care and enjoy your trip from a genocide survivor. Peace out!
I’ll honor your word of wisdom big brethren . 💯 accurate. I’m also Kun Khmers grow up in America i left Cambodia at age 3 years old my beloved father recall the story or Sihanoukville was a treasure retreat island for the king Norodom because of its spectacular sceneries . It was a beautiful city but Pol Pol destroying Cambodia country 😢🇰🇭💔🙏
Bcuz that's the land of Chinese out of the mainland.99 yrs.take over n rental for casinos and gambling or scaming bussiness there by Chinese mafias.the chinese investors expelled local ppl.out of their land.poor for them.😢😢😢😢😂😂😂
I'm on my way over there, last time was in 15 when it was merely a backpackers' haven and kinda down on its luck. Now want to see just what billions in Chinese yuan have done, don't expect too much, a lot of casinos but hoping maybe 1 of those beachfront hotels might offer reasonable lodging?
I moved there in 2007 and it was close to heaven on earth. I moved away a few years later, before the "Chinese invasion", because of work but I used to visit regularly. I haven't been back in years now. It's a dump, and the only time one ever heard good things about it is when someone is trying to promote their business there. A few months later, they are usually shutting down that business. So sad to see.
Indeed it use to be a place of paradise that’s our King Norodom favorite chosing retreat location before the war(1975-1979) then China investment lost half of Sihanoukville gems retreat location nowadays 😢
@@Gast1209 Thank you for promoting about Cambodia . That’s why this location hold a precious place and a precious memories before the modern Genocide occurs (1975-1979) for our King Norodom Sihanouk it became Sihanoukville.
I came here after listening to the 'Search Engine' podcast episode 'Who's behind those scammy texts we've all been getting'. I had to see this place for my self. Seems like you guys dodged the right area. Terrifying 😮
In the olden days, the beaches were so beautiful with Bkue water and white sand ❤ now dirty rubbishes everywhere muddy colour water, I hope it will be better soon ❤❤❤
Thanks for this, we are planning our itinerary and had 2 nights here before our flight back to Siem Reap after Koh Rong. Will be reducing that to one night (as flight too early to get from Koh Rong that morning)
Oh wow.. I lived there 6 months in 2011 and how different it was. They've concreted the beachside walk and all the little bars owned by locals and expats are gone! Only the Chinese could suck the vibe out of little beach town so effectively. The streets behind the beach had all local soups and such for $3-4.
I used to live in Sihanoukville for 7 months!! Trust me it is dangerous there's a lot of kidnappings I witnessed a kidnapping at gun point a white van kidnapped a chinese guy they all had ski masks and guns and while I was leaving one of the casinos one Cambodian strong guy yelled at me to remove my baseball cap and I said okay and he pulled it off while tugging my hair and hit me then when I started to cry and called the manager he denied it and I threatened to call the police if they don't check the security cameras they did and found out he was lying the caisno did compensate me . There's a lot of scammers and scam sites it was such a difficult time 😢 the place you went to Yasmine bar is owned by a Turkish man who has been living in Sihanoukville for 10 years it was the only place with decent food and there's another one similar to it owned by a French guy called Le Barang steak house they have amazingly delicious food but overly price watch your video gave me anxiety and brought me back to all the bad things that happened to me 😢I just left 3 months ago
China and invaders has brought back lots of Casinos investment and crimes and unusual activities into our country ,our native Khmers are forcibly to move away to another part of locations due to China and invaders infrastructure investments . Sihanoukville are know for its gems retreat for our King Sihanouk that’s the reason it’s called Sihanoukville. China are experts in crimes and scams they bring all these messes into Cambodia and blame the entire country we know our origin Cambodia are mostly kind hearts genuine people hardworking and don’t bother other countries but since China took half of its city Sihanoukville become a different versions that some people seen as they never seen what’s Sihanoukville look like before. China and some foreigners are chosen Cambodia for it’s kind of mess because our Govnment are blind by the lust of wealth from abroad and forget to enforced its punishments and stricted law as for crimes , scams and gamblings that affected all the beauty of the country.
jesus... this must be very difficult for you😢 i would be scared... stories like these are not shared or talked about, i truly have sympathy for victims of crime
I’m Cambodian Khmers American, Sihanoukville before the darkest time of Genocides (1975-1979) wasn’t like that . Our King Norodom Sihanoukville was one if he’s favorite Spa or favorite retreat location as for its beautiful sceneries full of natural resources , beautiful sandy beaches, Seafood ,fresh water lakes , etc…But , Since the War that bombarded Cambodia and killed almost half Millions of its people and Sihanoukville will not be the same . The city of Sihanoukville was also known for our King Norodom Sihanouk chosing favorite location or favorite retreat place ,that’s why Cambodia named the city Sihanoukville. On the new modern day since China has invested almost half of the city of Sihanoukville it became like another ground breaking they brought Casinos investment , gamblings and other unusual activities that turn Sihanoukville into another level of dimension. And also our Khmers native that use to live in Sihanoukville are forces and receive threat to move out to another directions or another places because of the new infrastructre build by China investments ! it’s a very tragic and sad circumstances❤🙏🇰🇭😓.
From about year 2000 till about 2017 the town of Sihanoukville was one of SE Asias loveliest towns and best kept secrets. Recent visitors will be shocked how the town has been destroyed and how many local people have suffered from the lack of tourists.
Thank you guys for this video. Can you tell me if this city is safe? Did you see something dangerous, violence, guns, drugs or something like that? And also, level of english language, it is down?
Thanks for confirming my worst fears and huge disappointment about Sihanoukville. The Chinese invested millions (billions?) into casinos and when things didn’t go well for them, they abandoned their building projects and the city and left concrete skeletons for everyone to remember them by. Gee, thanks China!
Was there in 2013/14 and early 2016, 2013/14 was absolutely epic so many partys booze cruises pub crawls, was getting beer down to 25 cents, it's sad to see the state of it now but I have the memories, happy it happened!! Hope you enjoyed the travels and Koh Rong was still good!
As a Cambodian who lives in Phnom Penh I faced the same situation here but I had no choice if you know you know. They’re overpriced local and foreigners.
passed through on the way to kampot from Koh rong, shitville as the people called it, provided a few nice abandoned tower climbs with wicked views. Shitville was a backpackers paradise before the Chinese investments and it was the place to go in Cambodia.
I left see had Knoxville 11 years ago when the Chinese first started taking over and that’s when it went for a dive and I heard it’s also very expensive but my daughter was born there we’d like to revisit it so we’re looking for information on aFord ability
It's so sad to see this immense potential go to waste like this.. there is like 8 beautiful beaches in Sihanoukville, they could have made it a SEA jewel... :( I lived there for a short time in 2017, I almost cant recognize the city in this video. Thank you for capturing it!
I first went to Sihanoukville in early 2010, it's was so different then, a low rise backpacker paradise, there were hotels too, but none of the high rises and casinos. I went back again in late 2011 and early 2012 and I was largely the same. In 2010 I spent about 5 days in Victory Hill, which was the most westerly part of the tourist area. I was drawn to Victory Hill by the Lonely Planet, which described it as an old hippy hangout. Down the hill, the beach had a few small wooden restaurants close to the sea. It was so low key and chilled, a little paradise. I explored Sihanoukville on one of the ubiquitous 125cc scooters, venturing east a few kilometres to Serendipity, which was larger and more lively than Victory Hill, but still very low key, the beaches lined with small restaurants / bars and comfortable cushioned seats where tourists and locals relaxed and swam in the clear waters of the sea. A few kms further east was Otres, and area where there were no asphalt roads, just dirt/sandy tracks, where pretty much all the buildings either side of the track were wooden/bamboo. The sands were pure white and the sea crystal clear. I remember on my first trip, small cows eating grass on the edge of the beach, literally 5 metres from the sea. It was such a beautiful and relatively unspoilt area. Sadly now, that's all changed, last time I was in Sihanoukville in 2018 there were dozens of casinos in operation, and other high rises buildings going up. You could see the unstoppable sea of change was in full swing, that change continued until recently and now most of Sihanoukville is totally unrecognisable. I've never been anywhere that has changed so much, so rapidly, Sihanoukville's heart and soul has well and truly been crushed and concreted over by mass Chinese investment /development. So sad.
Why are you happy to see this city remain a backwater forever? What's wrong with development? Why can't the West come and build something for them instead of talking and whining about the Chinese?
@@Janovial development is inevitable, but the development in Sihanoukville is a mess.. Masses of unfinished buildings, main roads running very close and parallel to once beautiful peaceful beaches, casinos galore, many of which don't even allow Cambodians to enter them/work in them... This development has all been about the Chinese making lots and lots of money at the detriment to the majority of the locals
@@andrewgibbs7279 The bulk of the responsibility falls on the Cambodian government. You should know Cambodia is a 3rd world country. It didn't have any economy prior and corruption is rife. The Chinese were definitely there to make money through vice though mostly. It did help with the economy and brought development to the infrastructure. Then, came the bust.
@@Janovial yes I agree the Cambodian govt allowed the development to happen, the Chinese just took advantage of the situation...that still doesn't change the fact that it's changed beyond recognition and for the worse... I could be wrong, but I bet the vast majority of people would think the same and if they could go bsck up how Sihanoukville was 10 years ago they would.
‘This place is an absolute dump.’ I’d dissagree. Come to the united states, there are worse places- heck even places in which people will hit you either purposely, or accidentally and drive off. The main reason it’s partially closed/ghost city, is because of Covid. Edit: I am hoping however, that sihonoukville gets back up and running, as it has lots of potential to become a heavy hitter relative to other Cambodian cities. It has a great local too.
Totally agree there are dumps in all countries but the unfinished buildings, rubbish all over the street and closed down tourist attractions make this much worse than anywhere else in Cambodia we visited. Covid killed the city but also the government allowing lots of Chinese investors to move in and then partially banning gambling was also a huge factor. We hope too that the Cambodian government try to prioritise the recovery of this city ☺️☺️
Omg 12 years ago I was in this town now I don’t recognize anything , I don’t think there were any casinos and I don’t.see any Chinese, the beach was amazing full of great bars , cheap food mainly backpackers great atmosphere in the evenings xx looking at your video I will not be returning xx thanks xx
This is a big human trafficking hub, much of the email/whatsapp scams around the world originate from here or other places like this including in Myanmar
The only good thing about about Sihanoukville nowadays is Koh Rong island. Sihanoukville is pretty horrible these days. Sad, because it used to be a great city back in the day. All along that beach there used to be bars buzzing full of young backpackers. Its ruined. Koh Rong should have been on your itinerary guys.
I was in Koh Rong in 2011. I still remember the paradice beach which is called Long set beach. It was completely empty. Just a long, hot beach with a "lagoon" a true paradice, but now when I watch the aerial footage from google earth it's full of building and planted trees on the beach. I'm glad that I got to experience a true paradice before it became a tourist destination.
@@deslow7411 totally changed, lots of resorts there now. Beautiful island. The Philippines is probably the best place to see beaches like Koh Rong back in the day, but you will have to travel into the remote provinces.
Yeah Sihanoukville and Phnom Penh are worst places in Cambodia . Sihanoukville is mostly chinese casino paradise and Phnom Penh are just big city and lot of bad people . Siem Reap is absolutley the best place in Cambodia .Everything nice and clean and lot of nice people .Kampot is really nice and Battambang is quite nice to visit also . If you love beach then Koh Rong Samloem is best.
The comment about almost getting hit by a car even when it was the car's fault was what I experienced when I was in Cambodia. It seems like cars really do own the roads there.
It has nice beaches there that’s for sure. That city belongs to China , only the high ranking Cambodian people make money from it but not for normal Cambodian people. I would rather go to other Southeast Asia countries than Cambodia
Decent video but you guys could have do bit more research before coming here. Amazing beaches just few kilometres away from the beach you stayed where more western tourist also stay. Where you were used to be tourist spot before covid but as you saw, covid hit hard and many constructions and hotels had to close in the area. Plenty of amazing western food places where dish is like $3-$5 or even cheaper if you are ok to eat local khmer food in other parts of city. All the neighbourhoods in Sihanoukville safe even though you might read something else or they might look poor. All locals are amazing and friendly. Also there are things to do: - Bicycling (mountain or road cycling along the beach or on the mountains/hills outside of the city). There is bike lane that is 25km long along the beaches). - Karting - Golf - Waterfalls - Wild monkeys spotting/feeding at Indepence hotel's forrest - Kayaking/SUP on the beach or at mangrove rivers - Shopping (big mall and big duty free shopping center) - Swimming and hanging out on the beach (you seemed to skip practically all the beaches, only checked one. which happen to be the worst, out of some 10 beaches the city has to offer) ... -
Ok thanks so much. We did do quite a lot of research but all the top articles are very outdated and suggest things that are all shut!! Someone needs to write a new article with updated information ☺️
Covid is responsible for the disaster. Imagine building hotels and casinos and then having the country closed to your entire clientele. I stayed in an absolutely beautiful new Chinese hotel for $40 per night. Quality wise, the best hotel I stayed in Cambodia at that price point.
Ich war schon dort wo die Chinesen noch nicht da wahren da war es einer der schönsten Orte in cambodia Mann konnte richtig chillen dort aber jetzt würde ich nicht mehr hingehen
The beach is too shallow, you need to sit to get your shoulders wet and this before 9am afterwards it becomes piss temperature. Until 2017, there were many bungalows along the beach that Cambodians came with families for a weekend or celebrate a marriage. I could rent for $6 per day with village atmosphere. All gone forever. The Chinese bought everything, schools ,hospitals, police stations included.
I've been living for about 3 years, this city is not worth visiting for tourists, the price of food is overprice, and maybe almost everything is very overprice here. it's good if you want to go to cambodia, I recommend going to siem reap. because the cost of living there is almost half the cost of living in sihanoukvile. thank you.
Wow a few years ago it seem to be a hot place, pre covid..I had heard that the Chinese have came and messed it up. Oh well, things get better, some things get worst.
i stayed there for two months eight years ago and it was party central, day and night. looks like a completely different place. Everyone i knew living there bugged out to kampot, when the chinese started buying everything up and developing.
Do not expect that Cambodia to be similar to Thailand. Thai people have had bad experiences from Cambodian people. During year 1336, King Jayavarman the 9th, one of a Thai king, was killed by Khmer (Cambodian) salves while he was sleeping. After that the Khmers ruled Angkor Wat so that the end of Angkor Wat civilization. At that time, however the Thais had many kingdoms. Only 13 years after King Jayavarman the 9th died, another Thai kingdom, Ayutthaya, send army to seize Angkor Wat. Since then, Cambodia had been a colony of Thailand for 500 years. The original owner of Angkor Wat was an ancient Thai king which used Indian engineers and Cambodian salves to build it.
Went there in 2002. Nice chill place. Met quite a few western backpackers that started little business's like bars and restaurants for about $2000. Once was legendary like Lake View in PP but gone to crap because of the $0 Chinese tourists and shady businessmen. Hopefully all of SE Asia learns the lesson.
Nothing to do in Sihanoukville, which probably explains so many men had to provide their own entertainment by walking around with both hands in their pockets!
The chinese told the owners of the land that they will build and share the profits soni was told since you are building on cambodian land , the chinese build huge casinos , one good thing is no cambodian can gamble at chinese casinos, yes they jave money but their attitude on poorer class , the goverbment wants to stop the casinos but thats a catch 22 situation but i hope they do
I only remember 1 Otres beach, Was there a my month ago and from When I was there before 2017, it's all Changed Since.. All forist trees gone Promenade now. A lot off good accommodation near there is gone, Breath-fully Stayed at pipa papa resort but quickly escaped as think it ensemble a Japanese War Camp similar to bridge on the river kwai movie.
It’s a real shame what the Chinese have done with Cambodia in general. PP is full of horrible Chinese high rise developments that are purely money laundering
Lots of empty ghosts buildings with dumb casinos, it was once a beautiful city! Modernizing it isn’t an issue but making it a ChinaTown province for gambling and mafia has made this iconic province somewhat a lost cause. The Chinese people here are not the same as the Chinese who migrated to Cambodia hundreds and thousands of years before. Old Chinese escaped China due to its political issues and etc. these new Chinese settlers just want to trash the province and do illegal stuff. Lots of Cambodians complaint about trash on beaches and sewage because it’s not their country so they just dump stuff all over the place. Cambodian government doesn’t seem to care
Sihanoukville was built with dirty money from Chinese organized crime with the complicity of the Chinese government. Chinese triads are also present in Myanmar, Thailand, and Laos from Golden Triangle.
COVID really destroyed the momentum of Cambodia. It will take them years to recover. SIHANOUKVILLE was one of the hottest cities in SE Asia seven years ago.
What a waste of time and $ - and just saw a video showing Kampot a shame too - being a big waste of time & $ as well ! --- A terrible experience as a tourist - for the price especially ? --- Give me Siem Reap !!! -- It really appears to be the best Cambodia has to offer (?) however I did hear some good things about Battambang also. --?--
Great video, great content... but why the crocks? I am far from a fashion police agent, I am all for comfort, but when you wear crocks your taste becomes really questionable. 🤔
I am from Singapore. I first step into Sihanoukville in around 2015-2016. At that time Sihavoukville was a sleepy town, china investors have not arrived and so there were not so much tall buildings. In 2017, there were only a handful of casinos such as Holiday Palace, La Vogue, Sokha, Queenco, about 3 to 4 casinos around the Lion roundabout, and a few more which I forgot the names. In 2023, I went to Sihanoukville again and I saw many casinos operated by China people. Comparing 2017 and 2023, the roads have been resurfaced, looks better and slightly wider. At night, with all those casino lightings, Sihanoukville look stunning. In conclusion, I would say that Sihanoukville todays looks better then the past. Security wise, sihanoukville is safe but you need to inject some commonsense to protect yourself. Dont expose your jeweleries, money, beware of snatch thief, secure your rental motorcycle, always park your rental motorcycles in places that have security guards. Too bad, Sihanoukville Square, around the lion roundabout, this place used to have many pubs, is closed. Its relocated into another area, far away from sihanoukville square, the road is bumpy towards this new place, sorry I forgot the name. For Pubs, then you need to go to Victory hill, there are only a handful of pubs. Elsewhere, pubs, ktvs are scattered all around. Theres also a short street nickname Blue Mountain, st number 805, not far from the central wet market, in it are freelancers sitting outside, waiting for customers to book them.
Looks better than the past? With murky green water, trash everywhere and abandoned buildings ? 2016 is past ? Not to mention the crime. If you had known the city in 2000s , 2010 then you could write something, you are not qualified for that. By the way I think you sound more chinese piunky/wumao than singaporean
Thanks for watching guys ☺️ don’t forget to check out our whole series on Cambodia! ua-cam.com/play/PLC6SbCuy0SDQJb8z9RMvyi3qikiMRzlWl.html
Behind the scenes on Instagram ☺️ instagram.com/abbyandgaz?igsh=emlxaGptdTFzeTg2&
Back in 2016 Sihanoukville was a beautiful chill place to come relax. Now it really stinks, abandon buildings everywhere, its truly sad.
My school is bad and the restroom is disgusting and in break time, the boys are annoying and loud
I left this town back in late 1979 and the city was like a ghost town with a lot of old buildings were destroyed from the war. I've returned to visit my birthplace every year for the last ten years since my retirement from the US. Cambodia has come a long way since the prolonged civil war ended abruptly in 1998. There are always pros and cons no matter where we live. Most of my family members did not survive the atrocities there. Life is short to do the things we don't love doing. Be mindful. Be kind whenever possible. Take care and enjoy your trip from a genocide survivor. Peace out!
Thank you for this comment! Such wise words and an inspiration 🙏🏻
@@AbbyandGaz
That was a good comment
I’ll honor your word of wisdom big brethren . 💯 accurate. I’m also Kun Khmers grow up in America i left Cambodia at age 3 years old my beloved father recall the story or Sihanoukville was a treasure retreat island for the king Norodom because of its spectacular sceneries . It was a beautiful city but Pol Pol destroying Cambodia country 😢🇰🇭💔🙏
This City was destroyed by Chinese,what a shame
100% with you guys on this one..! Just got back from there and the place is dead and way over priced..! Too many casinos and nothing special
Bcuz that's the land of Chinese out of the mainland.99 yrs.take over n rental for casinos and gambling or scaming bussiness there by Chinese mafias.the chinese investors expelled local ppl.out of their land.poor for them.😢😢😢😢😂😂😂
I'm on my way over there, last time was in 15 when it was merely a backpackers' haven and kinda down on its luck. Now want to see just what billions in Chinese yuan have done, don't expect too much, a lot of casinos but hoping maybe 1 of those beachfront hotels might offer reasonable lodging?
It used to be special. The Chinese ruined it.
I've certainly heard that from an acquaintance who lived there and he felt he got run out of there by Chinese and their $$...@@Kimbuja777
@@Kimbuja777 It was a charming, lovely beach vibe. The Chinese ruined it and shut the people out from even working in their casinos.
I moved there in 2007 and it was close to heaven on earth. I moved away a few years later, before the "Chinese invasion", because of work but I used to visit regularly. I haven't been back in years now. It's a dump, and the only time one ever heard good things about it is when someone is trying to promote their business there. A few months later, they are usually shutting down that business.
So sad to see.
Most of those buildings are less than 10 years. The Chinese invasion started about 2017.
A real paradise lost.
Yes it’s sad! I remember going there 10 years ago and it was very different
@@AbbyandGaz
So.....? They don't want tourism? Maybe it's not set up no one knows about it as a tourist destination..
Indeed it use to be a place of paradise that’s our King Norodom favorite chosing retreat location before the war(1975-1979) then China investment lost half of Sihanoukville gems retreat location nowadays 😢
went there 2011. I am sad, just sad now.
@@Gast1209
Thank you for promoting about Cambodia . That’s why this location hold a precious place and a precious memories before the modern Genocide occurs (1975-1979) for our King Norodom Sihanouk it became Sihanoukville.
I came here after listening to the 'Search Engine' podcast episode 'Who's behind those scammy texts we've all been getting'. I had to see this place for my self. Seems like you guys dodged the right area. Terrifying 😮
In the olden days, the beaches were so beautiful with Bkue water and white sand ❤ now dirty rubbishes everywhere muddy colour water, I hope it will be better soon ❤❤❤
Awww it’s such a shame! So much potential for that place
@@AbbyandGazhii😊
Thanks for this, we are planning our itinerary and had 2 nights here before our flight back to Siem Reap after Koh Rong. Will be reducing that to one night (as flight too early to get from Koh Rong that morning)
Glad you found it useful ☺️
Oh wow.. I lived there 6 months in 2011 and how different it was.
They've concreted the beachside walk and all the little bars owned by locals and expats are gone!
Only the Chinese could suck the vibe out of little beach town so effectively.
The streets behind the beach had all local soups and such for $3-4.
I know it’s so sad 😞
I visited it in 2011 maybe we met :D But yeah it's sad to see what this place has become.
Thank you for your beautiful time visiting us, ❤ 🇰🇭
☺️❤️
I used to live in Sihanoukville for 7 months!! Trust me it is dangerous there's a lot of kidnappings I witnessed a kidnapping at gun point a white van kidnapped a chinese guy they all had ski masks and guns and while I was leaving one of the casinos one Cambodian strong guy yelled at me to remove my baseball cap and I said okay and he pulled it off while tugging my hair and hit me then when I started to cry and called the manager he denied it and I threatened to call the police if they don't check the security cameras they did and found out he was lying the caisno did compensate me . There's a lot of scammers and scam sites it was such a difficult time 😢 the place you went to Yasmine bar is owned by a Turkish man who has been living in Sihanoukville for 10 years it was the only place with decent food and there's another one similar to it owned by a French guy called Le Barang steak house they have amazingly delicious food but overly price watch your video gave me anxiety and brought me back to all the bad things that happened to me 😢I just left 3 months ago
Aw I am so sorry to hear this! This must have been so tough for you 😔
China and invaders has brought back lots of Casinos investment and crimes and unusual activities into our country ,our native Khmers are forcibly to move away to another part of locations due to China and invaders infrastructure investments . Sihanoukville are know for its gems retreat for our King Sihanouk that’s the reason it’s called Sihanoukville. China are experts in crimes and scams they bring all these messes into Cambodia and blame the entire country we know our origin Cambodia are mostly kind hearts genuine people hardworking and don’t bother other countries but since China took half of its city Sihanoukville become a different versions that some people seen as they never seen what’s Sihanoukville look like before. China and some foreigners are chosen Cambodia for it’s kind of mess because our Govnment are blind by the lust of wealth from abroad and forget to enforced its punishments and stricted law as for crimes , scams and gamblings that affected all the beauty of the country.
@@AbbyandGaz Chinese mafia doesn't get talked about.
jesus... this must be very difficult for you😢 i would be scared... stories like these are not shared or talked about, i truly have sympathy for victims of crime
I’m Cambodian Khmers American, Sihanoukville before the darkest time of Genocides (1975-1979) wasn’t like that . Our King Norodom Sihanoukville was one if he’s favorite Spa or favorite retreat location as for its beautiful sceneries full of natural resources , beautiful sandy beaches, Seafood ,fresh water lakes , etc…But , Since the War that bombarded Cambodia and killed almost half Millions of its people and Sihanoukville will not be the same . The city of Sihanoukville was also known for our King Norodom Sihanouk chosing favorite location or favorite retreat place ,that’s why Cambodia named the city Sihanoukville. On the new modern day since China has invested almost half of the city of Sihanoukville it became like another ground breaking they brought Casinos investment , gamblings and other unusual activities that turn Sihanoukville into another level of dimension. And also our Khmers native that use to live in Sihanoukville are forces and receive threat to move out to another directions or another places because of the new infrastructre build by China investments ! it’s a very tragic and sad circumstances❤🙏🇰🇭😓.
Did you refer to Sihanouk, the killer?
Is Sihanouk the one that supported the Khmer Rouge that caused genocide across Cambodia?
From about year 2000 till about 2017 the town of Sihanoukville was one of SE Asias loveliest towns and best kept secrets. Recent visitors will be shocked how the town has been destroyed and how many local people have suffered from the lack of tourists.
just uploaded a video from sihanouk aswell, i experienced the same as you guys. Great Content!
Nice ☺️ thanks!
Interesting place - thanks for showcasing - no longer many tourists
Thanks Steve!
Thank you guys for this video. Can you tell me if this city is safe? Did you see something dangerous, violence, guns, drugs or something like that? And also, level of english language, it is down?
Thanks for confirming my worst fears and huge disappointment about Sihanoukville. The Chinese invested millions (billions?) into casinos and when things didn’t go well for them, they abandoned their building projects and the city and left concrete skeletons for everyone to remember them by. Gee, thanks China!
Sadly this is how it is now 😥
IT YOU TWO OMG!!i was seeing you two doing vlog and i was walking a crossing seeing you guys
Was there in 2013/14 and early 2016, 2013/14 was absolutely epic so many partys booze cruises pub crawls, was getting beer down to 25 cents, it's sad to see the state of it now but I have the memories, happy it happened!! Hope you enjoyed the travels and Koh Rong was still good!
Thanks for the video. Can I ask what Vlog camera you are using.
Much appreciated.
We use sony A7C ☺️
@@AbbyandGaz Cheers
Otres Beach was paradise in 2010 and 2014 😢
Good info lol. Did you guys step into any casinos? A lot of rumors' out there about those places.
please tell more, is it the pig butchering scam?
Lucky enough to go there in the early 2000s when it was a sleepy backpackers town,so sad to see what’s happened to the place.
Ah yes lucky you!
As a Cambodian who lives in Phnom Penh I faced the same situation here but I had no choice if you know you know. They’re overpriced local and foreigners.
always go where youre not supposed to go!
Haha we are so curious 🧐
passed through on the way to kampot from Koh rong, shitville as the people called it, provided a few nice abandoned tower climbs with wicked views. Shitville was a backpackers paradise before the Chinese investments and it was the place to go in Cambodia.
Oh I think I read about this but it’s illegal to climb isn’t it ☺️?
I left see had Knoxville 11 years ago when the Chinese first started taking over and that’s when it went for a dive and I heard it’s also very expensive but my daughter was born there we’d like to revisit it so we’re looking for information on aFord ability
First! Oh Wow! They celebrate Christmas in Cambodia!
Haha i guess some people do but think it’s mostly for the tourists! ☺️
What is the name of the beach you were with the chinese restaurant?
It's so sad to see this immense potential go to waste like this.. there is like 8 beautiful beaches in Sihanoukville, they could have made it a SEA jewel... :( I lived there for a short time in 2017, I almost cant recognize the city in this video. Thank you for capturing it!
Got to go there to get to koh rong... my guard will be well and truly up after watching this and reading the comments.
I live further along the coast in Kampot, and would never dream about going to Sihanoukville.
I went there in 2010 when it was beautiful and quiet.
Such a shame seeing what happened to this place. 🇨🇳👎
Not the worst, but the most unfinished city.
For sure ☺️
I first went to Sihanoukville in early 2010, it's was so different then, a low rise backpacker paradise, there were hotels too, but none of the high rises and casinos. I went back again in late 2011 and early 2012 and I was largely the same.
In 2010 I spent about 5 days in Victory Hill, which was the most westerly part of the tourist area. I was drawn to Victory Hill by the Lonely Planet, which described it as an old hippy hangout.
Down the hill, the beach had a few small wooden restaurants close to the sea. It was so low key and chilled, a little paradise.
I explored Sihanoukville on one of the ubiquitous 125cc scooters, venturing east a few kilometres to Serendipity, which was larger and more lively than Victory Hill, but still very low key, the beaches lined with small restaurants / bars and comfortable cushioned seats where tourists and locals relaxed and swam in the clear waters of the sea.
A few kms further east was Otres, and area where there were no asphalt roads, just dirt/sandy tracks, where pretty much all the buildings either side of the track were wooden/bamboo. The sands were pure white and the sea crystal clear. I remember on my first trip, small cows eating grass on the edge of the beach, literally 5 metres from the sea. It was such a beautiful and relatively unspoilt area.
Sadly now, that's all changed, last time I was in Sihanoukville in 2018 there were dozens of casinos in operation, and other high rises buildings going up. You could see the unstoppable sea of change was in full swing, that change continued until recently and now most of Sihanoukville is totally unrecognisable.
I've never been anywhere that has changed so much, so rapidly, Sihanoukville's heart and soul has well and truly been crushed and concreted over by mass Chinese investment /development. So sad.
Why are you happy to see this city remain a backwater forever? What's wrong with development? Why can't the West come and build something for them instead of talking and whining about the Chinese?
@@Janovial development is inevitable, but the development in Sihanoukville is a mess.. Masses of unfinished buildings, main roads running very close and parallel to once beautiful peaceful beaches, casinos galore, many of which don't even allow Cambodians to enter them/work in them... This development has all been about the Chinese making lots and lots of money at the detriment to the majority of the locals
@@andrewgibbs7279 The bulk of the responsibility falls on the Cambodian government. You should know Cambodia is a 3rd world country. It didn't have any economy prior and corruption is rife. The Chinese were definitely there to make money through vice though mostly. It did help with the economy and brought development to the infrastructure. Then, came the bust.
@@Janovial yes I agree the Cambodian govt allowed the development to happen, the Chinese just took advantage of the situation...that still doesn't change the fact that it's changed beyond recognition and for the worse... I could be wrong, but I bet the vast majority of people would think the same and if they could go bsck up how Sihanoukville was 10 years ago they would.
Because most of it was abandoned and never finished
It’s a ghost town now
Was there 20 years ago, I'm sorry but but I don't recognise it now 😢, was magical back then, like going back in time, so sad seeing it now 😢.
I know it’s sad 😞
Haven't seen it yet, but I lived there from 2007 to 2015...it was great back then...now we're in Kampot
Yes it’s such a shame what has happened to it! I went when I was 18 (10 years ago) and it feels SO different now
I worked on Serendipity beach as an 18yo backpacker (10 years ago) 😂 CHAOS.
Have you seen San Francisco and New York? Those 2 cities make that place look like heaven.
I’ve been to both! You get good and bad in every city I think ☺️
@@AbbyandGaz
I think the commenter...is right.
Plenty of Chinese there too .. not a problem at all
OH MY GOD! Is that Sihanoukville? I was there in 2003, last time, and it sure looked a lot nicer back then. Horrible looking now.
Yeah it’s changed so much!
‘This place is an absolute dump.’ I’d dissagree. Come to the united states, there are worse places- heck even places in which people will hit you either purposely, or accidentally and drive off.
The main reason it’s partially closed/ghost city, is because of Covid.
Edit: I am hoping however, that sihonoukville gets back up and running, as it has lots of potential to become a heavy hitter relative to other Cambodian cities. It has a great local too.
Totally agree there are dumps in all countries but the unfinished buildings, rubbish all over the street and closed down tourist attractions make this much worse than anywhere else in Cambodia we visited. Covid killed the city but also the government allowing lots of Chinese investors to move in and then partially banning gambling was also a huge factor.
We hope too that the Cambodian government try to prioritise the recovery of this city ☺️☺️
I wouldn’t hold my breath
Another big factor is Chinese real-estate crisis
There’s a good chance the Chinese investors lost most of their money
Omg 12 years ago I was in this town now I don’t recognize anything , I don’t think there were any casinos and I don’t.see any Chinese, the beach was amazing full of great bars , cheap food mainly backpackers great atmosphere in the evenings xx looking at your video I will not be returning xx thanks xx
I know it was the same for me 10 years ago! It’s a shame
This is a big human trafficking hub, much of the email/whatsapp scams around the world originate from here or other places like this including in Myanmar
I was there in the early 90s. There was just a few old French colonial buildings with their faded opulence and a deserted beach. Paradise lost.
Sounds lovely!
Jesus...thanks for taking one for the team! (under my breath I am saying Holy F!!!)
😂😂😂 I hope Cambodia can find a way to rebuild the area into a place people love
I didn't dare go there because it was expensive, there were a lot of thieves, and the city was deserted and a lot of trash was dirty
Yeah fair enough 😂 we wouldn’t recommend haha
The only good thing about about Sihanoukville nowadays is Koh Rong island. Sihanoukville is pretty horrible these days. Sad, because it used to be a great city back in the day. All along that beach there used to be bars buzzing full of young backpackers. Its ruined. Koh Rong should have been on your itinerary guys.
We have a video on Koh Rong and it was beautiful 😍😍
@@AbbyandGaz Oh good, I'll check that out. Just subbed to your channel 👍
I was in Koh Rong in 2011. I still remember the paradice beach which is called Long set beach. It was completely empty. Just a long, hot beach with a "lagoon" a true paradice, but now when I watch the aerial footage from google earth it's full of building and planted trees on the beach. I'm glad that I got to experience a true paradice before it became a tourist destination.
@@deslow7411 totally changed, lots of resorts there now. Beautiful island. The Philippines is probably the best place to see beaches like Koh Rong back in the day, but you will have to travel into the remote provinces.
@@kikiandjasmine Yeah and if money isn't an issue probably south pasific. Tonga is still fairly untravelled with a lot of empty islands.
thank you for visit cambodia❤❤❤❤❤❤
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If I had nothing to do I'd probably do a Tik-Tok while riding on a Tuk-Tuk. : )
thank you!
Yeah Sihanoukville and Phnom Penh are worst places in Cambodia . Sihanoukville is mostly chinese casino paradise and Phnom Penh are just big city and lot of bad people . Siem Reap is absolutley the best place in Cambodia .Everything nice and clean and lot of nice people .Kampot is really nice and Battambang is quite nice to visit also . If you love beach then Koh Rong Samloem is best.
These were our favorite places too ☺️☺️
This place was paradise before 😢😢
It's nearly ghost town.
It is 😞
The comment about almost getting hit by a car even when it was the car's fault was what I experienced when I was in Cambodia. It seems like cars really do own the roads there.
😂😂 yes typical haha
It has nice beaches there that’s for sure. That city belongs to China , only the high ranking Cambodian people make money from it but not for normal Cambodian people. I would rather go to other Southeast Asia countries than Cambodia
Decent video but you guys could have do bit more research before coming here.
Amazing beaches just few kilometres away from the beach you stayed where more western tourist also stay.
Where you were used to be tourist spot before covid but as you saw, covid hit hard and many constructions and hotels had to close in the area.
Plenty of amazing western food places where dish is like $3-$5 or even cheaper if you are ok to eat local khmer food in other parts of city.
All the neighbourhoods in Sihanoukville safe even though you might read something else or they might look poor. All locals are amazing and friendly.
Also there are things to do:
- Bicycling (mountain or road cycling along the beach or on the mountains/hills outside of the city). There is bike lane that is 25km long along the beaches).
- Karting
- Golf
- Waterfalls
- Wild monkeys spotting/feeding at Indepence hotel's forrest
- Kayaking/SUP on the beach or at mangrove rivers
- Shopping (big mall and big duty free shopping center)
- Swimming and hanging out on the beach (you seemed to skip practically all the beaches, only checked one. which happen to be the worst, out of some 10 beaches the city has to offer)
...
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Ok thanks so much. We did do quite a lot of research but all the top articles are very outdated and suggest things that are all shut!! Someone needs to write a new article with updated information ☺️
@@AbbyandGaz Fair enough. Someone definitely would need write updated information.
Na. It's a shithole.
Covid is responsible for the disaster. Imagine building hotels and casinos and then having the country closed to your entire clientele.
I stayed in an absolutely beautiful new Chinese hotel for $40 per night. Quality wise, the best hotel I stayed in Cambodia at that price point.
Ich war schon dort wo die Chinesen noch nicht da wahren da war es einer der schönsten Orte in cambodia Mann konnte richtig chillen dort aber jetzt würde ich nicht mehr hingehen
The beach is too shallow, you need to sit to get your shoulders wet and this before 9am afterwards it becomes piss temperature.
Until 2017, there were many bungalows along the beach that Cambodians came with families for a weekend or celebrate a marriage. I could rent for $6 per day with village atmosphere. All gone forever. The Chinese bought everything, schools ,hospitals, police stations included.
Ahh what a shame 😔
I've been living for about 3 years, this city is not worth visiting for tourists, the price of food is overprice, and maybe almost everything is very overprice here. it's good if you want to go to cambodia, I recommend going to siem reap. because the cost of living there is almost half the cost of living in sihanoukvile. thank you.
Thanks for the recommendations ☺️
Angkor wat is temple not city :D . But yeah Siem Reap is best by far
@@Smoneyman123 thanks for the correction
before or after the Chinese, beach is the only tourist attraction here
Yeah sadly it is
Wow a few years ago it seem to be a hot place, pre covid..I had heard that the Chinese have came and messed it up. Oh well, things get better, some things get worst.
I like Kampot better. There is nothing of interest for me in Sihanoukville.
Yes we loved kampot
$10 for fries is wild
Spooky 😮
I know 😂😂😂
Dear lord Sihanouk even puts Blackpool to shame lol
i stayed there for two months eight years ago and it was party central, day and night. looks like a completely different place. Everyone i knew living there bugged out to kampot, when the chinese started buying everything up and developing.
Yes it’s sad isn’t it 😔
Funnily enough I enjoyed this video haha..
Hahah glad you did 😂😂
Do not expect that Cambodia to be similar to Thailand.
Thai people have had bad experiences from Cambodian people. During year 1336, King Jayavarman the 9th, one of a Thai king, was killed by Khmer (Cambodian) salves while he was sleeping. After that the Khmers ruled Angkor Wat so that the end of Angkor Wat civilization. At that time, however the Thais had many kingdoms. Only 13 years after King Jayavarman the 9th died, another Thai kingdom, Ayutthaya, send army to seize Angkor Wat. Since then, Cambodia had been a colony of Thailand for 500 years.
The original owner of Angkor Wat was an ancient Thai king which used Indian engineers and Cambodian salves to build it.
Some of Angkor's Kings were Khmer-Siamese. They are my ancestors from Northeast Thailand. I'm Khmer Surin people
Sin city
This looks like several places in Americ these days.
Don't be mean to my country
We aren’t we love your country ☺️
Another victims of failed Chinese colonisation! similar to Forest City in Malaysia
Went there in 2002. Nice chill place. Met quite a few western backpackers that started little business's like bars and restaurants for about $2000. Once was legendary like Lake View in PP but gone to crap because of the $0 Chinese tourists and shady businessmen. Hopefully all of SE Asia learns the lesson.
Such a shame that it’s been ruined! I actually came 10 years ago and it was a fun little destination but yes sadly ruined ☺️
Nothing to do in Sihanoukville, which probably explains so many men had to provide their own entertainment by walking around with both hands in their pockets!
The chinese told the owners of the land that they will build and share the profits soni was told since you are building on cambodian land , the chinese build huge casinos , one good thing is no cambodian can gamble at chinese casinos, yes they jave money but their attitude on poorer class , the goverbment wants to stop the casinos but thats a catch 22 situation but i hope they do
Tall towers are depressing and not touristic.
Ever since Chinese came and started to build hundreds of cheap Casinos, it is a shithole now. It used to be great Town. AVOID .
Forget Sihanoukville. You should visit Islands in front of the City. You haven't seen NOTHING, lol.
We went to Koh Rong
It’s very easy, if you don’t like it, don’t go. To blame the Chinese is just stupid
Otres2 is great you should have gone there!!
Awww shame!!!
Yeah Otres is full local and some western tourists as well. Especially on holidays and weekends. Nice hotels and resorts too there.
I only remember 1 Otres beach, Was there a my month ago and from When I was there before 2017, it's all Changed Since.. All forist trees gone Promenade now. A lot off good accommodation near there is gone, Breath-fully Stayed at pipa papa resort but quickly escaped as think it ensemble a Japanese War Camp similar to bridge on the river kwai movie.
Waste of time and money. Prince mall apartments pools are closed . Don bosco Hotel is best in sihanokville
It’s a real shame what the Chinese have done with Cambodia in general. PP is full of horrible Chinese high rise developments that are purely money laundering
They did the same thing in China for 20 year’s until the real-estate crisis wiped it all out
theres a lot of human trafficking there :(
this place now called china town😂
Don't buy any properties there. It's all overpriced junk. I mean a tiny closet studio condo cost 60k 😂
Lots of empty ghosts buildings with dumb casinos, it was once a beautiful city! Modernizing it isn’t an issue but making it a ChinaTown province for gambling and mafia has made this iconic province somewhat a lost cause. The Chinese people here are not the same as the Chinese who migrated to Cambodia hundreds and thousands of years before. Old Chinese escaped China due to its political issues and etc. these new Chinese settlers just want to trash the province and do illegal stuff. Lots of Cambodians complaint about trash on beaches and sewage because it’s not their country so they just dump stuff all over the place. Cambodian government doesn’t seem to care
Awww it’s so sad! I hope someone listens soon!!
To be fair they do that in China too
Sihanoukville was built with dirty money from Chinese organized crime with the complicity of the Chinese government. Chinese triads are also present in Myanmar, Thailand, and Laos from Golden Triangle.
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❤️☺️🇰🇭
You do know that being non-Chinese you are paying a 500% markup don't you?
It’s amusing how arrogant the chines are while being so incompetent
COVID really destroyed the momentum of Cambodia. It will take them years to recover. SIHANOUKVILLE was one of the hottest cities in SE Asia seven years ago.
That is sad 😔
It used to be a great place until the Chinese casino came and killed the places
What a waste of time and $ - and just saw a video showing Kampot a shame too - being a big waste of time & $ as well ! --- A terrible experience as a tourist - for the price especially ? --- Give me Siem Reap !!! -- It really appears to be the best Cambodia has to offer (?) however I did hear some good things about Battambang also. --?--
Great video, great content... but why the crocks? I am far from a fashion police agent, I am all for comfort, but when you wear crocks your taste becomes really questionable. 🤔
I am from Singapore. I first step into Sihanoukville in around 2015-2016. At that time Sihavoukville was a sleepy town, china investors have not arrived and so there were not so much tall buildings. In 2017, there were only a handful of casinos such as Holiday Palace, La Vogue, Sokha, Queenco, about 3 to 4 casinos around the Lion roundabout, and a few more which I forgot the names. In 2023, I went to Sihanoukville again and I saw many casinos operated by China people. Comparing 2017 and 2023, the roads have been resurfaced, looks better and slightly wider. At night, with all those casino lightings, Sihanoukville look stunning. In conclusion, I would say that Sihanoukville todays looks better then the past. Security wise, sihanoukville is safe but you need to inject some commonsense to protect yourself. Dont expose your jeweleries, money, beware of snatch thief, secure your rental motorcycle, always park your rental motorcycles in places that have security guards.
Too bad, Sihanoukville Square, around the lion roundabout, this place used to have many pubs, is closed. Its relocated into another area, far away from sihanoukville square, the road is bumpy towards this new place, sorry I forgot the name. For Pubs, then you need to go to Victory hill, there are only a handful of pubs. Elsewhere, pubs, ktvs are scattered all around. Theres also a short street nickname Blue Mountain, st number 805, not far from the central wet market, in it are freelancers sitting outside, waiting for customers to book them.
Looks better than the past? With murky green water, trash everywhere and abandoned buildings ? 2016 is past ? Not to mention the crime. If you had known the city in 2000s , 2010 then you could write something, you are not qualified for that. By the way I think you sound more chinese piunky/wumao than singaporean
Was there a few days ago - utter shit
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Very bad situation here. Casino everywhere.
It’s not the best place in the world 😂
Used to be good. Thanks China