March 22nd, 2006 | The lowdown by Gordon Candelin

Ocheateul Beach.

Ocheateul Beach is the most popular beach in Sihanoukville, with a good mix of backpackers, expats and local Cambodian families sharing a long stretch of sandy coastline.

The beachfront has changed considerably over the last year but seems to be settling down at the moment, with a cluster of cheapish accomodations right on the beach near the serendipity end (Coasters, Cloud 9, Same Same but different).

The road that runs parallel along the beach also has plenty of guest houses, so you never need to stray too far from the beach.

Since there are so many foreigners here, it's hard to go even a few minutes with being pestered by local kids to buy fruit, bracelets or other relatively useless items, but overall the vibe is good.

Evenings are passed eating bar-b-que fish a few meters from the sea or boozing it up at Eden Bar, with fire-baton-twirling shows taking place in the more laid-back backpacker joints further down the beach.

If you come here during the rainy season, be prepared for a few shocks. Much of the shore is eaten away by the tides, exposing jagged rocks down at the serendipity end of the beach.

Worse, however, is the amount of trash and debris which washes up on shore during this time. Much of it is swept down the rain filled gullies that empty right into the sea, and on some days the shore is literally littered with litter - not a nice sight by any means.