Diving in Sihanoukville is one of the best activities there is. Southern Cambodia is known for its fantastic beaches and water sport activities and  Sihanoukville (familiarly known as Snooky) is a small seaside resort in the region, and home to a number of PADI and SSI dive centres.

Sihanoukville Dive Sites

There are two options available for you if you wish to go SCUBA diving in Sihanoukville Cambodia.  You can either sign up with a dive school in the area who will more than likely take you by boat to Koh Rong Samloem which is about 14 miles away or you can opt for an overnight trip to Koh Tang which is 35 miles away and renowned for its fantastic visibility and majestic corals.  If the sea is rough, there are a few coral reefs, just six miles from Sihanoukville although these are nothing special and dive centres will only take divers there if there are no other options.

Koh Rong Samloem

The diving on Koh Rong Samloem is mainly macro diving so be prepared to look hard to see some hidden gems in the ocean.  There will of course be the usual shoals of fish to keep you entertained if you are new to scuba diving and you will almost always see a seahorse on your dive.  The coral reefs in the waters around Koh Rong Samloem are absolutely stunning and many divers are astounded by the beauty of the dive sites.

Koh Tang

Koh Tang is an awesome place to travel to if you have passed your Open Water course and really want to experience some deep waters.  The visibility is fantastic, with most divers reporting views of at least 20 metres every day.  Like Koh Rong Samloem, this isn’t the best place to dive if you are looking for big marine life like turtles and sharks but it is an awesome place for micro diving.  Seahorses, octopuses, ghost shrimp and various pipefish can be seen on most dives.  There are also some awesome walls and steep drop offs to keep you entertained.

Environmental Awareness

Unlike some other areas in Asia where the dive companies don’t necessarily take an active part in preserving and maintaining the coral reefs, the dive centres in Sihanoukville do!  Many of them will explain to their divers about the importance of environmental awareness and some of the main dive companies also take an active role in reef conservation by working alongside the Marine Conservation Cambodia company.  Due to this, many divers have reported an increase in the amount of sea life that is living in the area.

Why Go Diving in Sihanoukville?

If you want to experience a different type of diving to the rest of Asia (Thailand, Indonesia, the Philippines etc.) this is the place for you.  The diving is also cheap with two fun dives at Koh Rong Samloem costing on average around $60.  Many of the dive centres on Sihanoukville can also hook you up with accommodation on Koh Rong Samloem if you opt to take a course with them such as your PADI Open Water which again is more than affordable.  It is also a great place to stay for a few months while you complete your Dive Master course.

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This article is published by The Scuba Page, the online magazine for Scuba Dive lovers around the world. The Scuba Page is part of RUSHKULT : the online booking platform for adventure sports. Visit the RUSHKULT platform to book your next Scuba Dive training, guided trip and accommodation.

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