Thousands of tourists are already lured to Cambodia by the ancient Angkor Wat temple complex, but few other sights attract their attention or their desperately sought-after dollars.

Sniffing opportunity, the government and private investors are lining up to position the southwestern port town of Sihanoukville as a tropical getaway, competing with the likes of Thailand's Phuket and Indonesia's Bali.

"If we compare, the potential is better than Phuket because of the quality of sand — it's white — and the water is clean. The offshore islands have coral reefs, there's fishing," enthuses city tourism director Teng Huy.

A port town established in the 1950s, it remains Cambodia's youngest city. Sihanoukville became a popular resort among the elite until the rise of the Khmer Rouge, which embarked on a genocide that decimated the country.

It was rediscovered by backpackers in the 1990s and today retains a sleepy, faded charm, with the occasional cow wandering through the streets and ramshackle restaurants on many of its beaches.

"Great sand, great sea"

The locally-owned Sokha Hotel has extended Sihanoukville's appeal beyond backpackers to well-heeled travellers by opening its 15-hectare, 180-room hotel, the first five-star operation in town.

"The beach product is excellent, it's top class. Great sand, great sea, that's a great start, we're out of the gate and running well," says general manager Anthony O'Neill, a 12-year veteran of the Asian tourism industry.

More government help, however, is needed to rebuild the infrastructure shattered from conflict that only ended in 1998, as well as better attractions, to secure Sihanoukville's place on the international circuit, O'Neill says.

A nine-hole golf course being developed by Malaysia's Ariston Holdings along nearby Occheuteal beach is one such crucial drawcard, he says.

"The golf course concept has to be raced along... because if you can't get core features you simply can't contain people in a holiday resort and even think you're going to challenge your competitors in Asia," he says. "I'm competing with Bali, Phuket, even Pattaya. It's these markets we keep an eye on — can we do it here?"

More tourist attractions needed

Scheduled flights — also seen as vital to Sihanoukville's rejuvenation — are on the horizon with the reopening of its airport last year to chartered flights. Martin Standbury, the project manager for the golf course due to open within the coming year, says Sihanoukville may be sleepy for now, but its potential is enormous.

"For now tourists get a bit bored. There's the beach, cheap beer, seafood — they probably need a few more attractions," he says. "I reckon there is huge potential here over the next three to five years, not just for foreigners but the locals," he says, noting that Cambodia's emerging middle class has begun holidaying here again.

Business owners — many of them foreigners who were travelling through but decided to stay, captivated by the landscape and laidback lifestyle — say they have noticed a steady increase in numbers.

On the up despite SARS, riots

"Despite the anti-Thai riots (in Phnom Penh in January 2003), SARS, (the terror attacks in) America and the elections, my trade has increased in the last year, as has everybody else's," says hotel and bar owner Richard Blackley.

Blackley, who moved here four years ago, says the town was once awash with small arms — like the rest of the country — but has normalised and authorities are making an effort to renovate the town.

"Infrastructure is being repaired, government buildings are being repaired, you can see improvements with parks and gardens... And the race for land on the beaches is phenomenal," he says.

"I'm extremely optimistic. Every day something new is being done."

Li Li, a Chinese technical worker on a hydropower plant in a nearby province, comes here every few months with a half dozen colleagues who are drawn by the seafood and scenery.

"Sihanoukville is very, very beautiful — the water, the sky," he told AFP after a beachside seafood feast. "I think more and more people will come to Cambodia and here."

		VISITING CAMBODIA South African travellers need a visa to enter Cambodia. Visas are issued on arrival at Phnom Penh and Siem Reap International airports, and at the overland crossing border check-points. When crossing into Cambodia by land, you'll be asked to show your health card or international vaccination card. If you can’t produce it, you're asked to pay a "fine" of 50 bahts at the Thai border post, or a dollar at the Vietnamese border. These charges have been introduced locally to supplement the salaries of immigration officials, and politely declining to pay doesn't have any repercussions. (Source: Tourism Cambodia) Useful links Tourism Cambodia Health tips while travelling Backpack Asia

AFP