Diving is one of the main Sihanoukville attractions as most of the diving activities of the country are concentrated in this coastal town. Most of the diving sites are located on the islands off the shore in the Gulf of Thailand, at a distance of around 2 hours from the mainland, and day diving or snorkling trips are offered from town by the several dive centers. The diving is comparable to that of the Thai islands, but much less developed, and local operators are still discovering new sites.

What is the diving like?

The diving season in Cambodia runs from late October to the end of June. The best diving sites are located off-shore, in the islands of the Gulf of Thailand and the water temperature is warm, ranging from 27 to 31 degrees centigrade. Visibiliy varies according to the season or the diving sites, but is normally within the 10-25 meters range and the soft currents around the islands make drift diving possible. The waters around the islands are quite shallow, around 15 meters.

Marine Life Diversity

The reefs of the islands off shore offer great diversity and it is possible to see seahorses, octopus, sea anemones, sponges, hard and soft corals, crabs, cuttlefish, scorpion fish, sing rays, barracudas, parrotfish, box fish or moray eels amongst others, and if you are lucky you may even spot dolphins or whales!

Diving sites and diving centers

The best diving sites are located in the islands at short distance of the mainland. However, most of the area is now being explored or yet to be explored and the local dive centers are continuously discovering new diving sites. The most popular sites at the moment are Koh Rung Samloem and koh Kon which are roughly about two hours away, or Koh tang, Koh Prins and Puolou Wai, which are the finest diving waters, withing 4 to 8 hours distance. There are several diving centers in Sihanoukville town, including authorized PADI centers, that arrange diverse diving and snorkeling trips for all tastes, from one day snorkeling or diving trips for begginners to more complex dives for experience divers.