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We’ve spent the last five days chilling out in Sihanoukville, which is Cambodia’s primary beach resort town on the Gulf of Thailand. These beaches were quite the jetsetter destination back when Jacqueline Kennedy visited Sihanoukville in 1967. But only traces of that glamor survived the insanity of Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge.

Today this is a thriving backpacker scene, with plenty of bars, karaoke, and cheap bungalows. We’ve managed to find a heavenly little resort on the farthest end of the quietest stretch of beach. It opened just a few weeks ago, and has the design flair of its hip young French owners — and a restaurant with an awesome French/Cambodian menu and bargain French wines.

Besides the stunning beach there is not much else around. We tend to wander as far as the little resort next door, which also has a friendly bar and restaurant. Their competitive edge for our business is their two insanely cute kittens.