2018 continues 2017.
Almost 100 cranes (not counting mobile cranes) dot the city.
On the beaches, rivers, downtown, rice fields, and on dirt roads, there are cranes everywhere.
Over 40 casinos around town now, and we know of at least 10 more being build.
The electricity is getting a $700,000,000 upgrade, we are told. And it's much needed.
Also a new sewer system, (much needed)
And new water sources. (ditto)
The roads are being widened and repaved, and potholes are being filled in almost as fast as they appear.
Many 30 and 40 story buildings going up around town, and the Marriott Hotel group is building a 50+ story building on Independence / Treasure Island Beach.
Hundreds of apartment buildings, condos and townhouse projects around town.
There's a new road into town and Otres Beach from Route 4 near the waterfall, and a new one from the airport is being built into town, to take advantage of Otres 3.
The SihanoukVille Airport has more than a dozen flights a day coming into town (and going out, we hope), mostly from China. There's already 200+ Chinese restaurants in town, along with Chinese doctors, Chinese Car repair shops, clothing shops, mini-marts and full sized grocery stores, hairdressers and barbers, and Chinese real estate agents.
Most of the bigger hotels, and many smaller ones have been repurposed for casinos or staff accommodations.
The SihanoukVille Port just got an upgrade to take in more and larger ships.
Traffic jams every day.
Not so great now, but in a few years, we'll have a large city, with millions of Chinese tourists coming to town every year.
We're not sure if Wicky Wouse is coming to town, but we'll have a Billion dollar plus Wisney World somewhere in town (2020 expected completion date)
Prices have gone up from 200% to 1000+% for land and rental prices from the previous year or two.
Most of the Westerners have left town, some going to the Otres Beach and Otres Village area, many to Kampot, Cambodia, and the rest, onwards.
The days of backpacking in Sunny SihanoukVille are over. The town for Westerners, except for the Otres area, is a stopover on the way to or from SihanoukVille's islands. (which is a whole 'nother story).
The End
(or just the beginning....)
(or just the beginning....)
