U Mall Sihanoukville

You can pick up plenty of things here, including a good range of Chinese restaurants, Fila and Adidas shops, and a pharmacy.

The cigar section in the ground-floor supermarket is what first won me over. Then there's the fitness club manager openly smoking while people try to work out. That kind of absurdity sums up Prince Mall for me, and somehow makes it charming enough to earn five stars. The mall also has the flagship branch of Panda Commercial Bank, which the U.S. government has publicly sanctioned and which is notably missing from Bakong KHQR, yet it keeps operating in Cambodia. Baffling, but very on-brand here. Prince Mall (U-Mall) feels like a surprising bit of modernity in an otherwise backward country. Among its classic Cambodian quirks are a movie theater, KTV, food and drink options including Starbucks, and a microbrewery that used to be active but no longer brews. A caution for newcomers: this is one of the places where locals or tuk tuk drivers are most likely to take advantage of you. I speak a little Khmer, which makes the chaos manageable, but others may have a harder time.

There's a lot to browse, from jewelry and skincare to tasty food. I also liked having a restaurant and salon inside. The Chinese supermarket is large, yet surprisingly peaceful, so shopping and relaxing here doesn't come with much hustle and bustle. Definitely worth a visit.

U mall in Sihanoukville has loads of good places to eat. There are Chinese, Japanese, Thai and Korean options, plus hot pots, noodles and plenty more. Really enjoyable!