Travellers who want to see everyday life in Sihanoukville
MarketsType
In short
Phsar Leu is Sihanoukville's main market, a busy covered market on Makara Street in the town centre. It sells fresh seafood, fruit, vegetables, clothes and household goods, with food stalls, tailors and jewellers inside. It opens early in the morning and trades until around 7 pm; mornings are best.
Phsar Leu is the main market of Sihanoukville, a busy covered market on Makara Street in the centre of town where locals come for fresh fish, fruit, vegetables, clothes and household goods. Its name means “upper market”, after the nearby Wat Leu, the upper pagoda on the hill. For visitors it is the best place to see everyday life in Cambodia’s port city away from the beaches.
Upper marketWhat Phsar Leu means
Makara StreetIn the town centre
Early to 7 pmTypical trading hours
About 2 kmFrom Ochheuteal Beach
1 hourTime to allow
Sihanoukville has changed a great deal in recent years, but Phsar Leu remains the town’s everyday heart. It is a working market rather than a tourist bazaar: loud, crowded and full of colour. Go in the morning, when the fish comes in from the port and the fruit stalls are piled high.
What you will find
From the sea
Fish and seafood
Fresh fish, squid, crab and dried seafood from the Gulf of Thailand, alongside the salted and dried fish used in Khmer kitchens.
Fresh produce
Tropical fruit
Mangoes, durians, lychees, rambutans, dragon fruit and piles of watermelons, depending on the season. A good place to try something new.
Everyday life
Clothes and household goods
Rows of stalls sell clothing, fabrics, shoes and kitchenware for local families, with tailors ready to make or alter clothes.
Services
Jewellers, barbers and tailors
Gold jewellers, barbers and seamstresses work inside the market, as they do in markets all over Cambodia.
Souvenirs
Local goods
Kampot pepper, dried spices, krama scarves and small souvenirs, often cheaper than in the beach areas.
Street food
Food stalls
Simple stalls serve noodle soups, rice dishes, grilled skewers and sweets to shoppers and stallholders.
Eating at the market
The market’s food stalls are the easiest way to try everyday Khmer cooking. Look for kuy teav noodle soup and bai sach chrouk, grilled pork with rice, at breakfast; fresh fruit shakes; grilled meat and fish skewers; and sweets made with coconut, sticky rice and palm sugar. Busy stalls with high turnover are the best choice.
For more about Cambodian food, from fish amok to Kampot pepper crab, see our food experiences.
Opening hours and practical information
Opening hours
From early morning until around 7:00 pm; most activity in the morning
Entry
Free
Location
Makara Street, central Sihanoukville
Time needed
About an hour
Best time
7:00 to 10:00 am, for the fresh produce and cooler air
Parking
Motorbike parking for a small fee
Payment
Cash, in riel or US dollars; small notes help
How to get there
Phsar Leu is in the centre of Sihanoukville, about 2 kilometres from Ochheuteal Beach. A tuk-tuk or ride-hailing app takes 5 to 15 minutes from most hotels. It makes an easy stop on a day in town, or before catching the ferry to Koh Rong and Koh Rong Sanloem.
7:30 am Phsar Leu for breakfast and the morning market
9:00 am Wat Leu, the hilltop pagoda, for views over the town
Late morning Ferry to the islands, or a quiet afternoon at Otres Beach
Tips for your visit
Our advice
Go early. The market is at its liveliest and freshest in the morning, and cooler too.
Bargain politely. Haggling is normal for clothes and souvenirs, less so for food. Keep it friendly.
Watch your belongings. The aisles are crowded, so keep phones and wallets secure.
Wear closed shoes. The wet market floors can be slippery.
Please do
Ask before photographing stallholders
Carry small riel notes
Try the fruit in season
Choose busy food stalls
Please don’t
Block narrow aisles for photos
Handle produce you are not buying
Buy wildlife products or shells
Expect a tourist souvenir market
Visiting with My Travel Factory
We plan unhurried time on the south coast, from the islands to Kampot and Kep, with local guides who know the markets. Sihanoukville is the gateway to our Angkor and Koh Rong island escape and Pepper Coast & Islands journeys.
Questions travellers ask
What is Phsar Leu Market?
Phsar Leu is the largest market in Sihanoukville, a covered local market selling fresh seafood, fruit, vegetables, clothes and household goods, with food stalls and small services inside.
Where is Phsar Leu Market?
On Makara Street in central Sihanoukville, about 2 km from Ochheuteal Beach.
What are Phsar Leu's opening hours?
It opens early in the morning and trades until around 7 pm. The morning is the busiest and best time to visit.
What does Phsar Leu mean?
It means 'upper market', named after the nearby Wat Leu, the upper pagoda on the hill above town.
What can I buy at Phsar Leu Market?
Fresh fish and seafood, tropical fruit, spices and Kampot pepper, clothing and fabric, household goods, jewellery and small souvenirs.
Can I eat at Phsar Leu Market?
Yes. Food stalls serve noodle soups, rice dishes, grilled skewers, fruit shakes and Khmer sweets.
Is Phsar Leu Market worth visiting?
Yes, if you want to see local life in Sihanoukville. It is a working market rather than a tourist market.
