Otres Beach – Best Spot In Sihanoukville, Cambodia

Otres Beach in Sihanoukville, Cambodia was one of our favourite places in all of Southeast Asia!

Otres Beach Sihanoukville One View

Sihanoukville can be one of the towns in Cambodia that divides opinions.

On one hand backpackers love it for its happening party scene and gorgeous beaches. On the other people say to avoid it due to the hawkers, both young and old, that ply the beaches hassling tourists and the supposed presence of the ‘Russian Mafia’.

When we arrived in Sihanoukville we took some wrong turns and ended up at Otres Beach, away from the more infamous Serendipity Beach. We decided to stay at Otres, and are glad we did!

Otres Beach Bbq Seafood Tonight
Barbecue seafood tonight, and every night, at Otres Beach.

Otres Beach, about 20 minutes from Serendipity, is actually split into two different areas – Otres 1 and Otres 2. Otres Beach One is the more developed of the two, but calling it developed is only due to lack of a better word.

For a couple of hundred metres, cheap thatched and bamboo bungalows front the beachside with the odd higher-end hotel complex breaking up the backpacker’s haunts.

Great cheap restaurants offer typical Khmer food such as amok curry and lok lak as well as fresh seafood dishes and Western fare.

Almost every place has a great view of the Gulf of Thailand, and the white sand beaches that shines in the daylight sun.

Otres Beach Chairs
At Indigo on Otres Beach you can relax on some of their comfortable beach chairs and watch the waves roll in.

While the nightlife at Serendipity is more active, here at Otres Beach it is more about having a few enjoyable beers in any one of the chilled bars.

Happy hours can be found along the beach with cocktails starting around $1 and draft beer as low as 50 cents. To go along with the night theme, when the conditions are right bio-luminescent plankton fill the ocean, allowing you to swim out to the sea and play with the phosphorescence as it glows like fireflies.

A surreal experience!

Unlike the crowded and overrun Serendipity, Otres Beach’s hawkers are friendlier and less aggressive. While you will get constant offers of massages, pedicures, manicures, bracelets, sunglasses and food, for the most part a simple smile and “aw-tay aw-kun” (no thank you in Khmer) will be suffice in letting them know you are not interested.

Bbq Squid Lady Otres Beach
This lady walks up and down the beach selling fresh calamari. For $3 she will barbecue up 10 pieces for you with a side of salt, pepper and lime. A perfect beachside snack!

That being said, it would be an absolute shame to not take up these amazing offers from some of the nicest people in all of South East Asia.

Before you get too jaded with being offered a host of items, remember these people are just trying to make a living. Be polite, always smile and keep in mind that for the sake of a few dollars out of your pocket, you can make a big difference to someone’s livelihood.

Think about the bigger picture when you constantly say “no” to them, but are about to go spend all your money in a Western-run bar.

Besides, the massages are relaxing and the fresh barbecued squid is delicious!

Ship On Otres Beach
Some fisherman grounded their boat to work on it during low tide. A typical scene on the quiet sands of Otres Beach.
Swing Otres Beach Two
Lesh enjoying the view from her swing on Otres Beach Two.

If you are looking for activities that are a bit more physical over laying in a hammock and drinking beer, at the end of Otres 1 is a company that offers rental equipment such as kayaks, windsurf boards, paddle boards and surf boards.

That’s right, you can go surfing in Cambodia, when the swell is right – usually between May and October.

Some of the other things to keep you busy during the day could be to try your hand at kite surfing, go fishing, or check out what lies beneath surface with scuba diving and snorkelling.

Really, the town of Sihanoukville has a lot going for it!

For those who want real relaxation, consider moving up to the other end of Otres Beach, to number two.

Separated by a long stretch of vacant land, Otres 2 is the new kid on the block when it comes to places to stay in Sihanoukville. Get there quick, however, as there are plans to build five star resorts and hotels on its gorgeous beachfront.

Soon it will look like some of the beaches found in Southern Thailand.

Otres Beach is the perfect place to kickback and unwind in Sihanoukville, Cambodia. Whether you come for a day, a week or a month, staying in this gorgeous part of South East Asia will possibly become one of your favourite places in the entire region.

Just don’t forget to jump on a boat and head to Koh Rong as well – the one place in the country that may be that little bit better…

Where To Stay At Otres Beach

These are the two accommodations we stayed at after scoping out most of the available options. We were ecstatic we ended up at these places and highly recommend them to our readers!

Otres 1

Indigo On Otres Beach
Indigo On Otres

At Otres 1, the place to be is Indigo On Otres. Cheap, but well maintained thatched bungalows provide the perfect accommodation for your time in Sihanoukville.

NOTE: Unfortunately due to development there, Indigo On Otres does not seem to exist anymore. We have suggested some other accommodation below that is still located on Otres 1 Beach.

There is still accommodation on Otres Beach, but not as much as there was when we visited.  You will still find funky and happening restaurants/bars with good food, cold beer and chilled tunes.

If you are looking for a budget accommodation, check out the Mushroom Point and Beach. It seem one of the cheapest places to stay and your are right on the beach.

If you would like to stay somewhere nicer, check out Sea Breeze Resort or the Good Time Boutique Hotel, which both are located right on Otres 1 Beach. Walk out of your room and right into the water.

And if you just want to splurge out, check out Sahaa Beach Resort. Rooms are surrounded by beautiful gardens with a pool in the centre. You are right on the beach to jump in for a dip or enjoy those sunsets with a cocktail.

Otres 2

White Sands Beach Annex Bungalows Otres Beach Two
White Sand’s Annex Bungalows – Otres Beach 2

We stumbled across White Sand’s Annex Bungalows because our first choice was full, and this turned out to be the best thing that happened to us at Otres Beach 2!

On the outside these cool, circular bungalows have huge amounts of character, but it is when you step inside that you are truly blown away.

Tiled floors, sealed windows and plastered, painted walls makes you feel like you are staying in a modern hotel room.

The staff are incredibly friendly and the food is pretty good as well. They have big beach chairs to enjoy the view and you can roll straight out of bed and into the warm sea. Luxury on a budget!

A great choice for accommodation that is located between Otres 1 and Otres 2 Beachs, check out Anana’s Beach Bungalows. With the great reviews this sounds like a great place to stay.

Note – Unfortunately it seems as though White Sand’s Annex Bungalows has closed down. But there are still some other great options around Otres 2 that you should check out.

Otres Beach Sunset
Sunset from Otres Beach Two. Absolutely spectacular.
Alesha and Jarryd

Alesha and Jarryd

Hey! We are Alesha and Jarryd, the award-winning writers and professional photographers behind this blog. We have been travelling the world together since 2008, with a passion for adventure travel and sustainable tourism. Through our stories and images we promote exciting off-the-beaten-path destinations and fascinating cultures as we go. As one of the world's leading travel journalists, our content and adventures have been featured by National Geographic, Lonely Planet, CNN, BBC, Forbes, Business Insider, Washington Post, Yahoo!, BuzzFeed, Channel 7, Channel 10, ABC, The Guardian, and plenty other publications. Follow our journey in real time on Facebook, YouTube and Instagram.

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16 thoughts on “Otres Beach – Best Spot In Sihanoukville, Cambodia”

  1. They paved paradise… Sadly Otres is just about as gone as the rest of Sihanoukville. Rampant development, garbage, and construction debris has pretty much ruined it. You’ve got maybe a year or so left. But with how fast the Chinese casinos are going up, I’d say 2019 is the end.

    • Hi Marshall, thank you for letting us know. So sad. It was such a great area.

  2. Otres Beach is now the best spot and perfect choice for local thieves. If you let your guard down and leave your valuables unattended while swimming or motorbike unchained while watching the sunset, don’t be surprised to have something stolen. Pick pocketing is also becoming more common here. Definitely a paradise for the local thieves because of so many easy targets/foreigners to prey upon! What are you waiting for?!

    • Thank you for your comment. This does happen in many places around the world. We always say to people, NEVER leave your belongings on the beach when you go for a swim and ALWAYS keep your belongs close to you. As for a motorbike, unfortunately stealing happens too. Sometimes even from the rental company you rent the motorbike from. They steal or damage the bike and make you pay a lot of money to get your passport back, meanwhile it’s in their garage. Very dodgy! We also recommend people bringing their OWN heavy duty lock to use to lock your motorbike up and do not use the rentals lock, as they have a key too. There are bad people that wreck it for good people.

  3. Yeah I’m gonna stay here for a month. After discovering this gem so close to Koh Rong and Somloem it’s a perfect place for a digital nomad to set up shop for a minute.

    • So awesome. Glad you love the area as well. Have a great month Marc

  4. I’ve lived in Otres 1 for the better part of the last 13 months. We did leave a couple of times to travel to Nepal and Thailand, but, we always come back to Otres 1 and it’s just amazingly wonderful. We were here for most of the rainy season last year, June through early September and it’s still a great place in spite of the red muddy streets. Way less people during rainy season, but, then the prices are much lower, too. We love it here so much we’re going to rent a home in Otres village and stay for a very long time. I’m also about to buy my own tuk tuk, not for commercial purposes, but, just for getting around.

    • Hi Ken, Thanks for your comment. It definitely is a great place. Buying a tuk tuk would be awesome. Great way to get around. We hope to be back one day. All the best.

  5. Hi, I stayed in Otres village at the end of Ocrober 2016 for 3 nights. It was quite overcast on the days that I was there and I didn’t manage to capture any stunning sunsets, which was a shame. Otres 1 and 2 beaches had a laid back hippie traveller crowd and cheap beers, but it was quie muddy at the time of year, so getting back from the beaches late in the evening was quite tricky and dirty lol. I would go again, but maybe in the dry season. Graham.

    • Hi Graham, glad you had a great time even though it was not the right time of year. Definitely head back there in the dry season. It is a nice relaxing place. We had heard a rumour that developers were moving in and clearing out all the beach front properties and building hotels. Not too sure when this will happen but definitely make the most out of how it is now. Happy travels.

  6. Hey guys, just stumbled across your blog and after reading a couple of your posts I wanted to say thanks for being responsible, polite and patient travelers. I’ve lived in Cambodia for 5 years, not as a rich expat but with the Khmer people and it drives me nuts when tourists come in and are totally unable to see past their own cultural norms. To them everything is “wrong” not just “different”. I know its like this worldwide, Cambodia’s just my little slice of it, so thank you for having such awesome attitudes about travel and cultures. Keep doing what you’re doing. Its an awesome site you have here!

    (BTW Otres IS the best! We love it and we love our squid lady!!)

    • Thank you so much for the kind words, Em. We fell in love with Cambodia and the Khmer people. It is a shame that so many people treat the country like trash. Please say hi to that wonderful place for us. All the best 🙂

  7. I loved Otres! It was much nicer than the main part of Sihanoukville. Next time I go I want to stay at those bungalows at Otres 2 – cool!

    • They were really cool! Incredible luxury at a backpacker’s price! Beautiful staff as well. Thanks for reading, Cyra.

  8. The sunset looks fantastic and I’m not saying it only because I’m a huge fan of sunsets in general, the light is so powerful even if the sun is setting, amazing! This place is very nice and even if it might get busy, I’m sure there is plenty of peace and quiet too to be found. We need to get to Cambodia at some point.

    • There are tonnes of places where you can be completely on your own if you wish. Peace and quiet at Otres is easy to find. And we love sunsets too! Let us know if you ever end up leaving Berlin. We’ll be around the area for a while longer. =)

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