Otres Beach / Sihanoukville:
Let’s be completely honest: the main town of Sihanoukville is a total dump. Even though it’s marketed as Cambodia’s premier mainland beach destination, the central hub and the main strip—Ochheuteal Beach, which everyone affectionately calls Serendipity Beach—is low-quality, exceptionally seedy, and best avoided at all costs. This is the exact zone that draws a steady, depressing stream of blackout-drunk backpackers ,old-school sex tourists and is now home to scam centers.
But for savvy beachgoers who actually do their research, there is a good alternative hidden just down the coastline. Quite frankly, I have no earthly clue why every single traveler arriving here doesn’t bypass the town completely and head straight to this hidden beach gem.
The Secret Otres Blueprint: Skip the Backpackers at Otres I
If you want to reach the absolute best stretch of sand on the entire peninsula, all you have to do is hop into a tuk-tuk, look the driver in the eye, and tell him to keep heading south until you hit Otres II Beach.
[THE SIHANOUKVILLE COASTAL GRADIENT]
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Serendipity Beach ──> Seedy, chaotic tourist trap. (AVOID) │
│ Otres I Beach ──> Budget backpacker hub. Heavy crowd. │
│ Otres II Beach ──> Quiet, pristine, mature crowd. (WINNER)│
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
Now, you’ll hit Otres I first. It’s heavily developed and completely geared toward the budget-backpacking crowd. I highly recommend passing on staying in the Otres I area. That said, it’s definitely worth checking out the scene for an afternoon—make sure you stop by a very cool Italian beachside eatery called Pappa Pippo’s for some killer food.
Once you’ve had your fill of Otres I, plant yourself on the much more laid-back, tranquil shores of Otres II. It’s about a 20-minute walk further south along the shoreline from Otres I.
Otres II attracts a community of slightly older, more mature travelers, which is exactly our vibe. The area instantly brought back heavy memories of the old Koh Samui from decades ago, back before the developers moved in and ruined it. It still protects that old-school, small-town, bamboo-beach-hut aesthetic.
From The Secret Garden to Tamu Resort
This vintage island atmosphere was on full display at the first spot we called home: The Secret Garden Resort. It was a decent place.
After a few days there, we shifted our tack over to Tamu Resort because we had heard a continuous stream of glowing reviews from fellow travelers on the road. Tamu is hands-down the highest-end boutique resort in the area. We absolutely loved it, even though it traded the traditional rustic look for a more modern, sleek architectural style.
As I’ve mentioned before, Barbie and I are massive suckers for the old-style, wooden-and-bamboo beachfront bungalows. But Tamu looked new, clean and comfortable that it won us over instantly.
Enjoy it while it lasts, though. Tamu is one of the newest developments on Otres II, and I can tell you right now that it’s only a matter of time before corporate developers sink their teeth into this entire beach area. Once they over-saturate Otres II, the natural progression in Southeast Asia is to just push further south onto the virgin sands of Otres III. I can see the writing on the wall clear as day. That is just how they roll out here.
Mastering the Art of Doing Absolutely Nothing
When it comes to activities on Otres II, you have plenty of options. You can hire a traditional wooden longtail boat for a day trip, or grab a kayak and paddle yourself out to the tiny, completely undeveloped islands sitting just offshore.
Barbie and I, however, elected to do the absolute best thing available on Otres II: nothing at all.
We threw in a little bit of stand-up paddleboarding just to get a workout in, but otherwise, we dedicated ourselves to the lounge chairs. The water here is very clean—the sand feels like baby powder, and the ocean is so calm and flat it feels like one massive, warm swimming pool.
We really enjoyed our relaxation at Otres Beach II. Leaving this place was incredibly difficult, but it is firmly locked onto our radar for a return visit down the road. However, the big question mark is how this beach area will be developed in the coming years. Will they fuck it up and become an extension of the nearby seedy town of Sihanoukville? Time will tell.
LOOSE STOOLS INDEX
- Rating: 5 / 10
Whew! Talk about a major tactical relief. The internal plumbing rocketed from a deeply disturbing, code-red 1 all the way back up to a stable, respectable 5. The system has normalized. In fact, things are looking so good that I just might brave the culinary waters and get right back on the local Fish Amok bandwagon by the time we roll into Phnom Penh.
Thru the Binocs
Because we’ve been anchoring ourselves to various beaches for so long on this journey, Barbie and I are in the incredibly fortunate position of being able to order fresh-caught ocean fish every single day. I am taking absolute full advantage of this luxury, which is why I ordered a whole grilled snapper again last night.
But when I carved open that bad boy on my plate, I noticed something highly unusual embedded deep in the lower cavity of the fish. It looked exactly like a small, winding intestine. Now, I am a massive seafood guy who indulges in whole fish regularly across the globe, and I had never seen this before.
Naturally, I had to investigate. I sliced open the mystery tube with my knife and found a dense cluster of tiny, black, stringy things inside.
Turns out, I was looking at a heavily pregnant fish. It completely grossed me out for a split second, but I reminded myself who I was, manned up, and proceeded to down the entire snapper anyway.
As I sat there scraping the bones clean, I couldn’t help but wonder: how on earth have I gone 51 years on this planet, eating seafood all over the world, and never once been served a pregnant fish until last night? I guess there’s a first time for everything on the road.
Most travelers only use Sihanoukville as a transient stepping stone before boarding the fast ferries to Koh Rong or Koh Rong Sanloem—the two outlying island jewels of the region. Tomorrow, Barbie and I are officially boarding that boat to Koh Rong to inspect the island scene ourselves. Stay tuned for the real scoop.
Big Doug & Barbie Drop Out of Society 