It was a quiet stroll along the four-kilometer stretch of Otres Beach in Sihanoukville. My buddy was taking photographs of local kids who were busy on their afternoon playtime when I noticed an intense glow from the heavens. The sun was slowly dipping lower down the horizon that radiated a fiery sky, the best I've seen on this trip. Cambodia has once again showed off with its breathtaking sunset.
Sihanoukville wasn't originally on the itinerary for our
two-month summer backpacking trip, Same Same Summer Trip 2017, where we
traveled to some of our favorite countries in Southeast Asia (Malaysia,
Cambodia, Thailand and Vietnam). But after hearing a friend's desire for Sihanoukville’s
chill beach vibe, we instantly made it as our final stop in Cambodia after
exploring Siem Reap and Phnom Penh (check here for discounted tours, transportation and activities in Phnom Penh).
The seven-hour train ride from Phnom Penh to Sihanoukville
($7) was a comfy one. We could've taken the easier four-hour bus ride ($6 to $12)
but endured the longer route because we're suckers for local train rides, plus
the fact that we had so much time.
A super tuk tuk
(yes, that's what they call it) was arranged by our resort, Penguin Pablo Bungalows, which
made it a lot easier to get to Otres Beach. There were many drivers offering
shared rides to passengers right outside the train station so getting to the town center will never be
a problem.
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| Laidback Beach of Otres in Sihanoukville |
Accommodations in Sihanoukville are concentrated near the
beach area. You could find hotels, guesthouses, bungalows, hostels and
backpacker dorms along the famous beaches in the town including Ochheuteal
Beach, Serendipity Beach, Otres Beach and Victory Beach.
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| Chill Vibe |
Otres Beach lies on the quiet area of Otres. Getting there
is a bit of a challenge though. Located five kilometers away from
Sihanoukville's town center, a tuk tuk
ride will set you back at $4 to $6 per way.
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| Sundown |
Its quiet community is perfect for slackerhood. We'd wake up
whenever we felt the need to and would walk to Otres Market
where we'd have breakfast which takes around five minutes.
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| Bronze |
After which, we'd come back to our bungalow, do a little bit
of laundry and lounge at the in-house restaurant as we catch up on our writing
gigs.
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| Cheapest Beer at Mini Mart ($0.50) |
The beach is a mere five-minute walk from our home. The long
stretch of ivory sand beach is home for locals who were having picnics or
afternoon beer session as well as tourists who were perfecting their bronzed
skin.
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| Shoot.Me.Shoot.You. |
In those days, we explored the stretch of Otres Beach which was always serene and devoid of party crowd. We were too captivated
with the laidback feel of Otres that we didn't even bother check the most
famous beach in Sihanoukville, the Ochheuteal Beach.
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| My Happy Pill |
In those days, we never felt bored, tired or anything. It was
as if we were on a retreat that our daily routine felt like an unintentional
detox from our normal stressful everyday life.
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| Gorgeous Sunset |
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| Laidback |
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