Sihanoukville’s Otres – Hippy Heaven

After the best bus journey a traveller could ask for, we arrived late evening into Sihanoukville. We hopped straight on a TukTuk bound for our accommodation in Otres. Friends of mine who had been to Sihanoukville years ago raved about how amazing it was, but we had friends in Otres so we made the 10-minute journey straight there. A wise choice. Boy, has Sihanoukville changed! Otres matched the backpacker’s paradise description I had previously been given for Sihanouk, and Sihanouk? Well, let’s just say a number of large casinos have popped up. I won’t point fingers at whose responsible for that move.

I began writing this post after our first trip to Otres. We spent a week there and then nipped over to beautiful Koh Rong Samloem, returning after to Otres. This has somewhat changed my opinion of Otres. You see, we wouldn’t usually spend this long in one area. (We’re currently tied to this location whilst awaiting a delivery at the local post office). For the first time in 3 months, we found ourselves coming back to somewhere we had already been. An almost, coming home feeling. I hadn’t felt a great deal about Otres after we left, I had been too distracted by what was ahead, Koh Rong Samloem with its white sandy beaches. It wasn’t until we came back from the islands that I really appreciated Otres, it’s amenities, it’s bountiful food options, it’s occasional liveliness, it’s chill factor. It really is a great place to stay a while.

Otres Villiage

Otres beach is lined with beach bars and restaurants, all with the same beautiful view. Situated for the perfect sunsets. Otres village sits slightly further out. OK so nothing in Otres is out of walking distance but it is SO hot. The first time we came we rented a scooter, the second time we were environmentally friendly and went for push bikes. We really felt like we weren’t doing any moving around so a bicycle gave us a quick journey, a slight breeze and a bit of exercise. Those hippy feels must be rubbing off on us.

In the village, there are so many guesthouses, hostels, restaurants and bars where you won’t struggle to find vegan food, freshly pressed juices, smoothies, fire dancers, hoopers and hippies. Hippies everywhere. If vegan food isn’t your thing, fear not. We have had some of the best Mexican food, I’m talking jalapeño poppers, nachos, burritos, quesadillas… Bagels, amazing Italian food, Indian, roast dinner, salads. You name it. Otres has it.

There’s somewhat of a lively atmosphere, I say somewhat because Otres hasn’t (yet) turned into a chaotic holiday destination as the likes of Phi Phi. But there’s more than enough to keep you occupied, especially if you err on the side of open-mindedness…

The Market

Our first Saturday night in Otres we ventured to a place called ‘The Market’. Up until we walked into a venue, I had assumed we were going to a market. How silly of me. What we walked into was nothing short of what you might find in Shoreditch. Lots of food stalls set up by local restaurants selling Cornish Pasties, spicy chicken, burritos, doughnuts and more. There were a few clothing & jewellery stands, one big bar and a stage.

We learnt at the end of the evening that all the acts we’d watched were people just passing through Otres. Essentially, we got super lucky because there’s no saying the acts are going to be any good, and they were all great performers. Singers, bands, fire dancers, hula hoopers and DJs. They. All. Rocked.

More Things To Do

There’s really no time to be bored in Otres. There are yoga classes, workshops, a nice beach (admittedly not the cleanest), boat trips, a waterfall and when the evening comes in, it’s not too hard to find something to keep you occupied. Stray Cats had a small stage to the left of their bar, they have live music twice a week. We went one night and we were blown away. This isn’t pre-rehearsed live music, this is more ‘oh you play something, get on stage’. There were 15 people on stage at one point – and they all nailed it.

If you’re looking for a night in, a day out of the sun, or just some creature comforts, (which we were by the time we returned). Cosmos cinema is the place to be. For $2.50 an hour, you can have a private room with aircon, a big mattress covered in pillows and blankets, a 55” TV and pretty much every film ever made. Popcorn, tapas and drinks all delivered to your room at the push of a button.

The People of Otres

 What I have come to notice upon our second visit, is that most of these places appear to be being run by Westerners. And, I can fully understand why so many people arrive and never leave. I get the feeling of a community. People helping each other. Maybe all backpacker hotspots are the same and I just hadn’t come across this, but, for the first time, I saw people really grafting for their travels. Staying at places for free and earning their stay. Performing wherever they can, creating workshops, selling food, leafleting for events. Creative people sharing their gifts for us to enjoy.

Kerfuffle

Last but not least, I couldn’t write about Otres without mentioning Kerfuffle – a weekly jungle party. We heard from people who had travelled ahead of us from Laos that Kerfuffle was amazing and you just had to go. So off we went. We got there around 1 am, it’s open 10 PM – 10 AM and everyone says it gets good after daylight. Well, not drinking at the time, we made it to about 4 AM.

Let me set the scene… You jump in a TukTuk and drive 10 minutes on a bumpy road, arriving in the middle of nowhere. Ahead you can hear the repetitive thump thump of techno music. You can see some neon lights through the trees. You pay your $10 entry and walk into what looks like an abandoned fairground. A rickety looking Ferris Wheel spins to your right, going faster than even a stable Ferris Wheel should. A roller coaster that thankfully no one is riding is up ahead, built on top of some rusty lorries and cars. An Asian Carousel spins in the farthest corner, with scooters replacing horses.

Out of all of the jungle parties we’ve gone to, this was by far the best venue. That being said it was our least favourite… Maybe it’s that whole not drinking thing again. Unless you’re mad into techno or in some way… ‘enlightened’, you might find it a bit dull. We lasted as long as we did by climbing up high, so we were looking over the whole event. We had front row seats for very fire dancer that performed, plus there was a steady flow of people practising their moves. In the distance, the dance floor looked like a scene from The Walking Dead. That was quite fun to watch too.

Love for Otres

Maybe it’s the familiarity of coming back to somewhere you’re already acquainted with. Knowing where’s good to rest your head, where’s good to eat and exploring the places you didn’t get around to the first time. Maybe it’s having absolutely no pressure to get out and about because you’ve already seen the place. Maybe it’s the amazing food, the vibe, or the friendly people providing all the aforementioned. Whichever the reason, we loved Otres, even more, the second time around. I am excited for our adventure ahead (we have just picked up ur visa’s for Vietnam!) but, I will miss Otres. I hope to see it again one day, and I hope you will see it for yourself one day too.

“A place is only as good as the people you know in it. It’s the people that make the place.”

-Pittacus Lore

 

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