THE ASIA DIARIES #5: SIHANOUKVILLE

001. After crazy Phnom Penh we hopped in a mini van to Sihanoukville, to hopefully find a little beachside paradise, peace and quiet. A 20 minute tuk tuk ride later out of town we arrived on the beautiful Otres beach. We were greeted by crystal clear blue oceans, flat and calm as far as the eye could see. We had a feeling we would like this place. 

002. For the first few nights we stayed in a beach shack literally on the beach, then moved just a street back in search of some air con for a cheaper price. Days along Otres were very very relaxed. We spent our time munching on fresh fruit from the local Cambodian women, soaking up the sun and dipping our feet in the sea. The beaches in Cambodia are very different to what we Aussies are used to- no waves, warm water and a lot less sand. However they are none-the-less beautiful and give their super touristy Thai neighbours a run for their money. And who could complain about lying on a sun bed with the ocean shore lapping at your toes? 

003. My tips for anyone considering staying at Otres Beach are 1) maybe book your first night or so online if you are there in peak season, then go door knocking and asking around to find somewhere that may be a better price. 2) Don't leave your litter on the beach! Cambodia is a developing country that already has their own issues with waste management- don't contribute to it please. And 3) you must eat at the Papa Pippos Italian at the end of the beach at least once, SO GOOD! 

004. While staying on Otres you may notice that some Cambodian people come up to you and try to sell you a day trip tour to the nearby islands. Now, myself and Ben were a bit sceptical of this at first but we bartered the price down to US $10 each and decided to give it a go. If you aren't planning on going to explore the islands yourself this option was great! It included a nice little lunch and breakfast, snorkelling, cliff jumping and just some chillout time at one of the less commercialised islands. Honestly a great way to spend $10. I really do recommend it! The beaches and water at every island is so beautiful! 

005. That wraps it up for this post... stay tuned for the next part where we journey upwards to Siem Reap! 

Lena x