Frequently asked questions
This section gives some answers on frequently asked questions about Cambodia and Otres Beach. The questions are grouped in topics.
Emergencies
Contact the credit card company or your bank, tell them to cancel your card and ask for the procedures to get a new one. Ask a relative or friend to send you some money via Western Union. If this is not an option, contact the closest embassy of your country to get help.
Contact the closest embassy of your home country.
Contact the appropriate health insurance company. Try to get out of Cambodia. Consider finding transportation to Bangkok or returning to your home country in order to get reasonable medical treatment. Travel insurance is a big help here.
Check out places where you might have lost it. Offer money if someone finds it. There are several services that track the phone's position. Whoever uses a Google account on the mobile can track the mobiles position, to let it ring loudly for several minutes, or to delete all personal data. This only works as long the phone has some battery charge left.
Safety
Otres Beach is a safe area for people with common sense. At night there is a little risk of being robbed when walking alone between Otres 1, Otres 2 and Otres Village or remote areas. Valuables such as mobiles or cameras shouldn't be left unattended. If you have won a lot of money in a Casino in Sihanoukville, there is a risk of being robbed or worse on the way back to your flat or hotel.
In general, Cambodia is safe for foreigners with common sense. In cities such as Phom Penh, there is a risk of being robbed at night. Drunken foreigners, coming out of a bar late at night are low hanging fruits for robbers and thieves. On the streets, day or night, tourists are often targeted by bag-snatchers on motorbikes.
Use your common sense and don't get sloppy. Avoid walking around in remote areas at night. Stay away from any kind of political rallies. Don't use public WiFi for online banking or transactions which include your credit card data. If you use your mobile on the street, make sure the mobile is between you and a wall. Be aware of bag-snatchers and pickpockets.
Preparations
Make sure your debit card works in Asia, don't travel with lots of cash on you. Make pictures (or photocopies) of your passport, health or travel insurance, and credit card, store them in a drop box or email them to yourself in case you lose any of these documents. As soon as you enter Cambodia, take a picture of your visa and do the same.
Transportation
A tuk-tuk ride from Otres 1 to Sihanoukville is around USD 4 to 6 for the first person. Each additional passenger increases the price by USD 1 to 2.
A ride from Otres 1 to Otres 2 or Otres Village costs USD 1 - 2.
In general, tuk-tuks are safe. It's worth having a look at the driver to check to see if they appear to be sober. Some of the tuk-tuks are in poor condition and it isn't unusual for small repairs to have to be made during the ride.
To get from Otres Beach to Koh Rong or Koh Rong Samloem, take a tuk-tuk to the main pier in Sihanoukville. From there, speed boats head to the islands several times a day. Tickets can be bought at the pier or nearby travel agents. Most hotels at Otres sell boat trips, including the pickup ride to the pier.
Living costs
The price range for a pint of draft which is around half a liter, is USD 0.75 to 1.50 at a bar or restaurant at Otres Beach. During happy hours it's half the price.
A meal in Otres costs between USD 2 and 10, and on average around USD 5. Local dishes are cheaper than Western ones. In Otres Village, prices are often lower than they are at the beach.
A Hotel in Otres costs between USD 5 and 50 per night. Rates depend on location, quality, duration of stay and whether it's high-season or low-season. On average a room close to the beach which has no air conditioning or attached bathroom is around USD 10 per night.
The minimum budget for staying in Otres is around USD 12 per day. This includes a bed in a dorm, three meals at Khmer restaurants with local food and three to four beers. Buying a gallon of water instead of many 1.5l bottles, or walking instead of taking tuk-tuks, are common ways of saving money.
On average, most people won't spend much more than USD 20 to 45 per day with everything included.
Health
Bad food, tap water, infections of open wounds, and diseases transmitted by mosquito are possible health risks in Cambodia. Sexually transmitted diseases are common.
Get enough sleep, don't drink tap water or too much alcohol, and drink plenty of water or juice. Clean wounds properly. Protect yourself from mosquitos with lotions or a mosquito net. Use condoms. Don't touch dogs or cats that look to be in bad shape. For long stays, it could make sense to get a package of broadband antibiotics for the worst cases.
Visa
Visa requirements depend on nationality. A one month tourist visa is available upon arrival, at airports or land border crossings for most nationalities. It's not necessary to apply for a visa in advance for most nationalities. Nationals from ASEAN countries don't need a visa for Cambodia. See also the additional hints about visas in the travel section of this site.
The visa on arrival allows a one month stay in Cambodia.
Tourist visas can be extended. Many travel agents handle this procedure. Another common practice is to do a so-called border run, which involves exiting the country at a land border, crossing, and applying for a new visa when arriving back in Cambodia.
A tourist visa on arrival costs around USD 30 for one month.
Mobiles, Internet
Sim cards of various Cambodian telecommunication companies can be bought at many places. They are quite cheap.
Internet connections of Cambodian telecom providers are pretty good in general, but the speed can vary depending on location. Most restaurants or hotels have decent WiFi.
Privacy on the Internet is not absolute these days. Aside for those working for foreign NGOs or those working for exposed companies, there aren't more privacy issues there than anywhere else. There have been issues when people use public WiFi for security sensitive transmissions such as online banking or transactions with credit cards.
Most restaurants or hotels offer free and usually fast WiFi.
Money
The official currency is the Cambodian Riel (KHR). Most transactions are done in US Dollars.
Yes. ATMs usually work with foreign debit cards or credit cards of the major companies.
There are three ATMs at Otres Beach; two on the dirt road of Otres 1, another one is at Otres Village.
Beach life
Cambodia is a country that knows very few regulations. Smoking or drinking in public places such as Otres Beach is very common and not prohibited by law.
The water at Otres Beach is clear, there are no dangerous currents, the water is warm and isn't deep for dozens of meters. It's a very good beach for swimming.
Smoking weed is prohibited in Cambodia by law with harsh punishments. There haven't been any visible efforts to enforce this law in the past, especially not at Otres Beach.
Otres Beach is a perfect place for any activity related to relaxing or doing nothing. Being relaxed is a collective state of mind that most people at the beach have in common.
No. Otres Beach is not the right place for surfing since waves are very small. The beach isn't appropriate for kite surfing as well since there is no strong and steady wind.
There are better places for diving than Otres Beach since there are no fancy corals, fish or anything other than salt water and sand. Nearby islands, such as Koh Rong or Koh Rong Samloem, are better suited for that purpose.
The beach itself isn't that good for fishing, but it's possible to charter boats for fishing tours.
Otres Beach is clean and mainly free of plastic waste. Usually, owners of beach shacks clean their parts of the beach in the morning.
Jellyfish at Otres Beach are very seldomly seen. The species that might appear once in a while are not dangerous.
No, it’s usually not crowded at Otres Beach. During the peak of high season, it can get a bit crowded, but by no means is it as busy as in other well developed beach destinations. On most days between November till March, two thirds of the chairs and seats at the beach shacks are vacant.
Comparisons
No. In general Cambodia is somewhat more expensive than Vietnam since most products are imported from other countries.
Yes. Travelling in Cambodia is way cheaper than it is in Thailand.
Although it's hard to quantify beauty, Otres Beach doesn't offer views that are as beautiful as some beaches in Thailand, Philippines, or Indonesia.