Hi All

any news on the fate of Otres aside from the invasion?
still hoping to visit one last time before the end of the year, still hoping places like 'Wish you were here' will still be operating

I know a lot were going to close as their leases expire but some will hang in there surely?

Just avoid Shanghaiville full stop - it's too late.

don't think I can, need to say goodbye, sure it had changed last November but not a huge amount around Otres 1 and II anyway, beyond that was pretty fucked up

think we will try out Koh Rong this year as well which we haven't been to, Kampot was good but not a lot to do there

Think I saw on FB that wish you were here is going tits up.

Good luck!

Where did Mick the Pom move to?

bucknaked wrote: ↑Mon Mar 18, 2019 9:28 am Hi All

any news on the fate of Otres aside from the invasion?
still hoping to visit one last time before the end of the year, still hoping places like 'Wish you were here' will still be operating

I know a lot were going to close as their leases expire but some will hang in there surely?

You say "by the end of the year", but anything could happen by then - places closing etc. I would wait until nearer the time of your visit to decide whether you go to Otres or straight to the islands. Change is happening very fast. No point planning now IMO.

Otres Beach is still ok, but the Village is more and more Chinese. Who knows what can happen in 6 months ?

Change is happening very fast. No point planning now IMO

True dat, it will be a very loose plan, they did say when there last that when their lease is up it could be all over, I messaged them on FB but no reply

Went out to Otres for a man on the spot report for you OP and others.

My verdict: It sucks. Truly. The beach is dirty, the water is murky and full of plastic - some of that is seasonal, Im not blaming the Chinese for everything lol - but the whole area is a big construction site, with trucks, traffic, dirt, noise, and I wouldnt advise it as a holiday destination. At the moment there's also no electricity most of the time, unless you have a generator, so in some places the noise of the generators kind of drowns out the lapping of the waves. That might be temporary, but it's not pleasant right now. It was welcoming of the locals to light a lot of smoky fires along the beach in the middle of the day when I was there, but again, you won't get that every time. I was just lucky.

Otres village is unmentionable. The new Chinese highrise city is swallowing it whole. Forget it. I didn't take any photos. Just imagine the worst and it probably worse than that. Sit outside and swallow the dust of the constant stream of trucks and concrete mixers. Or, sit inside and sweat because there's no electricity.

On the positive side, there are fewer tourists on the beach, so you can still find some quiet spots with plenty of deck chairs and watch the sunset with a beer, and I didn't get asked if I want a massage, manicure, pedicure, buy sunglasses...

@OP The islands may be ok, but I wouldn't come to Cambodia just for that. Sorry to be so negative, and if you live in SHV, sure that Otres is better than the closer beaches, but the Otres that we knew and loved is finished. It's not worth the trip IMO.
0* out of 5. Could do better just about anywhere.