Neighborhood: Otres 1 Beach

Also called: N/A

Pros: 

• Many nearby restaurant options, so you can go to a different one for every breakfast, lunch, and dinner – if you wanted to. (Otres 2 options are more limited.)
• Close to Otres Village, which is fun to explore, especially for the Night Market. (This is also true of Otres 2.)
• Fewer touts (read: people who ask, beg, or guilt you to buy stuff) than on Serendipity, Ocheteaul, or Victory beaches.
• Boats to the islands leave from here (or from Otres 2).
• Almost no children tourists, unlike on Otres 2. (Local kids were not a bother.)
• Fellow tourists were couples in their 20s and 30s, singles in their 30s, or backpacker groups in their 20s. That meant relatable people to talk to, and no one was 18, so it wasn’t Spring Break Gone Wild, Cambodia Edition. Other than at Shin, the music is off and alcohol is done by 11 pm.
• Activities are available, but no one thinks it strange if you just lay around, read, or even work all day. A real no-pressure environment.
• More of the guesthouse options are affordable (than on Otres 2, for example).

Cons: 

• Too much smoke – cigarette and otherwise. However, most people aren’t as sensitive to the smell as I am, so it may not be an issue.
• Not as chic as some of the other beaches. For example, our guesthouse had only 2 bathrooms for the 20-some people plus restaurant visitors. There are places on Otres 2 that are much nicer, though you pay for that privilege.
• Many of the guesthouses are huts, so you get some critters and lots of sand, among other things. If you like things pristine, don’t stay here.

Should You Stay There?

Yes, if you are traveling without kids and are not a neat freak. If you are traveling with kids or want a four-star sort of experience, stay on Otres 2.