Travelogue
Koh Chang - Lady Boys, Viagra and Elephants - 4 October 2011
Someone once called Koh Chang “the last paradise islands in South East Asia” though I think it’s too late for that. I first came to Koh Chang when there was nothing there but a few places where bamboo huts with thatched roofs were strung along the island’s western beaches. Access was by fishing boat and you walked from one beach to another through the bush. There were no roads, no electricity and no mains water supply. Generators roared into the night, marijuana was plentiful and the island was famed for the strength of its rice whiskey, a milky white fire water pitted with a dubious black sediment, and served in recycled Mekong Whiskey bottles at 50 cents a pop. The communal showers were primitive, and a midnight trip to the toilet by torchlight could be downright dangerous. The restaurants were flimsy constructs with rough bench seats and blighted by dogs in such appalling health and condition, they were ruinous to your appetite. Some things haven’t changed then, I thought casting my eye about the roadside where this year’s breed was loitering with intent. One expat, a long-term resident in Thailand once advised me to avoid Thai dogs after dark lest you be set upon, as they can turn aggressive when roaming in packs. Hell, they’ll even go for you during the daytime when you’re passing by on motorised transport. The jumping off point for Koh Chang is the sleepy fishing settlement of Laem Ngop, 16 kilometres from Trat. From Phnom Penh
The Russian Market - 20 September 2011
The Russian Market or Psar Toul Tom Poung (Psar is market in Khmer) is popular among tourists, expatriates and the local Cambodians. Don’t come if you’re expecting an air-conditioned surround with all the bells and whistles. It’s basic, hot like a sauna, and when it rains in Phnom Penh the floor floods. Moto riders delivering goods take their
Sexy Beast - The Pub Bar Street 174 Phnom Penh - 12 September 2011
Near the Walkabout Bar, located off Street 51 is The Pub. The sign outside says “Great Food, Cheap Beer”. Draught beer is $1 on account of it being the low season. In fact, I was the only customer. The Khmer woman behind the bar poured my brew as I studied the décor; white washed walls, high ceiling and dark stained timber, a step up from the
Hotel Le Royal in Phnom Penh - 29 August 2011
Hotel Le Royal is located hotel is located at 92 Rukhak Vithei Daun Penh, a wide boulevard near Sangkat Wat Phnom, from which the city derives its name. Formerly, the street was known as the Avenue Joffre, and sat in the heart of the French Quarter. It’s certainly one of the capital’s smartest addresses, adjacent the former National Library
Bokor Mountain - The Eeriest Place on Earth - 18 August 2011
The ruins of the French hill station at Bokor Mountain have been called “the eeriest place on Earth” by one travel writer. Semi-deserted, shrouded in mist, open to the wind from all directions, chilly, and ravaged by time and the residue of warfare with the walls pockmarked by bullet holes, and the landscape contaminated by unexploded ordnance –
Kampot - You Can Pay Later - 12 August 2011
The sleepy provincial capital of Kampot is located at the base of the Elephant Mountains and a few kilometres up the estuary on the banks of the Prek Kamping Bay River. With its smaller coastal neighbour, Kep, and the larger tourist town, Sihanoukville, this former haunt of the French colonial elite makes up what is sometimes referred to as the
Phnom Penh - A Trip To The Dentist - 31 July 2011
Please note that since this article was written the Chhuon Meng Thmey Dental Clinic, and the dentist referred to, Dr Sok Chenh Chhean, are no longer recommended by the writer. I don’t much like going to the dentist, let’s face it who does? They cause you grief and cost you money, and if you need major work doing, then they can cost you
Phnom Penh - The Empire Strikes Back - 19 July 2011
After several visits I can see Phnom Penh is changing; its buildings, attitudes, cars and infrastructure. Some things haven’t changed; transport, the people, politics, the disparities in wealth, and the poverty. Taxis from Phnom Penh International Airport charge out at a standard US$10 for the ride into the city. Cambodia still runs on
The Plain of Bagan - 12 July 2011
Entry to the ancient site at Bagan for foreigners costs US$10, also payable as €10 or 9000 Burmese kyats, regardless of the length of your stay. If you’re travelling by bus you get hauled off on the outskirts of town to pay at a small booth on a dusty road. Better value then than Angkor in Cambodia which charges out at US$20 per day and
