Travelogue
Water, Water Everywhere - 17 October 2011
Though situated miles inland the Cambodian capital Phnom Penh is dominated by water. Previously the city was known in Khmer as Krong Chaktomuk meaning "City of Four Faces". The name is derived from the “X” formed by the junction of the three rivers that meet in the capital; the Mekong, Bassac and Tonle Sap. Cambodian history too has been dominated by the monsoon, in a country where the wet season is both too heavy and too short. Hence the large barray, or reservoirs, built at the ancient city of Angkor as a means of capturing enough water to last until the next big rains. The Mekong is the world’s seventh-longest river and fourth largest in volume. It starts life on the Tibetan Plateau in China, the world’s largest freshwater repository and source of Asia’s greatest rivers, and runs through Laos and Cambodia to the delta in Vietnam. On the way it passes the 4,000 Islands (or Si Phan Don) in Laos, an archipelago of tiny islands that stretch along the Mekong near the Cambodian border, stand as one of the country’s most popular tourist spots, a good chill-out spot and home to the Mekong’s freshwater dolphins. There is another school further south in Cambodia, near Kratie. In the dry season the waters subside to leave thousands of tiny islets – most of them barely big enough to support a palm tree – that give the spot its name. The largest of the islands – Don Khong, Don Det and Don Khon – are the only ones that are inhabited all year, and
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
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
