Travelogue
Takeo - Land of the Lobsters - 28 October 2011
Takeo Province lies to the south of the Cambodian capital, Phnom Penh. To the north and east it borders with Kandal, to the west with the provinces of Kampong Speu and Kampot, and to the south with Vietnam. It has a predominantly rural population of almost one million, jammed into an area barely 3500 kilometres square. Takeo is often referred to as “the cradle of Cambodian civilisation”. The province has several important pre-Angkorian sites built between the 5th and the 8th centuries, and other sites of historical significance. Before the Khmer Empire, present day Takeo was dominated by the Kingdom of Funan, an ancient kingdom pre-dating Angkor and located around the Mekong Delta and southern Cambodia between the 1st and 7th centuries before its demise by conquest. In a continuation of cross-border rivalries, Cambodians claim Funan was created by Khmers, while neighbouring Vietnam argues that they were the people of origin. It is thought Funan controlled the maritime sea trade in the region with far-flung connections – Roman and Greek artifacts were recorded there. Scholars speculate Funan set the pattern for mercantilism and commercial monopolies that would become a pattern for empires in the region before being superseded and absorbed into the Khmer state of Chenla, or Water Chenla as its was referred to, because of all the natural waterways in the region. In the rainy season, there seems to be water everywhere. The region is
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
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
