If a walk along relatively quiet Independence Beach away from the hordes of Occheuteal appeals to you, go there sooner rather than later. The nearly finished Holiday Palace Casino & Resort is just the first sign of what’s to come; a green fence marks an area that, if the billboard on the road is anything … read the full post

While some might argue that a large bowl of glistening French fries is the best accompaniment to any dish, sometimes it doesn’t quite do the trick. In fact, what might work best is simply a better view, and this can be hard to come by in Siem Reap. The colour green is said to create feelings … read the full post

Although we feel that calling any establishment the Fancy Guest House might be overstating the case, this little Phnom Penh gem does have something that can be tricky to find in budget accommodation — it’s squeaky clean. You get the feeling that dust and grime long since gave up the fight and moved on to somewhere with … read the full post

When there’s a break in the rain during the monsoon, we drop everything and head for the beach; such was the case one recent Sunday afternoon, when we decided to head to Ochheuteal beach for dinner. Now while not everyone agrees with me that Serendipity is not a beach, since the old restaurants and bars … read the full post

There’s something about corners in Phnom Penh. I’m prompted to make this post as one of my favourite corner buildings has disappeared. It was slowly crumbling, its tower drooping, beautifully evocative and the starting point for many imaginations, but now it’s gone. I want to encourage you to walk around Phnom Penh with your eyes … read the full post

How much does it cost to stay in Sihanoukville and its surrounds? That used to be an easy question to answer in a single phrase: “Not much.” These days, however, you’ll find a much larger spread — read below to see just how very large — so the answer’s become, “As much or little as … read the full post

If you wander into Monument Book Store on the riverside to the south of Old Market, you’ll discover, among many others, about half a dozen shelves piled high with guidebooks to Angkor. You may then spend several good hours puzzling over which one to get. Now, most of your problems have been solved with the … read the full post

The streets behind Phnom Penh‘s riverside are a microcosm of the city — there’s karaoke, street food, hostess bars, fast food joints, hairdressers, hotels and tailors. In all the excitement, it might be easy to overlook The Empire, a small bar and restaurant and cinema squeezed into a regular sized shopfront two blocks from the … read the full post

I love the rainy season in Sihanoukville. Why? Believe it or not, it’s because I spend more time outdoors during the monsoon than I do in the dry season, when I spend the best hours of the day hiding from the heat and sun. As the photo above illustrates, when it rains in Sihanoukville, it … read the full post

Arriving in a city with bright electric lights and chic residents can bring the realisation that your attempts at handwashing have not been doing your grandma proud. Fortunately, Phnom Penh has a glut of laundries just waiting to take your crumpled bundle and turn it into a fresh smelling, beautifully pressed stack. Almost all guesthouses … read the full post