Travelfish correspondent Simon Hare

Simon was born in London in 1966 and made his first overseas trip at the age of seven, a family holiday by rail to the South of France and has barely stopped travelling since. He has lived in the UK, Spain, France, and Thailand and is currently living in Siem Reap, Cambodia, home of the remarkable Angkor Wat temples, where he works for a UK charity that place volunteers with local NGOs. He is fluent in English, Spanish and French, but to date he has only mastered a few carefully chosen words of Khmer, like "Food" and "Beer" and "Fat". Simon's 20 years working as "a suit" in magazine publishing have been described by friends as "long periods of travel interrupted by short periods of work", so it made sense that he should eventually retrain as a travel writer. He studied journalism at night school at The London School of Communications, and in 2011 he called a "time out" on his publishing career and headed west out of London, armed with his notepad, his Nikon and a one way ticket to Asia, via The USA, Mexico, The South Pacific, New Zealand and Australia.
Website: http://www.simonjhare.co.uk

Posts by Simon Hare:

• Feed body and soul at Peace Cafe, Siem Reap

  First published: 23 May 2013
  

  In a town that owes its place on the tourist map to some of the most spectacular spiritual monuments in history, it’s only fitting that you can still find a quiet retreat to feed your own 21st century spiritual needs — and re-fuel with some quality vegetarian food at the same time — just a … read the full post

• Review: The Landing Point Villa Hotel, Siem Reap

  First published: 12 May 2013
  

  Describing itself as an intimate “boutique” villa, The Landing Point Villa Hotel is one of a handful of Siem Reap hotels whose size, service levels and visually pleasing design make it genuinely deserving of that now ubiquitous adjective. With rack rates from $90 a night for a double room – and online offers making it … read the full post

• Peace and quiet at the temple of Pre Rup

  First published: 10 May 2013
  

  Angkor Wat-bashing seems to have become the pastime du jour for many of the more sniffy travel writers, largely due to the ever-increasing volume of visitors at the justifiably popular temple sites. Of course we would all prefer to enjoy our very own private view rather than share our Angkorian sunrise with thousands of the … read the full post

• The Cambodian Circus comes to Siem Reap

  First published: 04 May 2013
  

  If the word circus conjures up images of top-hatted ringmasters, fearless lion-tamers and sinister-looking clowns, then a night at Phare, the Cambodian Circus will quickly erase those distant childhood memories. With performances seven nights a week, the circus of the world-renowned Battambang Art School – full name Phare Ponleu Selpak — is now wowing audiences … read the full post

• Tourists behaving badly in Siem Reap

  First published: 20 Apr 2013
  

  Much has already been written about the lack of respect shown by scantily-clad backpackers oblivious to the fact that ancient sites such as Angkor Wat are still places of worship. But sadly, wearing hot pants and halter-neck tops to working temples is not where embarrassing traveller behaviour ends, and inappropriate behaviour can have consequences more … read the full post

• Where to watch sport in Siem Reap

  First published: 17 Apr 2013
  

  With the recent closure of Siem Reap’s only dedicated sports bar on Alley West, the task of finding somewhere to catch the football, the rugby, the baseball or the tennis has suddenly become a bit more of a challenge. But fear not, all ye die-hard sports aficionados, there are plenty of joints in town where … read the full post

• Review: Tangram Garden Restaurant, Siem Reap

  First published: 14 Apr 2013
  

  Settling into one of Tangram Garden’s palm-roofed cabanas, each with its very own call light for attracting the attention of your server, makes you feel a little bit special. The friendly and efficient – yet not overly formal – service, and reliable, slightly quirky food just add to the appeal of this quiet and relaxing … read the full post

• Swimming pools in Siem Reap: part 2

  First published: 09 Apr 2013
  

  At certain times of year life in Siem Reap without a pool verges on the tortuous. Many expats make a point of leaving Siem Reap as soon as April arrives and the elements unleash the most ferocious heat and energy-sapping humidity of the year. But with a bit of forward-planning it can be an excellent … read the full post

• Review: My Home Tropical Garden Villa, Siem Reap

  First published: 24 Mar 2013
  

  A friend and regular visitor to Siem Reap has begged me not to review the My Home Tropical Garden Villa – to give its full name — for fear that next time he comes it will be full. Well, he should be afraid. Located in a quiet area just 15 minutes’ walk from Pub Street, … read the full post

• Siem Reap’s Made in Cambodia street market

  First published: 20 Mar 2013
  

  You can be forgiven for thinking that Siem Reap already has a surfeit of markets, although you might be hard pushed to distinguish one from the other after the first couple. However the latest addition to that ever-growing list — the Made in Cambodia street market — is not just another market, and if you … read the full post