Being from the northern hemisphere, it used to be difficult for me to equate warm temperatures and bright sunshine with the festive period, but Christmas is growing in popularity in Phnom Penh. From the second week in December, Cambodians will wish you a Happy Merry Christmas. So forget “bah humbug!” — if you’ll be in … read the full post

Street 240 is one of Phnom Penh‘s magnet streets for tourists and expats: a destination for eating, drinking and shopping away from the sweaty endurance event that is a Cambodian market. Tucked in an alleyway around a corner is a secret extension where you can find organic food, funky shopping and Japanese kitsch. Welcome to Street 240 … read the full post

Just five minutes’ from the bustle of Independence Monument is the oasis of calm that is Hotel Nine. In best Phnom Penh boutique hotel style, owner Franco has revitalised one of the city’s villas and put it to good use reviving weary travellers. Almost hidden behind an epic bougainvillea, the white-painted hotel does its best to enforce relaxation. There’s … read the full post

Following on from the lowdown on cheap eats, this particular Phnom Penh provider of good value nosh deserved to have its praises sung a little more loudly. Restaurant Phsar Kabko is almost opposite the market it’s named for on Street 9, just off Sihanouk Boulevard east of Independence Monument. In the best tradition of canteen food, it … read the full post

Dormitory rooms are a relatively new concept in Phnom Penh and the backpacker feel can be hard to find in the big smoke. With a large hang-out area and pool hidden behind a white wall, the three-storey Eighty8 Backpackers fills the gap. Two blocks from Wat Phnom to the north of Phnom Penh, it’s no … read the full post

Every so often in Phnom Penh, you pass something that makes you look twice. Granted, it’s often an overladen motorbike or a T-shirt with words you are sure the wearer doesn’t understand. But the Botanic Cafe on Street 19 also prompts a double take. When you first spot it, nestled behind a explosively pink bougainvillea, you may think you’ve accidentally ended … read the full post

Phnom Penh’s Post Office Square was made famous by the film City of Ghosts, recommended viewing for any visitor to Cambodia on a rainy afternoon when sightseeing is off the agenda. A short detour from riverside and Wat Phnom, the area deserves a visit in person, too. The Post Office, built in 1890 and restored … read the full post

As the rains are determined not to shirk their seasonal obligations, it seemed an appropriate time to visit the Monsoon Boutique Hotel in Phnom Penh. From its jazzy facade of wonky white metal to the leaf imprints on the stepping stone entrance, it’s clear this property, which opened in August 2012, hasn’t been knocked together … read the full post

Phnom Penh has always been ahead of the curve with a wide range of international cuisine for a city of its size. So it was no surprise to learn that a specialist Japanese restaurant had recently been added to the mix. What did take me aback was the reaction when I mentioned the Uraetei Yakiniku … read the full post

There’s no particular reason to visit Ta Khmao, which is reason enough in my book. In the spirit of George Mallory, I went visiting simply “because it was there”. Only 11 kilometres out of Phnom Penh, Ta Khmao is perfect if you want a glimpse of life outside the big smoke but you don’t have … read the full post