Phnom Penh has a bit of a reputation as a good drinking destination. If you do your research thoroughly, it’s possible to combine happy hours into a very happy day at various establishments — although there’s no guarantee you’ll remember it afterwards. But sometimes, we want something to do other than collecting amusingly named cocktails … read the full post

Phnom Penh is full of secret places — alleys and entrances and little squares that you’re unlikely to ever notice. Most tourists never take the risk of getting lost wandering in this hidden side of the city. But if you venture down a typical alleyway on well-known Street 240 and turn the corner, you’ll find … read the full post

A short ramble from the riverside on Street 172 in Phnom Penh, Laughing Fatman is an old backpacker favourite in an upcoming tourist hotspot. Formerly Oh My Buddha at Lakeside, moving close to Wat Ounalom required a name change that wouldn’t upset the monks. Seems they have no problem with self-deprecation, then. Mr Fatman, aka … read the full post

Rumour has it there are one or two big events coming up in the world of sport — if riverside badminton and Khmer boxing aren’t enough for you, here’s a roundup of where you can catch all the kicking, running, jumping and throwing action on screen in Phnom Penh. Top of the league as far … read the full post

Two minutes from Independence Monument and wrapping the corner of Golden Street (St 278) you’ll find the Khmer-owned Samaky Restaurant and Lounge, a recently new addition to this popular Phnom Penh street. The ground floor restaurant doesn’t have much in the way of walls but still provides plenty of protection from the elements (research undertaken during a … read the full post

As a visitor, it’s sometimes easy to miss the nuances of public life in a country. You’re less likely to pick up a newspaper or have a chat on current affairs at the supermarket. But you’d need to be really cultivating an ‘ignorance is bliss’ approach not to have noticed that Phnom Penh is in … read the full post

Close to Independence Monument, Equinox is slap bang in the middle of the evening entertainment strip on Street 278, usually known as Golden Street. Away from the tour groups on riverside or the appealing mother-wouldn’t-approve sleaziness of Street 51, the more refined Golden Street is home to several bars, and the multi-level Equinox is one of … read the full post

I’m definitely not the violent type, but one of my favourite things to do on a quiet Phnom Penh weekend is going to a kick-boxing match. It’s free, it’s noisy and it’s a totally  Cambodian experience. Most people’s first encounter with Khmer boxing is walking past a cafe full of shouting, grunting men and thinking it’s all about … read the full post

Occupying a corner plot, the white four-storey Happy 11 Backpacker guesthouse does a good job of living up to its name. Formerly a lakeside institution, the owners and staff have been helping travellers to Phnom Penh relax for many years. The new location in a mainly residential area is a five-minute walk to the river … read the full post

I really want to start this review with a pun about wanting to put down my roots at the Plantation. I won’t though, as I’m sure it’s been used a hundred times already — I’m not sure how you could stay here and not want to put your roots down. The Plantation is lovely, and, … read the full post