The leafy riverside neighbourhoods around Siem Reap’s Royal Gardens are home to a number of luxury hotels where the likes of Angelina Jolie and Hillary Clinton stay when they’re in town. But cross over the river to the equally peaceful, and rather more traditionally Khmer River Road East and you will find Rosy Guest House, … read the full post

No sooner had I ripped the November 30 page off my desk calendar than the Christmas trees were sprouting up and the decorations were invading the Siem Reap shops. Carol concerts have started and the party season is in full swing. In fact if you are one of those who goes on holiday every December … read the full post

Preah Khan has lived long in the shadow of its older sister, Ta Prohm. But as the hordes pore over the broken paths and scaffolding of the older temple, the very fact that Preah Khan is so often overlooked has become an integral part of its attraction. You are freer to explore here, without rubbing … read the full post

UPDATE: Here’s the Phnom Penh Post report. I am slightly claustrophobic  – demanding to be let off a Boeing 777 three hours into a flight from London to LA was a particularly memorable episode in the history of my phobia – so a flight in a hot air balloon has never appealed. However, many people … read the full post

Once you’ve clambered over swarms of tourists in pursuit of that one photo of Angkor Wat, Angkor Thom or Ta Prohm that doesn’t feature a crowd of total strangers, you may be tempted to call it a day with the temples after, well, a day. However, there are a number of smaller temples not far … read the full post

Building #557 on up-and-coming Wat Bo Road used to be a popular pizzeria called Kholene, the demise of which left many a pizzaphile bereft. But their loss is the discerning tourist’s gain, as Maison 557, a chic and secluded new boutique hotel has slipped almost unnoticed onto the map of Siem Reap’s mid to high-end … read the full post

If you are struggling to pinpoint a date for a trip to Siem Reap, this might just help. Saturday February 23, 2013 is the confirmed date for next year’s Giant Puppet Parade. The parade has become such a highlight of the Siem Reap social calendar that visitors in the know now deliberately plan their temple … read the full post

About 100 metres from the northern end of Pub Street but a million miles from the genuine free Apsara shows, authentic Cambodian snake and crocodile barbecues and myriad piscene pedicure tanks, you will find a small haven of tranquility, a very classy little Khmer-owned and managed restaurant serving inexpensive and reliably high quality local food … read the full post

You can almost hear the collective groan when you enter airport arrivals halls around the world only to be faced with slow, or worse still, stationary queues at the immigration desk. Bangkok, Heathrow and Auckland are serial offenders, but you’d think that a sleepy little airport like Siem Reap would be different. Sadly, it ain’t … read the full post

When a friend suffered a nasty fall recently whilst crossing a street in a flash flood I realised that knowing how to find a good doctor fast in Siem Reap could come in useful. Said friend is quite tough which meant he managed to wait until the following day before giving in to the pain … read the full post