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

When you reach the foot of the pier at the bottom of Serendipity Road in Sihanoukville, look to your left and you’ll see three-kilometre long Ochheuteal Beach. Turn to your right and you’ll see a verdant, rocky headland. Take a walk along the footpath that leads to the headland and you’ll pass a row of … 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

The best way to see Sihanoukville is by bicycle. Some might argue in favour of motorbikes, but if you want to actually see Sihanoukville and not just keep your eyes on the traffic, cycling is the way to go. Walking is another option, of course, but although relatively low in population, Sihanoukville is large in … read the full post

Cool and breezy Cafe Central occupies the ground floor of a classic cream-coloured colonial building on a commanding corner spot opposite Siem Reap’s Old Market. Set midway between the slow flowing river and one end of the town’s celebrated Pub Street, the location is hard to beat. With shady terrace seating outside, and deep red … read the full post

I should declare my interest first: my husband is the director of the Center for Khmer Studies, a research centre and library in the grounds of Wat Damnak, which makes him the only person I know who gets to go to work along fragrant, frangipani-lined paths, and settle down to his desk in a beautiful, … read the full post

Word was out about Mushroom Point on Otres Beach almost before it opened on Christmas Eve, 2011. At the time, it was the mushroom-themed, thatched-roof architecture that was attracting all the attention. Since then, just about everything about Mushroom Point has been drawing attention — and visitors. When I made a casual enquiry about room … read the full post

There has been no regular train service in Cambodia since at least 2009, and even when there was it didn’t go anywhere near Siem Reap. So how The Station Winebar got its name remains a bit of a mystery. One thing is for sure, though, whether you are on foot, bicycle, moto or tuk tuk, … read the full post

Visitors to Phnom Penh are sometimes surprised at the cost of food, but it’s perfectly possible to eat for $5 — or 20,000 riel — a day if you know where to look. The first trick to cheap meals is to put aside thoughts of familiar nosh and get experimental. A Western breakfast can set you … read the full post

You’re touring around Asia, having a whale of a time I hope, but fancy settling your travel-weary bones down in one place for a little while. It could be time to time out, sit back, breathe and reflect on everything that you’ve seen and experienced so far, the people you’ve met, the highs, and lows, … read the full post