For the last 30 years, Sambo the elephant has been entertaining tourists at Wat Phnom in Phnom Penh. At 51 years of age Sambo is the only living elephant in Phnom Penh. She works seven days a week and now, the Elephant Asia Rescue and Survival Foundation (EARS) say that it’s time for her retirement. … read the full post

A one-stop shop for some of Cambodia’s most exciting contemporary and traditional handicrafts producers, the fourth Angkor Handicraft Fair will take place from January 11 to 15 in Siem Reap. In the river garden lawns in front of the Raffles Grand Hotel d’Angkor, the organisers promise an impressive showcase of Cambodian crafts and a packed … read the full post

It’s not easy to get hold of information about ongoing events in Siem Reap. If you’re lucky your hotel will hold a copy of AsiaLIFE magazine, an excellent guide to what’s hot in Cambodia other than the weather, and they also carry events guides for Phnom Penh and Siem Reap each month. Taking their cue, … read the full post

If you’re looking to get to a taste of the Emerald Isle, Phnom Penh has a few Irish pubs in town to sate you. Other major Asian cities such as Bangkok may be teaming with Irish drinking establishments, but Phnom Penh only has a handful of Irish pubs. None of them serve Guinness draught, although … read the full post

You wouldn’t believe they were hardly here only two years ago. There’s something about night food stalls in Asia that makes you feel you’ve tapped into something ageless, but in Siem Reap the bustling, sizzling, richly aromatic grills are relatively recent additions. For a long time, a sad line of stalls faced Molly Malone’s and … read the full post

Each year the streets of Phnom Penh — a predominantly Buddhist town — have increasingly more Christmas decorations as Cambodians use the day as an excuse to dress their children up like Santa Claus and wish you a Happy Merry Christmas. Here are a few Christmas scenes from Phnom Penh. And if you’re on your … read the full post

Siem Reap is not Ko Pha Ngan. Having grown up around the incredible temples of Angkor, Siem Reap’s offerings are a little more profound than the prospect of getting deliriously trashed and waking up on the beach with a cute stranger and an ominous itch, so it’s no surprise that we won’t necessarily make it … read the full post

One of the most popular breakfasts you’ll find in Cambodia is kuy teav (another, of course, is my much-loved bai sach chrouk). Kuy teav is a simple noodle soup that most urban Cambodians prefer to buy on the street rather than preparing at home. (If you want to make it at home, see Narin Seng … read the full post

Christmas is the height of the tourist season in Siem Reap and when the temples are mobbed, the streets are mobbed, the bars and restaurants are mobbed, it can seem like the only escape from the crowds is in your bed. And sometimes, if you’re lucky, even that’s busy! For those seeking a quieter time … read the full post

It’s not hard to have a Happy Merry Christmas in Phnom Penh. There are lots of things to do in town during the holiday week, or of course, the possibility of an island getaway. If it’s a traditional or not-so-traditional Christmas dinner you’re after, you’ve got lots of choices, from low-budget to posh. Here are … read the full post