So you’d need to have been living under a stone not to have heard about the Round The World competition we’re involved in here at Travelfish.org. It’s a bit of a competition with a difference. Yes, we’re giving away a round the world trip, but we’re not telling you where it goes – you have … read the full post

It seems so natural and harmless, and resistance feels so callous and cruel, to give to the kids that fill the streets of Siem Reap selling books, postcards, flowers and jewellery, or sometimes just begging for money.  They are poor, they’re clearly in need, and they’re so full of fun and banter that it’s impossible … read the full post

With direct flights going from Phnom Penh to Vientiane on Lao Airlines (code-shared with Vietnam Airlines), you can go directly to Laos by air or by land. For many, there’s the option of getting a visa on arrival at Vientiane’s Wattay international airport or at the Veun Kham/Dom Kralor crossing, but if you’d prefer to … read the full post

Many visitors come to Phnom Penh with the intention of staying for a month or three for volunteer work, fellowships or other programmes that require a medium-to-long-term stay. Others come for a short visit and fall in love and decide to stick around for a while. Because the Cambodia visa situation is very permissive, it’s … read the full post

If you’re only in Siem Reap for a few short and no doubt busy days, it might be difficult to get out and see some of the beautiful Khmer countryside.  Indeed, even if you’re here for a little longer, there’s enough to fill your time, what with temples, cooking classes, and massages, that can conspire … read the full post

As the name suggests, Garden of Desire is a place in which to set your heart free. It is also a window into the mind of Ly Piseth, the designer who came back to Cambodia in 2007 in order to restore his own soul. Along the way, he has tapped into a creative seam that … read the full post

It seems fatuous to say it, largely because it is fatuous to say it, but the best advice for health care in Siem Reap is don’t get sick in the first place. Don’t go gnawing on irregular shaped pieces of ice that look like they’ve been chipped or shaved off a very large block, approach … read the full post

There’s something so attractive about pub quizzes: here’s an opportunity to enjoy a few beers with friends adjoined to the very exciting possibility of being able to show off your arcane knowledge of ’80s pop music or South American butterfly genera.  The competitive edge adds a certain frisson to the evening while everyone knows that … read the full post

One of the great pleasures of enduring the weather in Cambodia — those 35 degree afternoons one after the other — is sitting down in the shade with an enormous, sickly-sweet iced coffee. Here’s how they roast coffee in Phnom Penh: until it’s black, and usually with a big scoop of rendered pork fat or … read the full post

At the physical heart of Cambodia, an immense body of water is the soul of the nation.  The great Tonle Sap lake not only sustains Cambodian stomachs, with its harvest accounting for more than 50% of Cambodia’s protein intake, it is also a source of immense national pride. Its uniqueness lies in events that take … read the full post