AsiaLIFE Cambodia December 2013

122013 ISSUE84

International Relations

www.asialifemagazine.com

note from the editor AsiaLIFE Group Group Editor-in-Chief / Director Cambodia: Mark Bibby Jackson mark@asialife.asia

Group Director Sales & Marketing / Director Vietnam: Jonny Edbrooke jonny@asialife.asia

Managing Editor Cambodia: Ellie Dyer ellie@asialife.asia

Director Thailand: Nattamon Limthanachai (Oh) oh@asialife.asia

Associate Editor: Marissa Carruthers

Art Director Cambodia: Hilary Fastier

Editorial Assistant: Joanna Mayhew

Photographers: Charles Fox & Conor Wall

Editor-at-Large Cambodia: Mai Lynn Miller Nguyen

Sales Director Cambodia: Sorn Chantha chantha@asialife.asia sornchantha@yahoo.com

Siem Reap: Joanna Wolfarth

Ellie Dyer Love is blind, or so Shakespeare’s famous saying goes.

But once the blinkers are off, the honeymoon period is over and a loving long-term relationship under way, the rollercoaster ride begins.

Every couple has its challenges to navigate, from meeting the parents, to deciding when to share a home, to dealing with your loved one’s perhaps less-thansavoury personal habits, to bringing up children.

But another aspect is getting to know each other inside out, and understanding how your other half (and their family) thinks and what beliefs and traditions are important to them.

This can be a surprising journey wherever you hail from, but for those lovers who are born into completely different cultures, it may be even more so.

In Cambodia, where people from all over the world come to live, work and fall in love, it’s an experience that many people navigate successfully, while meeting challenges such as cultural stereotypes or conflicting social norms with aplomb.

This month, Marissa Carutthers has interviewed several lovebirds to share their experiences, and perhaps demonstrate how love, with a healthy splash of compromise and understanding, conquers all.

Elsewhere in the magazine, we’ve got a diverse range of stories to pique your interest. If you’re not getting on with your partner, why not vent your frustration with a sword fight? We’ve interviewed one of Cambodia’s leading fencing enthusiasts who told us more about the elegant sport’s history.

I’ve also been travelling around the country, with some unusual results. Our culinary story this month explores a new cricket farm in Kep, where two Frenchmen are thinking outside the box when it comes to insect-laden protein-rich snacks. Though I'm not traditionally an insect lover, their buttery cricket cookies have converted me to the cause.

The entire AsiaLIFE team has also been pacing the streets of Phnom Penh in order to take some of the legwork out of your Christmas. We’ve sourced a range of presents for our end of year gift guide that, whether you celebrate the festival or not, should put a smile on the face of someone close to your heart.

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Sales and Accounts: Seang Seiha 012 581 455

Distribution: Sorn Chandara 096 9999 351 Printing: Sok Heng Printing House

Accountant: Seang Satya

For advertising enquiries call Chantha on 012 576 878.

Special thanks to: Darren Gall, Gemma Mullen, Daniel Tranchant, Paul Dodd, Amanda Saxton, Anna Spelman, David Preece and Cambodia Restaurant Association – for their contribution to this issue.

On the Cover Photography & Illustrations: Conor Wall Art Direction: Hilary Fastier AsiaLIFE is a registered trademark.

No content may be reproduced in any form without prior authorisation of the owners. © 360º Media.

Next time you're in Vietnam, check out the latest issue of AsiaLIFE or download it from www.asialifemagazine.com

122013 ISSUE84

14 Picks of the Month

front

16 Openings

getaway

42 Plain of Jars

food

46 The Cricket Kitchen

44 Airport Insider

20 Dispatches 22 Phnom Penh Calendar 24 Photo Essay 28 Q&A: Sok Ang

on the cover

30 International Relations

storyboard

36 Love and Marriage 38 Russian Market Rising

49 Fox Wine Bistro

style & design

50 Behind the Design

back

57 Listings

40 A Golden Future

28 49 6 asialife Cambodia

48 The Lost Room

52 Christmas in Cambodia

96 Phnom Penh Map 104 Pub Quiz

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Dec 2013

Sunny Future for Rescued Bears

A state-of-the-art $100,000 bear quarantine area and cub nursery opened at Phnom Tamao Wildlife Rescue Centre on Nov. 23. The facilities will provide a safe home for up to 10 adult bears and numerous cubs in a private area of the park. Non-profit conservation fund Free The Bears educational programmes are also being strengthened, thanks to a new classroom and education centre now open at the park.

Free The Bears founder Mary Hutton, who visited Phnom Tamao last month, says, “The development of these new facilities will support long-term conservation of sun bears and moon bears in Cambodia by building awareness amongst the Cambodian public on the need to protect bears and their habitats, whilst supporting wildlife law enforcement efforts aimed at eliminating the illegal wildlife trade in the Kingdom.” Sun and moon bears are victims of the illegal poaching in Cambodia and their bile is highly valued in traditional Asian medicine.

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Hydroelectric Power Film Launched

A short film called Hydropower Impacts and Alternatives, focusing on the potential effects of dams planned for Cambodia’s 3S River Basin, has premiered in Phnom Penh. Produced by the NGO Conservation International and filmmaker Allan Michaud, the film highlights the role of the Sekong, Srepok, and Sesan

(3S) rivers as critical tributaries to the Lower Mekong. The tributaries are major routes for migrating fish and provide water and sediment flows to the downstream floodplains of the Tonle Sap. The film investigates rapid hydropower development and how this is altering the eco-system. Dr Tracy Farrell, senior technical director of CI-Cambodia, who appeared in the film, says, “This film recognises the critical importance of this river system for its energy provision potential, as well as the fish migration, sediment and water flows that nourish critical eco-systems and feed Cambodia’s people.”

For more information or to watch the film, visit: cambodiahydropower. weebly.com/.

Local Artists Showcased in New York Cambodian artists are being showcased at an exhibition at the Jewish Museum in New York. Film and video works

from 25 countries are being shown as part of the museum’s Sights and Sounds: Global Film and Video project. The first offering of the series, on show in the American city until Jan. 30, features four works

by Cambodia-based artists: Thok San’s Negligence Leads to Loss, Attention Preserves, a film by Studio Revolt + Khmer Arts that explores displacement, Khvay Samnang’s work set around Beoung Kak lake, and Svay Sareth’s film Mon Boulet. Artwork from Bolivia, Peru and Romania are set to follow in early 2014.

New Look at Popular Gym

The Place fitness centre on Street 51 has been refurbished, with new gym equipment introduced and extensive changes made to its interior and pool area, including air conditioning to provide a cooling environment in anticipation of the hot season. A new and larger studio has been added to host classes, and new ergonomic designed machines — some complete with TV, Internet and smart phone docking stations — placed in house. For more information, visit theplace-gym.com.

Literacy Project Takes Off

Cambodia Airports and Sipar NGO have partnered up in the fight against illiteracy to publish a picture book that celebrates vehicles, from bicycles to boats and planes. A total of 3,000 copies are being released, allowing toddlers to discover the world of vehicles in both Khmer and English.

The book is part of a collection of bilingual picture books published by Sipar, which uses vibrant colours, and simple and realistic drawings to help learning. The NGO has also helped implement a reading and recreational corner and a mobile library project at the National Paediatric Hospital in Phnom Penh.

Youths Compete in Regional Competition

A total of 185 students and coaches from eight regional international schools competed in two major sports tournaments in Phnom Penh last month as part of a Mekong River International Schools Association event. Senior boys and girls played in a volleyball tournament, spending two days battling for a championship medal. Cambodia’s International School of Phnom Penh (ISPP) swept both divisions, winning first place for the boys and girls. Juniors also fought for victory, with ISPP winning out for the boys and the United Nations International School Hanoi (UNIS) claiming victory for the girls. asialife Cambodia 9

Dec 2013

Expat Help

A new relocation company catering to expats has been launched. Expat2cambodia aims to help foreigners settle in Phnom Penh, by using the knowledge and networks of Sophie Mensdorff-Pouilly and Sophie Chabanon-Pouget, who will provide personal assistance to those moving to the city. The company aims to help corporate and private clients alike with pre-arrival support, destination services and ongoing assistance, delivered in the client’s language.

Visit expat2cambodia.com.

Student Nominated for International Prize A 13-year-old student from Prey Veng province jetted to The Netherlands last month

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after being nominated for an international video award. Chhun Sopheaktra, who is in grade eight, was one of 15 finalists in a competition to make the best one-minute video. His film, Liquid Changes Life, was made after a workshop held last year by UNICEF and Save The Children, which taught teenagers how to develop stories, direct, shoot and edit videos about their lives. Sopheaktra’s father Chhun Hay, who accompanied him to the awards said, “I am very happy because he is not only representing children in Prey Veng, but also all Cambodian children.”

Sopheaktra said he would share his experience in Amsterdam with his friends in Peam Ro commune’s Children’s Club.

Forensic Training

A French expert provided 63 members of Phnom Penh’s Royal Gendarmerie with forensic training last month, following a series of high profile cases involving both Cambodian and foreign victims. During the four-day training session, participants learnt how to collect necessary evidence from crime scenes, through

finger print analysis and tests, and also conducted a series of practical exercises using modern equipment. France also donated $34,000-worth of top equipment to help perform forensic investigations and analysis in 24 provinces. It is hoped that the measures will contribute to more effective investigations in future criminal cases, a French Embassy statement said.

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Dec 2013

Dreams of Wellness

Navutu Dreams Resort and Spa, an oasis of tranquility on the outskirts of Siem Reap,

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is on its way to becoming the first four-star wellness retreat in Cambodia. Now offering holistic treatments, such as cupping and acupuncture, as well as daily yoga classes, the resort is working with world-renowned yoga practitioner Francois Chaillou to devise one- to three-day detox retreats. Navutu is also launching a new organic food menu, with healthy options and detox drinks.

Yoga classes, treatments

the developing world have to books in their native languages. It has developed 50 translatable books that can be downloaded free of charge. “We hope to print a run of the first book in Khmer next month and the full series should be finished and distributed in time for the next Cambodian school year,” says executive director Michael Jones. “The kinds of learning experiences we take for granted back home — learning about far away plants, animals, and peoples — will now be available in classrooms all over Cambodia.” For more information, visit indiegogo.com/ projects/literacy-for-anywhere. © Jérémie Lusseau

The French volunteering agency, France Volontaires, is hosting a photography exhibition to highlight the work of international volunteers in Cambodia, Vietnam, India, Senegal, Benin, Morocco and Peru. The exhibition takes place at the recently opened Kaya Spa and Café, which is part of the Senteurs d’Angkor empire and focuses on Khmer desserts and locally-made produce. Kaya Spa and Café can be found near the Old Market and the show runs until Dec. 15.

© Jérémie Lusseau

Volunteer Photo Show

and workshops are open to all. More information can be found at navutudreams.com.

Literacy for Anywhere

Siem-Reap based NGO Open Free Equal launched an exciting new educational initiative last month. The Literacy for Anywhere project addresses the limited access that children in

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picks of the month Try: Salsa

See: Urban Street Night Club

Get into the groove at The Groove on Street 282, where salsa lessons for beginners are being held every Tuesday from 8pm to 9pm for $5.

For intermediates, lessons in the dance form — seen by enthusiasts as an expression of love, joy and freedom — run at The Latin Quarter on Street 19 from 8.30pm on Fridays. Classes cost $12 per person and are taught by Olga Lazareva and Artemiy Lysykh. For more information, visit salsaphnompenh.com.

Artist Lim Sokchanlina began to photograph Cambodia’s fences to show the physical and psychological barometers of urban change. For his new Sa Sa Bassac exhibition, Urban Street Night Club, Lim approaches the latest fencing trend, which has seen barricades transformed into scripted urban spaces.

Video and photographs fixate on idealised images of Cambodia displayed on a kilometre-long bend in Phnom Penh. The exhibition also features a large metal fence in a room filled with lively street sounds and hypnotically throbbing colour. The show closes on Jan. 11 and runs at the Sothearos Boulevard gallery from Tuesday to Saturday, 10am to 6pm.

Enjoy: An Epic Pantomime The tinsel is out and that can mean only one thing — pantomime season. Amateur theatre group The Phnom Penh Players is bringing on the festive season in style with a traditional comedic Christmas play featuring a unique twist.

This year’s production is inspired by Greek mythology and a hero, a villain, a hag, nymphs, witches and even a kitchen sink are set to grace the stage of the Russian Cultural Centre on Dec. 6 and Dec. 7.

Tickets cost $10 and are available now from the Willow hotel, Divine Ribs & Pizza and The Flicks.

Surf: Whenparentstext.com When you need a quick chuckle, who is easier to laugh at than parents? Users of the whenparentstext.com website — boasting the tagline “small keypad, old hands” — upload brief, funny conversations that they have had with their parents via SMS and add a title. For instance, in the post titled “It’s Our Party” there’s just one text from someone’s dad that reads: “Thank you for turning out to be a much better daughter than Miley Cyrus.”

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Watch: Downton Abbey Julian Fellowes’ period drama Downton Abbey has been attracting worldwide praise with its rip-roaring, upstairsdownstairs drama for four seasons. The award-winning period drama centres on an aristocratic family, the Crawleys, and their servants in early 20th-century Britain as the household adapts to an era of rapid social change. From romance to crime, death and deception, the show’s twists and turns are highly addictive, as are the witty oneliners provided by Dame Maggie Smith, playing the Dowager Duchess of Grantham.

MUM: The house down the street got busted for a meth lab. There is caution tape and it is quarantined and everything.

ME: That is crazy! Do you know the people?

MUM: No, but they didn’t water their lawn so I was not surprised.

Christmas Decorations Christmas is coming, the goose is getting fat, so what better time to get festive as tinsel, fake trees and blow-up Santas abound in the capital’s stationary shops.

Jetman Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, it’s Jetman — aka Swiss adventurer Yves Rossy, who has been flying around Japan’s Mount Fuji wearing a jet-pack.

Zaha Hadid Famed architect set to collaborate on Cambodia's planned Sleuk Rith genocide studies institute.

Dengue Fever Iconic LA-based band release their first new music in more than two years with the Girl from the North EP. The Olympic Torch Russian cosmonauts take the torch on a spacewalk prior to the 2014 Winter Olympics, though it remained unlit due to safety concerns.

GOING UP GOING DOWN Elephants Poachers suspected after three wild Asian elephants are found dead in Mondulkiri province.

Business Ease Cambodia drops two places in the World Bank’s annual Doing Business report to 137th out of 289 countries, ranking near the bottom for ease of starting a business.

The Climate Cambodia named as one of the top 10 countries most vulnerable to climate change.

Mumps One million Cambodian children are vaccinated against mumps and rubella as part of a new immunisation campaign.

Moustaches With “movember” done and dusted, women everywhere breathe a sigh of relief — yes, it’s time to shave off the lip ticklers.

openings Old Chums

Cabaret Combining music with fine dining and carefully concocted drinks is what Cabaret is all about. Add a spacious building boasting a courtyard, brick archways and an abundance of seating, and you’re onto a winner. The venue near Central Market oozes style with terracotta tiles set alongside dark wood and a blend of Chinese, Vietnamese and French furnishings.

The menu has a French flavour thanks to oeufs en meurette ($5), lobster ($18) and terrine de foie gras ($12), with a few Asian dishes thrown in — look out for the pineapple fried rice served inside the fruit ($8). Cocktails cost $5, with champagne cocktails at $11. Live music is performed three times a week, with Latino on Tuesday nights, jazz on Thursdays and a mix of upbeat songs on a Friday.

159 Street 154, Phnom Penh. Tel: 092 650 980. Open Tuesday to Sunday from 10am to 11.30pm.

Colour Nation

Nail Holic

Designer nails are the order of the day at Nail Holic in Tuol Kork. With all products sourced from South Korea, the salon boasts a specialist nail art designer. If customers feel like getting creative, they can also craft special designs. Offering manicures, pedicures and foot spas by technicians who speak English, Khmer and Korean, the salon has a clean and modern design. Delicate wooden panels and wicker chairs give it a relaxing, natural feel. The salon is offering a loyalty card to clients, who receive one stamp for every $10 spent. Once 10 stamps are received they will be entitled to a free $10 treatment. There is also parking space for cars and motorbikes.

93 Street 592, Phnom Penh. Tel: 012 357 887. Open daily from 8am to 6pm.

Arabian Nights

Petra Authenticity and originality top the menu at Petra Restaurant. Jordanian owner Hanin Bustami has lovingly designed every inch of the beautiful three-floor restaurant, from the art depicting scenes of camels in the desert to the costume corner where guests can dress up as a Prince or Princess of Arabia. Adding to the authenticity, staff members wear traditional costumes and the breezy rooftop terrace serves shishas straight from Egypt. The menu offers a mix of Mediterranean and Middle Eastern dishes, with appetisers starting at $4 and mains $10, ranging from mashaui mushakkal to cold and hot mezze platters. Petra also boasts a signature drink called karkadeh ($3), a fragrant iced juice made from dried Egyptian flowers.

8 Street 288, Phnom Penh. Tel: 023 666 3222. Open daily from 11am to 11pm.

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Vintage Cartography

Estampe

Walking into Estampe is like stepping back into retro Indochina.

After more than a decade of collecting vintage maps, movie posters, magazines and photographs, Lien Bouvet’s collection has become so big that she has decided to share it by setting up a super-stylish vintage store in the heart of Phnom Penh. Maps dating back to 1905 hang next to 1960s photos of the city and framed vintage film posters.

Original editions of Le Petit Journal, including one dating back to 1906 when King Sisowath visited Paris, sit on antique tables beneath paintings by Bouvet that celebrate the Sangkum era. Smaller items for sale include notepads, posters, postcards and key rings. Prices range from $2 for a fridge magnet up to $500 for a 1920s map. Bouvet is also available for commissions.

72c Street 174, Phnom Penh. Tel: 012 826 186. Open Monday to Saturday from 10am to 7pm.

Evening Dining

The Shop (Central Mansions) Daytime favourite The Shop is entering into new territory with its latest venture. Opened in the luxurious Central Mansion complex, general manager Griet Lorre is keeping the venue’s doors open well into the evening, while offering up a range of fine wines, cocktails and beers to accompany a new supper menu. Serving pastries and light bites during the day, the restaurant will serve mains, including sea bass with vegetable broth ($12) and steak tenderloin ($14), later on. “In the evening we change the atmosphere by dimming the lights and creating more of a place to relax with good food and drinks,” says Lorre. Customers also have access to the nearby swimming pool, making it the perfect place for families.

1B Street 102, Phnom Penh. Tel: 077 666 115. Open daily from 6.30am to 10.30pm.

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Belly Laughs

Hahahoho Board Game Cafe

There’ll never be a dull moment at the latest café concept to hit Phnom Penh. Hahahoho Board Games Cafe contains 40 board games, including all-time favourites like Monopoly and chess to lesserknown games such as Shocking Liar and Halli Galli. Wanting to lure kids away from their smart phones, Korean owner Kam Young Hwa has coupled coffee and Korean snacks with games. The venue also comes complete with a losers’ corner containing wigs, masks and hats for the unsuccessful to wear. “I want everyone to have fun and make memories here,” says Kam. Dishes include ramen noodles with homemade kimchi ($2.50) and pork cutlet ($4). It costs $3 per hour to play games.

74 Street 456, Phnom Penh. Tel: 096 73 72 955. Open daily from 11am to 9pm.

New Methods

Immanuel Bicom True Healing Sanctuary

Pioneering technology shipped from Europe could help combat illness, bad health and allergies. Immanuel Bicom True Healing Sanctuary is the country’s only centre to use high-tech German equipment to provide therapy without the use of medication or surgery. Using machinery that scans the body and brain, the technology is said to calculate imbalances in your body, such as bacteria in your blood cells or strain on your joints. After two years researching and training in Germany, managing director Helena Kun Lim and her team of specialists are providing services to private patients, as well as training Phnom Penh doctors in the technology.

16B Street 302, Phnom Penh. Tel: 023 996 135. Open Monday to Saturday from 8.30am to 8pm.

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DISPATCHES

Travel news from around the region and beyond

Countdown in Tokyo

Palace Hotel Tokyo has a New Year’s package chockfull of culture and world-class entertainment. New Year’s Eve begins with a traditional toshikoshi soba noodle tasting, followed by a buffet dinner and a grandiose countdown cocktail party. On New Year’s Day, Japan’s top magician Kyoko, juggling masters the Kikyo Brothers and kendama extraordinaire Yusuke Ito will dazzle guests with performances. Instrumentalist Gayo Nakagaki will end the evening with a special dinner concert. There is a minimum two- or three-night stay at the hotel from Dec. 21 to Jan. 3.

Body, Mind and Soul

New Zealand’s Hilton Queenstown Resort & Spa is running a ‘Relax at the Resort’ package that starts off with a champagne breakfast for two. From there, settle into Eforea Spa’s Purifying Body Experience Package that includes body exfoliation using crushed walnuts and kiwi fruit followed by a mud wrap and a scalp and body massage. Enjoy 15 percent off all additional spa treatments during a two-night stay. Afterwards, treat your palette to a wholesome three-course meal at the resort’s renowned Wakatipu Grill. The spa package costs $990, book at Hilton.com.

Five Days of Film

The Luang Prabang Film Festival in Laos will feature some of the most talked-about Southeast Asian films from Dec. 7 to Dec. 11. A total of 28 films from 10 countries will show in three venues: Project Space art gallery, the Amantaka five-star resort, and an outdoor cinema in Luang Prabang’s handicraft night market. As a UNESCO world heritage site, Luang Prabang makes an elegant backdrop for spotlighting poignant films like A River Changes Course, which follows three youths struggling to adapt to modern-day Cambodia.

Screenings are free and open to the public. Lpfilmfest.org.

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Have an event coming up?

Send information and dates to maris.carruthers@gmail.com

CALENDAR PHNOM PENH dec

The last session of 2013 for Drink and Draw at Baitong Restaurant on Street 360 from 5pm to 7pm. Life drawing and a free drink is included for $5 per person. Register on Facebook or by emailing ddcambodia@gmail.com.

dec

Fondamentus Dream Event concerts at Angkor Wat Temple, Siem Reap, from 6.30pm to 8pm. Visit fondamentus.org for more information.

01 05 06 dec

06 dec

06 07 dec

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DMC champion DJ RED-I and DJ Soulflower from the Philippines at Pontoon nightclub’s hip-hop reggae night on Street 172.

dec

Christmas Nights on Street 240. Festivities run until 10pm and include a dragon dance, face painting, a clown and a chocolate fountain.

dec

France’s DJ M-1plays Pontoon nightclub in an electro dub-step/ trap hiphop night.

dec

Phare, the Cambodian Circus, performs ‘Yuletide Chills’ in the big top tent in Siem Reap. See PhareCambodianCircus. org for more details.

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dec

First Friday Party at the Eighyt8 guesthouse at 98 Street 88 from 9pm, with DJ Bree, B-boy Peanut and Cyncity. $2 cocktails all night.

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The Phnom Penh Players present The Epic Pantomime at the Russian Cultural Centre on Street 222.

Performances held at 7.30pm on Dec. 6, and at 2pm and 7.30pm on Dec. 7. Tickets on sale at Divine Pizza & Ribs, The Willow Boutique Hotel, Garden Café and Bar, and The Flicks.

PSE’s Cambodian Cuisine Festival at the Cambodian Cultural Village in Siem Reap from 5pm to midnight.

Tickets $4 on the door and $3.50 in advance.

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Textiles company basik 855 presents Warped Traditions at Artillery Café on Street 2401/2 from 7pm.

The session will explain how the brand moves from conceptualisation, trend forecasting and colour testing to final designs. A pop-up shop will also be launched.

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dec

13

Jahzad play Equinox on Street 278 from 9pm.

The band mixes Jamaican ska with popular jazz and features a saxophone, trombone, guitar, double bass and drums.

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20 Seven-course set menu at Topaz restaurant on Norodom Boulevard for $70, $125 with champagne.

A triple-bill dance performance, called Aspects, by the Central School of Ballet will be held at the capital’s Department of Performing Arts from 7pm.

Tickets cost $9.

dec

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Christmas Day brunch at La Couple restaurant, Sofitel Phnom Penh, $79 with unlimited drinks, $99 with unlimited champagne.

Traditional turkey roast at Paddy Rice on riverside, $19.50 for two courses and $22.50 for three including a glass of wine.

The Cambodian Space Project plays Equinox on Street 278 from 9pm.

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Siem Reap’s Sok San Street Festival runs from midday to 10pm. Expect art workshops, a ‘Bling your Wheels Parade’, live music and face painting.

New Year’s bash at Pontoon nightclub in Phnom Penh with DJ Illest and guests, sponsored by Stoli Vodka.

The Cambodian Space Project and dance performances at Himawari Hotel from 6.30pm, tickets $70.

Pool party at Sofitel Phnom Penh with an international guest DJ, $30 entry.

EVERY MONDAY

Mad Monday at The Empire, 6pm • Yoga at Yoga Phnom Penh.

Sweat and Samadhi at 8am, Slow Flow at 12.15pm and Deep Flow at 5.45pm. See yogaphnompenh.com

EVERY TUESDAY

Swing dancing at Doors with lindy-hop specialist Janice Wilson from 7pm. Classes are $3 or $25 for 10 lessons • Beginner salsa lessons at The Groove on Street 282 from 8pm to 9pm, $5 per person • Latino Time at Cabaret on Street 154 at 6.30pm

EVERY WEDNESDAY

Latin Fever at The Latin Quarter • Trivia in the garden at The Willow, $2 entry and 7.30pm start • Salsa with DJ Jimmy at Equinox on Street 278 • Acoustic music at Kep’s Sailing Club by guitarist Mr Rya from 6pm to 9pm

EVERY THURSDAY

Open Mic at Paddy Rice Irish Sports Bar • Art House Sessions at 8.30pm at The Flicks Community Movie House. Enjoy the secret treasures of the big screen for $3.50 • Steak Night at The Empire. Weekly special at a big discount • Women’s Night at The Riverhouse • Movie nights on the beach at Kep’s Sailing Club from 7pm • All About Jazz at Cabaret from 7pm, wine and beer happy hour from 5.30pm to 7.30pm.

EVERY FRIDAY

Special happy hatha yoga classes at Yoga Phnom Penh, 5.45pm discounted happy hour class • Seafood Haven at Korean Grill restaurant, NagaWorld, from 5.30pm to 10pm. $20 per person excluding beer, $30 per person including free flow draft beer. Tel: 023 22 88 22, www.nagaworld.com • Rhymn sessions at Doors from 9.30pm • Intermediate salsa lessons ($12) and a dance party at The Latin Quarter on Street 19 from 8.30pm.

EVERY SATURDAY

Cine Saturday at the Bophana Center, 64 Street 200, at 4pm • Art classes for both children and adults at Romeet Gallery on Street 178, costing $8.50 per session or $65 for 10. All material is provsided.

Register interest with Sreymao at romeetgallery@gmail.com or by calling 077 55 07 59

EVERY SUNDAY

Escape at the InterContinental hotel’s Regency Café from 11.30am to 3pm. Free-flow wine at $36 plus taxes per person • Morning meditation with Beth Goldring, a zen Buddhist nun teacher. Sessions held in a private home close to the national museum, all religions welcome. yogaphnompenh.com • Phnom Penh Hash House Harriers’ run. Meet at 2.15pm at the railway station

EVERY DAY

Yoga classes at Yoga Phnom Penh, close to BKK market. For information visit yogaphnompenh.com or enquire at 012 739 419 • Daily four-hour photography tours with Michael Klinkhamer. Starts at FCC, 363 Sisowath Quay, at 1.30pm. $35 per person (for groups of less than four people add $10pp). Call 060 873 847 or visit klinkphoto.com

EVERY WEEKDAY

High tea at Public House on Street 204½, 3pm to 5.30pm. Scones, finger sandwiches, sweets and tea. $9pp for high tea, $14 with a glass of sparkling wine, $30pp with a bottle, $50 with a bottle of champagne.

Book for a min. of two guests at least one day in advance 017 770 754

EVERY MONDAY TO SATURDAY

Cultural performance at the National Museum at 7pm. Adult tickets are $15, with discounts for advance puchases. For booking and information call 017 998 570 or email events@cambodianlivingarts.org

EVERY WEEKEND

Fishing trips on the Tonle Sap river from 3.30pm to 6.30pm. For more information, visit fishinginphnompenh.wordpress.com or email fishingboattrip@yahoo.com • Kids Sessions at 2pm at The Flicks Community Movie House. $3.50 for adults, $2 for under 18 • Weekend brunch at Public House on Street 240½, from 10.30am to 2pm. $25 per person including bellinis or bloody Marys, $15 per person if you’re on the wagon. Book in advance: 017 770 754 asialife Cambodia 23

"The Pink Choice" Š Maika Elan, all rights reserved

PHOTO ESSAY

PHOTO PHNOM PENH

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Phnom Penh becomes a photo lovers' paradise in December when the annual photo festival graces venues around town, including barges on the Tonle Sap. Featured artists include Maika Elan at Romeet Gallery, Peter Steinhauer at RUFA (Royal University of Fine Arts), Lim Mengkong at Java Arts CafĂŠ & Gallery and Dom Wasiksiri at Central Market, among other local and international photographers.

For more information visit institutfrancais-cambodge.com.

"Hong Kong - Surface Unseen 1" Š Peter Steinhauer, all rights reserved

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"Pre-wedding" Š Lim Mengkong, all rights reserved

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"Tatoo Artist" Š Dom Wasiksiri, all rights reserved

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Sok Ang So, Cambodia has fencing?

Yes. A normal response is like you, that, oh, I’m surprised there’s fencing in Cambodia now. We have five clubs, four coaches, and more than 25 fencers in Phnom Penh. This year we organised a national championship — the first for us.

How long has fencing been in Cambodia?

Fencing in Cambodia has two different periods. One happened before the Khmer Rouge regime, from 1960 to 1970. We used to have a federation during that time, and we won some medals.

We’ve tried to learn more about that time, but it’s somewhat of a blank period for us. We know it was very popular. If you ask anyone in my parents’ generation, they all know about fencing, by the French term, escrime.

In 2006, our FFC vice president, along with some former Cambodian fencers, applied to be affiliated with the International Fencing Federation (FIE). Fencing is an Olympic sport, and there was a push to promote all Olympic sports in Cambodia. So they used this chance to establish the federation and try to promote the sport.

What do most people not know about fencing?

It’s the smartest and fastest sport of any sport. Fencing is amazing because amongst the martial arts, it is the most psychological. In fencing the most important training is mental and tactical. They have to concentrate and try to focus on the target.

It’s also very modern. I can say that fencing is the most modern sport in the world.

They have wireless sensors and electronic jackets. At the end of the sword, there is one button, and when the button hits the body, it signals the scoring board. In boxing, as far as I know, they will playback to x4 or x8 speed.

For fencing, replays are at x16 speed. It’s super slow to see the movement of the sword.

How did you first become interested in fencing?

Honestly, I used to be a gangster. When I was 16 years old, I joined a group that fought with other students. We would go and fight, and I started to feel that it’s not cool, that it’s not a good idea to go with them.

I wanted to change my ways.

I saw fencing in a Cambodian newspaper in 2006. I said to myself: “If I can spend time going with them, why not spend time training in martial arts? At least you can be famous rather than having others blame you.”

I thought it was a cool idea.

But my parents didn’t allow it.

The first six months I just went without telling them. I’ve been fencing ever since. I like to fight; so I still keep fighting, but now in a good way.

What are the benefits of fencing?

First, fencing is a creative sport, because we teach you only eight movements and then we allow you to create your style of fencing. Second, fencing is relationship building, especially

As an avid advocate of fencing, Sok Ang is part of a small but growing movement fighting for the sport’s place in the country. The Deputy Secretary General of the Fencing Federation of Cambodia (FFC) and owner of the capital’s Hysa Fencing Club speaks to Joanna Mayhew. Photograph by Conor Wall. between you and your coach.

It’s like a parent and child, because the coach will give a lot of theory to their student.

Fencing is also very good practice for you to be a good decision maker. There is one button at the end of the sword, so you have to decide suddenly if this movement will achieve your goal. If not, what is your next move? It will help you make decisions.

How do you promote fencing, and what are the constraints?

To promote fencing in Cambodia, I have to start with the kids. I think the best way is to go to international schools first, because equipment is very expensive for public schools. After the national championship, I spread information through newspapers, and a lot of people now know about fencing. But we don’t have enough coaches or equipment for them. It’s very hard to get funds to support the federation. We receive equipment from the FIE and some funds for competitions abroad. I am trying to look for donors, so our next generation will know and understand the sport.

How does the Cambodian federation compare to others in the region?

In Southeast Asia, all countries except Laos and Timer Leste already have fencing. Myanmar and Cambodia are the youngest countries to start fencing.

Cambodia used to have fencing, of course, but for the new generation we are the youngest.

Even though we have no donors

or support from the local community or government, we are moving fast. We got a bronze medal for the Southeast region in January, which is a good result for us. So I feel that the fencing in Cambodia is going quite fast for us. It’s still small. But I’m happy that a lot of people now have awareness of fencing.

What’s up next for the sport in Cambodia?

We are trying to document the history of fencing in Cambodia, and we are trying to translate the terminology of fencing into Khmer. The IFF has one official language, French, for the competitions, but a lot of countries try to translate into their own language. We are trying to create Khmer fencing rather than develop the Western fencing in Cambodia.

I believe that next year we will hit our target to have at least 75 fencers and 10 clubs.

And maybe people living in Siem Reap or Sihanoukville, not only in Phnom Penh, will know about fencing. Getting medals from the international competition is not too important for us. Sure, the medals are some part of my goal. But to make people aware that fencing is a fun, healthy and helpful sport for them in their personal development is really what my goal is.

Hysa Fencing Club offers lessons three days a week, plus an open house on Saturdays. 35BEo Street 298, Phnom Penh. Tel: 015 916 646.

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International Relations

Every day, cross-cultural couples in Cambodia decide how to fuse their differing customs and beliefs.

Marissa Carruthers finds out about more about the unique challenges that such partners face and how they can be overcome.

Photography by Conor Wall.

“Sometimes, when we have relatives round, I have to pull him back,” Ly Moniroath says, flashing her husband an affectionate gaze across the table.

“At times, her family don’t appreciate my abruptness, but that’s the Western way,” adds her other half, 42-year-old Brit Alex Hales.

On the day of their second wedding anniversary, celebrated with a trip to the cinema, the couple describes the endless mishaps that arise because of their different backgrounds. Take the time when Alex raised his eyebrows in reaction to an amusing story told by his motherin-law.

“She thought that was very disrespectful, because it’s seen as suggestive in Cambodia. I had to explain it’s different in the West,” 30-year-old Moni says with a laugh.

Such misunderstandings can be common in relationships where individuals have differing upbringings, expectations and social scripts. According to UK-trained clinical psychologist Dr Ken Carswell, this adds an extra level of complexity within a relationship to navigate.

“The power of cultural beliefs and expectations in guiding our thinking and behaviour means that it may make this difficult, as there is the added pressure of what society thinks and says should happen,” he says.

But with Cambodia a melting pot of nationalities and cultures, many are choosing to embark on not just longterm relationships but also long-term considerations of how to meld their backgrounds and beliefs with those of their partner.

Dating The Family

Thanks to traditionally close family networks, dating in Asia can often mean forging a relationship with more than your love interest, and it can be vital that the relative relationship works.

Couple that with concepts of arranged marriage and traditional ideas of a woman’s role in society — Cbpab Srei, a 19th century Cambodian law for women that dictated females shouldn’t walk too loudly or risk sounding like lightening, was taught in schools as late as the 1950s and 60s — and the dating game can, for foreigners, be a vastly different playing field.

Australian Joe Phelan and his Khmer wife Sat Sokan met while working at ANZ Royal bank in August 2011. They got engaged last Christmas Eve and were due to get married just weeks after being interviewed by AsiaLIFE. “If I was living at home it might be a different story,” says Kan, who moved from Siem Reap to the capital three years ago, glancing shyly at her partner. “My mum is strict and thinks girls shouldn’t go out by themselves at night.”

In today's world, however, many parents accept that a new generation does things differently.

For headstrong Kan, who told her family she did not want to follow in the footsteps of her younger sister’s arranged marriage, her mother was understanding, and it didn’t take long for Joe to be accepted into the family fold.

The relationship grew stronger through regular visits to relatives in Siem Reap and Kan’s mother and sister coming to stay in Phnom Penh. asialife Cambodia 31

But in any new partnership there are hurdles to cross, including battling cultural stereotypes and dealing with pressure from eager parents wanting their children to tie the knot.

“I remember we’d been on two dates,” says 31-year-old hotel worker Stan Mackleston of the initial relationship with his wife Samean, who he met in 2008 while working in a Siem Reap guesthouse. “After that, every time we’d go and see them, her mum and grandmother would ask when we were getting married. It was incessant, and that was fairly overwhelming.”

But with a little patience and understanding, Samean was able to explain that it’s part of her culture for women to marry young and quickly.

“It was his kindness that struck me,” says the 29-year-old restaurant manager.

“He did things like hold the door open for me and pulled my chair out before we sat

family and proving his love for their daughter helped to build the relationship and break down barriers, as did gestures such as learning to speak Khmer. He now tries to spend an hour every evening with his mother-in-law, who speaks no English, to perfect the language.

Moving In

In many Western cultures, moving in with a partner is now the next step in a relationship, coming before marriage and children.

But in Cambodia, many think differently.

Anna Lena Till, a 27-year-old German linguist, and 31-year-old Cambodian engineer Phoury Heng struck up a friendship five years ago in Vietnam. The couple started a long-distance relationship in August 2012 and Anna Lena moved to Cambodia in June. They plan to wed in April.

Phoury says his family constantly questions why he is turning his back on tradition by living with his fiancée before the big day.

“It’s their first question,” he says.

“For a Cambodian, I’m doing everything backwards, but times are modern now.”

But though times are changing, many foreign partners still have to adapt to alien concepts — such as taking in a whole new family as well as their partner.

Alex was well aware that Moni’s family came as part of the package, and was more than willing to take that on. Moni’s dad died when she was 16 years old and her mother feared being left alone, so Alex moved her into the apartment above the couple’s home on riverside.

“I’m lucky because I’m aware many Western husbands wouldn’t take in a family,” Moni says. “He doesn’t have to accept my family, and I was prepared for that.”

"For a Cambodian, I’m doing everything backwards, but times are modern now." down for lunch. That was sweet.”

“It’s called being a gentleman where I’m from,” her Australian husband retorts with a smile.

But a perfect gentleman is far from how some parents perceive Western men. Despite being aware that her daughter was dating an Englishman, Moni’s mother expressed concern when the couple, who met on a boat trip, announced their engagement.

Having heard stories of Western men leaving their Cambodian wives high and dry, she worried that Moni was wasting her time. “She thought he was just another barang,” Moni says. “That he can leave and go back home tomorrow, and that worried her initially.”

Alex spending regular time with the 32 asialife Cambodia

Marriage

Tying the knot is undoubtedly one of the biggest commitments in any person’s lifetime. But it is also one that unifies two

people in the eye of the law, which can pose unique challenges for cross-cultural marriages in Cambodia.

In March 2011, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a prakas stating that all foreign men who wished to marry a Cambodian woman must have a monthly income of more than $2,500 and be aged below 50 years. The move, according to a government statement, was to “avoid the undesirable consequences of human trafficking.”

In addition, there is a complex legal process to navigate that includes announcing your intention to marry, posting it at the bride and groom’s home, and receiving a marriage certificate from a commune chief, plus conforming to any additional laws of a foreigner’s home country.

Thomas Pearson, a partner at law firm BNG Legal, advises “the best way for foreigners, especially men, marrying a Khmer national to avoid any legal complications in the marriage process is to comply with local law. Also follow the processes in the home country for recognition of the marriage, and any travel requirements for his or her Cambodian spouse.”

Nevertheless, the process can be fraught with difficulty. Joe and Kan thought it was fitting to get married in Cambodia — the bride’s homeland and the place they fell in love — but faced months of frustration.

“Before going through this process, I thought Cambodia was awesome and I didn’t want to live anywhere else,” he says, reciting tales of a disheartening battle with bureaucracy.

Despite the complications, the couple married during a one-day ceremony in Siem Reap that saw the two cultures and religions fuse. They chose to spend the morning following a select few Cambodian traditions, before holding a second ceremony in the afternoon with a Catholic priest.

Deciding where cultural compromise will be made can be a complex process, with relatives again playing a role in the decision-making. Cutting down on tradition doesn’t always sit easily with parents, who may have painted a mental picture of their child’s perfect wedding many years ago.

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Alex and Moni are not big on tradition, but Moni's mother wanted her only daughter to have a traditional wedding.

The couple compromised by getting married twice, first in a one-day ceremony on the 21st floor of Phnom Penh Tower, where Alex worked at the time, attended by 500 guests. A week later, the couple headed to Kampong Som and held a small Western wedding on the beach.

“We agreed to go through with the traditional wedding, and although the idea of dressing up with all those changes was awful, it was actually very relaxed and in the end I was surprised at how much we enjoyed ourselves,” he says, calling it a demonstration of the couple’s commitment to compromise and understanding.

Raising Baby

As couples weld contrasting worlds, no issue is more important than raising children, which produces a set of new considerations. Clinical child psychologist Dr Bridie Gallagher, director of counselling centre Indigo International, says these can range from child-rearing, emotional expression, to gender or family roles.

“Children with parents from two different cultures often have the benefit of two languages and, no matter where they are raised, will be exposed to two different cultures through extended families and social circles,” she explains. “When these differences are talked about and explicit, and the inevitable conflicts from different beliefs and values handled openly and with acceptance, children can benefit from having their own and their parents’ assumptions challenged.”

Nigerian Adjekota Shadrack, 29, and his 25-year-old American wife Bethany had a son, Emeka, in July. For the new father, ensuring that his offspring knows about his roots is an essential part of his up bringing.

“I want my son to be able to speak in my Nigerian dialect as well as English,” says the personal trainer and model, who married at a church ceremony in Phnom Penh followed by a lavish reception at the Sofitel hotel. “It’s important he knows about where both his mum and dad are

"I think a lot of misunderstanding arose from us not knowing each other’s cultures well enough.”

from, and we will make sure he does.”

An additional dimension is that the couple is raising Emeka as an expat, meaning that he is picking up elements of Cambodian culture too. “I think it’s good when a child is brought up surrounded by different cultures,” fashion designer Bethany adds.

“They are exposed to more and learn more, and that’s a good thing.”

With an emphasis put on family and friends in Nigeria, the American is also quickly learning that living with five of the couple’s friends has its advantages.

“African men know how to look after women and family is really important to them, and not just blood relatives. Living in this house is very communal and everyone is so supportive.” She doubts she would have received this support from an American man, who she says are “much more selfish” and have more insecurities.

And though the tight-knit family network that exists in Cambodia has at times seemed foreign to Australian Stan, he believes it will prove to be a plus point when he has children with Samean.

“You know there’s going to be a strong support network there for you,” he says. “We already have her parents, grandmother and aunties and uncles telling us they can’t wait to look after them for us.”

Working Through It

In the majority of cases, cultural differences can be worked through. Yet they can prove overwhelming, with some couples citing such pressures as factors in crumbling relationships.

Cameron Franzter and Sophea Chan* married three years ago, but amicably divorced after 18 months. The couple met through mutual friends, started dating and fell head over heels in love. Within weeks the pressure was on from Sophea’s family for them to wed, and within six months the lovebirds caved.

That was when the problems started, with Sophea’s family expecting her husband to pay for everything from medical bills to a distant relative’s school fees. “It started to feel like I was a walking dollar sign, and while I didn’t mind helping out where I could there was a limit,” he says.

Add to that the mounting pressure to start a family plus Sophea’s strong bond with her relations, which meant she was reluctant to leave Cambodia — something Cameron was keen to do if they had children — and it wasn’t long before the clash became too much.

“We were in love, and we didn’t listen to the things that were wrong. Like with any relationship, if your future paths don’t match then it probably won’t work,” Sophea says.

“I think a lot of misunderstanding arose from us not knowing each other’s cultures well enough.”

Treating disagreements with an open mind and being able to discuss and identify what is going wrong is important for argument resolution, advises Dr Carswell.

“When feeling emotional or stressed it’s harder to think straight, so agreeing to take time out from arguments and then coming back to discussing the conflict and issue to be resolved can be an effective way,” the psychologist says.

Many happy couples also believe that love, understanding each other’s cultures and tolerance are major ingredients to a successful marriage. These vital elements keep couples united, regardless of where they’re from.

For Bethany and Shadrack, love conquers all. “The most important thing is that we both understand each other, and we learn from each other. I’m so happy that I met my wife and married her. We’re the same people, and we get each other,” he says. * Names have been changed. asialife Cambodia 35

Love & Marriage _

Weddings are big business in Cambodia. Writer Marissa Carruthers meets some industry players to discover more. Photography by Conor Wall.

The dazzle of fairytale gowns and glittering outfits that line one wall of the room is almost blinding. An equally impressive stand of sparkling jewels sits in a corner, waiting to be worn by the bride-to-be, who is having the finishing touches to her hair and make-up — inspired by the latest fashion magazines — perfected by top beauticians.

Pastel flower buds decorate the wedding and reception venues, and a gigantic cake waits to be cut by the happy couple during an extravagant reception that will see Cambodia’s best performers entertain the 1,000-strong crowd. This is how top wedding planner Sokha Bun describes the typical wedding that she is asked to organise.

When it comes to modern marriages in Cambodia, a big budget wedding has become a rite of passage for some young couples. Add a rising middle class with more expendable income and a generation aspiring to the latest fashions to the trend, and it seems that expectations are on the rise.

“Weddings in Cambodia have changed a lot in the five years I have been working in the industry,” says Sokha, stood in her Mao Tse Toung studio, surrounded by an impressive array of colourful traditional outfits and white gowns.

“Modern couples are moving away from totally traditional and mixing in Western elements they have seen on the Internet or in magazines. There is also a lot of competition, 36 asialife Cambodia

where each couple wants the best, so weddings are becoming more and more extravagant.”

The 27-year-old runs Sokha Samangkar, a Phnom Penh agency that organises weddings averaging at around $400,000 and $500,000, though clients can splash up to $700,000 on ensuring their event — often catering for about 2,000 guests — is a lavish affair. “We’re seeing people spending a lot more on flowers, in some cases up to $10,000. That never used to happen,” she comments.

Nowadays, some couples splurge up to $2,500 on setting up extravagant prewedding photo shoots, which are projected throughout the wedding, she says. An increasing amount of money is also being spent on the reception, with decadent décor, top entertainment, a towering cake and brides who often choose to wear expensive Western-style wedding dresses.

The influx of new trends means that traditions are on the move. Some modern couples are choosing to cut the wedding ceremony from the usual threeday celebration to one-and-ahalf or even one-day affairs.

Many brides are also cutting down on the number of outfit changes, which traditionally sit at about 15, Sokha observes.

“Modern couples don’t want things to be so complicated,” she adds. “They want to be able to enjoy themselves and keep things simpler. There is also more choice available and they want to be able to design

their own wedding and make it different from other people.”

One bride-to-be currently planning her big day is 22-yearold Soch Sothy, who is getting married in January and has budgeted about $560,000 for the glamorous one-and-a-half day celebration. Painting a picture of her perfect day, she describes 12 stunning outfit changes — ranging from glitzy traditional Khmer outfits to two white wedding dresses for the evening reception — a decorated 10-tier cake, too much food to mention, and a line-up of some of the country’s best singers whose names she is keeping under wraps.

“You only get married once so we want everything to be perfect, the way we want it,” she says. “I have been to a lot of friends’ weddings and want mine to be different and show who we are.”

And though not all weddings are as lavish, couples on a smaller budget are also taking on the trend for mixing modernity and tradition in more modest, but equally special, events.

Than Thouan, 33, and his wife Rin, 28, married last month in their home province of Kampong Cham. The couple celebrated with a traditional country wedding — costing around $3,000, with a portion received back from guests — at the bride’s house and chose to mark their union with a oneday event, instead of the usual three days and three nights.

Despite sticking to the traditional ceremonies, such as hair cutting, blessing by the monks, a parade and family offerings, the couple chose to mix wedding styles through 18 different outfit changes, which included a white dress for the reception, although this was in a Khmerstyle rather than Western.

“There is pressure not to lose face. Usually people want to have a wedding which at

least represents their social status. If rich people had a small wedding it would look like they are poor and guests might not be impressed, which would cause embarrassment,” says Rin. “Also if a lot of guests attend, then it's a sign of a popular family with a good reputation. If there are special guests like ministers, powerful people, businessmen and celebrities, it’s a sign of a highranking, respected family.”

And while industry experts see a growing trend for splashing the cash on local weddings, engaged Westerners are increasingly coming to Cambodia to save expenses on their big day.

Anneliese Helmy, owner of Anne Noelle Bridal, has been creating dresses for happy brides since opening her store in the capital just over a year ago. While the majority of her custom-made gowns are created for expats or Cambodian-Western couples, she has noticed more love birds travelling to the Kingdom from abroad to get their clothes hand-made.

“We noticed more clients were coming here specifically to get their dresses made because getting it done here and having a holiday at the same time often costs less than getting the dress made back in Australia or wherever,” she says, adding that she has launched a specific service catering for the demand. “I can only see this becoming more popular,” she says.

But whether big or small, weddings are a celebration of love with both brides and grooms hoping to guarentee that all attendees have a good time. “For all weddings, rich or poor, there is pressure to ensure that guests have a good time with good music, good food and good service,” says newly-wed Rin. “It would be embarrassing if guests were not satisfied.”

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2009

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2011

As recently as 2010, Cambodia’s Lonely Planet guide relegated discussion of the Russian Market area to three cafés and one restaurant. But the neighbourhood has seen an explosion of growth since, and is earning its place as an up-and-coming destination in the city.

Toul Tom Poung’s tree-lined streets, replete with food stalls and tucked-away family-run shops, are abuzz with new activity — and, for the first time, it doesn’t all revolve around tourists.

In every direction increasingly taller buildings are being constructed, with high-end apartment blocks being filled with residents in as little as four weeks. Corner shops like Angkor Mart are expanding both in space and selection, and even the Russian Market appears to be undergoing a facelift. Glassenclosed and air-conditioned shops have replaced some traditional stalls.

“Toul Tom Poung is not just about beer gardens anymore,” says David Murphy, managing director of Independent Property Services (IPS). “It’s about funky little restaurants.”

Affordable Growth

Eateries and cafés, many of them fist-time ventures, are leading the charge, and are being rewarded with a steady stream of business.

Mexican eatery Alma Café, opened earlier this year, reports approximately 100 patrons on an average Saturday or Sunday.

Clientele has evolved from passing tour groups to expat residents, says So Pilot, a coowner of the Jars of Clay café.

Opened in 1998, it was one of the Russian Market’s original landmarks. Now it has to vie with increasing numbers of coffee shops.

Yet despite growing

competition, business owners remain enthusiastic about the wave of establishments choosing Toul Tom Poung.

“My philosophy is that a rising tide raises all ships. It’s an old saying, but I hold it dear,” says Jay Miller, owner of the newly opened restaurant Brooklyn Pizza and Bistro.

“And I welcome as many restaurants as possible. Like, please, come. Make this the destination area for different levels of dining.”

Two primary drivers of growth are demand and affordability, according to property experts. Boeung Keng Kang 1 (BKK1) is becoming progressively more built up and expensive. A spillover effect is taking place, with Toul Tom Poung on the receiving end.

“Toul Tom Poung is definitely on the move, and is moving very fast,” says Murphy.

The cost of renting and leasing property around Russian market is typically two-thirds that of BKK1, with developers able to build serviced residences — such as 29-apartment Sovann Lotus — and still market them at lower rates.

Beyond price, business owners are choosing the area out of preference. Many mention the benefits of less congestion and more of a community feel. “You just get that feeling that, you know, this is my restaurant, this is my neighbourhood,” says Miller.

“It’s just more chill.”

Restaurants are also springing up on lesserknown side streets rather than the main thoroughfares surrounding the market, as owners aim for long-term, repeat customers. Co-owner Keiko Fujita says of her Sesame Noodle Bar restaurant: “You need to sort of look for it. But that’s also the point.”

Non-profit organisations, too, are finding reason to set

up shop. Skateistan, which connects youth and education through skateboarding, moved to the area last year and considers affordability a factor.

“By being here, we can still do what we want to do and what we need to do without having to sacrifice a lot of money for rent and other

nice meal at a Westernstyle restaurant, and then go around the next corner and you’re walking into a Cambodian family who are sitting outside their house and happy to see you.”

This may not always be the case, though. As new businesses spring up, more

“You just get that feeling that, you know, this is my restaurant, this is my neighbourhood.” unnecessary costs,” says operations director Brandon Gomez. “It can go into the programme instead.”

Shifting Demographics

Toul Tom Poung is also appealing to younger expats, with new arrivals often aged 25 to 40 years and single, as opposed to the families that have historically made up the neighbourhood, says Murphy.

“It’s not BKK, but that’s the appeal of it,” states 28-year-old Niles Lashway, who relocated to the area in October. As Alma co-owner Aaron Hassenboehler puts it, the neighbourhood has “a lot of conveniences, but not too many conveniences.”

Although Toul Tom Poung has been in the past been seen as the “other side of the tracks,” according to Murphy, newcomers to the city view it differently. IPS’s clients are interested in the area not only due to its new offerings but also because it feels more distinctively Cambodian than BKK1. Residents say it is easier to feel a part of the local community.

“Russian Market has a real soul about it,” says Murphy.

“It’s one of those few places where you can have a really

Khmer families may move out of the area, simply because purchase offers are too high to pass up. “It’s a function of progress,” states Murphy.

The Future

Business owners acknowledge that Toul Tom Poung may not be immune to the problems any other Phnom Penh neighbourhood has faced, such as increasing traffic, but for now they are grateful for the momentum. “We have breathing room to enjoy the ride,” says Miller.

The significant growth over the last year shows no signs of slowing. Underutilised blocks remain in Toul Tom Poung, and development is slated to continue, with IPS predicting it “kicking hard” in the next two years.

Prices may be on the rise —a trend seen across Phnom Penh — but rentals should remain affordable due to supply. This means, for now, city dwellers can continue to anticipate ever more treats popping up on the south side. “Right now it feels sustainable and it feels right,” says Murphy. “But I think you’re a fool if you forecast any further than a year or two in property in Cambodia.” asialife Cambodia 39

A Golden

Future

The skilled women deftly manipulating a maze of loom frames and colourful threads are bringing a piece of Cambodian history to life. As shuttles fly back and forth in a network of airy rooms surrounded by fields of Mulberry trees, around 30 kilometres from Siem Reap town, complex threedimensional sculptured reliefs slowly rise from stretches of fine, glistening silk.

“It was made by skilful masters for the kings,” explains Golden Silk’s charismatic founder, Oum Sophea Pheach, of the historic fabric — known as Royal Brocatelle — that is being recreated by artisans at the centre using threads from Cambodia’s native golden silk cocoons.

Pheach was inspired to bring ancient techniques back into the modern era after seeing a single picture of a traditional Khmer fabric, thought to date back to the 19th century, in a book. Re-creating its intricate patterns has, however, been a long and arduous labour of love. With much expert knowledge lost during the Khmer Rouge regime, Pheach and her team had to almost start from scratch.

Golden Silk's first brocatelle looms were a staggering fivemetres high and six-metres long and needed seven people to operate, some standing on a high second level. Over the years, through trial and error, they have become long and squat, requiring only three workers — who can now weave raised brocatelle onto

40 asialife Cambodia

Ellie Dyer meets an inspirational woman who is helping to preserve the Kingdom’s woven heritage.

Photography by Conor Wall.

diamond-shaped brocade — to manipulate a labyrinthine complex of hanging threads.

“The Cambodian pieces are something that is unique from the blood of Khmer people — it comes from their minds and spirit,” says Pheach, strolling through the idyllic silk farm located on the way to the 10thcentury Banteay Srey temple.

Belief in her country and its people, a passion for the preservation of heritage, and a quest for development are just some of the major drivers inspiring the woman at Golden Silk’s helm.

Born in Cambodia, she spent her childhood in the Kingdom before moving to Uruguay, at age nine, due to her father’s work at its Cambodian embassy. They later found political asylum in France in 1975, escaping the brutal rule of the Khmer Rouge regime, before she returned to work in the Thai border camps in 1988.

What started as a sixmonth trip rapidly turned into a decade of humanitarian work. Pheach was based in the border camps until 1992, before going on to set up an orphanage in Battambang province. In 2001, she changed direction to become a director of the National Silk Centre and consequently launched Golden Silk.

Weavers in modern-day Cambodia often use imported silk thread in their work, but Pheach was determined to do things differently by sourcing the country’s golden silk cocoons, which had been preserved in communities in Northwestern Cambodia, including Banteay Meanchey province.

Using the small, oval cocoons spun by long white silk worms — whose moth parents mate on sheets of newspaper before their wriggling young is fed a diet of fresh mulberry leaves by workers at the centre — creates unique challenges.

They contain a much lower thread count than other varieties, with around 13 to 15 times less thread spun from a single cocoon, which rules out the use of machines.

“Everything has to be done by hand,” explains Pheach, whose patterns are designed using Cambodia’s temples, such as Angkor Wat and nearby Banteay Srey, as inspiration.

Wandering through the complex, the dedication to authentic techniques that underpins Golden Silk — whose high-end products can take years to weave and retail from $45 to more than $20,000 — is clear.

For them, taking the easy way is not an option.

Instead, remaining true to the art form and Cambodia’s dignity and heritage is at the core of all they do.

In one room, a row of women spin out glistening strands of silk from bubbling pots of cocoons. In another, artisans tie strands of silk threads in patterns in order for it to be dyed before being woven using Ikat and Royal Brocatelle techniques.

Nearby lie huge pots of bark, fruit, harvested insect eggs and other natural substances that are used to dye the threads in an array of rich colours.

In an out-building, another project to weave the Royal Arms of Cambodia is underway. “It’s already a year and a half,” says Peach of the work. “The message is for Cambodian people to live in harmony and to be inspired with dignity.”

And inside the harmonious and peaceful farm, which is in itself a small family as many employees bring their children to work, it seems that both Pheach and her French husband Patrick Gourlay — who first met his wife in 1987, but waited 10 years for her to return from Asia before they married — have taken that message to heart.

For them, taking the easy way is not an option. Instead, remaining true to the art form and Cambodia’s dignity and heritage is at the core of all they do. “It’s a piece of art from our heart that we expose to the world,” says Pheach. “It’s something that we love — the way we are, the way we do — and we want to share with others.”

Visitors can make an appointment to take a $10 tour of the Golden Silk farm by calling 012 59 68 11. Visit Goldensilk.org for more information.

asialife Cambodia 41

Plain of Jars A largely overlooked archaeological wonder in Laos poses as many questions as it answers. Story and photos by Brett Davis.

Inside the white you’re alright, outside the red you’re, well, possibly dead. These are the colours of the handy markers laid down by the NGO that cleared the Plain of Jars site in northern Laos of tonnes of unexploded ordnance left over from the wars in Indochina in the 1960s and 70s.

On the inside of the markers the ground has been cleared by teams from the Mine Action Group while the outside red denotes areas where there still may be mines, cluster bombs and other assorted munitions.

It says something about the intrigue of this archaeological site that people will take the 42 asialife Cambodia

(albeit slight) chance of being blown up to see it.

Sometimes referred to as the Stonehenge of Southeast Asia, the Plain of Jars sits on a plateau in Xieng Khouang province in the north of the country and is made up of 90 sites containing hundreds of stone jars handhewn from limestone, sandstone and granite. The jars range in size from one metre to three metres in height with a lip-rim design. However, no lids have ever been found, indicating the lids were probably made from bamboo or wood. The jars are thought to date to the early Iron Age, about 500 BC, although

some archaeologists think they are possibly older.

The area was first surveyed by a French geologist in the 1930s, and there was a good deal of conjecture about the purpose of the jars. Some theorists thought them burial chambers, vessels for grain storage or even containers to ferment rice wine. Subsequent studies by archaeologists from a Japanese university and UNESCO have found evidence of human cremation and graves at some sites, leading to the conclusion that the jars were used in a complex and formal burial ritual.

The details of what was

involved in this process cannot yet be explained, but there are thought to be some similarities to ancient burial rituals used

by Thai, Cambodian and Lao royalty. In such processes the corpse was placed in an urn to begin a ritual decomposition, or a transformation from the earthly world into the spiritual.

Later, the bodies were cremated and then interred in the ground.

The main sites visitors see are atop some of the gentle hills that roll across the plain. The rice is tall, the paddies below are green and in the distance the tall peaks that ring the Xieng Khouang plateau fade in and out of the

purple clouds. The theory of the jars being burial sites seems more than plausible given their tranquil and elevated position.

The very same tranquility of the place, not to mention the existence of these ancient artifacts, is something of a miracle given the tortured history of the area in the latter part of the 20th century. For almost a decade, starting in 1963, this part of Laos was one of the most bombed places in history.

In order to disrupt the Ho Chi Minh Trail and the Pathet Lao, or Lao communist movement, the United States lobbed some two million metric tonnes of

ordinance on top of the people of Laos, equivalent to almost eight and a half tonnes per square kilometre in the bombed zone, or a little more than 800 kilograms for every man, woman and child in the area at the time.

Per head of population, nowhere in the history of warfare has a place or a people been subjected to such a bombardment as those who lived on the Xieng Khouang plain. Much of the deadly payload that remains comes from the estimated 270 million sub-munitions, or cluster bombs, that are scattered across the countryside.

It says something about the intrigue of this archaeological site that people will take the (albeit slight) chance of being blown up to see it.

Travelling around the countryside you can see split bomb casings that have been used for fence palings or supports for crude animal shelters. The recent history of this place is all too apparent as you make your way around the deceptively beautiful landscape.

The old and the not so old mix together at several jar sites where huge bomb craters can be seen alongside some of the stone vessels.

Back in Phonsavan, the hard scrabble town that is the main jumping-off-point for the Plain of Jars, much of the nascent tourism industry plays heavily on this troubled history. Yet it is the more imponderable legacy of the ancient stone jars that will endure. Just as they have for several millennia, these artifacts of an ancient people will stand watch over the landscape and reduce small human concerns to mere moments in time. asialife Cambodia 43

Airport Insider Transfers can be tedious, but thankfully Asia boasts some of the world’s best airports. From ice skating rinks to giant slides and tropical rainforests, Ellie Dyer and Mark Bibby Jackson give the low-down on how to stay entertained in the region’s major air hubs. Photography by Conor Wall.

Seoul Incheon International Airport

Free showers, toiletries and fluffy towels are a major draw for weary passengers at South Korea’s sparkling Incheon airport, a regular transit point for travellers heading to the US from Southeast Asia. Often described as one of the best airports in the world, it houses an artificial ice-skating rink and free robotic massage TIP: Pay $35 (with chairs to relieve cramped limbs. discounts for those flying For stays of more than two on Korean Air) to enter hours, take one of the airport’s the airport’s Hub Lounge. free guided tours of Seoul, Complimentary drink and which can include stops at food is provided, and the bustling Dongdaemun market free showers are a quick and historic Gyeongbok Palace. stroll away.

Visitors can even get a taste of the nation’s rich history airside by visiting the airport’s fascinating cultural museum, traditional Korean street and craft centre.

Singapore Changi Airport

Voted the planet’s best airport in 2013, Changi boasts a range of weird and wonderful attractions that include the world’s first airport butterfly garden and a spiralling four-storey-tall slide.

Eco-friendly and spacious, Terminal 3 is a pleasure for travellers looking to lounge.

44 asialife Cambodia

TIP: Take a dip in the airport’s Balinese style pool and jacuzzi in Terminal 1. Visitors pay S$13.91 (if they’re not sleeping at the Ambassador Transit Hotel) but can enjoy free showers and a non-alcoholic drink.

Settle down near one the many TV screens — where sound is pumped out from personal speakers set inside comfy chairs — or relax in one of the airport’s three free 24-hour cinemas. In Terminal 2, visitors can get a taste of the serene in the airport’s orchid gardens and ponds, which come complete with a school of large fish, while culture buffs should check out the kinetic sculpture in Terminal 1 consisting of more than a thousand moving copper raindrops. But whatever you do, don’t copy a recent visitor who was arrested after climbing on top of the art installation.

Suvarnabhumi International Airport, Bangkok

When Suvarnabhumi airport opened in 2006, its out-of-city location seemed a drawback. Now, with the airport express linking seamlessly to the Bangkok’s MRT metro system via a walkway at Makkasan station (one stop from the main Sukhumvit tourist area), getting to and from the travel hub for less than $2 couldn’t be easier. Once in the airport, check out which gate your plane is departing from and head in that way — but beware, head the wrong way and you’ll have to run far enough in the opposite direction to skip the gym for a few days. All the food courts are TIP: As with the old based in two blocks at either end Don Mueng airport (now of the concourse, made up of a servicing Air Asia flights), if long inter-connecting corridor you want a taxi but wish to lined with designer stores that avoid the 50 baht surcharge, appeal only to the uber-rich. walk up to the arrivals floor Bangkok Airways has a lounge and ask the driver to turn on for all customers at the far left the meter.

end of the concourse as you enter from passport control and down one level. Opposite lies the airport spa for those wishing to relax before a long-haul flight with a body massage and shower.

Kuala Lumpur International Airport

A steamy tropical rainforest and a busy airport may not seem natural partners, but the designers of Malaysia’s KLIA airport think differently. At the centre of its doughnut-shaped international terminal lies a pristine forest full of tall trees and lush ferns, where travellers can pace wooden paths and learn about the country’s flora and fauna while waiting for their TIP: For long stays in the next flight. The terminal itself rainforest terminal, comfy benefits from impressive sofas and chairs are housed architecture. Domed glass on the upper floor near ceilings provide a light and Starbucks where free movies airy greenhouse atmosphere are shown on big screens. and, though you’ll have to walk in circles to skirt the forest, holiday-makers can also benefit from the hub’s excellent customer service. The airport’s immigration service was awarded top spot at the 2013 Skytrax World Airport Awards.

Hong Kong International Airport

Hong Kong airport’s jaw-dropping efficiency starts well before you enter its premises. Customers can check-in luggage at major train stations in Hong Kong and Kowloon as much as one

day in advance of their flight TIP: If flying in the (depending on the airline), afternoon, check-in as long as they hop onto the luggage at the airport express train to the airport. express railway station first Once there, a nine-hole golf thing and enjoy a day of course, complete with a green sightseeing unhampered. set on an island in the middle of an artificial lake, lies adjacent to Terminal 2 and is reachable by shuttle bus from the airport. The hub also boasts an IMAX cinema capable of seating 350 guests.

Phnom Penh International Airport

Small yet perfectly formed, Phnom Penh’s major airport has exploded with shops and restaurants in recent years. The siren call of Cambodia’s first Burger King outlet is already drawing fast food addicts to the airport’s grounds, regardless of whether they have a flight to catch, while local businesses — including Ambre, FCC, Waterlily, Smarteria, Bambou Indochine and Monument Books — all run outlets near the airport’s departure gates. A well-stocked Blue Pumpkin offers coffees and cakes in the domestic terminal, and Taste of Asia provides a TIP: If you’re unfamiliar with selection of noodles and rice Phnom Penh and its rapidly dishes on the international developing dining scene, pick side. Thanks to its compact up a copy of the AsiaLIFE map size, check-in times are at arrivals to find the location thankfully quick, as is the of the best eateries, shops and customs process. bars in town. asialife Cambodia 45

the

Cricket Kitchen 46 asialife Cambodia

Insects are a common snack food in Cambodia, but not one often associated with expats. Ellie Dyer meets and photographs two enterprising Frenchmen who are breaking the mould to create a unique range of cricket-laden creations.

“It’s a very, very interesting job.

It’s exciting and full of difficulties for which we have to find solutions.”

Emerging from the depths of the Khmer Iron Cricket kitchen, Gérard Thévenet cradles a clear plastic box.

Gently peeling back the lid, a brace of grey-brown strands is contained inside.

“Noodles of cricket!” he cries, as a broad smile breaks across his face.

Inside the compact room, a Willy Wonka-style insect experiment is underway.

Bowls full of flour, sugar and dehydrated crickets lie on a central table, as dough is churned, flattened and cut to create 200 bags of insect-laden cookies a day.

Mounds of spiced crickets are baked in industrial ovens, along with racks of the cinnamon, durian, coconut and coffee flavoured biscuits, dotted with raisin-like chunks of insect.

“The challenge is the attractive part of it,” says 58-year-old Thévenet, a former Phnom Penh restaurateur who has also created cricket “powder” that can be mixed with dishes to produce protein-rich meals.

Set off a quiet seafront road in the sleepy town of Kep, the Khmer Iron Cricket enterprise,

which is currently selling packaged cookies and insects, is the brainchild of travel operator Thévenet and 51-year-old businessman Philippe Lenain, another long-term expat.

“I am the more crazy of the two,” jokes Thévenet, who has been living in Cambodia since 1994. “We tasted [crickets] a long time ago, and in the world we have seven billion people.”

With the global population set to soar to 9 billion by 2030, many — including the United Nations — believe that critters could help counter world nutrition insecurity, while providing a valuable dietary stream for humans and animals alike.

“We are already seeing producers creating animal feed from insects and research.

And development is occurring around the world in order to incorporate insects into menus and processed foods,” stated Afton Halloran, a consultant for the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation’s (FAO) Edible Insects Programme, earlier this year.

In total around 1,900 species of creepy crawlies, including ants, beetles, locusts and bees, are now consumed by humans in Asia, Africa and Latin America, yet many in the West remain unaware of their unique culinary charms.

“There’s a huge potential that has essentially not been tapped yet,” explains Eva Muller, director of FAO’s Forest Economics, Policy and Products Division.

It’s such potential that Lenain and Thévenet may well benefit from, as tourists begin snapping up packets of cricket cookies and herb-dried insects to take home as a memento of their Cambodian travels.

But processing is only one side of the tale. The almost deafening hum of chirping crickets hints at the scale of the Khmer Iron Cricket breeding enterprise, which produced its first generation for commercial sale in October and is already much larger than the average local insect farm.

In the business’ compact garden, thousands of small insects hop out of egg box towers housed in deep concrete basins and tubs formed out of blue plastic sheeting that are stacked three-storeys high.

“It gives them privacy and shade,” says Lenain, gazing over basin after basin of scurrying insects, which lay their eggs in bowls of damp coconut fibre and rice husk.

The vegetarian crickets are fed on marrow and other vegetables during their six-week life cycle, before being drowned in hot water and turned into culinary creations.

The farm is capable of breeding two million crickets per month, but the endeavour is not without its challenges — especially for two Europeans who had no previous experience of insect breeding until they bought a starter supply from a local trader.

“When we first started this, everybody was impressed that we were doing seven kilos [of crickets] per square metre,” says Lenain. “We thought we were very gifted. But then the next generation, the next one, the next one, it went down to one kilo per square metre and then it was ridiculous, and the reason was predators.”

Rats and birds are drawn to the veritable insect supermarket, but are now being controlled thanks to the nets that protect

the basins from attack, creating a steady supply for the kitchen.

And as the businessmen settle down with a cup of strong coffee and a plate piled high with cricket cookies, which are sweet and crunchy with an undercurrent of distinctive, nutty cricket flavour, it becomes clear that they have big ambitions.

Surprised by demand from the tourist market — they had initially planned to target Cambodian consumers — the team is considering potential exports and the possibility of setting up a network of local insect farmers to help increase production in the future.

“It’s a very, very interesting job. It’s exciting and full of difficulties for which we have to find solutions,” says Lenain, who is also keeping the bigger picture in mind.

“But I know that we are doing something that is going in the right direction... We provide protein without much collateral damage to the environment. It has higher nutritional content, and this is satisfying.”

asialife Cambodia 47

The Lost Room “There’s no question, the best chefs are those who haven’t received any professional training,” says co-owner of The Lost Room, Derek Mayes.

Of course, he would say that, having been thrown into the frying pan in 1989 when the new head chef at his Tanzanian restaurant went surfing one Friday afternoon, and never came back. ”I didn’t have a choice,” he recalls. “I loved it, and I’ve never looked back.”

The proof is, however, in the pudding, and it seems that fate threw Mayes into the kitchen all those years ago. Proudly holding a platter show-casing some of his finest dishes — crisp pear and blue cheese parcels with mango and basil purée, peri peri spiced crab cakes with red onion jam, and spicy rocket and parsley falafels — it’s clear his talents lie in food.

48 asialife Cambodia

The Englishman’s ability to get creative in the kitchen, combined with his daring, experimental nature, give dishes a real kick. Take the Moroccan spiced crispy duck, consisting of succulent layers of tender duck sitting on a bed of chickpea stew, served with a yoghurt dressing and Harissa sauce. “Moroccans don’t even use duck,” he says.

Mayes' wife of 22 years and business partner Wendy Lucas explains that he was keen to drop the traditional lamb and experiment instead. “It’s one of the most popular dishes on the menu,” she adds.

And now that Mayes has moved from full- to part-time chef, with employee Tee Chan taking up the reigns in the kitchen, he is set to continue developing the more than 500 recipes that are tucked away in his head.

Marissa Carruthers and photographer Charles Fox find The Lost Room’s recipe for success.

The Englishman’s ability to get creative in the kitchen, combined with his daring, experimental nature, give dishes a real kick.

Add Lucas' lifetime of experience in hospitality into the mix and it’s easy to see how The Lost Room has become a firm favourite since opening a little more than two years ago. “You see, it’s true, the best

chefs are those who don’t have any training,” Mayes adds proudly, as Tee timidly steps out of the kitchen.

Biting into the plump, perfectly cooked falafels covered in a delicate layer of sesame seeds and topped with beetroot humus, it’s hard to believe Tee started out by looking after vehicles for customers at Wendy and Derek’s previous restaurant, Talkin’ To A Stranger, six years ago.

“He was a real dab hand in the kitchen and caught on really quickly. We’re really lucky to have him,” Mayes adds, before sitting at the bar to pen his latest creation to add to the menu. I, for one, can’t wait to try it.

48 Street 21, Phnom Penh.

Tel: 078 700 001. Open Monday to Saturday, from 5pm to 11pm.

Fox Wine Bistro Drive through Phnom Penh nowadays, and you’d be forgiven for thinking that the Brown coffee empire is taking over. From modest beginnings, the Cambodian company now boasts six stores and a fiercely loyal following. But with expansion comes ambition, and nowhere is this more evident than the Brown team’s distinctly more grown-up venue: Fox Wine Bistro.

Located conveniently close to a new Brown coffee shop, Fox speaks modernity and class thanks to floor-to-ceiling windows, bare bricks, leather seating and brushed concrete walls. The rotund building has been split into three wings to create distinct dining areas, with a spacious, rectangular bar proving a central link that draws the venue together.

On a recent weekday lunchtime, the industrial-

inspired venue was quiet, with a few couples and groups of businessmen dotted around the spacious, super-chilled bistro, attended to by chic waiting staff.

We chose to opt for the lunch menu featuring light salads, pastas, Asian dishes and brunch items. First up was an impressive tuna sashimi salad with white sesame dressing and chilli lime vinaigrette ($5.50).

Generous hunks of tuna were layered with herb-crusted wonton squares, and surrounded by fresh leaves and a generous portion of tangy sesame sauce.

It was a textural delight, with the soft fish contrasting well with the crisp squares. The dressing’s horseradish kick added a dose of bite to the generous Asian-inspired dish.

A goat cheese salad ($5.50) also demonstrated excellent flavour balance. Crumbly, salty

Writer Ellie Dyer and suitably named photographer Charles Fox go classy and chic at Fox Wine Bistro. cheese and sweet strawberries benefited from a splash of balsamic reduction, though perhaps the salad could have done with a touch less oil and a handful more of beetroot.

The meal had a wobble with the eggs benedict ($5). We chose to have it with spinach, but bacon, peppered ham, asparagus and salmon are also options. The elements for a great dish were all there — tangy sourdough bread, perfectly-poached eggs with a delicious runny centre and a generous dousing of buttercup-yellow sauce — but it didn’t quite come together.

The addition of a large dose of garlic to the spinach overpowered any lemon in a slightly bitter hollandaise, removing a delightful creamy tang that is, in my opinion, an eggs benedict’s signature flair.

Our dessert choice, a slice of

Fox’s signature salted caramel and chocolate cake ($4), looked delicious thanks to its delicate layers and scoop of rich ice cream on the side, but needed more salt and less sugar to raise it to top restaurant standard. It was good, but could have been better.

But what Fox undoubtedly does well is the little things.

The free bucket of crisps to snack on was a nice touch.

A freshly squeezed orange juice was tangy and fresh, and the chilled-out music fitted perfectly with the French bistro vibe. Some of its Western dishes may be a tad hit and miss, but Fox’s welcoming environment is spot on — and that has always been the magic touch of Brown’s impressive and creative team.

104 Sothearos Boulevard, Phnom Penh. Tel 090 625 656.

Open from 10.30am to 12am. asialife Cambodia 49

50 asialife Cambodia

BEHIND the

DESIGN Hilton Sukhumvit Bangkok

With both claiming to be cities that never sleep, it is perhaps unsurprising that Bangkok’s designers are turning towards New York for inspiration.

Officially opened in September, the Hilton Sukhumvit Bangkok is the latest five-star hotel to announce itself upon the Thai capital’s skyline with more than a touch of Manhattan.

But it is not the New York of today that is proving so influential. Designers PIA Interior have endeavoured to capture the atmosphere of the 1930s prohibition era. The hotel’s interior design creates a gallery-type space in the public areas, with strong elements in glass, stainless steel, wood and marble generating a warm ambience.

Objets d’arte are scattered around the hotel, including an antiquated green Olivetti typewriter with Thai keys that comes from a period when books were hammered out on paper. All this leaves guests with the impression that they are travelling back in time to an era far removed from modern-day life.

That feeling is especially true in the hotel’s Scalini restaurant, where the menu displays traditional ItalianAmerican cuisine from the 1920s and 30s. “Scalini takes its place during the era where the Italians moved to America

to coastal cities like New York,” says interior designer Yutta Yotphonlakit. “With many new ingredients not available in Italy, they started to experiment with new variations of their traditional recipes, creating new mixtures and flavours.”

Explaining the design choice, Yotphonlakit adds that “there are people who yearn for the past while navigating through the current era in a simplistic manner. Retro designs evoke nostalgic feelings.”

One couple that has embarked on such a nostalgic journey is Jay and Daisy, who share the names of iconic lovers in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby.

Their fictional lives have been immortalised in stone throughout the hotel.

An Italian émigré and a New York socialite, they meet in Bangkok and fall in love with both the city and each other.

Artist Kraipark Sanpa-udom’s stark white sculptures depict their story throughout the premises, from the lobby to the Manhattan-style rooftop pool, where the couple dip their feet in the water while Daisy reads a book to escape the busy streets of Bangkok.

Some experiences are indeed timeless.

Words by Mark Bibby Jackson. asialife Cambodia 51

Coco Khmer products Coconut oil 500ml $12.50, 250ml $7.50, 90ml $4, lip balm $2, body scrub $6, soap $2.50 Available @ ARTillery, Digby's, The Flicks 1, Jum

C

hristmas

Cambodia in

Let AsiaLIFE take the legwork out of your Christmas shopping with these great gift ideas.

vespa Helmets $37 Available @ Narita Vespa

52 asialife Cambodia

Kids' toys Fish money box $5, large mushroom $5, small mushroom $3.50, bear $7, reindeer $3.

Available @ Mekong Creations

Lacquer Backgammon set $249 Available @ Artisans Angkor

Jewellery Ring $7, star necklace $25, claw necklace $15 Available @ Paperdolls

Cambopoly $55 Available @ Smateria

Belts $40 Available @ Subtyl

Candle Sticks Large $35, medium $25, small $15 Available @ Beyond

D-Design Jewellery Bottle bracelet $12, stone bracelet $8, ring $12

kids' Jigsaw

Available @ Paperdolls

$29 Available @ Artisans Angkor

Cloth Storage Bags $12, large vanity case $15, small vanity case $12, pair of stockings $7 Available @ La Clef de Sol

Wine Box $31.90 Available @ Decosy

Tea Light candle holders $3 Available @ IChing

Laptop Satchel $27 Available @ Smateria

Kids’ gear Shoes $22, snap watches $6 Available @ ChilliKids (@ Subtyl)

Kids t-shirts See the AsiaLIFE listings starting page 57 for contact details for stockists.

56 asialife Cambodia

$16 Available @ Bambou Indochine

Listings

hotel & travel Airlines & Agencies

Air Asia Domestic Terminal Arrival Office NºA17, Phnom Penh International Airport Tel: 023 890 035 Asiana Airlines Room A16 at Phnom Penh International Airport. Tel: 023 890 441 Bangkok Airways #61A, Street 214, Phnom Penh Tel: 023 722 545 Cambodia Angkor Air Branch Office in Phnom Penh #206A Preah Norodom Blvd.

Tel: 023 6666 788 Cebu Pacific Air No. 333B, Preah Monivong Blvd, Sangkat Orussey 4, Khan 7 Makara, 12257 Phnom Penh Tel: 023 219 161 China Airlines #32, Preah Norodom Blvd, Phnom Penh Tel: 023 222 056

China Eastern No. 68, st. 606, Sangkat Beung Kak 2, Khan Toul Kork, Phnom Penh Tel: 016 985 668 #304, Steung Thmey Village, Siem Reap. Tel: 063 965 229 China Southern Room F-G-H-I,Ground floor Nº53, Phnom Penh Hotel, Monivong Blvd.

Tel: 023 424 588 DragonAir #168, Monireth Boulevard, Phnom Penh Tel: 023 424 300 Eva Air Suite 11-14B, Street 205, Phnom Penh Tel: 023 219 911 Jet Star Asia #333B, Monivong Blvd., Phnom Penh Tel: 023 220 909 Korean Air #254, R03, Monivong Blvd., Phnom Penh. Tel: 023 2240 47-49 Lao Airlines #58B, Preah Sihanouk Blvd.

Phnom Penh Tel: 023 222 956

Malaysia Airlines #35-37, Street 214, Phnom Penh Tel: 023 218 923-924

Vietnam Airlines #41, Street 214, Phnom Penh Tel: 023 215 998

Myanmar Airways International No. 90-94Eo, Charles de Gaulle (St. 217), 12257 Phnom Penh Tel: 023 866 404

Battambang

Qatar Airways Ground floor, Intercontinental Hotel, Phnom Penh. www.qatarairways.com Skywing Asia Airlines IOC buld, Monivong Blvd, Beoung Riang, Doun Penh. Tel: 023 217130 Silk Air Regency Complex C, Suite 2-4 Samdach, Monireth Blvd, S.k.

Tomnoubteouk, Khan Chamkarmorn Tel: 023 988 629 Thai Airways #294, Mao Tse Toung Blvd., Phnom Penh. Tel: 023 214 359 Tiger Airways No. 296, Mao Tse Toung (St. 245), Intercontinental Hotel, Suit 16B, 12306 Phnom Penh.

Tel: 023 5515 888

La Villa 185 Pom Romchek 5 Tel: 017 411 880 / 053 730 151, lavilla.battambang@gmail.com, www.lavilla-battambang.com Beautifully restored 1930s colonial house with six rooms is the premium hotel in the country’s second city and with an excellent kitchen and bar.

Riverside Balcony Bar & Restaurant West bank of river. Tel: 012 437 421 Traditional wooden house with great views of the river and good food, ideal for a sunset cocktail lounging over the river. Open Tues – Sun, 4pm - 11pm.

Kampot

Blissful Guest House Tel: 012 848 390 www.blissfulguesthouse.com Small guest house, with 18 rooms, set in guest house street with downstairs garden bar and restaurant and bar, Sunday roast, home-baked bread.

asialife Cambodia 57

Nataya Coral Bay Resort Prek Ampil, Kampot, Tel: 016 226 471 / 012 902 823. natayaresort@yahoo.com Only 16km from Kampot, this topend hideaway comes complete with eight beachfront bungalows, a 25m infinity pool, a 2km private beach, stilt huts off a 300m pier, and simply oodles of relaxation.

Kep

Les Manguiers 2km north of Kampot. Tel: 092 330 050 Small resort with bungalows and rooms set in beautiful gardens overlooking the river with a restaurant which has daily changing, freshly prepared food.

Rikitikitavi Riverfront Tel: 012 274 820 / 012 235 102 www.rikitikitavi-kampot.com Western food served in large portions in this river-facing restaurant, bar and three-room guesthouse. A more upmarket venue for Kampot, the upstairs seating affords great sunset views.

Restaurant and bar open 7 days a week.

Kep Lodge Tel: 092 435 330. www.keplodge.com Nestled just below the calm Kep National Park, this boutique resort offers only 10 standard and luxury bungalows, all with private balcony, hot water and sea view. The comfortable restaurant pampers you with local and Swiss specialties and the lively bar.

The beautiful infinity salt water pool has one of the best views in Kep and is the perfect place for a sunset.

Mea Culpa 44 Sovansokar Tel: 012 504 769 meaculpakampot@gmail.com Accommodation established by the former manager of Bokor Mountain Lodge set in the French Quarter. Six rooms have air con, hot water, DVD and TV. The large garden has a patio pizzeria and bar.

Rusty Keyhole Riverfront This British pub is the place for expats to chew the fat over a pint.

Friendly British owner has recreated the atmosphere of a rural pub in outer Kampot, or at least as close as it gets. The ribs remain as good as ever.

Open 8.30am until midnight.

Bokor Mountain Lodge Riverfront Tel: 033 932 314 / 017 712 062 www.bokorlodge.com Beautiful French colonial building situated on riverfront with well-fitted air-conditioned rooms. Has a good restaurant and bar.

Epic Arts Café Old Market Street Employing deaf staff, this café next to the old market has a good range of bagels, shakes, brownies and coffee. Is also the centre for the community arts programme.

Open from 7am - 6pm.

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Breezes Route 33. Tel: 097 675 9072 Situated on the main coast road about halfway between Kep Beach and the ferry to Rabbit Island, this stylish restaurant and lounge is located right by the sea in a green, wooded area. The food is a fusion of Asian and western with a focus on small dishes with plenty of seafood. Free pick-up and return to Kep hotels.

Knai Bang Chatt Resort Tel: 078 888 557 www.knaibangchatt.com An exclusive resort offering personal service in private grounds housing a collection of remodelled 1960’s style colonial villas. Offering 18 rooms, infinity pool, spa and media centre. All rooms refurbished to international standards.

Choice of two dining options – upscale The Strand or the adjoining Sailing Club.

Le Bout du Monde Kep. Tel: 011 964 181 www.leboutdumondekep.com Individual and separate bungalows in traditional Khmer architecture located on a hill-top with good views and nice gardens. Serves French and Khmer cuisine. Rooms have hot water, minibar, fan and safe.

Saravoan Hotel Thmey Village, Kep, Tel: 036 639 3909 012 715 588 / 012 357 729 Recently renovated building with 17 rooms has all the modern amenities including an inviting swimming pool and sweeping views of the sea.

The Vine Retreat Tel: 036 633 3383 / 097 461 0711 www.thevineretreat.com Eco guesthouse and organic food.

Get away from the chaos of the city to peaceful, homely comfort surrounded by nature.

Veranda Natural Resort Tel: 033 399 035 012 888 619 www.veranda-resort.com Traditional wooden bungalows set in the hillside. Settle down for the night and listen to the jungle purr. Has a good restaurant and bar with some quite stunning sweeping views down to the coast.

Villa S’aat Tel 017 38 31 85. www.villa-kep.com Your holiday home in Kep! Elegant and spacious villa for rent in Kep during holidays and weekends. Located around 2 km from the crab market, with spacious rooms, fully equipped kitchen, swimming pool, large terrace, garden and household staff. Maximum capacity of 12 guests.

Mondulkiri

Mayura Hill Resort (Mondulkiri 4 star Boutique Resort) Phnom Penh Office: 225 Sisowath Quay Tel: 017 711 177 / 017 811 188 www.mayurahillresort.com Mayura Hill Hotel & Resort located in Mondulkiri Province has 14 exclusive private Bungalow villas embodying the north eastern lifestyle. The first eco-tourism resort in Sen Monorom city located just 1 Km from downtown, surrounded by wonderful views of the highlands.

Phnom Penh – Deluxe

Amanjaya 1 Sisowath Quay. Tel: 023 214 747 www.amanjaya-pancam-hotel.com Large hotel with a great central location along the riverfront. The rooms are spacious and well-equipped with tasteful Khmer decorations. The downstairs restaurant doubles up as the air-con K-West bar.

Bellevue Serviced Apartments 68 Tonle Sap Street.

Tel: 023 432 999 www.bellevueservicedapartments.com www.facebook.com/ bellevueservicedapartments Located in a deluxe hotel complex on the riverbank of the Tonle Sap, Bellevue offers spacious, contemporary accommodation 10 minutes away from the city.

Facilities include infinity swimming pool, tennis court, gym and children’s playhouse, 24 hour security, housekeeping, internet and complimentary shuttle to the city. Studio to 3 bedroom units available.

Cambodiana 313 Sisowath Quay. Tel: 023 426 288 www.hotelcambodiana.com Great riverside location with spectacular sweeping views of the confluence of three rivers. Large rooms with air-con, in-room safes and good bathrooms. Live band plays nightly (except Mondays) from 8.15pm until late.

The Governor’s House 3 Mao Tse Tung Blvd. nr cnr Norodom Blvd. Tel: 023 987 025 www.governorshouse.net The Governor’s house offers an exclusive 10 rooms 5-star boutique hotel embodied in an original colonial-style mansion in the heart of BKK I, surrounded by the top residential area in downtown Phnom Penh city, Kingdom of Wonder.

Himawari 313 Sisowath Quay. Tel: 023 214 555 www.himawarihotel.com The 115 beautifully-designed suites have air-con, cable TV, IDD, Internet, in-room safes and large bathrooms.

Nice swimming pool and good gym facilities as well as two good tennis courts.

Imperial Garden Hotel 315 Sisowath Quay Tel: 023 219 991 Large hotel and villa complex next to the Cambodiana. Has a swimming pool, gym and tennis court.

InterContinental 296 Mao Tse Tung.

Tel: 023 424 888 www.ihg.com One of Phnom Penh’s most luxurious 5-star hotels, the 346 air-con rooms have all the expected facilities including in-room safes and king size beds. Also has a large swimming pool, a fitness centre and a spa.

Patio Hotel & Urban Resort 134z Street 51. www.patio-hotel.com Close to Independence Monument, the Royal Palace, the Silver Pagoda, the National Museum and the river front, Patio has 45 luxurious rooms.

Modern amenities include a rooftop swimming pool, a restaurant and a bar on the 7th floor.

Restaurant open daily from 6am – 11pm.

Raffles Hotel Le Royal Street 92 Tel: 023 981 888 www.phnompenh.raffles.com Emanates the same class as its more famous namesake in Singapore.

The Elephant Bar is a popular expat haunt during the 4pm to 8pm happy hour. Beautiful gardens with a separate swimming pool for kids plus reasonably priced apartments for long stays. The rooms at the front are particularly special.

Sofitel Phnom Penh Phokeethra 26 Old August Site, Sothearos Blvd.

Tel: 023 999 200 www.sofitel.com Set riverside amongst landscaped gardens this 12-storey colonial style hotel is close to key attractions, embassies and the central business district. Along with 201 luxurious rooms and suites with Mekong or Bassac river views, are chic restaurants and bars, an upscale spa, two swimming pools, a sports club and the finest conferencing facilities in Cambodia.

Phnom Penh – Mid

Almond Hotel 128F Sothearos Blvd.

Tel: 023 220 822 www.almondhotel.com.kh 56-room hotel located close to the Royal Palace and the riverfront with spacious rooms with WiFi. Downstairs restaurant serves dim sum and Cantonese food.

Asia Club 456 Monivong Blvd.

Tel: 023 721 766 An oasis of water and green in the city, the five bungalows and four rooms with air-con and bath, large safe and flatscreen tv. The beautiful swimming pool is tucked around the back of Man Han Lou Restaurant and you can have drinks and food delivered from Man Han Lou Restaurant.

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Blue Lime 42 Street 19z (off Street 19), Tel: 023 222 260. www.bluelime.asia Centrally-located mini-hotel with a great swimming pool and contemporary rooms is a good flashpacker option.

The Little Garden 8 Street 398. Tel: 078 217 871 Stylish boutique hotel with a swimming pool. A quiet retreat from the city’s chaos. Rooms feature attractive Cambodian furniture and gorgeous colonial tiles.

FCC Phnom Penh 362 Sisowath Quay. Tel: 012 253 222 www.fcccambodia.com Phnom Penh’s landmark restaurant has seven rooms with balconies offering views of the river. Each is individually designed and meticulously outfitted with high-speed Internet access and the latest mod cons.

The Plantation Urban Resort and Spa 28 Street 184. Tel: 023 215 151 theplantatation.asia 70 rooms – including a penthouse suite, two swimming pools, a restaurant, two bars, a gym, a spa and a meeting room. Centrally situated close to most of Phnom Penh’s main attractions.

Homefeel CS Hotel #23AB, Street 278.

Tel: 023 214 571 www.homefeelcs-hotel.com Located in the heart of the tourist area in the center of Phnom Penh, Homefeel CS Hotel welcomes you warmly and guarantees you will get this feeling.

Hotel Cara 18 Street 47 & 84. Tel: 023 430 066 / 023 998 422. stay@hotelcara.com www.hotelcara.com Just north of Wat Phnom, this stylish boutique hotel has well-fitted rooms at very reasonable rates and a great sushi restaurant.

Lebiz Hotel & Library 79F Street 128.

Tel: 023 998 608 / 610 info@lebizhotel.com www.lebizhotel.com Luxury accommodation with a competitive edge and sleek modern design offers a full range of specialty services tailored to business needs, and cutting-edge technology to maximise comfort and productivity. Has unique library.

Paddy Rice 213-217 Sisowath Quay Tel: 023 990 321. www.paddyrice.net Former Hope and Anchor has newly refurbished rooms with solar hot water, cable TV, air conditioning, WiFi and great views of the river from its balconies. Downstairs restaurant offers full western and Asian cuisine Splash Inn Hotel 5 Street 244.

Tel: 023 986 174 www.splashinncambodia.com The Splash Inn opened in March 2011 after full renovations to two traditional Khmer villas, one block from the Royal Palace. All rooms boast handmade furniture, en-suite bathroom, flat-screen LCD TV, DVD, Wi-fi, fridge and mini-bar.

Rambutan Resort 29 Street 71, BKK1.

Tel: 017 99 22 40 www.rambutanresort.com Spoil yourself at this urban modern oasis located in a quiet residential area only 5 minutes from all major sights in Phnom Penh. Deluxe pool view and garden rooms with outdoor bathtubs.

Salt water pool and private spa room for some unwinding treatments.

River 108 2 Street 108.

Tel: 023 218 785 www.river108.com Art deco hotel aimed at the flashpacker set, the river view rooms are extremely comfortable with flat screen TV and separate bathroom and toilet. Efficient WiFi, good working space and spacious rooms make this the perfect business option.

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hotel review

The Pavilion 227 Street 19. Tel: 023 222 280 www.pavilion-cambodia.com Beautiful boutique hotel set in a colonial building with large, unique rooms, each with either a small balcony or garden. Outdoor swimming pool, free WiFi and a small poolside restaurant.

The Quay Sisowath Quay. Tel: 023 224 894 http://thequayhotel.com Five-storey, 16-room riverside boutique hotel has beautiful contemporary rooms designed by Gary Fell. The stand-out features are the roof-top jacuzzi and the very contemporary ground-floor bar and Chow Restaurant with WiFi. Queen Boutique Hotel 49A Street 214. Tel: 023 211 683 om@queenboutique.asia Boutique hotel located conveniently close to all the major attractions including the Royal Palace and National Museum.

Villa Borann 235A Street 19. Tel 023 211 518 www.villa-borann-boutique-hotel.com Business boutique hotel in the historical centre of Phnom Penh with 14 rooms, swimming pool, bar and restaurant.

Nicely furnished rooms. Colonial style.

Villa SALT 4 Street 294. Tel: 012 815 066 villasalt@sentosasilk.com Whether you are touring Phnom Penh or planning a long vacation, Villa SALT along with SentosaSilk, create an atmosphere that makes you feel at home. Explore 14 artistically decorated rooms, each created to give you that authentic sense of uniqueness.

Villa Samnang Street 302, BKK1. Tel : 023 221 644 www.villa-samnang.com Boutique hotel with 14 rooms, swimming pool, bar and restaurant.

Villa Srey 16 Street 306.

Tel: 023 213 219 www.villasrey.com Charming hotel, six rooms with terrace and swimming pool. Very quiet in the heart of Phnom Penh

Phnom Penh - Budget

California 2 79 Sisowath Quay. Tel: 077 503 144 www.cafecaliforniaphnompenh.com New guest house and bar on the river front with well-priced rooms with air con and security box. Downstairs bar has great Tex-Mex food and pool table.

Feeling Home Cnr. Streets 278 & 63. Tel: 023 221 522 www.feelinghomecambodia.com Stylish nine-room boutique hotel with

Reef Resort Ellie Dyer Set off the Sihanoukville hot spot of Serendipity Beach Road, near the Golden Lions roundabout, Reef Resort has long been a solid option for a seaside retreat on Cambodia’s buzzing coastline.

The hotel’s 14 bedrooms surround a 12.5-metre-long turquoise pool, with a twostorey building at the back of the complex providing two levels of accommodation.

Rooms are spacious, but simply decorated with white walls and tiled floors.

The desk, flat-screen TV, Wi-Fi, kettle, safe and hot showers provided place Reef firmly in the family-friendly category in an area that caters for both backpackers and a growing number of mid-range visitors.

The main foyer contains a high, spacious bar that is perfect to perch on while sipping Reef’s strong coffee and filling Americanstyle barbeque meals.

The breakfast pancake in particular is huge, and covered in lashings of syrup.

But in a town where new hotels are popping up at a rate of knots, it is perhaps

Reef’s solid reputation, friendly staff and place in the local community that are some of the hotel’s strongest points.

The resort supports the local Starfish bakery, using its products where possible, and also works with charity association Rajana and the NGO M’lop Tapang to ensure its dedication to child safety.

The convenient location of its rooms, which are set behind the main drag but still close to shops and bars, also ensure that customers can escape from the party atmosphere of nearby Serendipity beach, which is found a five-minute stroll away and can be filled with revellers well into the night.

The resort is also close to a clutch of excellent restaurants, including Sandan — M’lop Tapang’s training restaurant.

For around $40 to $85 a night including breakfast, Reef is a safe and clean option for anyone drawn to the clean sands and calm seas of Sihanoukville’s most happening stretch of beach.

For more information, visit reefresort.com.kh.

ample rooms at competitive rates, including flatscreen TV, air-con, security box and great beds. Also has two apartments, an Asian restaurant and a Café Sentiment coffee house.

L’Imprevu Highway 1, 7km past Monivong Bridge Tel: 024 390 405 Complex with twenty-four bungalows just outside of Phnom Penh. Tennis courts and excellent swimming pool make this a good break from the city.

Le Rit’s 71 Street 240. Tel: 023-213-160 Small & charming 6-room guesthouse with spacious rooms is managed by NYEMO NGO, part of its hospitality training. Rooms equipped with queen sized bed, cable TV, private bathroom.

The restaurant has a European set lunch menu and serves authentic Khmer food a la carte for diner.

Tonle Sap Guest House 4-6 Street 104.

Tel: 023 986 722 www.tonlesapguesthouse.com Clean, well-kept guesthouse upstairs with 15 rooms, with air-con, fans, hot water, cable TV. Downstairs Pickled Parrot bar open 24 hours.

Sihanoukville

Independence Hotel Independence Beach Tel: 012 728 090 www.independencehotel.net Beautifully restored hotel on Independence Beach, originally opened in 1963, reopened in 2007 following a complete refurbishment. Has sweeping ocean views from most rooms. Also has a gym, conference rooms and circular restaurant.

Mick & Craig’s Restaurant Serendipity Beach, Sihanoukville Tel: 034 934 845 www.mickandcraigs.com A small friendly restaurant serving comfort food from around the world since 1997. Open daily from 7am-11pm.

Reef Resort Road to Serendipity Beach Tel: 012 315 338 www.reefresort.com.kh Guesthouse set around a beautiful pool with well apportioned air-con rooms, in-room safe and cable TV, family rooms also available. Has a welcoming bar with excellent TV screen, slate pool table and excellent Mexican cuisine.

Scuba Nation Lane off road to Serendipity Beach Tel: 012 604 680 / 012 715 785 www.divecambodia.com Five-star PADI centre offering daily trips to the area’s many islands and reefs including the decent dive sites at Koh

Rung Samloem and Koh Kon, also runs a range of PADI-certified courses, and has an office in Phnom Penh.

Sokha Beach Resort Sokha Beach. Tel: 034 935 999 With its own private beach, excellent swimming pool and fine restaurants, Sokha is the most up-market place to stay in Sihanoukville. A live Filipino band plays around the cocktail bar at night.

The Secret Garden Otres Beach. Tel: 0976 495 131 www.secretgardenotres.com Modern beachside air-con bungalows with hot water, jungle showers or baths, TV, WiFi and Otres Beach’s only swimming pool. Restaurant run by professional Australian chef with draught and imported beers.

Zoco Independence Hotel Road to Serendipity Beach Two fashion boutiques – one on the way to Serendipity Beach, the other in Independence Hotel – run by the Spanishborn Nuria, sells dresses, skirts, bags and accessories.

Travel

Cambodia Uncovered 11B Street 370. Tel: 012 507 097 www.cambodiauncovered.com Offers village and cultural tours in Phnom Penh and surrounds including road trips, Mekong cruises, accommodation, cooking classes and other activities.

Exotissimo Travel No. 66, Norodom Blvd. Tel: 023 218 948 www.exotissimo.com Excellent French-owned agency specialising in adventure tourism, flight bookings, package holidays and a range of tours of Southeast Asia.

Helicopters Cambodia 10 Street 310. Tel: 012 814 500 www.helicopterscambodia.com Over 12 years experience operating in the Kingdom offers scenic flights around the Temples of Angkor and beyond. Is a wholly owned subsidiary of Helicopters New Zealand Group.

Intrepid Travel 468 Sivutha Blvd. Tel: 063 966 655 For travellers with a yearning to get off the beaten track, Intrepid opens up a whole new world of adventure travel.

With a huge variety of tours available.

Travel Indochina 43-44EO Street 108. Tel: 023 991 978 www.travelindochina.com.au Australian-owned and managed travel company specialising in small group journeys around Asia that can tailor trips for individuals.

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Listings

siem reap Siem Reap - Bars

AHA The Passage. Tel: 063 965 501 Sophisticated and beautifully designed wine bar selling a wide range of wines from around the world and tapas, as well as great cheese and Lavazza coffee.

Open 10.30am to 10.30pm.

Angkor What?

Pub Street. Tel: 012 181 4001 “Promoting irresponsible drinking since 1998,” this graffiti-laden bar is the mainstay of Pub Street. A healthy mix of loud rock, punk and grunge, buckets of vodka and red bull for $6.

Laundry Bar Old Market Extremely chilled music bar just off Pub Street with great mellow decor and extremely cool t-shirts. Free drink during the 6pm to 9pm washing hours.

Open 6pm until late.

Linga Bar Alley behind Pub Street Tel: 012 246 912. www.lingabar.com

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Laid back, gay-friendly bar with extremely chilled Buddha Bar tunes and some amazing light boxes that serves a great range of cocktails.

Free WiFi. Open 5pm until late.

Mezze 13a (1st floor) Street 11 Tel: 097 7667343 mezze.siemreap@gmail.com www.mezzesiemreap.com Escape the heat and dust to be warmly welcomed by attentive staff at one of Siem Reap’s unique venues. Enjoy signature cocktails, original cuban cigars, fine champagnes, luxury shisha and fusion tapas. Open every day from 6pm-1am.

Miss Wong Lane off Pub Street. Tel: 092 428 332 Imagine yourself in China at the turn of the last century and you won’t go much wrong in Miss Wong with excellent and original cocktails and dim sum. Open late.

Nest Sivutha Blvd. Tel: 063 966 381 A step up for Siem Reap, Nest is high level drinking and dining, serving light Mediterranean and Asian food in a unique, highly stylised setting, with loungers and table settings.

Picasso Alley West A very cosy wine and tapas bar, with artful décor and a curved bar making conversation easy and fun. Good selection of wines and delicious tapas make this a regular haunt for expats.

Open 5pm until midnight.

The Station Wine Bar Street 7, close to Pub Street Tel: 097 850 4043 www.thestationwinebarsiemreap.com

For lovers and lovers of wine offers a selection of fine wines, always 20 by the glass and a list of over 100 by the bottle. Good music and pleasant decor in air conditioned comfort. Tuesdays, varietal wine tastings and every Wednesday, Friday and Saturday our Lady Boy Variety Show.

The Warehouse Old Market Tel: 012 530 227 Popular expat bar plays great music with good Asian-Western fusion cuisine. Best stocked bar in town and homemade infused vodkas. Open 10am to 3am.

Siem Reap - Cafés

Blue Pumpkin Old Market Tel: 012 946 227/ 063 463 574 www.tbpumpkin.com Popular café with a great range of freshly baked breads and pastries, shakes and coffee. Also at Angkor Wat and the airport. Open daily from 6am to 10pm.

Free WiFi.

Siem Reap - Galleries

Diwo Galleries One at Vat Svay, Tonle Sap Road and another between Monument Books and Ta Prohm Hotel on the riverside Features a selection of refined Khmer statues and Buddhas. The larger Vat Svay location features a gallery exhibition of Thierry Diwo’s photography, as well as sells home decor and books. Drinks are available in the garden and on the terrace.

Happy Cambodia Gallery 2 Hospital Street, between Psar Chaas and Pub Street Tel: 063 963 114 www.happypainting.net McDermott Gallery I & II FCC Complex Pokambor Avenue, Alley behind Pub Street. Tel: 092 668 181

www.mcdermottgallery.com Two galleries devoted to photographic works. with permanent exhibition of photographs taken by John McDermott.

Open 10am to 10pm.

Siem Reap - Hotels

Golden Banana Boutique Resort Phum Wat Damnak, Kum Sala Komreuk, Krom 10, Siem Reap Tel: 012 654 638 / 063 766 655 goldenbanana2@gmail.com, www. goldenbanana.info Deluxe suites & villas in modern Asian style build around a salt-water pool.

Private balcony or terrace with outdoor bathtub/splash shower. Gay-friendly.

3mn walk to Old Market.

Golden Orange Off East River Road Tel: 063 965 389 reservations@goldenorangehotel.com www.goldenorangehotel.com Mini-hotel with good sized air-con rooms that tends to have customers when others are empty. Nice outside bar makes for a good place to sit and have a few beers.

Raffles Grand Hotel D’Angkor 1 Charles de Gaulle Tel: 063 963 888 www.raffles.com Elegant hotel with opulent gardens and a spectacular swimming pool in its grounds.

Sofitel Angkor Phokeethra Golf & Spa Resort Vithei Charles de Gaulle Tel: 063 964 600/ 610 www.sofitel.com Ultimate in comfort and refinement, combining the traditional architecture of Cambodia with elegant French colonial style. 5-star accommodation, 5 bars and restaurants, swimming pool, spa and international standard18-hole 72-par golf course, 16km outside Siem Reap.

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Siem Reap - Leisure

Angkor Silk Farm Puok District (20min from Siem Reap downtown) Open daily from 8am to 5pm Tel: 063 5555 768 www.artisansdangkor.com Learn about the meticulous process of silk-making and traditional silk weaving.

A free shuttle bus departing from Artisans Angkor’s shop in Siem Reap center to the Angkor Silk Farm is available daily at 9.30am and 1.30pm.

Body Tune 293-290 Pokambor Av. (next to the old market along Riverside) Tel: 063 764 141 www.bodytune.co.th When you need to re-balance and rejuvenate your body in between daily routines, BODY TUNE is the perfect place to regain your energy. Open daily 10:00am - 10:30pm.

Helicopters Cambodia 658 Hup Quan Street.

Tel: 063 963 316 Professionally run company that has flights over the temples and beyond in modern, safe helicopters.

Phare, The Cambodian Circus Behind Angkor National Museum on Komay Road. Tel: 015 499 480. www.facebook.com/PhareCambodianCircus A unique professional Cambodian theatrical circus show mixing traditional and modern artistic skills. Emotion guaranteed every night for only $15.

7.30pm daily.

Phokeethra Country Club Sofitel Angkor Phokeethra Vithei Charles de Gaulle Tel: 056 396 4600 reservation.angkor@phokeethragolf.com International standard 18-hole, 72-par golf course 16km outside of Siem Reap.

Clubhouse facilities: pro shop, rental equipment, restaurant.

Sam Veasna Centre Wat Bo Area.

Tel: 063 96 37 10 Wild Asia Responsible Tourism Award winner. Some of the rarest birds in Asia can be seen at Prek Toal and Ang Trapang Thmor, a day-trip from Siem Reap, or combine bird watching with temple trips to Koh Ker and Beng Melea.

Siem Reap - Medical

Royal Angkor International Hospital National Route #6 Phum Kasekam, Khum Sra Ngea.

Tel: 063-761-888.

Fax: 063-761-739 www.royalangkorhospital.com Royal Angkor International Hospital is part of the well known Bangkok Hospital Network. We offer high quality care for all eventualities from routine care to emergency treatment 24 hours a day.

Siem Reap - Restaurants

with a menu catering to a range of budgets and tastes. Both food and service is consistently good. An attractive wine list rounds out this restaurant’s promise.

L’Oasi East River Road. Tel: 092 418 917 The best Italian restaurant in, or rather just outside of, town. The combination of the beautiful garden and home-cooked Italian pasta and pizza makes the trip well worth it.

Khmer Ways Wat Svay Village. Tel: 077 367 790 www.khmerways.com Ride specially adapted motor-scooters to explore parts of Siem Reap nobody else gets to, including villages, temples and waterfalls. No previous experience required. Lunch, water, sunscreen and snacks provided.

Maharajah Indian Restaurant Next to Pub Street, btwn CAB bank & provincial hospital. Old Market Area Tel: 063-966221 / 092-506622 Authentic Indian vegetarian and nonvegetarian food. Maharajah believes that exclusivity with a touch of simplicity is important in the creation of every dish.

Open daily 11am – 10pm.

Marum 8a Route B, btwn Wat Polanka & Catholic Church. Tel: 017 363 284 contact@marum-restaurant.org Great food, good service. Part of the Friends International group that trains marginalized and vulnerable young people for a career in the hospitality industry. Profits go back into the training programme. Open Mon-Sat 11am-10pm.

Siem Reap - Shops

Artisans Angkor Boutique and Workshops Stung Thmey Street (2min from the Old Market) Open daily from 7.30am to 6.30pm Tel: 063 963 330 www.artisansdangkor.com Boutique offering a large collection of handmade souvenirs such as high-quality silk scarves, clothing and accessories, wooden and stone sculptures, lacquer paintings and decorative items for all contemporary lifestyles. Also offers free guided tours of the handicraft workshops to see some of the secrets of traditional Khmer craftsmanship.

Eric Raisina 53 Veal Village Tel: 012 965 207 / 063 963 207 Accessories, decor, textiles and clothing created by Madagascan-born and French-trained designer. Phone in advance for an appointment.

Jasmine Boutique FCC Angkor, Pokambor Avenue Tel: 063 760 610 Same sophisticated, stylish boutique as on Street 240 in Phnom Penh.

Chanrey Tree Pokombo Ave. Tel: (855) 63 76 79 97 www.chanreytree.com Traditional Khmer food in a beautiful contemporary setting. Alongside the river, 50m brfore Preah Phrum Rath Pagoda. Open daily. Lunch 11am2.30pm, dinner 6pm-10.30pm.

Smateria The Alley West Tel: 063 964 343 www.smateria.com Boutique specialising in accessories made from recycled materials including a range of bags and wallets made from old cartons, plastic bags and mosquito nets.

FCC Angkor FCC Complex, Pokambor Avenue Tel: 063 760 280 Elegant bar and restaurant serves a mix of Asian and international cuisine. The complex includes shops, the McDermott Gallery, Visaya Spa and boutique hotel.

Sokkhak Spa Sok San Street, next to Haven Restaurant, Old Market Area Tel: +63 763 797 www.sokkhakspa.com In Khmer, Sokkhak means ‘tranquility’.

A nature-inspired décor with a soft, warm and tranquil atmosphere in which to relax, refresh and indulge and using carefully chosen natural botanical and marine-based products.

Open daily 11am - 10pm.

Le Malraux Street No. 7. Tel: 063 966 041 Beautiful French restaurant offering alfresco, café and brasserie style dining

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Siem Reap - Spas

siem reap

Christmas Festivities Joanna Wolfarth Forget slumping on the sofa with yet another turkey sandwich, watching a comedy special on the telly and hoping that no one suggests charades. Siem Reap has a Yuletide calendar that is bursting at the seams with exciting events for Christmas and New Year.

Here are just a few ideas for getting in the festive spirit, with not a game of charades in sight.

For unique gifts produced by local businesses that benefit social causes, check out the Made in Cambodia market, which takes place in front of the Shinta Mani hotel from 4pm on Dec. 7, 14 and 28. The market brings together examples of Cambodian craftsmanship, with quality products on sale for all budgets. Take a break from shopping to enjoy live entertainment from Phare, the Cambodian Circus, Bokator by Green Gecko, and live music from local band Cambojam.

Most of the big hotels are holding Christmas light illumination ceremonies, and it’s worth keeping an eye out for drink specials and carol singing. Families can get into the festive spirit at Sofitel Angkor Phokeethra Golf and Spa Resort’s Christmas Lighting ceremony on Dec. 7 and the hotel’s annual gingerbread house decorating event on Dec. 14 at 2pm. It costs $15 per group to decorate your own gingerbread Khmer house.

The ever-popular Phare, the Cambodian Circus, will be performing a special show called ‘Yuletide Chills’ from

Dec. 23 to 25 in its big top tent. Expect an audiovisual feast of circus skills, music and acting as the artists overcome their fear of ghosts with surprising results. Mama Tey, the spirit of the season, will make a guest appearance and we recommend buying your tickets in advance. Visit PhareCambodianCircus.org for more details.

All the top hotels and many restaurants are offering Christmas dinner packages, meaning no arguments about washing up. The FCC Angkor Boutique Hotel is set to serve a traditional three-course Christmas dinner on Dec. 24 and 25, which includes a welcome champagne cocktail.

There’s a plethora of bars in Siem Reap that will oblige in merry-making, but the merriest of the lot may be Charlie’s bar. It will be celebrating Christmas Eve with Yuletide drink specials and a rocking (around the Christmas tree) DJ set.

The Sok San Street Festival, organised by The Hand in Heart Project, will kick off the New Year’s Eve party this year. Celebrating the fresh, vibrant rebirth of Sok San Road, the festival is designed to bring local, expat and tourist communities together, with a focus on community arts. Expect eco art workshops, a ‘bling your wheels’ parade, live music, face painting and more.

Running from midday to 10pm, it’s the perfect way to start the revelry early. From then on make a move to Pub Street, Alley West or the Lane to continue the fun.

Merry Christmas!

Listings

food & drink Arabic

Beirut Resto-Café 117 Sisowath Quay, (after night market) Tel: 023 720 011/ 092 483 759 The only authentic Lebanese halal cuisine and Sisha Lounge in the town. Offering middle east flavours including mezze tapas – hummus, shish kebab, baba ganouj, falafel, vegetarian and non-vegetarian kebab wraps. Delivery, takeaway, catering.

Open daily 10am until late.

Petra 8 Street 288 (between St 51 & St 57) Tel: 023 666 3222 / 089 990 150 Authentic Arabic cuisine, ambiance and chef with rooftop shisha lounge.

Located in the heart of BKK1.

Special dining experiences with great costumes.

Open daily from 10am – 11pm.

Cambodian

Khmer Surin 9 Street 57.

Tel 012 887 320 Elegant restaurant featuring wood and silk décor with a tropical garden that serves Cambodian and Thai favourites. Dishes are well prepsred and large enough to share.

K’NYAY The Terrace on 95, 43 Street 95 (corner of Street 348) Tel: 093 665 225. www.knyay.com Modern Khmer restaurant tucked away off Monivong Blvd, with a menu including a selection of freshly prepared vegan dishes, along with traditional Cambodian specialities.

Offers a selection of cakes, ice creams and sorbets, using all vegan ingredients. Open 12-9pm (Tue to Fri), 7am-9pm (Sat & Sun), closed Monday.

Malis 136 Norodom Bvd. Tel: 023 221 022 www.malis-restaurant.com Beautiful modern Khmer restaurant with a courtyard set around narrow water channels and decorated with terracotta floor tiles. Has air-con rooms inside for those who find the midday sun too much. The cuisine is modern Khmer, with no MSG. Open 6am - 10pm.

Restaurant Le Royal Raffles Hotel Le Royal Tel: 023 981 888 (see also restaurants, French) Romdeng 74 Street 174.

Tel: 092 219 565 Come to Romdeng and order some delicious Khmer food for you and also for your children from our new kid’s menu, serving creative and

healthy treats for little one! While waiting for your dishes, let you kids enjoy the playroom while you relax by the pool… And before leaving don’t miss our new gift shop in the first floor. Special lunch set menu everyday. Open 11am - 9pm.

Chinese

Emperors of China 19 Street 163 Tel: 097 929 2699 Up-market Chinese restaurant, popular with the capital’s large Chinese community, private dinning rooms, specializes in Peking duck and dim sum.

Fortune Palace NagaWorld, Hun Sen Park Chinese restaurant with authentic Greater Chinese cuisine and all-youcan-eat Dim Sum buffet on Sundays.

Open from 11am - 3pm, 5pm 10pm.

Fu Lu Zu Sofitel Phnom Penh Phokeethra 26 Old August Site, Sothearos Blvd.

Tel: 023 999 200 x 6613 Elegant Chinese restaurant specialising in contemporary Cantonese delicacies and dim sum with private rooms for intimate ambience.

Open from 11.30am - 2.30pm, 6.30pm - 10.30pm. Dim Sum weekend from 8am - 2.30pm.

Hua Nam 753 Monivong Bvd. Tel: 023 364 005 Large Chinese restaurant that specialises in seafood and duck and has a good selection of wines, with VIP rooms.

Open 11am - 2pm, 5pm - 10pm.

Man Han Lou Restaurant 456 Monivong Blvd.

Tel: 023 721 966 Micro-brewery with four types of German-style beer. Has extensive Chinese, Thai, Khmer and Vietnamese menus, as well as dim sum breakfast.

Open from 6am - 10am.

Sam Doo 56-58 Kampuchea Krom Tel: 023 218 773 The place for dim sum in Phnom Penh, baskets of steamed prawn dumplings, pork buns and more go for a pittance. The wonton soup and other tasty meals are a steal.

Open 7am - 2am.

Xiang Palace InterContinental Phnom Penh 2/F, 296 Mao Tse Toung Blvd.

Tel: 023 424 888 x 3562 Xiang Palace is locally acclaimed for its authentic Cantonese cuisine and delicious dim sum, all prepared with the finest ingredients.

Open daily for lunch and dinner.

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Yi Sang Chinese Restaurant 128F Sothearos Blvd.

Tel: 023 220 922 www.almondhotel.com.kh Set on the ground floor of the Almond Hotel, this stylish restaurant specialises in Cantonese food and dim sum that fuses the traditional with the contemporary, including excellent dim sum.

Open from 6.30am - 10am, 11.30am - 2pm and 5.30pm - 10pm – Dim Sum not served in the evening.

French

Armand’s 33 Street 108.

Tel: 015 548 966 A true bistro experience in a cosy wood-panelled space, despite the informal and relaxed ambience it has the menu to even satisfy high-rollers.

Open 5pm until late. Closed Mondays.

Brasserie du Port 49E Sisowath Quay, cnr Street 84 Tel: 066 821 224 Seaside bistro featuring eclectic menu of haute cuisine mixed with pasta and ish specials. French classics including flambéed duck, pork filet mignon and home-made fois gras available at reasonable prices. Open daily for lunch and dinner, Brasserie’s long wooden bar is the perfect spot for enjoying a sea breeze and the

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restaurant’s comprehensive wine list.

Open daily, 8am – 10pm.

Comme à la Maison 13 Street 57.

Tel: 012 951 869 www.commealamaisondelicatessen.com Sophisticated French restaurant with a beautiful outdoor terrace area at the front, yet secluded from the street. One of the best French kitchens in town. Small delicatessen at the back of the restaurant.

Open daily from 6am - 10.30pm.

K West 1 Street 154, cnr. Sisowath Quay Tel: 023 214 747 Stylish aircon bar and restaurant below the Amanjaya with an excelllent steak menu and good value happy hour from 6pm to 8pm Fridays. Now has a brasserie menu with daily specials. Also has free WiFi. Open 6.30am until midnight.

La Marmite Cnr Streets 108 & 51.

Tel: 012 391 746 This small, reasonably priced French bistro has two adjoining rooms (one non-smoking) creating a relaxed, cosy atmosphere. Serves excellent fish, steaks and offal as well as daily specials, for a taste of real home-cooked French cuisine.

Open 11am-2.30pm, 6pm-10.30pm.

La Residence Restaurant 22/24 Street 214. Tel: 023 224 582 Fine dining on an international scale in this sophisticated restaurant, where French classics meet gourmet, modern cuisine. Open from 11.30am-2pm, 6.30pm-10.30pm.

Le Café Mith Samlanh French Institute, Street 184 Tel: 092 471 791 Set in the lush garden of the French Institute (formerly CCF), Le Café offers an extensive à la carte menu with Khmer and French dishes. All proceeds go towards Mith Samlanh’s programmes for marginalised youth.

Open 7am - 5pm, closed Sundays.

Le Gourmet NagaWorld Hotel and Casino, Hun Sen Park. Tel: 023 228 822.

Quality ingredients come together in beautiful presentation on the plate, with the luxury of the surroundings complemented by professional and attentive service. Open daily from 12pm-3pm and 6pm-10pm.

Le Jardin 16 Street 360. Tel: 011 723 399 Beautiful shaded restaurant with large garden and spacious outdoor play area for kids with excellent ice cream.

Open 8am - 10pm (closed Mondays).

Le Vôtre caterer 9A, Street 178.

Tel: 092 638 683/092 24 88 16 levotrecambodia@gmail.com Caterer specialising in fine French cuisine preparing both fresh and frozen meals for wholesale, private events and walk-in customers.

Products include foie gras, terrines, salmon gravlax, French cheeses and deli goods. Open daily 7am - 7pm.

Sunday 7am - 12pm.

Restaurant Le Royal Raffles Hotel Le Royal Tel: 023 981 888 www.raffles.com/phnompenh dining. phompenh@raffles.com Treat yourself to the finest French & Khmer cuisine in one of Indochina’s most elegant restaurants. The Chef’s Degustation menu allows you to try a myriad of dishes in a single meal in a refined atmosphere. Private rooms are available on request.

Open from 6.30pm-10.30pm.

The Wine Restaurant 219 Street 19.

Tel: 023 223 527 Excellent fine dining restaurant in the same grounds as Open Wine deli. The fresh food and extensive selection of wines make this one of the exclusive places to dine in town.

Topaz 182 Norodom Blvd.

Tel: 012 346 555/ 023 221 622 Sophisticated, air-con restaurant with outside dining, upstairs bar, wine shop, cigar room and private rooms. One of Phnom Penh’s finest restaurants. Has a popular piano bar, night club upstairs.

Open 11am-2pm, 6pm-11pm.

Van’s Restaurant 5 Street 102. Tel: 023 722 067 French fine-dining in a grand setting awaits at Van’s, located on the second floor of a well preserved colonial era building near the city’s Post Office. Open daily 11.30am-2.30pm, 5pm-10.30pm.

Indian Sub-Continent

Dosa Corner 15 Street 51. Tel: 012 673 276 This small south Indian restaurant opened in January. True to its name it has a wide range of very good value dosa as well as thali and biryani dishes. Air-conditioned.

Open 7am-10pm.

East India 9 Street 114.

Tel: 023 992 007 South Indian cuisine predominates in this pristine restaurant with excellent breads including nine types of dosa.

Open 11am-2pm, 5.30pm-10.30pm.

Flavours of India 158 Street 63.

Tel: 012 886 374, Relaxing Indian and Nepalese restaurant with friendly staff and a good range of dishes including good value vegetarian and meat thalis.

Open 10am - 11pm.

Indian Delight 115Eo Sisowath Quay.

Tel: 023 724 885 / 098 776 543 Delicious North Indian tastes served at a modest yet clean and bright on riverside. Opposite Titanic restaurant.

Open everyday 11am – 1pm.

Shiva Shakti Street 63, between Mao Tse Tung Blvd. and Street 466 Tel: 012 813 817 / 023 213 062 Decidedly upmarket and sophisticated Indian restaurant in a beautiful setting with prices to match.

Good place for an Indian treat.

Open from 11am - 2pm, 6pm 10.30pm. Closed Mondays.

Indochine

Indochine NagaWorld, Hun Sen Park With a focus on Southeast Asian

cuisine, Indochine offers tradition dishes from Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand in a sophisticated space.

Open 11am - 11pm.

Irrawaddi 24 Street 334.

Tel: 012 979 510 Authentic Myanmar food at very reasonable prices in a clean setting with paintings of the Burmese countryside decorating the walls.

Open 10am - 10pm, closed - Mondays.

Lemongrass 14 Street 130.

Tel: 012 996 707 Elegant Thai-managed restaurant with stylish use of heavy wood and artefacts to create a far more luxurious ambience than the reasonable prices would suggest.

Open 10am - 10pm.

Le Wok 33 Street 178. Tel: 092 821 857 Light and modern pan-Asian and French eatery with dishes such as prawns with lime and wasabi and Mekong lobster thermidor, and a comprehensive list of wines and cocktails. Open daily 9am - 11pm.

Ngon 60 Sihanouk Blvd. Tel: 023 987 151

www.ngonpnh.com Open air restaurant that features a vast range of Vietnamese food in a garden environment. Meaning delicious, although the food does not live up to its name, the ambience makes up for it.

Pangea Fusion Restaurant NagaWorld Hotel and Casino, Hun Sen Park. Tel: 023 228 822 Pan-Asian fusion restaurant with a western flair that specialises in allyou-can-eat dinner buffets.

Open daily 6am - 10.30pm.

International

Aussie XL Café 205A Street 51. Tel: 023 301 301 Aussie style bistro food with quick lunch menu and a good selection of house wines and retail wines.

Open 7am - 11pm.

CABARET 159 Street 154, near Central Market Tel: 092 650 980 info@cabaret-restaurant.com Restaurant and lounge bar with live music.

Enjoy trendy food, tapas, cocktails and wine in a modern setting encompassing two elegant areas, bar and patio. Fine and casual dining available. Live music four to five times a week, sumptuous variety of wine and cigars.

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Cafe Monivong Raffles Hotel Le Royal Tel: 023 981 888 Wicker armchairs and marble tables covered with crisp white tablecloths create the perfect place to relax and linger over a delightful alfresco breakfast, lunch or dinner. Western and Asian cuisines are available buffet-style or a la carte. Private rooms are available on request. Buffet from 6am - 10am, 12pm - 2.30pm, 6pm - 10pm, A la carte from 11am - 11pm.

Doors Restaurant 18, Street 47 & 84. Tel : 023 998 114 www.doorspp.com New tapas restaurant, with live music. Open 11am until late Equinox 3a Street 278. Tel: 023 676 7593 www.equinox-cambodia.com marco@equinox-cambodia.com anthony@equinox-cambodia.com French-run bar and restaurant.

International menu, pool tables, splitlevel bar. Art exhibitions each month and live music gigs most Saturdays.

Bachata class on Tuesdays, Salsa class on Wednesday and swing nights on Thursdays. Open daily 11am – late.

FCC Phnom Penh 363 Sisowath Quay.

Tel: 023 724 014 The first stop for newcomers and it’s easy to see why. Set in a beautiful colonial house with sumptuous views across the river on one side and the National Museum to the other, it’s best to come at sunset when the streets below are most crowded, the cocktails are half price and draft beer goes for $1. Open daily from 7am to midnight.

Fish Sisowath Quay, cnr of Street 108, Tel: 023 222 685 www.fishphnompenh.com Contemporary, modern restaurant specialising in all things oceanic.

Menu includes everything from lobster through sushi to gourmet fish and chips for upmarket, but reasonable prices. Open 7am-late.

Flavours Corner St 51 and St 282 Tel: 017 765 896 Relaxing restaurant and popular bar run

by Quebecois with comfortable chairs that fall out onto the street. The mix of

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Asian and western cuisine has proved so popular that they have a copycat restaurant opposite. Open 7am - late.

FOX Wine Bistro 104 Sothearos Blvd & St. 266.

Tel.: 098 78 99 61 Casual wine-dining. For passionate food and wine lovers who want an unforgettable dining experience or even just a place to hang-out that’s unlike elsewhere in Phnom Penh. Serving simple yet thoughtful dishes and drinks in a comfortable, hip and trendy atmosphere.

Friends 215 Street 13.

Tel: 012 802 072 Non-profit training restaurant where all the proceeds go to the neighbouring street-kid school. Food is a reliable mix of Mediterranean and Asian with tapas thrown in if you are not feeling too hungry. Great juices. Another one of Phnom Penh’s places designed to take it easy, but this time with a clear conscience.

Open 11am - 9pm.

Gasolina 56/58 Street 57.

Tel: 012 373 009 The largest garden bar in town has an extensive menu. Crèche facilities make this a popular choice with families at weekends. Has regular events with live music and DJs, even fashion shows.

Open from 8am - 12am.

Irina Russian Restaurant 22 Street 29 Tel: 012 833 524/ 092 833 524 www.irinacambodia.com Russian restaurant of iconic Phnom Penh status. If you can walk out of the restaurant after hitting the vodkas then you are doing well. Open daily from 11am until the vodka runs out.

Java Cafe & Gallery 56 Sihanouk Blvd.

Tel: 023 987 420 www.javaarts.org Great coffees, salads, mix-and-match sandwiches and juices served in an elegant setting. The upstairs terrace, overlooking the Independence Monument, is a good place to watch the chaos below, while the downstairs space is a great place for coffee and catching up on your emails. Has exhibitions both upstairs and down.

Open 7am - 10pm.

La Coupole Sofitel Phnom Penh Phokeethra 26 Old August Site, Sothearos Blvd.

Tel: 023 999 200. www.sofitel.com Casual and authentic Indochinese and French cuisine with live cooking by chefs in an open kitchen concept.

Offers breakfast, lunch, dinner and the Sunday brunch, all set in a stunning restaurant with high ceilings and natural light.

La Croisette 241 Sisowath Quay.

Tel: 023 220 554 Riverfront restaurant with an ample outside dining area screened off by trees that serves good, reasonablypriced food, also has a cool, air-con restaurant inside. Often arranges special events. Open 7am until late.

La Plaza Spanish Tapas Bar 22b Street 278, nr cnr Street 57 Tel: 012 825 443 Recreates to perfection the best known and most delicious Spanish tapas, making of seafood Paella its signature dish. Tapas are the result of hundreds of years of Spanish culinary history and evolution. Simple, tasty and healthy dishes have become a standard to be enjoyed with friends while drinking large amounts of sangría.

Open 11am - 2pm,5pm - 10pm. All day on the weekend.

LA ROSE Restaurant 164b Norodom Blvd.

Tel: 023 211 130 / 080 900 900 www.larose.com.kh Revive your strength and restore your health with La Rose Restaurant’s healthy option menu.

Cozy ground floor restaurant with experienced chefs serving both Asian and Western cuisine.

Latin Quarter Cnr Street 178 and Street 19 Tel: 093 319 081.

Latin restaurant and bar that serves excellent tapas and mains with extra salsa. Beautiful courtyard often hosts live music and salsa dancing while the air-con restaurant is available for private hire. Open from breakfast until the music stops.

Le Quay Café Cnr. Sisowath Quay & Street 110 Tel: 023 998 730, www.amaraspa.hotelcara.com Enjoy the menu of sushi, salads, paninis, crepes and Asian specialities, with a wide range of healthy power juices, smoothies, cocktails, coffees, beers and wines, either beside a relaxing water feature or on the riverside terrace. Smoke free environment for lunch and dinner.

Open 10.30am-10.30pm.

Lime Restaurant + Bar 79F Street 128 Tel: 023 998 608/ 610 info@lebizhotel.com, www.lebizhotel.com Located in Lebiz Hotel Lime serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner, offering a stylish mix of Asian and western favourites with a focus on fresh, healthy and local ingredients, with regular changes to the menu.

Lotus Blanc 152 Street 51 Tel: 017 602 251 Run by local NGO Pour un Sourire d’Enfant, this centrally located training restaurant has a monthly changing lunch menu as well as a la carte Khmer dishes. Serves both Asian and continental breakfast.

Open Monday – Saturday, 7am - 10 pm.

Metro Café Cnr. Sisowath Quay & Street 148 Tel: 023 222 275 Cool east-meets-west decor and a chic menu offering tapas, starters and mains, comprehensive cocktail menu, favourite among which is the Espresso Martini, Metro also offers a range of classic breakfasts and an elegant lunch spot with free wifi in an air-con and smoke-free (until 10pm) atmosphere.

Open daily 9:30am - 1am.

Mike’s Burger House Russian Blvd, inside Sokimex Petrol Station.

Tel: 012 633 971 Hugely popular burger bar that serves food with plastic knives and forks and equally plastic French fries with cheese sauce. Ideal for those who believe that American culture starts with a Mc. Mr Grill Restaurant & Bar 23 Street 288.

Tel: 023 997 255 Japanese run restaurant in BKK1 where comfort meets a good atmosphere. Guests can enjoy dishes including appetizers, salads, grill, side menus and drinks.

Open daily 11am-midnight.

New York Steakhouse 264 Street 63 cnr Mao Tse Tung Blvd.

Tel: 023 987 500, www.steakhouse.com.kh Indulge in a seductive dining experience in the famed Phnom Penh Steak restaurant. The innovative menu features New-York Steakhouse signature prime cuts of beef charred to perfection accompanied by decadent sides and desserts.

Open Daily from 11am-2pm and 13pm-midnight.

Ocean 11 Street 288.

Tel: 017 766 690 European managed Mediterranean restaurant that dishes up some of the best fish and seafood in town.

Try the red snapper or the squid with rocket. Often has exhibitions around the understated walls.

One More Pub 16E Street 294. Tel: 017 327 378 (see bars) Paddy Rice 213-217 Sisowath Quay.

Tel: 023990321. www.paddyrice.net (see bars) Regency Cafe InterContinental Phnom Penh 296 Mao Tse Toung Blvd.

Tel: 023 424 888 ext. 3603 Regency Cafe features sumptuous international and Asian buffets as well as a la carte dining for the most discerning palates. Open daily 6am-10.30pm

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Restaurant Tell 13 Street 90.

Tel: 023 430 650 Up-market eatery that re-creates the genuine feel of an Alpine chalet, has a spacious indoor restaurant and outdoor terrace with rotisserie and bar. European menu with imported steaks, fondue, raclette and an extensive wine list.

Open 11.30am - 2pm, 5pm - 11pm.

Rising Sun 20 Street 178.

Tel: 012 970 718 (see bars) Riverside Bistro Cnr. Sisowath Quay & Street 148 Tel: 012 277 882/ 023 213 898 Popular restaurant with expats and tourists alike mainly due to its large outdoor terrace area to view the river. Serves a mixture of Asian and western food with an emphasis on German cuisine. Has rock music videos and a pool table in the music bar at the back.

Open from 7am - 2am.

Samba Brazilian Steakhouse 64 Sihanouk Blvd.

(Nr Independence Monument).

Tel: 023 222 599 Experience the unique Brazilian Churrasco way of cookingwith a large variety of meats skewered and roasted to perfection and served piping hot direct from the skewers to your plate! Open daily 11am - 3pm, 5pm - 10:30pm.

Stella Restaurant 55 Street 75 Tel: 099 574 188 / 012 735 002 A cosy restaurant located near Wat Phnom, Stella serves pizzas, grilled food and Asian cuisine in a peaceful garden atmosphere.

Steve’s Steakhouse 8 Street 240.

Tel: 023 987 320 Longstanding restaurant specialising in local grain-fed beef as well as a large variety of imported steaks, hamburgers, ribs and Greek cuisine.

Has a terraced lounge with pool tables upstairs as well as a sports bar with large screen TV and happy hour from 12pm to 7pm.

Open daily 11am - 10.30pm.

Stonegrill 649 Sisovath Quay.

Tel: 023 999 950 www.stonegrill.com.kh Stonegrill offers a unique interactive dining experience where diners meals are served cooking at the table on a natural volcanic stones heated to 400C (752F).

Open daily 11am - midnight.

T-Bone Steak House 392 Monivong Boulevard & Street 360 Tel: 012 900 138 Contemporary restaurant serving a premium selection of both imported and Cambodian beef, in a sophisticated air-conditioned setting – a carnivore’s delight.

Open 12pm - 2pm, 5pm -11pm.

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Tepui Restaurant Lounge Chinese House, 45 Sisowath Quay Tel: 023 991 514 Located on the second floor of Chinese House, Tepui offers a mix of Mediterranean and South American small plates with Asian accents.The skilled Venezuelan chef is considered one of the city’s best culinary talents.

Open 6pm-10.30pm, closed Mondays.

The Exchange / The Vault 28 Street 47. Tel: 078 886 889 Large colonial mansion contains The Vault, Phnom Penh’s first private member’s club for thoses who have $1000 to burn. Underneath, the Exchange has elegany exposed brickwork and low lighting as well as an impressive fusion menu.

Open daily, 10am - midnight.

The Quay 277 Sisowath Quay. Tel: 023 224 894 Rooftop deck with spectacular views of the river is a great place to enjoy a drink during half price 4pm-8pm happy hour. Food is a mix of tapas and more substantial offerings, including an excellent duck confit.

Open daily 7am – 11pm.

The Lost Room 43 Street 21 Tel: 078 700 001 A hidden gem, with eclectic food in an urbane environment. This small restaurant and bar owned by the former owners of Talkin To A Stranger offers small plates of food for sharing. Using imported and local foods, the menu encompasses global foods and unique cocktail and wine listings at reasonable prices. Caring and experienced staff makes for a pleasant evening.

Come find The Lost Room and ring for directions. Open from 5pm Monday to Saturday. Kitchen closes at 10pm. Closed Sundays. Lunch by appointment only.

The Village Restaurant, Bar & Live Music 1 Street 360.

Tel: 012810731 Stylish purpose built music venue serving a sumptuous array of international dishes. Superb stage and acoustics plays host to a variety of international and local bands.

Open from 9am - midnight Closed Sundays Zino Wine Bar and Restaurant 12 Street 294. Tel: 023998 519 FB: www.facebook.com/zinowinebar Zino offers a comprehensive wine list by the glass and bottle, professionally made cocktails and a constantly evolving Mediterranean and Asian menu. Open for lunch and dinner 7 days a week. Kitchen closes at 11pm.

Italian

Aria D’Italia 41EO Street 310.

Tel: 012 840 705 Cute little Italian pizzeria tucked away between Street 57 and Street 63. Well-priced lunch set menu and homemade ravioli. Home delivery available.

Open 10.30am-2pm, 5.30pm-10pm.

Bistro Romano NagaWorld Hotel and Casino, Hun Sen Park.

Tel: 023 228 822 Best known for its sumptuous Sunday Prosecco Brunch, this stylised Italian restaurant in the NagaWorld complex specialises in Italian cuisine.

Open daily 11am - 11pm.

Cafe Monivong Raffles Hotel Le Royal.

Tel: 023 981 888 Indulge in home made antipasti, fresh prepared pasta and risotto as well as oven-baked, crispy pizzas and pair it all with the finest selection of Italian wines, every Saturday night 6pm - 10pm.

Da Sandro 162 Street 63 (near Sihanouk Blvd) Tel: 010644987. www.sandropanini.com contacts@sandropanini.com Daily homemade authentic Italian sandwiches in the heart of Phnom Penh. Delicious cold cuts and cheeses directly imported from Italy and fresh baked bread. Open 7 days, 11am - 9pm.

Do Forni Sofitel Phnom Penh Phokeethra 26 Sothearos Blvd.

Tel: 023 999 200 Sophisticated Italian diner set in the grounds of the Sofitel hotel, dishes up much more than your basic pizza and pasta. Excellent range of wines, dimmed lighting and plush surroundings make this an excellent romantic meal for two option.

Open daily 6.30pm - 10pm.

Dolce Italia da Giorgio 96 Sothearos Blvd.

Tel: 012 562 892 Authentic neapolitan pizzeria ristorante. Pizza prepared in traditional wood-fired oven.

Delivery service now available at yourphnompenh.com last orders at 9pm. Open from 11:30am - 2pm and from 6pm - 10pm, closed on Sunday.

Genova Italian Restaurant 19Eo Street 154.

Tel: 012 390 039 This small restaurant has the feel of an Italian trattoria with food just like mamma made. The spaghetti al pesto Genovese is its signature dish.

Good range of meat and fish dishes as well as some Khmer dishes.

Open daily 10am - midnight.

La Volpaia 20–22 Street 13.

Tel: 023 992 739 Part of a global pizzeria chain that includes Florence, Tokyo, Seoul and Phnom Penh, the cuisine is excellent with pizza and pasta cooked fresh in front of your eyes.

Limoncallo 81E0 Sisowath Quay Tel: 081 800 210 / 081 800 240 Authentic Italian cuisine with pasta, risotto and pizzas prepared in the traditional way and baked in a blazing wood-fired oven. Open daily 11:30am- 2:30pm, 6pm- 10:30pm

Luna 6C Street 29. Tel 023220895 Stunning garden courtyard with day beds and couches as well as outdoor tables and chairs or air-conditioned interior. Excellent homemade pasta, woodfired pizza and contemporary Italian cuisine. Great selection of wine from climate controlled cellar. Now also offering brunch on weekends.

Open 11am-11pm Mon-Fri and 9am–11pm Sat & Sun. Pasta & Vino 45 Street 288. Tel: 086 314 400 Cosy Italian spaghetteria that specialises in well-priced authentic Italian pasta and wines in a smokeless air-con environment.

Open daily 12pm - 2pm, 6pm - 10pm.

Pop Café da Giorgio 371 Sisowath Quay. Tel: 012 562 892 Sophisticated, small Italian restaurant located next to the FCC that serves light, contemporary Italian cuisine including fresh pasta and pizzas. Delivery service now available at yourphnompenh. com last orders at 9.30pm. Open daily 11.30am - 2.30pm, 6pm - 10pm.

Terrazza 1c Street 282. Tel: 023 214 660 www.terrazza.asia Experience Italy in Phnom Penh. Fine Italinan restaurant and Deli shop. Open daily 12pm-10pm, Deli shop: 9am-9pm

Japanese & Korean

Fusion Sushi Cnr. Streets 47 & 84 Tel: 023 986 114 Located inside Cara Hotel this beautifully decorated restaurant dishes up excellent Japanese and Korean food.

Hachi Sofitel Phnom Penh Phokeethra, 26 Sothearos Blvd.

Tel: 023 999 200 ext.: 6612 A taste of Japan in a Zen atmosphere with tatami rooms and sushi bar. Open daily, 11.30am 2.30pm, 6.30pm - 10.30pm.

Kan Ji Japanese Restaurant 128f Sothearos Blvd.

Tel: 016 318 383 / 016 312 828.

Kan Ji is three floors of Japanese culinary delight in a bright and modern setting. Open for lunch and dinner, it features a stylish mix of ancient and modern creative cuisine. Open daily, 11.30am – 2.30pm, 5.30pm – 10.30pm.

Le Seoul 62 Monivong Blvd.

Tel: 012 971 516 Popular up-market South Korean restaurant specialising in BBQ, each table is equipped with its own charcoal burner, with all beef imported from the U.S. Open daily, 11am - 2.30pm, 5pm 10pm.

Ninja Dining & Bar 14B Street 278. Tel: 088 861 623 Traditional Japanese cuisine including sushi, ramen, BentoBox. Japanese chefs prepare authentic dishes amid a great atmosphere.

Open daily 11:30am-2:00pm, 5pm12am.

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imbibe Age Shall Not Weary Them Darren Gall The Barossa Valley in South Australia contains some of the oldest vineyards in the world, with one example dating back to 1843. But, for many years, there was no formal classification or registration of these precious vines. In 2009, the Barossa Old Vine Charter was instituted to register vineyards by age, so that older vines could be preserved, retained and promoted. The Charter groups vineyards into four categories by age — old, survivors, centenarians and ancestors.

Old Vine: Equal or greater than 35 years of age These old vines have grown beyond adolescence and are now fully mature. They have a root structure and trunk thickness that encourages diversity of flavour and character. Their worthiness has been proven over many vintages by consistently producing high quality fruit for Barossa wines of distinction and longevity.

Barossa Survivor Vine: Equal or greater than 70 years of age These very old vines are a living symbol of traditional values in a modern environment. They have weathered the worst of many storms, both manmade and natural, including the infamous 1980s Vine Pull scheme. A Barossa Survivor vine has reached a significant milestone, and pays homage to the resolute commitment of growers and winemakers who value the quality and structure of old vine wines.

Barossa Centenarian Vine: Equal or greater than 100 years of age These exceptionally aged vines serve as a witness to the Barossa’s resilience in the face of adversity. The Barossa, unlike many other of the world’s

great wine regions, is phylloxera-free, which has allowed vines to mature with thick, gnarly trunks and naturallysculptured forms without interference. Noted for their low yields and planted generations ago — when dry-farming techniques demanded careful site selection — centenarian vines have withstood the test of time.

Barossa Ancestor Vine: Equal or greater than 125+ years of age An ancestor vine has stood strong and proud for at least 125 years — a living tribute to the early European settlers of the Barossa. Their genetic material has helped to populate the region with irreplaceable old stocks that underpin the viticultural tradition. Tending to be dry-grown, low-yielding vines of great flavour and intensity, they are believed to be among the oldest in the world.

Old vines do not themselves make good wine. But vineyards that consistently produce good wine tend to get the opportunity to keep old vines. And, as with any sense of custodianship, there is responsibility as well as benefit. Old vines present challenges to the grower.

They require a lot of nurturing, and yields are often uneconomically low. On the upside, they offer possibilities that young vines simply cannot entertain.

They tend to be more drought resistant, and their Darwinian efficiency often means that they can be flavour-, sugar- and tannin-ripe earlier in the season.

The unique history of the Barossa means that this viticultural legacy can be successfully achieved. If it should ever be possible to taste history and the past, it will be through the successful preservation and celebration of old vines.

Darren Gall has spent a quarter of a century involved in virtually every aspect of the wine industry and the passionate pursuit of the next great bottle continues. He currently resides in Cambodia developing the wine market with Celliers d’Asie. gall.darren@ yahoo.com 72 asialife Cambodia

Origami 88 Sothearos Bvd. Tel: 012 968 095 Up-market, contemporary Japanese restaurant with a spacious air-con area downstairs and four private rooms upstairs. Specialises in sushi and tempura, and has Asahi, Kirin and Sapporo beers. Open daily 11.30am - 2pm, 5.30pm - 9.30pm.

Rahu 159 Sisowath Quay. Tel 023 215 179 Stunning, upscale atmosphere with a mix of modern Chinese décor, high ceilings, muted colors and rich woods.

Japanese food takes the main stage but there is also Khmer and Western fusion cooking. A good place to go late night for sushi or a bowl of congee. Open daily 5pm-2am.

Udon Café Green Bowl 29B Street 288. Tel: 086 426 530 Freshly made Sanuki-style udon noodles offer a real taste of Japan.

Noodles and accompanying soups and sauces from are prepared from scratch using traditional methods and fresh ingredients. Open from 11am-2.30pm and 5.30pm-9pm.

Closed every 2nd Wednesday.

Mexican & Tex-Mex

Alley Cat Café Off Street 19 (side street behind Royal Art School) Tel: 012 306 845 Small, friendly patio café serving good Mexican food and claiming to have the biggest burgers in town.

Hard to find, Alley Cat is tucked down an alley at the back of the National Museum, the first on the right if you are coming from Street 178.

California II 79 Sisowath Quay. Tel: 077 503 144 American-style bar with some of the best Mexican food in town, the excellent pool table and great tunes make this a good place to while away a few hours on the riverfront. Open 24/7 with good rooms upstairs.

Cantina 347 Sisowath Quay.

Tel: 023 222 502 A mainstay of the riverside scene, this is a popular meeting place for local expats with a large selection of Mexican beers and tequilas, and sinfully good margaritas. Serves good Mexican fare, and features photographs that capture the changing face of Cambodia.

Kitchen open 3pm - 10:30pm.

Closed Saturdays.

Casa Lika 16 Street 136.

Tel. 012 429 542 American-run family restaurant serving up good Mexican fare in an authentic setting with rustic brick walls and colourful Mexican artwork, great music and even better tacos make this a good place to share some Coronas with friends.

Open 10am - midnight, closed on Mondays.

Freebird 69 Street 240.

Tel: 023 224 712 Aircon American bar with neon lighting, a variety of memorabilia, comfortable seats and rock music.

International menu with good lunch offers, an excellent range of bottled sauces, excellent International, Mexican food and burgers.

Be prepared for some good solid R&R. Open 7am - midnight.

La Citá 13 Street 282.

Tel: 092 388 123 Riverside, between St 108 & 110.

Tel: 092 626 123 www.lacita.ox2net.com Get ready to change your tune about what you think Mexican food is! Just one taste of our hand-rolled burritos, tacos and quesadillas will tell you how much effort we put into our mouthwatering products.

Open daily, 9am-10pm.

Taqueria Corona 14E Street 51 (btwn Sihanouk Blvd and Street 242) Tel: 089 281 626 / 012 629 986 Enjoy our mexican specialties, barbacoa, al pastor, texas chile, carnitas, pollo and carne asoda in our festive dining room. Open daily from11.30am - 2pm, 6pm - 10pm (Sunday evenings only).

Vegetarian

Fresh Salad Bar 37E0 Street 310 Tel: 081 555 559 / 016 977 790 The first salad bar in Phnom Penh which provides healthy organic salad and other foods to help you maintain you healthy lifestyle.

We serve salad coffee and bakery goods. Free Wifi. Free delivery, call Jung on 081 555 559.

Open daily, 8am - 10pm.

K’NYAY (see restaurants Cambodian)

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The Vegetarian 158 Street 19 Tel: 077 900 210 / 012 905 766 With a lush garden space in the heart of Phnom Penh, The Treez provides a relaxing dining experience.

Whether it be amok, curry or tom yam, The Treez, creates vegetarian versions of popular Cambodian, Indian and Thai dishes.

Open 10:30am - 8:30pm, closed Sundays.

Vego’s 3E0 Street 51 & 21b Street 294 Tel: 012 984 596 Salad bar with an emphasis on greens and a menu of healthy western items. Also offering bagels, salads and wraps with a wide array of super fresh toppings. Choose from ready-made or d.i.y. options.

Also on offer are a vegetarian soup of the day as well as fresh-squeezed juices, yogurt and granola.

Cafés

Art Café 37 Sothearos Blvd. Tel: 012 834 517 Elegant bistro in the style of a European coffee house is now transposed to the Meta House with regular classical music performances.

Blue Pumpkin 245 Sisowath Quay and at Monument Books on Norodom Blvd Tel: 023 998 153 Siem Reap’s favourite café also offers multiple locations in Phnom Penh, serving breakfast sets, Asian and Western entrées and an array of ice cream flavours in air-conditioned comfort. Open daily from 6am - 11pm.

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Botanic Cafe-Art gallery 126 Street 19. Tel: 077589458 botaniccafe@yahoo.com, www.botanica-gallerycafe.com Cafe set inside 80 year old building with garden displaying art and premium souvenirs. First floor exhibition and event space promotes local artists. Lunch and dinner menus for your special times.

Open daily 8am – 9pm.

Brown Coffee & Bakery 17 Street 214. Tel: 023 217 262 Stylish, locally owned café with bakery on the premises serves a variety of coffees and pastries, with the green tea latte a house speciality. Open 7.30am - 8pm.

Café El Mundo 219 Sisowath Quay. Tel: 012 520 775 Affordable and stylish riverside café and restaurant with adjacent apartments for short-term hire. Seating available on the mezzanine lounge, groundfloor restaurant and on the streetside terrace. Open 6.30am - 10.30pm.

Café Namu 28b Cnr Sts 30 & 57. Tel: 023 220 074 Breakfast, brunch and lunch venue.

Serving pizza, cakes, cookies, desserts, teas, coffees and fresh juices.

Café Yejj 170 Street 450, Tel: 012 543 360 / 092 600 750 Quiet, cosy café serving bistro-style western cuisine, with extensive range of coffees, pasta dishes, pannini and wraps and fabulous cheesecake making this an ideal spot to escape the bustle of the nearby Russian Market.

Open every day from 7am - 9pm.

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recipe

Xotique Coffee and Bakery Grilled Dory INGREDIENTS

For the Marinade: Dory fish fillet 150g Salt 5g Pepper 5g Chicken powder 3g Plain flour 10g

For the French Beans: French beans 100g Butter 10g Garlic (chopped) 10g Salt 5g White pepper 5g

For the Fried Rice: Butter 30g Steam rice 200g Sugar 5g Chicken Powder 5g Soya sauce 10ml Chilli oil 5ml

For the Sauce: Cooking cream 100ml Butter 30g Salt 10g Chicken powder 5g Lime juice 10ml

STEP ONE Marinate the Dory with salt, pepper and plain flour. Keep there for three minutes.

STEP TWO Remove the Dory from the marinade to grill on both sides until just cooked through. Fry the French beans with butter, garlic, salt and pepper. Fry steamed rice with butter, garlic, cut green and red bell pepper, cut onion, sugar, chicken powder, soy sauce and chilli oil.

STEP THREE Put the French beans, fried rice and Dory on the plate. Top with the lemon butter sauce. Garnish using a long red chilli, the lemon butter sauce, fresh parsley for the fried rice, and a tomato.

Building 32, Street 456, Phnom Penh. Tel: 012 64 70 70.

Delivery Tel: 078 49 80 00. xotiquecoffee@gmail.com,www. xotiquecoffee.com, facebook.com/xotique.kh Recipes provided by members of:

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Coffee Room 385 Street 215. Tel: 098 518 888 The first coffee house in Phnom Penh to have an electronic menu, at the Coffee Room you simply tap in your order and wait for your order to arrive. Serves coffees, juices.

Pastries and breakfast.

Open daily from 7.30am - 6pm.

Cross Town Café 193 Street 29. Tel: 017665204 Japanese-owned restaurant with welcoming wooden interior. which spreads from floor to bar. A recently opened venue serving traditional Japanese cuisine with an added twist, the restaurant aims to add new dishes to its menu every week. Open daily from 11am - 10pm.

Daughters of Cambodia 65E0 Street 178.

Tel: 077 657 678 www.daughtersofcambodia.org The cafe, called Sugar ‘n Spice, serves light lunches, a few main courses, home baked goods, desserts, coffee and some original smoothies. The cafe is a place for vocational training, where trainees will train and then have the opportunity to graduate into working in top end restaurants and hotels. Value for money. Free Wifi. There’s also a shop selling clothing, accessories and jewellery made on site. Or relax in the spa which offers head, shoulder, face and foot treatments.

The Deli 13 Street 178. Tel: 012 851 234 Chic delicatessen, bakery and small restaurant serving excellent bread and pastries, with take-away menu. Open from 7am to 9pm (closed Sundays).

Gloria Jean’s Corner of Street 51 & Street 310, Tel : 092 404 365 Sisowath Quay along Phnom Penh Port, Tel: 092 555 973 Canadia Tower Monivong Blvd., Tel: 092 555 937 Popular cafe serving hot and cold drinks and snacks.

Hahahoho Board Café 74 Street 456 (between St 155 & St 163) Tel: 096 737 2955 facebook.com/hahahhoho.cafe hahahoho.cafe@gmail.com Enjoy Korean food, the free use of lots of board games and free Wi-Fi in airconditioned comfort. Korean specialties include ramen, black noodles and pork cutlets. Open daily from 11am - 9pm Java Café & Gallery 56 Sihanouk Blvd. Tel: 023 987 420 (see restaurants, international) Kiriya Café No.174, St.51 Cnr St.370 Tel: 016 363 730.

This Japanese café chain offers good locally sourced coffee, delicious desserts and a relaxing atmosphere.

Open daily 6am - 2am.

Morning Café 32C Street 592. Tel: 023 982 109 Cosy air-conditioned coffee house with relaxed atmosphere, located in Toul Kork district serves Khmer, Thai and European cuisine. Open every day for breakfast, lunch and dinner from 6am to 9pm.

Renature Aquarium café 35AE Street 288 near corner Street 83 Tel: 088 333 5338/017 827 766 Enjoy your coffee surrounded by the gentle glow of beautiful aquaria and relaxing fish. Open from 9am – 10pm.

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The Shop 39 Street 240, Tel: 092 955 963 / 023 986 964 Stylish café, with a wide range of fresh bread, tempting patisseries and juices, excellent salads and sandwiches.

Crowded at lunchtime, but the small, cool courtyard at the back creates a perfect haven from the sun. Has a Chocolate Shop three doors along, and a second outlet in Tuol Kork. Open 7am to 7pm (Mon. to Sat, 7am to 3pm Sun.)

Bars

Aristocrat Cigar Bar NagaWorld Hotel and Casino, Hun Sen Park. Tel: 023 228 822 Club aimed at attracting wealthy expats and Khmers who like a good cigar and glass of wine. Not as stuffy as you might imagine with cigars from $10. Open daily from noon to midnight.

AQVARIVM Bar 23 Street 55 Corner Street 254, Tel: 077 536 342 Drop by for Happy Hour drinks and nibbles from 5:00-9:00 PM. Available for special occasion and group discounts. AQVARIVM: Drink like a fish!

Backstage 377 Sisowath Quay.

Tel: 097 958 7338 Cocktail bar, located near the Royal Palace, is a trendy, intimate yet dazzling place committed to serving some of the best cocktails in town.

Open: Mon-Thu 5.30pm-1am, Fri-Sat 5.30pm-3am, closed on Sunday.

Cadillac Bar and Grill 219 E0 Sisowath Quay.

Tel: 011 713 567 Riverfront air-con bar and restaurant.

Has good American cuisine as well as ariverfront vantage to watch the world go by.

California II 79 Sisowath Quay. Tel: 077 503 144 (see Mexican & Tex-Mex restaurants) Cantina 347 Sisowath Quay.

Tel: 023 222 502 (see Mexican & Tex-Mex restaurants) Chow 277 Sisowath Quay.

Tel: 023 224 894 Contemporary and sophisticated riverfront restaurant that serves Southeast Asian cuisine, a wide range of cocktails, juices and Illy coffee. The rooftop deck with spectacular views of the river is a great place to have a drink during its half-price 4pm to 8pm happy hour.

Open daily from 7am to 11pm.

Do It All Pub & Bistro 61 Street 174.

Tel: 023 220 904 Dishes out African, Asian and Western cuisine, with hip hop and reggae played into the early hours of the morning. Open daily 9am to 4am.

Elephant Bar Raffles Hotel Le Royal, Street 92 Tel: 023 981 888 Flamboyant carpet, comfortable wicker chairs and hotel pianist provide a sense of a time gone by, you can imagine Jackie Kennedy drinking here. Its many signature cocktails, including the femme fatale make this a popular place with expats especially during the two-for-one happy hours (4pm to 8pm). Open 2pm to midnight from Monday to Friday. Saturday and Sunday from 12pm to midnight.

Equinox 3A Street 278, Tel: 012 586 139 / 092 791 958 (see Restaurants, International) FCC 363 Sisowath Quay. Tel: 023 724 014 (see Restaurants, International) Freebird 69 Street 240. Tel: 023 224 712 (see Mexican & Tex-Mex restaurants) Howie’s Bar 32 Street 51 Air-conditioned and open until very very late, this is the Heart’s unofficial chill-out bar although the sound system could give its neighbour a run for its money.

Tends to be a popular late night hang-out, especially around the ‘mini’ pool table.

Open 7pm to 6am.

K West 1 Street 154 (Cnr. Sisowath Quay), Tel: 023 214 747 (see Restaurants, French) Le Bar Sofitel Phnom Penh Phokeethra, 26 Sothearos Blvd.

Tel: 023 999 200 A modern colonial style lobby bar with a fine selection of comfort food, tapas, champagnes, wines, premium spirits and large selection of coffees and teas.

Le Moon Cnr of Sisowath Quay and Street 154 Tel: 023 214 747 Rooftop terrace bar at Amanjaya Hotel has arguably the view of the river of any of the city’s rooftop bars. Full bar and small food menu, while the service is slow enough to afford you sufficient time to soak up the view.

Liquid 3B Street 278.

Tel: 023 720 157 Welcoming open air bar on golden street run by the same owner as Flavours. Has one of the best pool tables in town with happy hour from 5pm to 8pm.

Lobby Lounge 296 Mao Tse Tung Blvd (InterContinental Hotel) Tel: 023 424 888 An elegant lounge situated in the lobby of the Intercontinental Hotel. Reasonable prices and excellent service.

Open daily from 10am – 11:30pm.

Meta House 37 Sothearos Blvd, opposite Phnom Penh Centre Tel: 012 607 465 / 067 867 305 www.meta-house.com Multi-media arts centre established

by German film-maker Nico Mesterham has a very cool bar.

Open from 2pm till midnight.

Closed Mondays.

Metro Café Cnr. Sisowath Quay & Street 148 Tel: 023 222 275 (see Restaurants International) One More Pub 16E Street 294.

Tel: 017 327 378 English-style bar with comfortable wooden bar stools. No hip hop or techno, only great classic 60s & 70s music. Has terracotta-tiled terrace and 3 guest rooms upstairs.

Open from 5pm to late, happy hour from 5pm to 7pm.

Closed Sundays.

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Paddy Rice 213-217 Sisowath Quay Tel: 023990321 www.paddyrice.net Irish sports bar on riverside with big screen live sports, serves home cooked western and Asian favourites alongside a fully stocked bar including Guinness and a fine selection Irish whiskeys with daily happy hour from 4pm to 8pm. Often has live music events and a weekly pub quiz.

Open 7.30am to late.

Rising Sun 20 Street 178.

Tel: 012 970 718 English-style pub with reliable breakfast, meat pies and hamburgers.

Has a regular following around the bar at night especially on Fridays.

Great posters of British films and TV classics adorn the walls. Ideal for that touch of nostalgia and good fish and chips – though not wrapped in a newspaper.

Open daily from 7am till late.

Riverside Bistro Cnr. Sisowath Quay & Street 148, Tel: 012 277 882 / 023 213 898 (see Restaurants International) Sharky Bar 126 Street 130.

Tel: 012 228 045 , www.sharkybar.blogspot.com Countless pool tables and a large balcony to look out over the street.

Guaranteed to be lively – a place where anything can happen, especially if you get a bit too close to the local clientele. Serves good Mexican food,

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and has frequent live music.

Open 4pm to 2am, take away 5pm til late.

The Bungalows Mekong River.

Tel: 077 555 447 Stylish simplicity located within a quick cruise from Sisowath Quay port. The floating bar serves basic drinks and nibbles.

Open Saturdays and Sundays from 3pm to 8pm, available for private events if booked at least two days in advance.

The Chinese House 128 Sothearos Blvd.

Tel: 023 356 399 Decadent cocktail bar set in beautiful old Chinese house. Has art exhibitions, film nights and parties down stairs and opulence upstairs.

Open from 6pm until late, closed on Tuesdays.

The Tap Room Kingdom Breweries 1748 National Road 5. Tel: 023 430 180 www.kingdombreweries.com Sate of the art European brewery specialising in premium pilsner.

Tours of the facility are organised on a regular basis, culminating in frothy cold ones at the brewery’s bar overlooking the Tonle Sap. Zeppelin Bar 109C Street 51. Tel: 012 881 181 Over 1,000 vinyl albums played by stone-faced DJ owner in small bar next to the infamous Walkabout.

Remarkably good food considering the setting, especially late at night. Try the dumplings. Open daily 5pm - 4am.

Wine Bars

Bouchon Wine Bar 3-4 Street 246. Tel: 077 881 103 Sophisticated wine bar with a very French ambience and a wide range of French wines and bar food. Often has music as well as a mellow jazz sound track. Open noon until midnight.

Open Wine 219 Street 19. Tel: 023 233 527 Large wine shop and deli with wellpriced wines from around the world.

Has outside dining area.

Open daily 7am - 11pm.

Zino Wine Bar and Restaurant 12 Street 294. Tel: 023998 519 FB: www.facebook.com/zinowinebar Zino offers a comprehensive wine list by the glass and bottle, professionally made cocktails and a constantly evolving Mediterranean and Asian menu. Open for lunch and dinner 7 days a week. Kitchen closes at 11pm.

Gay

Blue Chilli 36 Street 178. Tel: 012 566 353 www.bluechillibar.com This welcoming bar run by Thai national Oak is currently the number one gay bar in town. Chic décor makes this one of the coolest bars in town, even if you’re straight. The drag shows on Friday and Saturday are an additional draw. Open 5pm until late.

The Rainbow Bar 73 Street 172. Tel: 097 741 4187 Intimate bar designed to get to know people better has a range of welldesigned cocktails to make the night go with a swing.

Nightclubs

Bouchon Wine Bar. (see Wine Bars) Occasional performances by jazz bands.

at weekends. Also has open mike sessions on Mondays.

Open from 8pm til late, closed Sundays. 2-for-1 cocktails everday from 8pm until 10pm.

Darlin Darlin NagaWorld Hotel and Casino, Hun Sen Park.

Tel: 023 228 822 Top-end nightclub with live music popular among the high-flyers of the city. Semiprivate booths in a chic environment make for an unrivalled experience. Open daily from 7pm until late.

Nova 19 St 214.

Tel: 097 716 5000 Trendy night club with VIP section and dress code (no flup flops, tank tops or shorts!).

Open 9pm-4am.

Equinox (see Restaurants – Intrenational) Has regular live music from expat and cal bands at weekends and swing dancing on Thursdays.

Heart of Darkness 38 Street 51.

Tel: 023 222 415 The most famous of the city’s nightspots with a good-sized dance floor make this the in-place in town.

Has well priced spirits and mixers and is totally packed out on Friday and Saturday nights. Open 8:30pm to 4am.

Mao’s Cnr Street 106 & Sisowath Quay Tel: 023 992 726 Chairman Mao has been reconstructed into one of Phnom Penh’s liveliest nightspots with djs and occasional live bands. Open 5pm - 2am.

Memphis 3 Street 118.

Tel: 012 871 263 Only permanent rock venue in town with a house band that plays covers from 10pm til 1:30am, later

Paddy Rice (See Bars) Often has live music events.

Pontoon Street 172.

Now no longer the Penh’s floating hotspot, Pontoon still manages to pack in the punters, especially when international DJs are in town.

Riverhouse Lounge 6 Street 110.

Tel: 023 212 302 The alternative dance venue for both expats and young Khmers with a self-contained air-con dance room and great balcony to chill out. MonWed, Fri is hip hop, Thu is Ladies night, Sat is house and Sun is dance remix. Open daily 4pm - 2am.

Saint Tropez 31 Street 174 Tel: 077 212 100 / 097 9000 401 Upscale club, complete with fake beach, deck bar, that suggests the French Riviera.

Open daily 6pm - 2pm.

Sharky Bar (See Bars.)

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Listings

culture Cinemas

The Flicks 39B Street 95. Tel: 078 809 429, theflicks-cambodia.com Local expat oriented movie houses with revolving schedule of international and art house films, screened in comfy air con movie rooms. Also offers potential for movie parties, with option to hire the movie room for a private session (max 30 people).

Minimum two screenings per day. Check the website for the weekly schedule. Cover charge $ 3.50 per day.

The Cineplex 5th Floor Sorya Shopping Centre, Tel: 017 666 210 www.thecineplexs.com International-standard three-screen cineplex featuring the latest Digital 3D technology and the most recent Hollywood and international releases, located in the heart of downtown with ample parking, shopping and eating options. Open 9am - 10:30pm.

Le Cinema French Institute, 218 Street 184 Tel: 023 213 124.

100-seat cinema shows International art house and mainstream movies with occasional films in English. Children’s cinema on Saturday mornings at 10am.

Cinema on Saturday mornings at 10am.

Legend Cinema 3rd Floor City Mall, Monireth Blvd.

Tel: 088 954 9857 www.legend-cinemas.com International quality cinema showing Hollywood releases in air-conditioned environment including 3D. Screenings:10am - 9pm, box office: 10am - 9pm.

Meta House 37 Sothearos Blvd., (opp. Phnom Penh centre). Tel: 012 607 465 Movie shorts and documentaries from Cambodia and the rest of Asia. Movies normally start at 7pm, closed Mondays.

Galleries

Bophana Audiovisual Resource Centre 64 Street 200. Tel: 023 992 174 Preserving much of Cambodia’s audiovisual material, has regular exhibitions.

Open 8am-6pm Mon - Fri, 2pm-6pm Sat. Dori Thy Gallery 12R Street 256. Tel: 012 661 552 Features the black and white photographs of German photographer, Doris Boettcher.

Open Saturday and Sunday 10am-6pm.

FCC Phnom Penh (see Restaurants, International) Phnom Penh’s landmark restaurant has a permanent, rotating exhibition devoted to photography.

French Institute 218 Street 184. Tel: 023 213 124 Formerly the Alliance Française, the French Culture Centre (CCF) offers cultural activities including exhibitions, festivals, and film screenings to promote French and Khmer culture. Onsite shop Carnets d’Asie offers a selection of French books.

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Happy Painting Gallery 363 Sisowath Quay. Tel: 023 221 732 www.happypainting.net A must see. Since 1995 this art gallery has been dedicated to showing and selling the work of Stef, a local iconic artist with a very personal and positive insight in everyday life in Cambodia.

Open daily 8am - 10pm Java Café & Gallery (see Restaurants, International) Contemporary art gallery with regular exhibitions of Cambodian and international artists. Has second gallery on the ground floor. Website has details about Cambodia’s contemporary art scene.

Meta House 37 Sothearos Blvd.

Tel: 012 607 465 Multimedia arts centre on three floors has regular exhibitions, interviews with filmmakers and short films, contains the Art Café. Open Tues – Sun, 2pm - 10pm.

Reyum Institute of Arts & Culture 47 Street 178.

Tel: 023 217 149 Gallery with regular exhibitions of Cambodian artists. Part of an NGO established to preserve traditional and contemporary Cambodian arts.

Sa Sa Bassac 18 Sothearos Boulevard, Upstairs.

An expansion of the Sa Sa Art Gallery and a merger with Bassac Art Projects, Sa Sa Bassac is an artist-run gallery for contemporary art. Includes a library, reading and workshop room, and a 60-metre gallery space. Ongoing visual literacy programmes.

Performing Arts

Amrita Performing Arts 128-G9 Sothearos Blvd. Tel: 023 220 424 www.amritaperformingarts.org Performance art company that puts on contemporary & classical music and theatre.

Apsara Arts Association 71 Street 598. Tel: 011 550 302 Organisation that promotes Cambodian arts & culture.

Open from 7.30am - 10.30am Cambodian Living Arts 407 Street 246 Art organisation devoted to the revival of traditional Khmer performing arts that puts on occasional performances.

Chaktomuk Conference Hall Sisowath Quay. Tel: 023 725 119 Designed by master Cambodian architect Vann Molyvann, this under-utilised building is worth a visit. Open 7am - 11.30am and 2pm - 5pm (Mon. to Fri.).

Chenla Theatre Cnr. Mao Tse Tung & Monireth Blvds.

Tel: 023 883 050 www.culturalcenter-cambodia.com One of the capital’s major theatres, it has regular performances of theatre, dance and music.

Epic Arts 1DE0 Sothearos Blvd. Tel: 023 998 474 www.epicarts.org.uk Organisation that uses art to empower people with disabilities.

Sovanna Phum Khmer Art Association 166 Street 99 corner of 484 Tel: 023 987 564 Theatre with performances of shadow puppetry, classical and masked dances every Friday and Saturday at 7.30pm.

Listings

leisure & wellness Amusement

Cambodian Country Club Street 2004, Group 6 Toeuk Thla Tel: 012 231 755 A peaceful heaven providing tennis, swimming, badminton, fitness centre and horse riding, 15 minutes away from the city. Open from 6.30am until late.

Parkway Square 113 Mao Tse Tung Blvd.

Ten-pin bowling alley and dodgem track.

Phnom Penh Water Park 50 Street 110, Tel: 023 881 008 Traditional mix of slides and wave pools is open daily from 9.30am to 5.30pm.

Phnom Tamao Wildlife Park Phnom Tamao, 44 kilometres out of the capital along Highway 2.

Cambodia’s top wildlife centre. All animals are either rescued from traders or bred at the centre.

Many of the animals are critically endangered. Open daily 8am - 4pm.

Boat Cruises

The Butterfly Cambodia Tel: 012 602 955 thebutterflycambodia@gmail.com Cambodian river adventures, sunset cruises, birthdays and events to floating villages, Silk Island. Plan your trip, per hour, half-day and fullday rates available.

Classes

Cambodian Cooking Class Frizz Restaurant, 67 Street 240 Tel: 012 524 801 First and only Khmer cooking school for travellers & expats in Phnom Penh, includes transport to the market and a colourful 16-page recipe booklet. Open 10am - 10pm.

Capoeira Home of English, Building D 10B Street 57, Tel: 012 960 076 Capoeira lessons are held every Tuesday & Thursday 6.30-8pm. All

levels catered for. Classes are free of charge. For more information visit Facebook page “Capoeira Kampuchea”.

Central School of Ballet Phnom Penh 10 Street 183 (entrance on Street 406) www.centralschoolofballet.com Cambodia’s first purpose-built ballet school offering classical ballet training for children in the afternoons, contemporary dance, ballet and dance conditioning for adults in the evenings. Spacious dance studio equipped with large, custom-made mirrors, barres and a professional, sprung dance floor.

Dance World Cambodia At Hotel Cambodiana. 313 Sisowath quay. Dance studio entrance at Physique Club Gym. Tel: 012634008 danceworldcambodia@yahoo.com.au www.danceworldcambo.wordpress.com RAD ballet, neo classical, modern dance, jazz, tap dance, hip hop and k pop, breakdance, raqs sharqi bellydance, classical pilates. Classes for kids aged 2.5 and up. classes for adults, beginner and intermediate. performance and choreogrpahy group for advanced/ professional level adults.

Equestrian Centre CCC, Street 2004, Group 6 Toeuk Thla Tel: 015 231 755 / 012 704 759 With 31 ponies and horses, an international sized arena and spacious stables, the only horseriding centre in Phnom Penh Tuesdays to Sundays, 9am to 11am and 2pm to 5.30pm.

Global Art 1 Street 181 & Street 475 (nr Chinese Embassy) Tel: 023 222 084/ 087 222 084 World renowned art and creativity program for young children.

Franchisee of Global Art Group.

Available in 17 countries with more than 400 centres worldwide.

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Music Arts School 9A Street 370. Tel: 023 997 290 www.music-arts-school.org New NGO school providing music training for Cambodians and expats - of all ages and levels - at affordable tuition fees. Learn guitar, piano, violin, vocals, and tradtional Khmer instruments. Also has a scholarship fund to provide music education to the less fortunate.

sos

NataRaj Yoga Studio 52 Street 302.

Tel: 012 250 817/ 090 311 341. www.yogacambodia.com Wide variety of daily drop-in yoga classes in many styles, in a peaceful studio setting. Your yoga class contributes to our NGO yoga programs for local kids.

Stretch your body while feeling great about reaching out to Cambodian youth.

Check website for schedule and prices.

Photography Tours 126 Street 136. Tel: 092 526 706 www.nathanhortonphotography.com Weekend photography tuition and guided tours to Kampong Chnang and Udong, covering technical and creative considerations in the context of travel photography.

Pink Eye Dr Daniel Tranchant Conjunctivitis, sometimes known as “pink eye”, is inflammation of the conjunctiva — the lining of the eyelids.

The condition can be caused by infection with viruses or bacteria. Other non-infectious causes include irritants or allergies. Infectious pink eye is very common among both children and adults. It is usually caused by a virus and is spread from person to person. The virus or bacteria is transmitted directly from an infected person or by touching a contaminated object (including your hands) to your eyes.

The disease can also spread through contaminated water, such as in swimming pools.

Epidemics, most often caused by adenoviruses, can occur and are especially common in settings such as schools.

Symptoms are usually mild.

Eyes become red or pink and may be itchy and sticky.

They may have a discharge, which can be clear or form a yellow crust. Vision may be blurry and the eyes may become more sensitive to light. Sometimes conjunctivitis is associated with a cold or a sore throat. Rarely, the cornea (the clear central part of the eyeball) can be involved. This

is serious and can cause long-term damage.

When caused by a virus, conjunctivitis requires no particular treatment. Symptoms resolve by themselves in about four days to a week. Cold compresses can be applied to the eyes to relieve the discomfort. Conjunctivitis due to bacteria requires treatment with antibiotic eye drops or ointment. The condition takes one to two weeks to resolve.

During that time, people can pass the bacteria on to others.

Patients usually make a full recovery with no long-term complications. However, corneal involvement is extremely serious and requires prompt specialist attention.

Strict attention to hygiene prevents infection and reduces the chances that an infected person will pass the illness to others. Avoid close contact with anyone who is infected. Wash your hands thoroughly and frequently.

Refrain from touching your eyes. Don’t share personal hygiene or grooming items such as wash cloths or eye make-up. Children who are infected should be kept out of school or day care until they have recovered.

Dr Daniel Tranchant is the chief medical officer at International SOS. If you have any enquiries regarding this or any other medical matter, please contact info.cambodia@ internationalsos.com.

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Scuba Nation PADI 5* IDC Diving Centre 18 Sothearos Blvd (near FCC) Tel: 012 715 785 www.divecambodia.com Learn to scuba dive in Phnom Penh. The academic and pool part of the course can be done in Phnom Penh and you finish with 2 days in Sihanoukville on the boat. We conduct refreshers, try dives and kids’ pool parties as well as the full range of courses. Open 9am-6pm, Sat & Sun 9am-5pm.

Simphony Music School No. 243, Street 51. Tel: 023 727 345 / 097 888 8787. www.simphony.com.kh Simphony Music School is the first official music school in Cambodia recognized by the Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts, Royal government of Cambodia. The faculty is composed by experienced and qualified music teachers from overseas, speaking fluent English, Chinese, and French. Our curriculum is based on USA curriculum following Orff and Kodály music teaching methods.

The Tennis Club CCC, Street 2004, Group 6 Toeuk Thla.

Tel: 017 847 802 The two courts are equipped with specially adapted flooring unique in Cambodia, and with quality lightning allowing play past sunset. Skilled English and Cambodian speaking teachers available for private or group lessons.

Open daily.

Yoga for life 126 Street 19. Tel: 077589458 Learn to release stress and tension, find peace and live a healthy life with yoga classes taught by yoga and massage virtuoso, Azmi Samdjaga from Singapore. Classes every Wednesday from 7:30pm witht more classes starting late June 2012. Healthy food and Wifi are also available.

Yoga Phnom Penh 172z2 Norodom Blvd. (alley nest to Sushi Bean) www.yogaphnompenh.com 012 739 419 / 012 739 284 Daily drop-in yoga asana classes for everybodys body. Classes include Ashtanga, Vinyasa Flow and core power yoga. Join our great teachers to improve your flexibility, strength, balance, posture

and reduce stress. Also offering private 1-2-1 or small group classes ,regular workshops and retreats.

Chemists

U-Care Pharmacy 26-28 Sothearos Bvd. Tel: 023 222 499 14 Sihanouk Bvd. Tel: 023 224 099 High quality western-style chemist and pharmacy that sells the full range of beauty products, including international brands.

Counselling Services

Alcoholics Anonymous 11 Street 420. Tel: 012 813 731 www.aacambodia.org Meets on Friday, Wednesday & Sunday.

Indigo Psychological Services 28 Street 460. Tel: 023 222 614, indigocambodia@gmail.com Professional counselling services in English, French or Khmer for adults, adolescents, children, couples, and families. Assessment and intervention services for children and adolescents with learning and developmental difficulties.

Narcotics Anonymous 11 Street 420. Tel: 012 813 731 NA meets on Monday, Thursday at 8pm and Saturday at 7pm.

Dental

European Dental Clinic 160A, Norodom Blvd. Tel: 023 211 363 www.europeandentalclinic-asia.com Total dental care, Implant, Orthodontist Treatment by expat dentists. Open Mon Fri 8am-12pm, 2pm-7pm. Sat, 8am-1pm International Dental Clinic Phnom Penh: 193 Street 208.

Tel 023 212 909 Siem Reap: 545 National Road N6, Banteay Chas, Stor Kram.

Tel: 063 767 618 www.imiclinic.com IMI Dental Cosmetic and Restorative Dentistry Centre has been successfully creating beautiful smiles in Phnom Penh and throughout Cambodia. Open Mon– Sat, 8am-7pm, Sun 9am-12pm.

MALIS dental clinic 445 Monivong Blvd.

Tel: 012 513 222 / 023 964 142 info@malis-dental.com Facebook: “MALIS Dental Clinic” A Japanese dentist provides professional and high-quality service.

Shigeta Dental Clinic 25 Street 294 cnr Street21 Tel: 023 223 225 / 010705083 Email: info@shigetadental.com Faebook: shigetadentalclinic High-end Japanese Dental Clinic that caters your dental needs. Open from Monday to Sunday, 8am - 8pm.

Gyms

The InterContinental Fitness Center 3/F Mao Tse Toung Boulevard, Tel: 023 424 888 ext. 5000 A sophisticated retreat from the crowds, The InterContinental Fitness Center is the place to attain peak performance and wellbeing. Pump up with a full body workout on state-of-the-art equipment, benefit from the experience and guidance of qualified trainers, and relax all year round in the open-air swimming pool.

Fitness Centre CCC, Street 2004, Group 6 Toeuk Thla.

Tel: 015 704 759 Achieve individual targets whether sports specific or to tone, lose weight,

build strength or improve cardiovascular fitness for a healthier and fitter lifestyle.

Open daily 6.30am until late.

Raffles Amrita Spa Raffles Le Royal Hotel. Tel: 023 981 888 Modern gym and pool in Phnom Penh’s most elegant hotel. Use of gym, pool, sauna and Jacuzzi is available to nonguests. Open 6am - 10pm.

Physique Club Hotel Cambodiana, 313 Sisowath Quay.

Tel: 012 810 432 Reasonable selection of equipment in the gym and a pool overlooking the river. Open 6am - 10pm.

The Gym at The Place 90 Sihanouk Blvd. Tel: 023 999 699 Modern establishment featuring a fully equipped gym and weekly classes in dance, yoga and aerobics.

Open 6am - 10pm , Mon – Fri, 8am 10pm Sat/Sun

Hairdressers

De Gran 19 Street 352. Tel: 023 999 707 Classy yet affordable Japanese-run hair salon in beautiful premises with excellent service.

Open 10am – 8pm, closed Tues The Dollhouse 46AE0 Street 322 Tel: 010 329 999 / 016 620 907 www.dollhousecambodia.com Salon offers cutting, colouring and various treatments, including the Brazilian Keratin Treatment with Collagen to replenish the condition of your hair.

Western hairdresser with international experience. Open Tues – Sat 9am- 7pm, Sun 11am-7pm, closed Monday.

The French Element Himawari Hotel Unit D, 313 Sisowath Quay.

Tel: 077 283 332 www.thefrenchelement.com Over-looking the Tonle Sap, wonderful spot to relax and pamper yourself. Offering all hair services such as highlights, colour, cut, Brazilian Keratin Treatment and more.

International hairdresser. Open 10am 8pm, closed Sun. Tokyo Barbershop 22A St 278.

Tel: 012 590 655 / 087 667 778 tokyo_barbershop@yahoo.com Man centric barbershop conveniently located behind Lucky supermarket.

Provides hair-cuts, shampoos, colours, manicures, pedicures, facial massage, oil body massages, back waxing.

Open daily 8am - 7:00pm.

Medical

American Medical Centre Ground Floor Cambodiana Hotel 313 Sisowath Quay.

Tel: 023 991 863 Led by American surgeon, team of international and Khmer doctors provide general practice services to clients. Can arrange emergency evacuation. 24/7 service.

International Chiropractic Clinic, 67 Bis Street 240, (100m from Monivong Blvd). Tel: 023 223 101 www.cambodiachiropractic.com First and only Chiropractic clinic licensed in Cambodia. Our chiropractors are US trained and we provide modern Chiropractic care, physiotherapy and custom made medical grade orthotics. Common conditions treated include neck and back pain, sports injuries, knee pain.

Open Mon - Fri 8.30am-6pm , Sat 8.30am-1pm.

International SOS Medical Clinic 161 Street 51. Tel: 023 216 911 Global provider of medical assistance and international healthcare. Expat and Khmer doctors offer general practice, specialist and emergency medical services. Appointments 8am - 5:30pm Mon – Fri, 8am - 12pm, Sat. Open 24/7 for emergencies.

Physiotherapy Phnom Penh 45C Street 456. Tel: 023 99 63 44 General physiotherapy practice specialising in manual therapy, sports injuries and acupuncture Royal Rattanak Hospital 11 Street 592, Toul Kork Tel. 023 991 000 www.royalrattanakhospital.com A Thai owned and run private hospital with extensive services that strives to provide high standard and quality medical care by professional care team.

Optics

Grand Optics 11 Norodom Bvd / 337 Monivong Blvd / 150 Sihanouk Blvd. Tel: 023 213 585 Modern opticians with the latest equipment including free computerised eye test. Makes prescription glasses and lenses.

Pools

Asia Club 456 Monivong Bvd. Tel: 023 721 766 Beautiful swimming pool at rear of Man Han Lou Restaurant. Members get a discount at both restaurant and Master Kang Health Care Centre.

Spas

Amara Spa Cnr Sisowath Quay & St.110 Tel: 023 998 730 www.amaraspa.hotelcara.com Day spa providing a wide selection of facials, body massages and treatments, arranged in a four-storey modern facility at riverfront. Open 11am-11pm.

Aziadee Spa 16 a/b Street 282. Tel: 023 996 921 aziadee1@yahoo.fr French-run spa offering a good choice of treatments, a range of massages, scrubs, facials, floral baths, manicures, pedicures and waxing in relaxing and tranquil surroundings. Open 9am-9pm.

Bi Nail Salon 213a E0 Stret 310 Tel: 023 6324 524 / 097 798 1122 Bi Nail is a full service nail salon, for women and men. Japanese-trained nail artists have years of experience and provide expert personal care in a quiet and relaxing atmosphere. Full set care (manicure and pedicure), more than 250 nail lacquers, more than 350 nail design samples. Acrylic and gel nails are available. Open daily 8am – 7pm.

Bliss 29 Street 240. Tel: 023 215 754 Health spa at back and upstairs in this beautiful French colonial building.

Open 9am - 9pm, closed Monday.

Bodia Spa 26-28 Sothearos Blvd. Tel: 023 226 199 www.bodia-spa.com Using natural, own-brand products Bodia spa offers body wraps, floral baths, scrubs, facials, aromatherapy, massages and mani-pedies, alongdside Jacuzzi and steam. The peaceful atmosphere is enhanced by scented oils and soft music. Open daily 9am – 9pm.

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Derma-Care Skin Clinic 161B Norodom Tel: 023 720 042 / 012 415 552 Two qualified dermatologists, this professional skin clinic offers a range of beauty treatments using American Derma-Rx products, minor dermatologic surgery, antioxidant boosters, chemical peeling, and lipolysis. Open 9am - 9pm.

EL Skin and Wellness Centre 115E0 Street 101.

Tel: 012 681 948 Using Dermalogica, L’Oréal, Jane Iredale and OPI products for a variety of face and body treatments, spa provides a professional, relaxed ambience for customers to sample products before purchase.

Open 9am - 7pm.

LA ROSE Spa 164b Norodom Blvd.

Tel: 023 211 130 / 080 900 900 www.larose.com.kh Professional, experienced, qualified therapists offer a tailor-made range of remedial, relaxation and nutritional advice. High-end natural products and a wide range of homeopathic remedies, creams, flower essences and signature organic massage oils.

Master Kang Health Care Centre 456 Monivong Blvd.

Tel: 023 721 765 Health centre next to Man Han Lou Restaurant offers foot massage in public or private rooms, with both Chinese and oil massage. A grand piano is played in the evenings.

Open 10am - 12pm.

TROPICAL & TRAVELLERS MEDICAL CLINIC

Tel: 012 898981 No.88 St.108 Phnom Penh www.travellersmedicalclinic.com

Aircon Restaurant Art Exhibitions Dance Theatre German Classes Film School Musical Events

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Raffles Amrita Spa Tel: 023 981 888 Raffles Amrita Spa offers relaxation and rejuvenation through a wide selection of services and facilities including treatment rooms, outdoor lap and fun pool, Jacuzzi, fitness centre, sauna and steam room. Open daily 6am - 10pm.

The Spa at NagaWorld Hun Sen Park.

Tel: 023 228 822 This luxurious spa promises to bring the ancient Cambodian spa therapy to the world, and claims to be the only all-suite unisex spa in Cambodia.

Therapy rooms with sauna, steam and flower bath are inviting, and the spa uses Tomichik flowers as part of its treatment. Open 10am-3am.

So SPA with L’Occitane Sofitel Angkor Phokeethra Tel: 063 964 600 Offers rejuvenating world traditions combined with French cosmetology in the privacy of an intimate setting.

Treatments are provided with international and local high-end products. Open daily: 10am – 10pm

Dr.Scott BSc.MBChB. DRCOG.DipVen. (U.K.) -20 years of medical experience in Cambodia

Fixed +855 (0)23 224 140 Mobile +855 (0)10 312 333 Homepage: www.meta-house.com Email: mesterharm@gmx.net

Nail Holic Street 592, Tuol Kork (next to Indrak Tevy High School) Tel: 012 357 887/ 097 4123 337 Nail polish and pedicure services using products from Korea. Comfortable chairs in relaxing surroundings with professional, hospitable and friendly staff speaking Khmer, Korean and English. Open daily from 8am – 6pm.

Workshop Space Open-Air-Cinema

Villa Spa 456 Monivong Blvd., (cnr. Street 466) Tel: 023 721 765 / 012 357 561 www.asiagarden.com.kh Aromatherapy massage in private boutique VIP rooms (villa and bungalow style) from professional Chinese and Khmer therapists from Master Kang; women customers only.

Sports General

Ball Hockey Played every Thursday night at City Villa, corner of Streets 360 and 71 at 7pm. To play, contact Mike: michaelwarford@ispp.edu.kh Beeline Arena Sangkat Chroychangva, Phnom Penh Tel: 067 716 565 www.banzaicambodia.com Located on the Chroy Changvar peninsula, facing the city of Phnom

Penh, the Beeline Arena is the first multi-purpose sports arena in Cambodia with international standard, including Multi-surface state of the art FIFA regulation pitch, 2,000 person capacity, VIP lounge and restaurant. Rental for football, basketball, volleyball, events and more. Open daily 8am until late.

Cambodian Federation of Rugby cambodianfederationofrugby.com Proper 15-a-side rugby league with four senior teams as well as kid’s touch and women’s rugby teams.

Contact Larry: khmer_rugby@yahoo. co.uk for more details.

Cambodia Golf & Country Club Route 4, Kompong Speur Tel: 023 363 666 International standard, 18-hole golf course. Open 6am until dark.

Football: The Bayon Wanderers www.bayonwanderers.com Mixed Khmer and western team. Training at the City Villa court on Wednesday and Friday, 8pm to 10pm, Old Stadium on Tuesday from 4.30 pm. Contact Billy Barnaart on 012 803 040 (available from 11am to 10pm). Sunday play at 2pm.

Grand Phnom Penh Golf Street 598, Phum Khmuonh, Sk: Khmuonh, Kh: Sen Sok, Phnom Penh Tel: 023 997 889. info@grandphnompenh.com Luxury living redefined. Phnom Penh’s finest urban township.

Hash House Harriers 8, Street 360 (cnr. Street 71) Meets at the railway station every Sunday at 2:15pm. An ideal way to see the countryside walking or running.

Tel: 012 832 509.

Phokeethra Country Club Sofitel Angkor Phokeethra Tel:063 964 600 reservation.angkor@phokeethragolf.com International standard 18-hole, 72-par golf. Clubhouse facilities: pro shop, rental equipment, restaurant.

Phnom Penh Ultimate Frisbee A fast paced fun game that is open to everyone, regardless of skill set or gender, Phnom Penh Ultimate has weekly games at ISPP and Northbridge.

Contact CraigDGerard@gmail.com for details on times and locations.

Touch Rugby Mixed touch rugby is played most Saturday afternoons at 3-5pm at ISPP. Contact pptouchrugby@gmail.com.

Listings

family Cafés & Restaurants

Java Café 56 Sihanouk Blvd.

Tel: 023 987 420 Kid’s menu includes chicken nuggets and pizza bagels. Colouring pages and crayons to keep the kids amused. Highchair is available on request and babychanging facilities are in the toilet. Open daily 7am - 10pm Le Jardin 16 Street 360. Tel: 011 723 399 This garden retreat has a great kids’ area with playhouse and sandbox, specialises in birthday parties, with cake, decorations, toys and drawing materials provided for children of all ages.

Open Tue – Sun, 8am - 8pm.

Entertainment

Cambodian Country Club Street 2004, Group 6 Toeuk Thla, Tel: 012 231 755 Sports centre and a peaceful heaven providing tennis, swimming, badminton, fitness centre and horse riding in an amazing landscape 15 minutes away from the city. Dedicated to leisure, rest and entertainment, CCC is suitable for children.

Open daily 6.30am until late.

Dragon Water Park Diamond Island (Koh Pich) Tel: 023 45 54 023 / 023 224 776 Clean-Safe-Exciting! Wonderful Water World, the biggest amusement land, fit for all ages. Have fun with Crystal Blue Clear Water, immense pools, giant slides up to 15m high & water toys. Open daily 10:30am until late.

Monkey Business Paragon Department Store, Second Floor. Tel: 023 319 319 Kids can rejoice now that this indoor children’s play centre offers clean, safe facilities. Available for private parties.

Open daily 9am - 8pm.

Phnom Tamao Wildlife Park Phnom Tamao Cambodia’s best wildlife centre. All the animals are either rescued from traders or bred at the centre. Many of the animals are critically endangered.

Open 8am - 4pm.

International Schools

Eton House International School 16 Mao Tse Tung Blvd Tel: 023 22 8818 www.ehis.co Eton House is committed to the pursuit of excellence in education. Eton House is represented in 10 countries with over 56 pre-schools and schools around the world.

In our early years program we offer a playbased, ‘Inquire, Think, Learn” pedagogy.

This programme has been inspired by the

I.B program and the Reggio Emilia schools of Northern Italy. Ages: 18months - 6years.

Full and Half Day Programs Footprints School 220 Street 430, Tumnub Teuk, Tel: 077 222084 www.footprintsschool.edu.kh Established in 2007 Footprints School offers nursery (age 2) through grade 6 and has 4 campuses. The curriculum is designed for the dynamic needs and interests of our students and the staff are hired for their experience and love for children.

Giving Tree International Elementary School of Phnom Penh 40 Street 334. Tel: 017 997 112 www.thegivingtreeschool.com Established to provide an exceptional, affordable, and unique learning environment, based on small class sizes and a international curriculum incorporating compassion, communication, conservation, contemplation, creativity, conscience and global citizenship. iCAN British International School 85 Sothearos Blvd. Tel: 023 222 416 www.ican.edu.kh iCAN offers affordable, high quality education, using the IPC, IMYC and English National curriculum. Learners are encouraged to be thoughtful, creative, think critically, collaborate and achieve their best. iCAN is the learning environment of choice for parents who value the development of their children emotionally and socially, as well as academically.

International School of Phnom Penh 146 Norodom Blvd. Tel: 023 213 103 www.ispp.edu.kh Founded in 1989, this non-profit, nonsectarian international school currently has over 600 students from Pre-K to Grade 12. The largest international school with over 70 professional teachers, and a fully-authorized IB programme.

Lycée Français René Descartes Street 96. Tel: 023 722 044 French school offering primary and secondary level education, extra-curricula activities include basketball, football, rugby.

Northbridge International School 1km off National Road 4 on the way to the airport.

Tel: 023 886 000 www.nisc.edu.kh Founded in 1997, NISC is a fullyauthorized IB World School with a growing enrollment of 500 students age 3 to Grade 12. Spectacular purpose built campus unlike any in Cambodia.

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Zaman International School 2843 Street 3.

Tel: 023 214 040 www.zamanisc.org International school that teaches a full curriculum to children from four to 18. Facilities include basketball and volleyball courts, a football field and a science lab.

Pre-Schools

Sambo’s Tots www.sambostots.com Playhouse and playschool provides fun edutainment experience for babies and toddlers from 3 months to 5 years where imagination comes to life.

Canadian International School of Phnom Penh Bassac Garden, Norodom Boulevard Tel: 023 727 788 / 077 503 778 www.cisp.edu.kh Offers a Canadian curriculum in English, certified through the Canadian province of New Brunswick.

Tchou Tchou 13 Street 21 Tel: 023 362 899, www.tchou-tchou.com Kindergarten and pre-school for 18 months to 5-year-olds, open from 7.30am to 12pm (Mon to Fri). French is the main language, although English and Khmer is also practised.

DK Schoolhouse No. 7 St. 466 078 777 466 / 095 777 466 www.dkschoolhouse.com DK Schoolhouse is an early learning preschool/kindergarten for children aged 2-6. Established by long time residents of the Kingdom, DK Schoolhouse aims to minimize the gap between quality and cost in education while providing a safe and stimulating learning environment.

Our staff are native English speaking, qualified early childhood educators.

Open Mon-Fri 8:00-4:00pm Sat 9:0011:00am (by appointment only).

Shops

Gecko & Garden Pre-school 3 Street 21. Tel: 092 575 431 www.geckogarden-preschool.org This is a not-for-profit pre-school, established over ten years ago, which emphasises learning through creative play in a supportive environment forchildren aged 18 months to 5 years.

Open daily 7:30am - 12pm. An after school program offering a range of fun activities is available 2:30pm - 5pm daily.

The Giving Tree Nursery and Preschool House #17, Street 71, Bkk Tel: 017 997 112 www.thegivingtreeschool.com Preschool committed to providing a nurturing and supportive environment that supports and extends the child’s overall development. With an

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international, experienced team of teachers the school offers a play-based programme that is fun and motivating.

Monument Toys 111 Norodom Bvd. Tel: 023 217 617 To the rear of Monument Books is a well-stocked toy section. It features an excellent range of well-known board games and toys including Barbie dolls, Transformers, Magic 8 balls and more.

It has to be the best place in the city for brand name toys and games.

Open daily 7.30am - 8pm.

Shade 7 Outdoor Living Co Ltd Showroon; Borey Chamkarmon Tel: 077 962 467 david@shade7.com www.shade7.com www.springfreetrampoline.com Supplier of Shade7 premium aluminium umbrellas and exclusive distributor of original Springfree range. World class products now available in Cambodia!

Stock in country for immediate supply.

Toys & Me 159A Mao Tse Toung Blvd.

Tel: 023 212 081 / 016 808 676 www.toysnme.net Established in 2007, Toys & Me is a leading toys shop in Cambodia. A onestop shop you can trust when it comes to educational needs for your children.

Willi Shop 769 Monivong Blvd Tel: 023 211 652 All products are imported from France, including bébé brand baby products, the range includes prams, baby care, cots and toys. Open 8am - 8pm.

kids corner Great Expectations Gemma Mullen

Imagine if you constantly had someone looking over your shoulder, checking up on what you’re doing, how you’re doing it and then bestowing their all-powerful judgement upon your efforts. It wouldn’t be too much fun, so imagine how kids must feel.

The expectations of parents, carers and teachers have a strong impact on children’s motivation and on their own self-expectations.

Projecting healthy expectations can encourage children to succeed; extremely high expectations can set children up for failure and anxiety; low expectations can make it difficult for children to achieve their full potential.

In short, it’s a bit of a tricky balancing act.

The expectations you put on a child will likely be met. For example, if a child in a class (or at home) has become known as the joker in the pack, then the likelihood is that he or she will reflect that expectation, play on it and exacerbate the role that has been prescribed to them. The same goes for the naughty kid, the quiet kid and the clever kid.

Remember that children are very perceptive. They can often pick up on your true feelings, no matter how well you think you have hidden them. Obviously, a major no-no is placing your kids into the aforementioned roles. If you have more

than one child, but one of them in particular has been playing up more than the others, try not to focus on their behaviour as a series of problems. Rather, take each incident on its own and be sure to give lots of praise when they break the cycle and exhibit good behaviour.

You’d be surprised how many parents have “the angel” and “the little devil” and openly discuss these roles with friends while their children are present.

Another huge mistake that I see made again and again is parents trying to force their children to meet unrealistic expectations. If you know your little girl isn’t the strongest in terms of physical development, don’t challenge her to climb a large tree. If you know your boy is having a few problems with eating, don’t dish up a huge plate of food and show frustration when he doesn’t finish it.

Instead, acknowledge (privately) your child’s limitations and set realistic targets. By all means, encourage your children to push themselves, but don’t allow them to struggle or let your own expectations exceed their abilities. Get involved, help your little ones make small steps, and you’ll soon find that he or she will develop positively into the person they are meant to be — rather than the person you want them to be.

Gemma Mullen has been working in child care for more than 10 years. She holds an NNEB diploma in nursery nursing and is currently a creative writing teacher at Zaman International School in Phnom Penh.

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services

money matters

Listings

business & services Architecture, Interior Design & Construction

Time Marches On Paul Dodd The holiday season is fast approaching, which means that the end of 2013 is almost upon us. The year seems to have flashed by in the blink of an eye, and I’m sure I’m not the only one who thinks so.

Take yourself back to 2005 — it’s not so long ago. It was the year of the Bali bombings and Saddam Hussain’s trial, the Crazy Frog and model Gisele Bündchen. It seems so recent, but it was eight years ago, showing that time marches on relentlessly.

So why am I wittering on about this? It’s because time is vital when planning for the future. Imagine you started putting away $1,000 each month in 2005. By the end of this year you would have accumulated $96,000 in capital alone, and the interest accumulated (at 6.5% p.a.) would have added a further $32,000.

While not enough to retire on, the nest egg would be a big step to financial independence at the end of your working life. Left untouched, by 2024 the pot could have grown to almost a quarter of a million dollars without adding another cent.

The point is that a lot of people think about starting to save as New Year approaches, but once the festivities die down many

never act. Procrastination on savings is the thief of your future financial wellbeing.

You can never get that time back or the advantage of having years of compound growth to increase the value of your capital. Ultimately, procrastination means either a poorer retirement or saving at much higher rates in the future.

Some people, especially those just starting out on their careers, might see $1,000 as an impossible sum to save, but that is only a nominal amount. Savings plans can be started for much lower payments.

Let’s compare two situations: A 25 year old starting out by saving $300 a month, and a 45 year old who puts $1,500 a month away. By the time they are both 60 they will have accumulated roughly the same amount of money, but the younger person would have made contributions of only $126,000 whereas the late saver will have had to invest $270,000 to get the same result.

I often recall the famous Cher song ‘If I Could Turn Back Time’. But, as we all know, you can’t. So, why not give yourself a Christmas present that you won’t regret this year, and resolve to start saving for the future.

Paul Dodd is an area manager at Infinity Financial Solutions.

This company provides impartial, tailor-made, personal financial advice to clients in Cambodia and Southeast Asia. Should you wish to contact Paul, please send an email to info@ infinitysolutions.com or visit infinitysolutions.com.

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Beyond Interiors 14e Street 306 Tel: 023 987 840 / 012 930 332 ww.beyondinteriors.biz Managed by Australian designer Bronwyn Blue, this interior design showroom can provide the ultimate design solution to your interior dilemma.

All products from Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia and Cambodia have been treated to withstand any climate.

Open 9am - 6pm Bill Grant Landscape Design Tel: 012 932 225 / 012 738 134 The city’s most talented landscape designer.

Green Goal Ltd 10 Street 296. Tel: 023 223 861 Consultancy offers sustainable and creative architectural and construction services to clients taking into account environmental considerations.

Hemisphere Design & Interiors Tel: 012 602 955 william@norbert-munns.com Western managed renovation company specialising in swimming pools and Jacuzzi construction in fibreglass and concrete.

I Ching Decor 85 Sothearos Blvd.

Tel: 023 220 873 / 012 558 000 / 092 660 746, Boutique interior design shop offering advice on architectural work and interior design, as well as providing custommade furniture, home accessories, kitchenware, lighting and bedroom suites. Open 9am - 6pm, closed Sun. The Room Design Studio 9AB Street 288. Tel: 023 992 620 Interior design and architectural company that has 12 years’ experience of designing flats, villas, offices, shops, homes and offices in Asia.

Bikes & Mechanics

Dara Motorbike 43 Street 136. Tel: 012 335 499 Off-road specialist offers repairs, parts and accessories. Tours can be arranged by appointment.

Emerald Garage 11 Street 456 Mechanics specialising in maintenance and repair of vehicles, including oil changing and body painting.

The Bike Shop 31 Street 302. Tel: 012 851 776 Repairs trusty steeds as well as renting them out in the first place. Also provides dirt bike tours.

Western Service Centre 24 Street 420.

Tel: 012 477 831 www.wmg-cambodia.com admin@wmg-cambodia.com A garage with Western and Khmer staff that emphasises communication and trained, attentive skills. Motto is “We don’t know all, we find out all, then we fix.”

Business Groups

Australian Business Association of Cambodia (ABAC) 20 Street 114 (cnr. Street 67) For information, contact Derek Mayes.

Tel:012 385 157. abacambodia@gmail.com British Business Association of Cambodia (BBAC) 35 Sihanouk Blvd. Tel: 012 803 891 Contact enquiries@bbacambodia.com Chambre de Commerce FrancoCambodgienne Office 2nd floor, 33 Street 178 Tel: 023 221 453. www.ccfcambodge.org Canadian Cooperation Office Cambodia Commissioner Service .

50 Street 334. Tel: 023 215 496 www.cco-cambodia.org Malaysian Business Council of Cambodia Unit G21, Ground Floor, Parkway Square 113, Mao Tse Tung Blvd. mbcc.secretariat@gmail.com

Car Rental

ACC Car Rental Services 43 Street 160z Toul Kork Tel. 012 456 003 / 015 456 003.

Professional, prompt and organised rental service that provides vehicles for rent with or without a driver. ACC also rents a range of buses that seat from 12 to 45 people. All vehicles can be delivered to your door.

Asia Vehicle Rental 27 Street 134. Tel: 078 666 557 www.avrcambodia.com With the motto “leave your driving to us”, the rental service offers sedans, pick-ups, SUVs and minibuses in 2WD or 4WD for self-drive or with driver.

Insurance offered.

Larryta Trading & Travel Co. Ltd. 9 Street 310. Tel: 023 994 748 www.larrytacarrental.com.kh Vehicle rental for all types of cars, vans and mini-buses with flexible go-anywhere packages to all areas of Cambodia and neighbouring countries by the day, week or month.

Royal Limousine Services Attwood Business Center, Russian Confederation Blvd. Tel : 023 218 808 www.royallimousine.com.kh Fleet of late model Mercedes that provides transport for hotels, embassies and luxury tour operators as well as foreign delegates.

Commercial Banks

Acleda Bank 61 Monivong Blvd. Tel: 023 998 777 www.acledabank.com.kh Specialises in micro, small and medium loans to people throughout the country.

ANZ Royal Bank Main Branch, 20 Street 114 www.anzroyal.com Cambodia’s major commercial bank has brought international standards of banking to Cambodia, with a large number of ATM machines around Phnom Penh. Can arrange money transfers.

CIMB Bank PLC 20AB Norodom Blvd. Tel: 023 988 388 www.cimbbank.com.kh Full range of commercial and

Bikes & Mechanics

Internet Provider

Dara Motorbike 43 Street 136, Tel: 012 335 499 Off-road specialist offers repairs, parts and accessories. Tours can be arranged by appointment.

Emerald Garage 11 Street 456 Mechanics specialising in maintenance and repair of vehicles, including oil changing and body painting.

The Bike Shop 31 Street 302. Tel: 012 851 776 Repairs trusty steeds as well as renting them out in the first place.

Also provides dirt bike tours.

Western Service Centre 24 Street 420. Tel: 012 477 831 www.wmg-cambodia.com admin@wmg-cambodia.com A garage with Western and Khmer staff that emphasises communication and trained, attentive skills.

IT & Software

Cresittel Co., Ltd. Office 705, KT Tower, 23 Street 112. Tel 098 518 888 Provides software solutions and systems, point of sales systems for bars and restaurants, website designing and telecoms consulting.

Has showroom at 385 Street 215.

Netpro Cambodia 11 Street 422. Tel: 023 215 141 www.netpro-cambodia.com, IT supports company that delivers high quality and reliable services to home and small to medium size organisations in Cambodia.

services

Maruhan Japan Bank 83 Norodom Blvd. Tel: 023 999 010 First Japanese bank in Phnom Penh.

Ocean Technology T-20 St Topaz, Sovanna Shopping Centre Tel: 023 211 700 / 010 624 001 www.ocean-tech.biz Technology company that offers GPS navigation systems, an online map directory and vehicle tracking system.

consumer banking products and services for both Cambodian and foreign businesses and individuals.

The first Japanese bank in Cambodia.

EMAXX 99 Norodom Blvd. Tel: 023 999 818 EMAXX offers fast internet access via WiMAX, Optical Fiber and Satellite.

Insurance

AG Cambodia Hotel Cambodiana, 313 Sovanna Sisowath Quay Tel: 017 360 333. nfo@agcambodia.com Professional insurance agent offering health, home, car, factory, employee and hotel insurance packages.

Infinity Insurance 126 Norodom Blvd. Tel: 023 999 888 Prfessional insurance company offers motor, property, home, marine cargo, personal accident, healthcare, construction and engineering insurance.

Group policies can be customized.

Legal

BNG Legal 64 Street 111. www.bnglegal.com Tel: 023 212 671 / 023 212 740 BNG Legal is a leading Cambodian law firm providing comprehensive legal services to foreign and local clients.

We differentiate ourselves by coupling a deep understanding of the local business environment with international professionalism and integrity.

DFDL Legal and Tax Advisors 33 Street 294.

Tel: 023 210 400 www.dfdlmekong.com Law firm providing international standard legal and tax solutions with local and cross-border experience with offices in neighbouring countries.

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services

Gordon and Associates Asia (Cambodia) 21 Street 214. Tel: 023 218 257 US lawyer works with local Cambodian lawyers to provide international quality advice. Specialises in foreign investment, joint ventures and advising entrepreneurs with an in depth knowledge of the telecoms, agriculture, banking and hospitality sectors.

Sciaroni & Associates 24 Street 462. Tel: 023 210 225 Law firm with a good reputation. Just the ticket if you get into a spot of bother.

Media & Design

Anon Creative Energy Tel: 089 812 123 anoncambodia@gmail.com Internationally trained advertising talent at your service. Strong, strategic ideas.

Available for freelance art and copy writing projects.

Asia Media Lab Tel: 012 818 917. www.asiamedialab.com Full service video production company specialises in the creation of dynamic visual content to help bring NGO stories to life for fundraising and advocacy.

Miscellaneous

Sunbird Angkor Co. Ltd. 78 Monireth Blvd.

Tel: 023 98 3333 / 023 99 1010 sunbirdangkor@yahoo.co.kr Worldwide Hotel Reservation, Car Rental Service, Worldwide Medical Service, Convention, Marketing.

Open Mon~Fri 8am ~5:30pm & Sat 8am~1pm Sunbird Global Co., Ltd. 78 St. Monireth Blvd.

Tel: 023 98 3333 / 023 99 1010 sunbirdglobal@yahoo.co.kr Insurance Service, Air Cargo, Worldwide Express, Trading.

Open Mon~Fri 8am ~5:30pm & Sat 8am~1pm

Post Office

Main Post Office Cnr. Streets 102 & 13 The place to go if you want to send something overseas or get a PO Box. Open 6.30am -9pm.

Photography

AsiaMotion Tel: 092 806 117. www.asiamotion.net Photographic agency established in November 2008 as a cooperation between local and international photographers.

Nathan Horton Photography Tel: 092 526 706 www.nathanhortonphotography.com Full service professional photographer.

Hotels, bars, restaurants, spas and location work. Call for Travel Photography workshops and tours.

Printing

Sok Heng Printing House 1297B Street Luo 5, Stoeung Mean Chey Tel: 011 939 255 / 012 939 255 Modern print house providing a full range of printing services. Graphic design available.

Real Estate and Property Services

240Condo 50B Street 240. Tel: 012 271 636 www.240phnompenh.com 240 is the home of 42 luxury serviced apartments set in the most stylish area of the city with spectacular river and city views. The condominium was designed by leading international architects gfab and represents the most contemporary luxury apartment development currently available in Cambodia.

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CB Richard Ellis (Cambodia) Co., Ltd. 9th Floor, Hyundai Phnom Penh Tower 445 Monivong Blvd.

Tel: 023 964 099 www.cbre.com.kh The world’s largest commercial real estate services company offering premier quality real estate, valutions, consultancy, investment and property services.

Property Care Services (PCS) 2A Road 7. Tel: 017 555 203 Solution for property support services, including waste management, security, pest control and cleaning. Only company to clean high-rise windows with abseilers.

Relocation, Shipping

Crown 115-116 Street 335.

Tel: 023 881 004 www.crownrelo.com Global transportation and relocation company with over 150 offices in 50 countries, specialising in expat support and household shipment.

Open 8:30am - 5:30pm Mon - Fri, 8:30am - 12pm, Sat. Home Connect Cambodia 86 Street 160. Tel: 023 88 56 85 www.homeconnect.asia Home search company, dedicated to making the home search process easy and specializing in finding rental homes for the expatriate community. Best of all for our clients, our services are FREE.

Taxi Services

Choice Taxi Tel: 023 888 023 / 090 882 882 Metered taxi service with rates from US$1 for first 2km.

Giant Ibis Transport Phnom Penh Phnom Penh: 3 Street 106, next to Night Market.

Tel: 023 999 333 www.giantibis.com Siem Reap: 64 Street Sivatha, Mondol 1, Svay Dankum.

Travel in “Affordable Luxury” to Siem Reap and other destinations in brand new 2012 buses with comforablt reclining seats, spacious leg room, A/C, Wi-fi, complementary snacks and pick-up service.

Global Meter Taxi Tel: 011 311 888 092 889 962 016 680 118 Modern metered taxi fleet with rates from less than US$1 for first two km.

Telecoms

Ezecom 7D Russian Blvd.

Tel: 023 888 181 www.ezecom.com.kh Internet service provider that promises boundless internet packages suited to everyone’s needs. Good packages for those looking for unlimited downloads.

Mobitel 33 Sihanouk Blvd.

Tel: 012 801 801 Largest ISP in the country. Major mobile phone company which issues the 012 SIM card.

Smart 464A Preah Monivong Blvd.

Tel: 010 201 000. www.smart.com.kh www.facebook.com/SmartAxiata One of the most dynamic and fastest growing mobile telecom service in the country, issues the 010, 015, 016, 069, 070, 081, 086, 087, 093, 096, and 098 prefixes.

Listings

shopping Art

Hanuman Fine Arts 13B Street 334, Phnom Penh Tel: 023 211 916 tradition@hanumanfinearts.com High quality, beautiful antiques and objets d’art from all over the Kingdom.

Furniture, ornaments, silverware, jewellery and more are well displayed in a treasure trove of a store. Very helpful and friendly staff.

Open 8am - 5pm.

Happy Painting Gallery 363 Sisowath Quay (nr. FCC) Tel : 023 221 732 www.happypainting.net Established in 1995 this art gallery is dedicated to Stef, a local icon artist with a very personal and positive insight into everyday life in Cambodia.

Open 8am - 10pm

Beauty Products

Angkor Soap 16C Street 374 Tel: 023 223 720 / 015 935 789. www.angkorsoaps.com Specialising in handmade soaps and natural spa products.

Open daily 8am - 5pm Raffles Amrita Spa Raffles Hotel Le Royal. Tel: 023 981 888 www.raffles.com/phnompenh spa. phnompenh@raffles.com Distinctive collection of Raffles Amrita spa private label and international spa products are available for purchase.

Open 6am - 10pm.

Books & CDS

Carnets d’Asie French Cultural Centre 218 Street 184. Tel: 012 799 959 French-language bookshop has sections on Cambodia and Asia as well as general fiction, with a good range of French magazines and newspapers.

Open 8am - 8pm

D’s Books 79 Street 240 & 12E Street 178 Tel: 012 726 355 www.facebook.com/ ds.books.shops New and used bookshops with over 20,000 original books and some copies, with a great range of best sellers.

Coffee, smoothies and more available all day at Street 240. Open 9am to 9pm.

Le Phnom Shop Raffles Hotel Le Royal.

Tel: 023 981 888 www.raffles.com/phnompenh, Small shop offering books and souvenirs including recipes from the hotel’s pastry chef. Open 7am - 9pm.

Monument Books 111 Norodom Blvd. Tel: 023 217 617 Extensive range of new Englishlanguage books in town including recent releases and sections on Asia, Cambodia, travel, cuisine, design and management. Good children’s section as well as a wide choice of magazines and newspapers.

Open 7am - 8.30pm.

Crafts & Furniture

Art des Lignes 42B Mao Tse Toung Blvd.

Tel: 012 211 520 www.artdeslignes.com This new interior design showroom provides branded products of highquality like luxury leather sofas and LED lighting, as well as furniture and metal artworks in contemporary style.

Upstairs, the architecture and interior design office can offer complete solutions for projects, with a resolutely modern spirit and French Touch.

Open 8:30am - 7:00pm .closed Sun. Artisans Angkor 12AEo Street 13 (in front of Post Office) Open daily from 9am to 6pm Tel: 023 992 409 www.artisansdangkor.com Boutique with a wide range of traditional and contemporary handmade pieces

produced at Artisans Angkor’s workshops in Siem Reap province: silk scarves, clothing and accessories, home furnishings, lacquer paintings and tableware, stone and wooden sculptures, silver-plated ornaments and silk paintings. Special commissions and custom orders welcome.

Artwood 33 Street 302. Tel: 016 934 999 www.artwood.asia Drop in to our showroom to experience modern wooden furniture designed and manufactured in Cambodia. Offers free consultations for both commercial and residential custom-made needs.

Fashion

Ambre 37 Street 178.

Tel: 023 217 935 The high-end fashion designs created

by Cambodian designer Romyda Keth are popular all over the world, this beautiful colonial building makes the perfect setting for the city’s most glamorous design shop. Also has men’s fashion.

Open 10am - 6pm, closed Sun.

DeCosy 219 Street 19 Tel: 023 219 276 Stocking charming knick-knacks and furniture,is the place to find the things to make your house a home. Open daily from 9am to 7pm.

A.N.D. 52c Street 240.

Tel: 017 854 726 artisandesigners@gmail.com The designers at A.N.D. work with many local artisans, giving a fashion twist to traditional skills: look for generously-sized ikat wraps in pure cotton, innovative up-cycled bags, and covetable jewellery combining hand-carved hardwoods with silver and vintage porcelain.

NatureWild 10Eo Street 420 Tel: 023 727 407 www.naturewildcambodia.com A sustainable lifestyle store featuring community products made from natural and wild materials from the forests of Cambodia, ideal for gifts.

Bambou Indochine 7 Street 178.

Tel: 023 214 720, Facebook: bambouindochine High-quality T-shirts, Polo shirts and comfortable clothes in original designs.

A full-range of sizes for men, women and children. Open daily 8am -10pm.

Pavillon d’Asie 24, 26 Sihanouk Blvd Tel: 012 497 217 Antique lovers dream, a large array of well-restored furniture and decorative objects. Wooden cabinets jostle for space with Buddha statues and old wooden boxes. Upstairs are pieces from the French colonial era. Open 10am - 7pm, closed Sun.

Beautiful Shoes 138 Street 143.

Tel: 012 848 438 Family-run business measures your feet and designs the shoe exactly as you wish. The shop also caters for men. Open from 7am to 6.30pm.

PhalyCraft 37 Street 113. Tel: 016 485 857 www.phalycraft.com Located near Tuol Sleng Museum, PhalyCraft makes scarves, bags, gifts and accessories. Custom orders available.

Bliss 29 Street 240. Tel: 023 215 754 A beautiful colonial building houses this exquisite shop with funky patterned cushions, quilts and an excellent clothing line. The health spa at the back of the shop also sells Spana beauty products. Open from 9am to 9pm (closed Mondays).

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Color Vintage 168 Street 13 Color Vintage is Phnom Penh’s premiere shop for refined vintage styles for men and women. We source authentic articles from around the world and offer free alterations for a perfect fit! Buy, sell or exchange.

Tel: 023 640 5047 Vibrant vintage shop offering a selection of interesting, handpicked secondhand dresses, handbags, belt, purses and other accessories. Men’s clothing available too. The collection is constantly changing and the attractive prices already make it popular amongst expats.

Couleurs D’Asie 33 Street 240 Tel: 023 221 075/ 099 499 478 www.couleursdasie.net info@couleursdasie.net Established in Cambodia for more than 15 years, Couleurs d´Asie has developed a full range of textile products for home decoration, clothing and fashion accessories. Jewellery, essential oils, soaps and more are on offer. A custom service for existing products is also available.

Luna Boutique 8E1Street 278.

Tel: 023 220 176 www.lunaboutiquephnompenh.com Original and stylish fashion designs for men and women, from work suits to evening dresses. The tailor-made creations, designed by modern Cambodian stylist Mengchou Kit, are fit for any occasion. Luna Boutique is located in the heart of Phnom Penh, in front of Anise Hotel, while its sister shop - Luna Shoes - is just next door and hosts a large selection of shoes, bags, and women’s accessories to complement your style.

Open daily 8am - 9pm.

Dara Shoes 10 Street 166, near corner Street 107.

Tel: 012 855 173 / 097 8097 143 Good quality shoes, boots, bags, belts and leather products made to order since 1993.

Jasmine Boutique 73 Street 240.

Tel: 023 223 103 www.jasmineboutique.net Established in 2001 by Kellianne Karatau and Cassandra McMillan, this boutique creates its own collection of designs twice a year using hand-woven Cambodian silk. Open 8am - 6pm.

Khmer Attitude Raffles Hotel Le Royal.

Tel: 023 981 888 Fashion boutique that offers the finest Khmer silk clothing for men, women and children, including designs by Romyda Keth, and exclusive jewellery that complement the limited edition outfits.

La Clef de Sol 10 Street 208. Tel: 012 394 915 A design boutique offering home decor, women’s fashion, kids clothes, bags, accessories and continually updated design surprises. Near KFC on Norodom Blvd. Open 9am - 6pm Monday - Saturday Lim Keo 9 Street 222.

Tel: 012 941 643 Pret a porter by Lim Keo, son of Sylvain Lim, the master of Cambodian fashion.

Lost‘N’ Found Vintage Store 321 Street 63 cnr Street 322

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Promesses and Kaprices 20 Street 282.

Tel: 023 993 527 Lingerie shop stocked with exclusive French and Thai undergarments. Chic, new prêt-à-porter shop Kaprices is located upstairs. Open 9am - 7pm.

SentosaSilk Uniform 33 Sothearos Blvd, cnr Street 178 Tel: 012 962 911/ 023 222 974 sentosa@online.com.kh Well known for its professional management ability, SentosaSilk gives clients efficient and reliable service through quality systems and procedures that consistently enhance product quality and reliability.

Sobbhana Boutique 23-24 Street 144/49 Tel: 023 219 455/ 023 219 452 www.sobbhana.org, A not for profit organisation founded

by Princess Norodom Marie, offering a range of colourful, handwoven silk products. Profits fund training, medical care and education of weavers.

Smateria 8Eo Street 5.

Tel: 023 211 701 7 Street 178.

Tel: 023 214 720 www.smateria.com Boutique specialising in accessories made from recycled materials including a range of bags and wallets made from old fruit juice cartons, plastic bags and mosquito nets.

Subtyl 43 Street 240.

Tel 023 992 710 www.subtyl.com Up-market boutique selling Cambodian handmade women’s clothes, scarves, shoes, bags and other accessories in contemporary and interesting designs, the Subtyl collection combines class with colour. ChilliKids children’s clothing is also stocked at the shop.

Open 9am - 7pm.

Food & Wine

AusKhmer – The Pantry Shop 125 Street 105 Tel: 023 993 859 /023 214 478 This small deli features a variety of well priced wines, Australian beers, and French delicacies, cheeses, antipasti, and cold cuts. Open 10am - 8pm.

Camory – Premium Cookie Boutique 167 Sisowath Quay.

Tel: 023 224 937 Makes cookies using produce from the provinces such as cashews from Kampong Cham and Mondulkiri honey.

A portion of the profits fund education for a local orphanage.

Open 9am - 8.30pm.

Celliers d’Asie 62B & 98 Street 432.

Tel: 023 986 350 Wine supplier with the largest quantity of retail stock in town, has been providing wine to most of the top hotels and restaurants for over ten years. Open 8am -12pm, 2pm - 6pm, closed Sun. Comme a la Maison 13 Street 57.

Tel: 012 951 869 Decidedly sophisticated French restaurant has a small delicatessen and bakery at the back of the restaurant ideal for that morning baguette or croissant with your coffee. Open from 6am - 10.30pm.

Dan Meats 51A Street 214.

Tel: 012 906 072 Phnom Penh’s man of meat, Lanzi, supplies his strictly non-vegetarian products to many restaurants around town. Open7:30 - 6:30, closed Sun. Kurata Pepper Cnr. Streets 63 & 322.

Tel: 023 726 480 Selling organic Koh Kong pepper and associated products, Kurata is one of the more unusual shops in town.

Open daily 8am - 7pm.

Open Wine 219 Street 19 Tel: 023 223 527 Aircon wine shop and tasting gallery sells wines, severac, calvados and meat. Open 7pm - 11pm.

Red Apron 15-17 Eo Street 240 Tel: 023 990 951 Home of wine enthusiasts in Phnom Penh is both a wine boutique and tasting gallery. With around 300 wines, the boutique has more range than the supermarkets.

Open 9am - 9pm.

Supercheap Cambodia 87 Street 360. Tel: 023 631 3668 336A Monivong Blvd. Tel: 023 977 779 www.supercheap.com.kh Budget shop claims to offer the biggest variety of wines and spirits in Cambodia as well as the cheapest prices.

Open 8am - 10pm.

The Deli

13 Street 178 Tel: 012 851 234 Café and bakery with take away breads, sandwiches and pastries. Now has a second outlet on Street 51.

Open 6.30am - 6.30pm, delivery service (within 30 minutes) 7am-11pm.

Silks & Accessories

Friends ‘n’ Stuff 215 Street 13 Tel: 012 955 722 Colourful shop with unique products designed by Mith Samlahn/Friends students and parents of former street kids.

Range includes cclothes, necklaces, purses and second hand goods. Has a nail bar run by students from the beauty class.

Open 11am - 9pm.

Mekong Quilts 49 Street 240 Tel: 023 219 607 www.mekong-quilts.org Outlet for NGO Mekong Plus, stocks a large range of hand-crafted bed covers, home accessories, gifts and decorations.

Benefits Mekong Plus, which promotes health initiatives in Svay Rieng Province.

Open 9am - 7pm.

Sentosa Silk 33 Sothearos Blvd, cnr Street 178 Tel: 023 222 974 www.sentosasilk.com Using a colourful range of Asian silks, Sentosa creates men’s and women’s clothing, accessories and soft furnishings. Sentosa employs disadvantaged people.

Open daily 8am - 7pm.

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Halloween Party @ Eighty8

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Photography by Conor Wall, Amanda Saxton & Anna Spelman

98 asialife Cambodia

Kampuchea Balopp’s The Kick Off Party @ Score Bar

Nerd Night @ Gasolina

asialife Cambodia 99

soundfix album review

by Mai Lynn Miller Nguyen

M.I.A.

Jake Bugg

Juana Molina

Dengue Fever

Matangi

Shangri La

Wed 21

Girl From the North

M.I.A. has always positioned herself as the voice of the people and a champion of “third world democracy.” But sometimes her confrontational, rabblerousing persona overshadows her creative talent. Mixing together elements of Brazilian baile funk, Angolan kuduro, Indian bhangra, hip-hop and grime, M.I.A. crafted her own border-crossing brand of world music, which is something worth applauding. Her fourth album Matangi can be seen as a retrospective of sorts, even reusing samples and catchphrases from older tracks.

Matangi echoes the frenetic beats of debut Arular, the pop friendliness of Kala, and some of the riskiness of her divisive 2010 album Maya. Named after a Hindu goddess of music who shares a similar name to M.I.A.’s birthname, Mathangi, this record is to M.I.A. what Frozen was to Madonna — an airbrushed exploration of mysticism. Yet despite reincarnation proclamations and a hummed Om, the album’s main creed remains unspoken — a paean to the ecstasy of dance, best exemplified on ‘Warriors’, ‘Y.A.L.A.’ and 2011’s hypnotic lead single ‘Bad Girls’.

Fame came too soon for Jake Bugg. Last year, the 19-year-old Nottingham native released his self-titled debut, a truculent take on 1960s American folk that garnered comparisons to Bob Dylan and Neil Young.

This year, Bugg opened for the Rolling Stones, dated modelof-the-moment Cara Delevigne, and recorded a follow up with legendary producer Rick Rubin. Shangri La, named for Rubin’s recording studio, is a cautionary tale of what happens when talent is coopted by the industry. This is largely due to the Oasis segment in the album’s middle — three songs featuring the type of crestfallen lyrics and caterwauling vocals that the band trademarked in the 1990s. Do we need another Brit packaged as Liam Gallagher?

Not really, but label execs might expect that to sell.

Bugg needs time to shape his own sound and nurture the sparks of brilliance apparent on vigorous opener ‘There’s A Beast and We All Feed It’ and poignant ‘Me and You’.

A successful comedian and actress in her native Argentina, Juan Molina shocked her fans by giving up her career to focus on music. Actresses with singing ambitions don’t usually fare too well, but Molina proved the diversity of her talents.

Since her debut record in 1996, she established herself as one of Latin America’s best-known indie artists. Wed 21 is Molina’s sixth album. The type of music she creates has been labelled as folktronica, a merger of acoustic and electronic elements. Her murmured Spanish vocals are understated — a small part woven into a greater ambient tapestry. Some tracks seem to wander aimlessly into the ether, while others are secured by a bass line. Like Stereo Lab or Asobi Seksu, Molina puts together music that is sensual and feels deceptively simple, although layered with interesting sound choices that may surprise the alert listener.

When you’re living in Southeast Asia, a diagnosis of Dengue Fever is never desirable. But new music from the band is good cause for enthusiasm. Girl From the North is Dengue Fever’s latest EP, showcasing three new tracks from the forthcoming 2014 full length. ‘Deepest Lake On The Planet’ sets the tone — which can perhaps be best described as what would happen if a Cambodian singer from the 1960s was sent into outer space, linked up with a gang of harmonising Martians, and beamed psychedelic surfer rock back down to Earth. The Khmer lyrics will be unintelligible to some listeners, yet singer Chhom Nimol’s voice communicates deep emotion. The bluesy saxophone that winds its way through ‘Taxi Driver’ and ‘Girl From the North’ sends chills down the spine. This release highlights yet again that humour and hybridity, anchored by a sense of universal melody, are consistently the group’s strengths.

100 asialife Cambodia

topten

endorsed

Official 97.5 Love FM Phnom Penh Top Ten 1. La La La 2. Royals 3. Heartbreaker 4. Wrecking Ball 5. Everything Has Changed 6. Roar 7. Best Song Ever 8. Holy Grail 9. Give It To You 10. Pass Me By

Naughty Boy Lorde Justin Bieber Miley Cyrus Taylor Swift & Ed Sheeran Katy Perry One Direction Jay Z & Justin Timberlake Robin Thicke R5

UK Top Ten 1. Look Right Through 2. The Monster 3. Move 4. Royals 5. Story Of My Life 6. Counting Stars 7. Work B**** 8. Children Of The Sun 9. Eat Sleep Rave Repeat 10. You’re Nobody ‘Til You Love Somebody

Storm Queen Eminem feat. Rihanna Little Mix Lorde One Direction OneRepublic Britney Spears Tinie Templah Fatboy Slim & Riva Starr James Arthur

US Top Ten 1. Royals 2. Wrecking Ball 3. The Monster 4. Roar 5. Wake Me Up!!

6. Story Of My Life 7. Hold On, We’re Going Home 8. Demons 9. Counting Stars 10. Applause

Lourde Miley Cyrus Eminem feat. Rihanna Katy Perry Avicii One Direction Drake Imagine Dragons One Republic Lady GaGa

180 Degrees South Chris Mueller Dramatic snow-covered peaks. Huge expanses of forest punctuated only by rivers and lakes. No civilisation in sight. These are the first things to pop in my mind whenever I’m asked what I miss most about home.

It’s been so long since I’ve seen this type of landscape that I had almost forgotten how breathtaking it could be. But last month, when a friend left the documentary 180 Degrees South on my computer, I remembered just how important these things are. And how close they are to being lost.

The 2010 documentary chronicles the journey of surfer/climber/idealist Jeff Johnson as he retraces the steps of his heroes, Yvon Chouinard and Doug Tompkins, from California to Patagonia in Chile. In 1968, the pair took the wild PanAmerican highway south to Chile, where they put up a new route on Mt Fitz Roy, becoming the third team to successfully climb the peak.

Instead of doing the journey by land, Johnson hops on a sailboat heading for Chile and makes the long trip by sea. Along the way he gets stranded on Rapa Nui (Easter Island), where he contemplates the rise and fall of ancient civilisations and what it means for today’s society.

Johnson eventually makes it to Patagonia, where he meets up with his two friends as well as the men who inspired his journey. Tompkins is now an environmentalist and has used the profits from selling his successful clothing companies, North Face and Esprit, to preserve more land than any other individual in history.

He has bought and conserved more than 2 million acres of wilderness in Argentina and Chile.

Tompkins and Chouinard lead Johnson (and the viewer) on a trip into this protected land, some of the most unspoiled wilderness in the world, and show how close it is to being destroyed.

The documentary is meandering and self indulgent at times, but even if you find the environmental message too preachy it’s worth watching for the beautiful scenery and amazing soundtrack.

The real joy of the film, though, is the reminder of why the great outdoors is so important.

As Johnson explains in the beginning: “I’m drawn to open country. It’s where everything becomes clear, where the world makes sense. When I put myself out there, I always return with something new.”

asialife Cambodia 101

bookshelf The Ministry of Guidance Invites You Not to Stay Hooman Majd Doubleday

When Hooman Majd arrives in Tehran, airport officials warn him not to write about Iran. But Majd, a journalist usually based in New York, defies the order to produce this compelling memoir. The Ministry of Guidance Invites You Not to Stay is an account of Majd’s year spent living in Tehran, a project intended as a way of getting back to his Iranian roots. The son of an exiled Shah regime diplomat, Majd was raised in the West. In 2011, he moved from Brooklyn to his estranged birthplace with his yoga instructor wife and newborn son. The book describes details of the family’s daily life in Tehran, contributing to an insightful portrait of Iranian society, culture and politics.

I Am Malala

Malala Yousafzai & Christina Lamb Little, Brown & Company If you haven’t already heard about Malala Yousafzai, here’s a quick introduction: one year ago, the then-15year-old Pakistani student took a bullet to the head. Her offense? Advocating for education of girls. When the Taliban began shutting down girls’ schools in her native Swat Valley, Yousafzai — whose father founded a local school — spoke out against the closures. An extremist then tracked her down on a school bus and shot her.

Eventually airlifted to the UK, Yousafzai survived the attack, continued to champion the rights of all girls to an education, and became the youngest ever Nobel Peace Prize nominee. Co-written by British journalist Christina Lamb, I Am Malala not only shares Yousafzai’s story, but explains why educating girls is a global necessity.

102 asialife Cambodia

The Valley of Amazement Amy Tan Ecco Chinese-American author Amy Tan returns with a sixth novel. Despite drawing on many of Tan’s classic themes — Asian identity, mother-daughter relationships and ill-fated love — The Valley of Amazement may surprise readers with its more lurid aspects. The author of The Joy Luck Club sets the majority of her latest work in the brothels of Shanghai, following the trials and tribulations of a young Eurasian named Violet. When her mother, a white American who runs the most popular courtesan house in Shanghai, returns to the United States and leaves Violet behind, she is forced to enter the sex trade herself. Abused by men and struggling to survive, Violet’s story is not exactly uplifting.

This Is the Story of a Happy Marriage Ann Patchett Harper The marriage mentioned in Ann Patchett’s latest title doesn’t follow a strict definition of the term. Rather than relate cloying tales of domestic bliss, Patchett’s candid essays explore the challenge and reward of commitments — to her second husband, to her grandmother, to her dog, and to her profession. Patchett, who admits to authorial ambitions since she was a child and is best known for Orange Prize-winning Bel Canto, reveals that becoming a profitable writer isn’t easy. This collection draws from a body of freelance non-fiction that she wrote for magazines before becoming a successful fiction writer. Like marriage, establishing a satisfying writing career can be rocky. But Patchett champions the payoff for sticking with what you love, as well as for being there for those you love.

boxoffice

Walking With Dinosaurs

OldBoy

The Hobbit 2: The Desolation of Smaug

The Wolf of Wall Street

Ever wondered what things were like when dinosaurs roamed the earth? Walking With Dinosaurs uses advanced 3D animation technology to create a vivid, immersive portrait of the Cretaceous Period’s creatures. Drawing from the BBC Earth series of the same name, the film follows the coming of age of a young dinosaur, the smallest in a herd of Pachyrhinosauruses. When the lives of his family are at risk, Patchi must do all he can to protect them. Expect to be amazed by how realistic these incredible creatures appear.

A man finds himself in solitary confinement, without knowing who is responsible for his captivity. After 20 years spent locked in a single room, he is suddenly let go.

With a thirst for revenge, Joe seeks to understand why he was imprisoned and why he was released. Uncovering the truth becomes even more imperative when Joe’s former captor kidnaps his daughter and demands the answers for her release. A combination of thriller and mystery, OldBoy is director Spike Lee’s remake of a South Korean cult classic.

In the second installation of The Hobbit, Bilbo Baggins’ adventures beyond the shire continue. A reluctant hero, Bilbo becomes part of a group of dwarves’ quest to take back their homeland from a dragon named Smaug. Stretching J. R. R. Tolkien’s original story across a three-part series, the film draws heavily from the successful Lord of the Rings trilogy. Martin Freeman returns as Bilbo, joined by Cate Blanchett as Galadriel, Orlando Bloom as Legolas, and Ian McKellan as Gandalf the Grey.

Leonardo DiCaprio has a knack for playing characters who are living a lie, but still managing to have a pretty good time. After starring as an irresistible con artist in Catch Me If You Can and the protagonist-with-a-past in The Great Gatsby, DiCaprio takes on the role of shady stockbroker Jordan Belfort in this Martin Scorsese-directed black comedy.

Based on a true story, The Wolf of Wall Street follows the rise of Belfort, whose suspicious means of earning cash fast draws the attention of the feds.

Coming Soon December Movie Releases Platinum Cineplex, Sorya See platinumcineplex.com.kh for screening schedule.

Frozen Dec. 5 Oh My Ghost Dec. 5 The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug Dec. 19 Tarzan Dec. 20 Walking With Dinosaurs Dec. 26

Legend Cinema See legend-cinemas.com for screening schedule.

Frozen (3D) Dec. 5 OldBoy Dec. 5 The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (3D) Dec. 19 Homefront Dec. 19 Tarzan (3D) Dec. 20 Walking with Dinosaurs (3D) Dec. 26 The Wolf of Wall Street Dec. 26

asialife Cambodia 103

pub quiz 1. Which Bell scored centuries in three consecutive Ashes test matches?

2. The vault of which casino and hotel was the target for Danny Ocean and his team?

3. Which Disney character was modelled on Marilyn Monroe?

4. How is the plant Deadly Nightshade otherwise known?

5. Which fruits are served ‘Belle Hélène’?

Let It Snow 6. Which former CIA employee is currently living in Russia?

7. Antony Charles Robert Armstrong-Jones, 1st Earl of Snowdon, was married to which princess?

8. Who said, “I used to be Snow White, but I drifted”?

9. Whose song, ‘Chasing Cars’, gained significant popularity in the US after being featured in the second season finale of the popular medical drama Grey’s Anatomy?

10. By what English name is the mountain Yr Wyddfa known?

and Raleigh the capital of which American state?

23. Caroline Bliss replaced Lois Maxwell as which longrunning film series secretary?

24. Which sportswoman is currently in a relationship with Rory McIlroy?

25. Which European country has had two kings named Carol, the first reigning from 1881 to 1914?

Celebrity Sideshow 26

27

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Holly 11. Where were Monty Python live in 1982?

12. Cat, Dave Lister and the ship’s computer Holly were all characters in which sci-fi sitcom?

13. How is Charles Hardin Holley better remembered?

14. Which Holly won an Oscar for a silent role in The Piano?

15. Who did Audrey Hepburn play in Breakfast at Tiffany’s?

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21. Who had a 1958 international hit with ‘Oh! Carol’?

22. Charlotte is the largest city 104 asialife Cambodia

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1. Ian 2. The Bellagio 3. Tinkerbell 4. (Atropa) Belladonna 5. Pears 6. Edward Snowden 7. Margaret 8. Mae West 9. Snow Patrol 10. Snowdon 11. The Hollywood Bowl 12. Red Dwarf 13. Buddy Holly 14. Hunter 15. Holly Golightly 16. Ebenezer 17. Mistletoe 18. Sir Michael Caine 19. White Christmas 20. Five Gold Rings 21. Neil Sedaka 22. North Carolina 23. Miss Moneypenny 24. Caroline Wozniacki 25. Romania 26. Ben Stiller 27. Miley Cyrus 28. Jake Gyllenhaal 29. Macauley Culkin 30. Samuel Jackson

Carols

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Christmas 16. What is Scrooge’s first name in Dickens’ A Christmas Carol?

17. Which Christmas decoration is a parasitic plant?

18. Which English actor starred in The Muppet Christmas Carol?

19. Which yuletide classic was first sung by Bing Crosby in ‘Holiday Inn’?

20. What did my true love give me on the Fifth Day of Christmas?

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pub quiz answers

Bells

spotted