AsiaLIFE Cambodia December 2014

122014 ISSUE96

Made In Cambod ia

PROD CRAFT UCING QUA S FOR T L HE WOITY RLD

www.asialifemagazine.com

AsiaLIFE Cambodia 5

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: Marissa Carruthers marissa@asialife.asia

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

Associate Editor: Joanna Mayhew

Art Director Cambodia: Joseph Slater

Siem Reap: Caroline Major

Photographers: Charles Fox & Rudi Towiro

Marissa Carruthers

Distribution: Sorn Chandara 096 9999 351

When I first visited Cambodia as a tourist, I remember standing in awe at the stalls spilling over with handicrafts, carvings, trinkets, jewellery, scarves – a seemingly endless list. A short stroll past neighbouring stalls revealed an identikit of cheap tat that is more often than not mass-made and shipped over from countries, such as China and Vietnam.

With Cambodia having its roots steeped deep in traditional arts and crafts, such as weaving, silk-making, silversmith, carving and ceramics, the country is home to a mostly untapped hotbed of top-quality artisans.

And it seems the talent pool’s potential is starting to be realised with the Kingdom’s handicraft and design fields on the up.

A recent wave of well-created, locally-made products are making their way onto the market, propelling the Made in Cambodia brand into new realms and attracting interest on an international level. For this issue, Ellie Dyer speaks to some of the craftsmen and women who are setting the standard for the future.

From stunning jewellery designs and beautiful hand-woven silk scarves to unique sculptures and carefully hand-crafted leather goods, we speak to some of the creative minds about the effort to raise industry standards and prove high-end, welldesigned and crafted products most definitely can be made in Cambodia.

Elsewhere this month, I take a trip to Battambang to meet some of the artists helping the city re-establish itself as the country’s creative hub. I also do some ducking and diving when I meet up with Phnom Penh Dodgeball team to find out how they brought the sport to the country.

With the festive season in full swing, we know some of you expats out there will be craving a Christmas dinner so we’ve given readers a few festive options to choose from. And Sarah Joanne Smith, from our sister publication AsiaLIFE Vietnam, shares her experience cycling from Ho Chi Minh City to Phnom Penh and back.

So with another bumper issue to get through, I’ll let you get on, but not before wishing readers a happy holiday and all the best for the New Year.

Printing: Sok Heng Printing House

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

www.asialifemagazine.com

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FOR SALES ENQUIRIES: Chantha Sorn Tel: 012 576 878 chantha@asialife.asia

Sales Officer: Ven Kakada 010 462 224 Accountant: Seang Seiha 012 887 118

For advertising enquiries call Chantha on 012 576 878 (English/Khmer) or Kakada on 010 462 224 (Khmer).

Special thanks to: Darren Gall, Mai Lynn Miller Nguyen, Paul Dodd, Gemma Mullen, SOS International, Rebecca LuriaPhillips, David Preece, Ryan Drewe Taylor and Cambodian Living Arts – for their contribution to this issue.

On the Cover Art Direction: Joseph Slater Photography: Rudi Towiro 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

122014 ISSUE96

front

14 Picks of the Month 16 Openings

getaway

42 Bali Revisited

food

46 Festive Feast

44 Bicycle to the Border

18 Street Smart 22 Phnom Penh Calendar 26 Photo Essay

48 Lazy Gecko

30 Q&A: Sebastian Strangio

on the cover

32 Made in Cambodia

storyboard

38 Dodge, Duck & Dive 40 Cambodia's Creative Capital

49 TWG Tea Salon

style & design

50 Behind the Design

back

57 Listings

52 Fashion

88 Phnom Penh Map 96 Pub Quiz

40 8 AsiaLIFE Cambodia

38

46 50

AsiaLIFE Cambodia 9

Dec 2014

News & Events iPhone 6 Comes to Cambodia

Customers queued to snap up the first batch of iPhone 6s in the Kingdom. Smart Axia launched both the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus in Phnom Penh last month as the country’s first and only provider of the gadgets. “There is quite a bit of anticipation for the innovations Apple brings with each of its new devices,” says Smart CEO Thomas Hundt.

“Combined with the fastest mobile internet available in Cambodia over Smart’s 4G LTE network, consumers will be able to enjoy an amazing new

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level of communication and multimedia experience.” Preorder customers were served on a first come, first serve basis for the first two weeks. As of December, the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus is available in all Smart shops nationwide.

Unicef Exhibition

A Unicef exhibition featuring young Cambodian photographers opens in November in the capital to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Running until Dec. 19, the public exhibition features photographs taken by a selection

of the 150 children, aged seven to 14, who took part in art and photography workshops put on

by Unicef. The workshops, held in Battambang, Siem Reap and Kampong Cham, were used to create awareness of children’s rights and give them a tool to express their views and ideas.

“The exhibition is important because in teaching children photography skills and providing them with the opportunity to express their views they were provided with the opportunity to claim their participation rights: the right to express their views and ideas; the right to play and take part in artistic activities; and

the right to information,” says Denise Shepherd-Johnson, Chief of Communication for Unicef in Cambodia. The exhibition, installed by Institut Français and on display at Wat Botum Park, comprises of 100 photographs exhibited on five 15x22-metre panels.

Birthday Bash

Le Moon rooftop bar celebrated its fourth birthday in style with a party that also marked the venue’s revamp. The renovation project started at the start of rainy season with the staircase, reception and bar counter areas have been painted in shades of blue, LED lights were added to the terrace and the seating has increased from 90 to 130 and been made more comfortable.

Manager Anne Guerineau says, “We need to offer what’s best to our guests in terms of ambience, environment and service. Regular maintenance of our place is crucial as the bar is under hard weather conditions all year round.”

Sofitel Scoops Condé Nast Award

Cambodia’s Sofitel Hotels were selected in the 2014 Condé Nast Traveler’s Readers Choice Awards, after more than 70,000 voters elected their favourite hotels. Sofitel Phnom Penh Phokeethra ranked fourth best

hotel in Southeast Asia and the 31st best in Asia, based on location, rooms design, service and gastronomy. This marks the second year the capital-based hotel has been recognised. The hotel’s Seam Reap location, Sofitel Angkor Phokeethra, also featured, emerging as the ninth best resort in Southeast Asia and 10th best resort in Asia. “This honour confirms Sofitel Hotels as the leading 5-star hotels in the country,” says Charles-Henri Chevet, general manager. “This award is the result of excellent work from the entire team.”

Ice Drive

Treat the kids to a bit of fun in the form of bumper cars on ice at Phnom Penh Ice Skate in Aeon Mall. The latest vehicles allow children over the age of five to saely slam into each other as well as play laser tag on ice.

To celebrate its opening, until Dec. 31, visitors can enjoy a buy-one-get-one-free offer every Monday to Friday.

And Relax

Yogis can enjoy a relaxing weekend with experts Daphne Chua and Marc Bauchet. Yoga Phnom Penh is hosting the retreat on Dec. 6 and 7 with a series of fun anusara-inspired and acrayoga workshops, For more information visit www. yogaphnompenh.com.

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Dec 2014

SR News & Events Sake Bar ANJI

Sake Bar ANJI – Anji being the eponymous name of one of the three Japanese co-owners from Kyoto – is Siem Reap’s first sake bar and the latest addition for Anji Nakatani, who already owns Japanese eateries in Phnom Penh and Kyoto.

Initially opening with Japanese tapas alongside sake-based

cocktails and Sapporo beer, the compact, modern venue with its seating mainly clustered around the bar itself, turns into a restaurant this month.

The Sake Bar is set to expand its food offerings with greater Japanese classics (though no sushi), such as Japanese curry rice and mackerels stewed with miso and butter alongside the introduction of Western dishes including pasta.

Charlie’s Bar Is Back

With a classic American Honda overlooking one of Siem Reap’s best-loved nighttime hangouts, retro-American themed Charlie's Bar has re-opened

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following a move to a bigger and better location. Now found opposite the Provincial Hospital, the bar also offers rear access to The Lane - a central hub of popular waterholes that include Miss Wong’s, Yellow Submarine and Asana. A split-level design incorporates a mezzanine floor allowing more room for those looking to take advantage of their affordable drinks while classic rock and more recent anthems play out. Food on offer include favourites from the old menu along with additions from the new head chef. Charlie’s Bar is also known for throwing lively parties on holidays such as Halloween, Australia Day and New Year.

River Bay Villa Opens

New, three-star property River Bay Villa, a spa, art gallery and three restaurants, opened on Nov. 14, collectively creating a new riverside destination in Siem Reap situated up the river.

Restaurant Sushi+ is located upstairs in an attractive, opensided wooden villa offering Sushi classics and mix-and-match combinations, while another Japanese-inspired restaurant sits indoors below. Behind the dining areas hides the villa, a boutique resort with 14 rooms. Housed in a renovated building, the villa overlooks the swimming pool courtyard, lofty palm trees and sun loungers.

PICKS OF THE MONTH Listen: Asian Flow

Relax: Eat and Swim

Super-talented Cambodian singer, Ouch Savy, blows away listeners once again with the launch of her latest joint venture with renowned Norwegian composer Inglav Haaland.

Asian Flow presents a fusion of jazz, world and pop music with a unique combination of a string orchestra, Ouch’s soothing vocals and Khmer violin. Haaland has spent the last four years writing and developing the album through several studios across the world. Ouch, 24, is the protégée of legendary Master Kong Nai and is highly skilled in Cambodian traditional music. Her amazing vocals are captivating and her music writing skills are equal. Ouch wrote the Khmer lyrics on the album and interprets the tunes in a beautiful and heartfelt way.

A limited number of copies of Asian Flow are available from all Monument Book stores from Dec. 1.

With the monsoon downpours almost a distant memory, there’s a new place in the capital to cool down in style. After a radical revamp, The Plantation’s Red Pool and La Pergola restaurant have re-opened, offering a new hang-out in sumptuous surroundings. Rather than the red tiles that gave the pool its name, black now dominates the water, giving it a contemporary edge. Thankfully for us expats, the pool is open daily to outsiders for a $5 fee, which can be spent at the bar or new fine-dining restaurant, La Pergola. The swanky Street 184 hotel's eatery takes in a veranda, pergola and open air terrace, and brings with it a new French chef to town in the form of Sébastien Rubis. The experienced chef is renowned for reviving lost traditional recipes and giving them a fresh twist. He says, “I’m really excited to get to know better traditional Khmer cuisine.”

See: Lotus Inspiration Sin-Lao artist Teck is launching The TeaHouse hotel’s series of exhibitions with his show, Lotus Inspiration. Born in Vientiane, as a child Teck fled to France with his family during the revolution. He now lives in Thailand, where he runs a gallery. Through his work, the self-taught painter aims to promote Southeast Asia after becoming tired of the region being tarnished with the reputation of a hub for sex tourism and armed conflict. The Lotus Inspiration collection sees Teck get back to basics and call on nature through one of the region’s most iconic symbols, the lotus. After spending a year of research and experiments to find the perfect technique to paint on the leaves, the artist created a vibrant series of 11 colourful paintings. The launch takes place on Dec. 5 with a cocktail reception. It runs until Jan. 4. Art workshops based on the paintings take place daily throughout the exhibition.

Go: Sail Away Travelling from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap in style just got a whole lot easier after a new river cruise boat docked in the capital. Mekong Dawn Cruise has dubbed its speciallycommissioned boat a floating boutique hotel that is home to eight luxurious cabins to fit a maximum of 16 passengers, adding to each trip’s intimacy. Built in Cambodia this year by expert boat builders using natural materials, the boat offers a three-day cruise between the two cities ($1,185/cabin), stopping off at Udong and Kampong Chhnang.

There is also a gentle, overnight jaunt to Udong ($385/cabin), docking at Koh Chen, which is famous for its silversmiths and local craftsmen.

Cruises start on Dec. 4. Passengers receive a 30 percent discount until the end of January. www.mekongdawncruises.com.

Buy: Get Stylish Indonesian designer Juli Handayani took fashionistas on a glamorous journey through the ages when she unveiled her latest luscious collection of clothing. Based in Phnom Penh, Juli Handayani Private Collection’s latest line takes a trip down memory lane with outfits inspired by the Jazz Age of the 1920s, the birth of prêt-à-porter in the 1950s and the Swinging Sixties. The colourful collection of clothes that put a fresh, modern spin on retro and timeless classics were unveiled at a prestigious event, Voyage Dans Le Temps, hosted in the aptly opulent surroundings of an impressive French colonial private residence. The range takes in breath-taking red playsuits, daring patterned dresses and white jumpsuits, as well as the tassels and sequins that shone in the 1920s. Visit Juli Handayani Private Collection on Facebook.

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Helping Hand Passengers in Siberia use push power to kick-start their journey after the plane’s brake system freezes.

Master Chef Top chef Luu Meng plants the Kingdom’s culinary flair on the map after being crowned Asia’s best chef.

Ripe Rice Cambodia’s fragrant rice scoops title of best rice for the third consecutive year at the World Rice Conference.

Expensive Taste Professional tea taster insures his tastebuds for $1.57million after training to become a “master blender”.

Chart Topper Band Aid 30’s single 'Do They Know It’s Christmas?' shoots straight to number one in the UK charts.

GOING UP GOING DOWN Exam Failure Only 18 percent of Cambodian students who re-sat grade 12 national exams in October pass.

Landmine Deaths Up Landmine casualties in Cambodia more than double to 129 in the first eight months of 2014, figures reveal.

Facebook Fail Facebook slammed for failing to flag up messages from one of British soldier Lee Rigby’s killers threatening to murder a soldier.

Sinkhole Swallow An Australian woman is swallowed as she hangs out the washing after the earth collapses beneath her.

Rhino arrests Two Vietnamese arrested at Johannesburg airport with a record haul of 18 rhino horns during a stop-over.

OPENINGS VINTAGE THREADS

BACK TO THE FUTURE

Head back in time for a wardrobe update at newly opened Back to the Future. The shop boasts a range of vintage and second-hand clothing and accessories. The lofty space, designed with vintage colour palettes in yellow and blue, houses rack upon rack of dresses and shirts in patterns such as leopard, floral, geometric shapes and polka-dots. Clothes range from $5 to $15, and bags from $8 to $100. Belts, sunglasses and jewellery are also for sale. “I love vintage. You can pick something out that you can’t find anywhere else,” says owner Chhuon Sopheap, who chose the shop name after seeing the iconic 1985 American film. “I’m taking old clothes already designed and bringing them to the future.”

193a Street 63, Phnom Penh. Tel: 016 544 241.

Open daily from 8am to 8pm.

POOLSIDE RETREAT

THE LANEWAY The Laneway Boutique Guest House, Bar and Grill offers a poolside escape from the bustling city on popular Street 278 and seven rooms, ranging from standard ($30) to a deluxe superior ($55). The outdoor restaurant and upstairs rooms are outfitted with smart whites and accented with bright red and pink cushions. The extensive menu has snacks, pizza, burgers, pasta and Khmer food. Wines and meats are imported from New Zealand and Australia. The New Zealand lamb chops ($15) and steak sandwich ($4.75) are hot items, with Aussie beef pies ($5) also on the go. Happy hour (4pm to 7 pm) offers drink specials. The kid-friendly spot can host parties and barbeques, and the pool is free for customers ordering food or drink.

2 Street 278, Phnom Penh. Tel: 077 613 505.

Open (restaurant) daily from 7am to 11pm.

SPORTING SMALL Kids fashion steps up its game with the opening of Little Phnom Penh, offering handmade clothes and accessories for newborns to teenagers.

Owners Mélanie Fournier, Priscilla Mariana and Delphine Menanteau each design one of three collections—baby, children and teen—based on the age of their own children. The designs are reproduced with colourful, patterned fabrics sourced locally. “Each piece is unique,” says Mariana. “It depends on what we can find.” The store is dollhouse picturesque, with sections of striped blue or red-and-white polka-dot wallpaper, blue shelves with neat rows of small shirts, onesies, and dresses, and cubbyholes displaying hairclips and umbrellas. A bowtie shirt and striped overalls set (3 months) is $18, and ruffle dress with panties (6 months) is $30.

194eoz Street 306, Phnom Penh. Tel: 017 877 741.

Open daily from 10 am to 7pm.

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LITTLE PHNOM PENH

RETRO SOUVENIRS

2ND ESTAMPE

The Kingdom’s 1920–1930s glamour is celebrated with funky knickknacks and retro designs at the newest Estampe store. With the original store offering higher-end, original vintage paintings and maps, 2nd Estampe specialises in reproduction of vintage prints on modern products—ranging from magnets ($2) and coasters (six for $15) to photographs ($9-$15) and posters ($15-$35). Owner Lien Bouvet designs each piece from her troves of collected images from Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam, and the cosy, exposed-brick shop is filled with furniture to match, with old suitcases and tailor-made wooden tables. The easily portable products make for one-of-a-kind gifts. Bouvet says, “It’s piece by piece. It’s not a massive production; it’s just following the heart.”

197a Street 19, Phnom Penh. Tel: 012 826 186.

Open Monday to Saturday, from 10am to noon and 1pm to 7pm.

KEP ESCAPE

VILLA DHARMA

Traditional Khmer hospitality and Western comfort come together to provide a private tropical getaway at Villa Dharma. Benefitting from proximity to the ocean and Kep National Park, the open-design villa is decorated with traditional Cambodian harvesting tools, Hmong carpets and Vietnamese naïf paintings that complement colonial-style tiles and furniture. The 90-square-metre, high-ceilinged and thatch-roofed house boasts a living room, kitchen, bathroom, and master bedroom with wooden floors and a large red terrace offering views of the Kep Gulf and Bokor Mountain. Nestled in a compound shared with Villa Francis, it has a quartz stone swimming pool and frangipani-filled garden. The villa, ideal for a large family or group of friends, runs from $100 to $120 per night.

Pepper Lane, Kep. Tel: 077 660 841.

PRECIOUS GIFTS

D’ HINDLEY

If you’re looking for Khmer precious stones with interesting stories as gifts for loved ones, D’Hindley is the place to go. A sparkling variety of gems, such as ruby, blue zircon, sapphire, quartz and amethyst, are on display under a black wardrobe covering with glass. They are all local products and are divided into types and sources. Prices range from $25 to $1,000.

Another D’Hindley’s expertise is in 18 karat, yellow gold, with beautifully designed rings, necklaces, earrings and more created from the soft, highvalue gold. “Cambodian gem stones are fantastic, and what we are keen to do here is try keep as much of the economic benefit of Cambodian gem stones inside Cambodia,” says owner David Hindley.

9, Street 184, Phnom Penh.

Open daily from 9am to 7pm.

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BBQ TIME

DOT GRILL: LOUNGE Dot is a Cambodian term referring to ​“grill” and is bound to catch the full attention of food-lovers who are clamouring to sample the tastes of this newly opened barbecue restaurant. Dot Grill: Lounge is welcoming local and foreign customers to taste the barbecue made with original Khmer ingredients. Several different meats can be chosen from, including pork, chicken and beef. Dot caters for all meals, from breakfast to dinner, and takes in everything from sandwiches (starting from $4.90) to barbeque sets. Skewers can be customised for no more than $10.

8 Street 114, Tel: 023 996 402.

Open daily from 7.30am to 10pm.

QUALITY SUSHI Sushi Garden is so confident in its quality and price that on the cover of its menu, it informs diners it will consider a discount if you find sushi anywhere cheaper in the capital. Since opening, Sushi Garden has been serving up everything from individual dishes to delicacies, including tempura, sashimi and rice sets. It’s easy to relax here, with a cosy atmosphere and inviting red sofas. Signature dishes include special halfdried fish barbecue ($5 to $8) and special curry with rice ($5), washed down with a variety of cocktails mixed with Japanese wines.

30 Street 360, Phnom Penh, Tel: 077 668 821.

Open daily from 8am to 11pm.

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SUSHI GARDEN

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For Sales Enquiries: Chantha Sorn | 012 576 878 | chantha@asialife.asia

StreetSmart Sihanouk Boulevard As a mighty artery of Phnom Penh, Sihanouk Boulevard not only boasts a royal name, but also some of the capital’s most iconic sites. AsiaLIFE looks at the major thoroughfare in this month’s StreetSmart.

P Hun Sen Park

P J ava Café and Gallery

Shady flame trees line the sides of Hun Sen Park, where locals come to stroll, partake in light exercise or a gentle game of badminton each evening. Join in the nightly rush to enjoy a spot of people watching, or to see the immense statue of the late King Father Norodom Sihanouk, which was unveiled in the park in 2013, up close. After his death in 2012 in China, hundreds of thousands of Cambodians lined the streets to see the body of the revered former monarch return home to Phnom Penh.

Since opening its doors at the turn of the millennium, Java Café and Gallery has become a much-loved hub for Phnom Penh’s artistic community. Since its early days, when it consisted of the upstairs area alone, Java has evolved and expanded to fill two floors, including an air-conditioned downstairs space. But the plant-filled upstairs balcony remains the perfect spot to sip a potent coffee and watch the world pass by. Not only does Java offer up an action-packed arts agenda, with a full exhibition programme, residency and archive, but the food is making headlines too, with scrumptious baked goods and a recently launched new burger menu. Try the lok lak beef burger with lime-pepper sauce or a chicken cordon bleu burger with thyme-mayonnaise-mustard. Open every day from 7am to 10pm.

Between Sothearos and Norodom Blvds

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Near Street 21

P Independence Monument

Junction of Norodom Blvd

Marking Cambodia’s independence from France in 1953, Independence Monument has become an enduring symbol of Phnom Penh. Designed by celebrated Cambodian architect Vann Molyvann, the lotus-like structure adorned with nagas was, according to the Ministry of Tourism, built in 1958 and has stood tall over the city ever since. The monument looks particularly dramatic at night, when spotlights illuminate its architectural lines as chaotic traffic streams round its base.

To learn more about its iconic designer Vann Molyvann, watch out for the short documentary The Man Who Built Cambodia, due to be released this month.

AsiaLIFE Cambodia 21

P Wat Langka

Near Street 51

As one of the best-known temples in Phnom Penh, Wat Langka is a major historic landmark that takes up a large swathe of Sihanouk Boulevard, stretching from Independence Monument to Street 51. The complex offers a serene environment for Buddhists and non-Buddhists alike, with the temple a hive of activity on religious holidays. Public meditation sessions are held regularly on site. There is also plenty to do nearby, as cute pop-up coffee stands and well-stocked newspaper shops are spread around its vast exterior walls, while the park opposite is a popular backdrop for graduation pictures.

P International Brands

ids City PK

Aeon Mall may be Phnom Penh’s new shopping Mecca, but Sihanouk Boulevard is still home to some of the city’s best brands, and without giggling crowds of freshie girls and boys to boot. New Collection is a popular shop for the well-heeled, while Mango and Axsara bring a sense of European elegance to the boulevard. Alternatively, drop into BYSI near Sothearos Boulevard for some Singaporean chic. Sophisticated women’s shoe shop VNC is located near Mobitel, while Pedro near Street 57 offers an excellent range of men’s shoes and accessories. For budget shopping, the sprawling DAH opposite Lucky Supermarket is packed with bargains.

From an ice-skating rink to the newly opened science gallery with 100 hands-on activities to try, Kids City is a literal children’s paradise. Be drawn in by the soaring building’s colourful exterior, but stay to sample all that’s on offer including a playground for little ones, laser tag and a go-karting track. There’s plenty to challenge "big kids" too, with the nerve-rattling walls of the climbing zone suitable for young and old alike. The centre often holds special events on public holidays. Visit kidscityasia.com for more.

Between Sothearos and Monivong Blvds

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Near Monviong Blvd

Have an event coming up?

Send information and dates to marissa@asialife.asia

CALENDAR ALL MONTH

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Artist ThomasPierre’s new exhibition, Terra Cognita is on display at Sofitel Phnom Penh Phokeethra as part of the hotel chain’s 50th anniversary celebrations. The series of paintings features places of importance for the artist in a celebration of memory and global journeys.

Singaporean artist Victor Ang exhibits his latest series of unique “Crushed Paper” paintings at Hotel Cambodiana, with 30 new innovative paintings on display. Proceeds from sales will go to two Cambodian nonprofit organisations.

French-Khmer nonprofit organisation AEC-Foyer Lataste hosts photo exhibition, In the Intimacy of Humanitarian Action at the Bophana Center, showcasing snapshots of humanitarian fields across the world and accompanying poems.

The Last Reel screens at the Cambodia International Film Festival at 6pm at Major Cineplex in Aeon Mall.

Directed by Cambodian Sotho Kulikar, the film deals with the aftermath of the Khmer Rouge and family reconciliation. It recently won the Spirit of Asia Award at the Tokyo International Film Festival.

The TeaHouse urban hotel opens its first exhibition, by Sino-Lao artist Teck.

Lotus Inspiration will be unveiled at 6 pm on Dec. 5 with cocktails at the Tea Lounge Lobby. Open to everyone. Art workshops based on the paintings will be held daily for the length of the exhibition ($40-$80).

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DEC

Decosy offers a 10 percent discount on all store items. See Decosy’s special Xmas collections on display, including decorations, tree ornaments and candleholders, and browse the store’s signature furniture, tableware and ceramics to meet your design needs.

DEC

Snap up some vintage steals in Siem Reap when The History of Things to Come Vintage Sales packs up its treats and treks to the town. Everything from 1930s satin robes, 1940s silk chiffon gown and 1950s summer dresses to 1970s hippy skirts and 1980s heels. The event takes place at Pages, Street 24, near Wat Bo, from 6pm to 8pm.

DEC

French painter Denis Laurent’s exhibition, Expression Libre, takes over The Plantation hotel. Strongly inspired by his collection of primitive masks, the work is full of hidden signs. A cocktail launch takes place on Dec. 5 at 6pm.

DEC

Two for 2’sday kicks off at Riverhouse Asian Bistro and Lounge at 7 pm.

Every Tuesday, resident DJs play the best dance tracks.

Buy two, get one free for cocktails and mixed drinks.

DEC

Ladies Night Out is back at Cabaret restaurant, with a performance by Rhiannon Johnson and her Jazz Quartet. Happy hour specials for ladies include buy one get one free on cocktails, wine and Moët & Chandon Champagne. Starts at 6 pm.

DEC

Sample some fine wines at Garuda Khmer Restaurant as part of its festive celebrations. The wine tasting event will be attended by a professional wine taster, with seven types of wine and creative Khmer finger food served. $37 before Dec. 12, $45 after. From 6pm to 8pm.

DEC

Riverhouse Lounge celebrates Christmas early with its Naughty or Nice event. Santa-themed reds and whites encouraged to ring in the yuletide season.

DEC

Celebrate the final moments of 2014 with a special New Year’s Eve menu at Cabaret. Indulge in an array of French delicacies, including oyster, duck, foie gras, salmon and Champagne. Hosted by Memphis musicians and an international DJ.

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EVERY MONDAY

Mad Monday at The Empire, 6pm • Yoga at Yoga Phnom Penh, 8.15am vinyasa flow, 12.15pm core power flow, 6pm viyasa flow basics.• Beginners level 2 salsa class ($8 drop-in) at The Groove with a party from 9pm • Margarita Mondays at Riverhouse Lounge from 7pm until late • Thai chef takes over La Coupole at Sofitel Phnom Penh from 6pm ($30 per adult)

EVERY TUESDAY

Yoga Phnom Penh classes at 6am, 8am, 12.15pm, 6pm and 6.30pm • Swing dancing at Doors with lindy-hop specialist Janice Wilson from 7pm. Classes are $3 or $25 for 10 lessons • Latino Time at Cabaret on Street 154 at 6.30pm • Two for 2-sday at Riverhouse.

EVERY WEDNESDAY

SIN at CodeRED hosted by Kanha Paula & Angie • Trivia in the garden at The Willow, $2 entry and 7.30pm start • Acoustic music at Kep’s Sailing Club from 6pm to 9pm

EVERY THURSDAY

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 • 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 • Ladies night at CodeRED (group of 5 ladies recieve one free bottle of Stoli vodka) • High Heels party at Riverhouse with DJ Tam and male models • Yoga Phnom Penh: classes include 6am ashtanga short form, 8am core power flow, 12.15pm gentle slow fow and 6.30pm fly yoga • Italian night at Willow Boutique Hotel from 6pm. A choice of pastas, pizza breads, desserts and carafe of wine. All $3.50.

EVERY FRIDAY

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 • Rhythm sessions at Doors from 9.30pm • An evening of music with Sylvie and Senastien Jazz Acoustic at Knai Bang Chatt in Kep, from 5pm to 9pm.

EVERY SATURDAY

Cine Saturday at the Bophana Center, 64 Street 200, at 4pm • Art classes for children and adults at Romeet Gallery on Street 178, costing $8.50 per session or $65 for 10. Register interest with Sreymao at romeetgallery@ gmail.com or by calling 077 55 07 59 •Yoga Phnom Penh. Vinyasa flow 10am. • An evening of music with Sylvie and Senastien Jazz Acoustic at Knai Bang Chatt in Kep, from 5pm to 9pm.

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, all religions welcome. yogaphnompenh.com • Phnom Penh Hash House Harriers’ run. Meet at 2.15pm at the railway station • The Return of Velvet Night at Riverhouse Bistro & Lounge.

EVERY DAY

Daily four-hour photography tours with Michael Klinkhamer. Starts at FCC, 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 MONDAY TO SATURDAY

Market fresh dinner buffet at NagaWorld from 5.30pm to 9.30pm, adults $28 or $38 with free flow beers, house wines and juices.

EVERY WEEKEND

Fishing trips on the Tonle Sap river from 3.30pm to 6.30pm, 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 25

PHOTO ESSAY ACTIONAID CAMBODIA ActionAid Cambodia marked its 10-year anniversary of working in Cambodia by commissioning a photographer to document key projects which the NGO has been working on during the last decade. Issues the NGO has dealt with take in everything from agriculture and education to building better and more cohesive communities. The result is an exhibition of work that documents their highlights and achievements that will be on display at The Mansion, behind FCFC, in Phnom Penh. The organisation hopes to take the show to various other locations across Cambodia. ActionAid is a global movement of people working together to improve human rights and tackle poverty worldwide.

For more details on their work in Cambodia, visit www.actionaid.org/cambodia

26 AsiaLIFE Cambodia

AsiaLIFE Cambodia 27

PHOTO ESSAY ACTIONAID CAMBODIA

28 AsiaLIFE Cambodia

AsiaLIFE Cambodia 29

Sebastian Strangio What’s the book about?

It focuses on Cambodia since the end of the Khmer Rouge; the collapse of the regime in 1979 and the government, society and system that has taken its place.

There are plenty of books about Cambodia’s history through the late 1990s, but there’s very little about the country today. I felt there was a gap to be filled, especially with the wave of discontent that came to the surface at last year’s election. These events needed to be contextualised. I’ve tried to look at 2013 in light of 1979 and examine it as a unit.

How did you get the idea?

When I came here in 2008, I [sensed] the most interesting issues weren’t being discussed. I realised this whole super structure of development and aid and foreign intervention here has achieved very little. Cambodia is a society awash in references to democracy and human rights narratives, but these ideas in practice are mostly absent. I wanted to delve into that issue more—what impact has the last 20 years of democracy promotion, human rights activism achieved in Cambodia?

What was most interesting in your research?

The way that Cambodia encapsulated this global wave of optimism at the start of the 1990s, and the way it demonstrates that optimism about democratic development was divorced from reality. You have a country

30 AsiaLIFE Cambodia

that was the perennial victim of Cold War politics, and now the international community will help [it] establish peace, democracy, human rights, and all of the saving ideas of this new liberal world order. What happens very quickly is that it all starts to backslide. Cambodia tracks both the optimism and the disillusionment of this sense the world is changing.

What distinguishes this book?

My book presents a nuanced view of the Prime Minister. I give Hun Sen his due. I make an attempt to see the world through his eyes, to analyse the political experiences [that] shaped his outlook, and to look at previous regimes. Of course I highlight the negative impacts of his reign, and the way he’s very cleverly manipulated his opponents and entrenched his hold on power. I don’t think anybody can accuse me of being unfair. Seeing the progression of Hun Sen from a skinny rebel soldier who joined the antiSihanouk insurgency in the late 1960s, how he learned the craft of politics, gained in confidence and grew as a politician. That’s a story that hasn’t [before] been well told.

What drew you to journalism here?

It was a country that I had travelled in, read about. I knew the press was relatively free and publications would give young reporters the chance to get involved. I always saw myself

Freelance correspondent Sebastian Strangio takes on politics, power, progress and the Prime Minister in his new debut book, Hun Sen’s Cambodia. Writer Joanna Mayhew gets the inside scoop on his analysis of today’s Cambodia, and what it means for the future. Photography by Charles Fox. doing journalism overseas.

The life of a journalist is a life of endless education. You’re constantly learning about interesting things, and I liked that I would be able to analyse [things] as I see them. That independence was—is—one of the main draws.

What keeps you motivated?

Like with everything, you need change. I did three years of daily journalism. Then I started to look further afield and reported on Bangladesh, Thailand, Burma, North Korea, Eastern Russia, India. That reinvigorated my passion for journalism. Then the book did the same thing.

Once I was getting tired of this itinerant existence, I was able to immerse myself in research, and I felt my academic training and my journalism training came together in a really fruitful way.

It put a cap on the interests I’ve had in this country for 10 years.

What was the process like?

I spent two years researching, which involved nearly 100 lengthy interviews, as well as extensive reporting around the country, which involved many more interviews with ordinary people. The government allows access to certain individuals, but the more interesting an interview subject is, the harder they are to get a meeting with. The person I expended significant resources on was trying to get an interview with the Prime Minister, but once the election happened, it seemed to be off the table.

What were the challenges?

I had about 4,000 newspaper articles, 100 reports, 120 journal articles, [and] 120 books that I entered into my database.

Keeping control of all of that information is incredibly challenging, and one of the most satisfying things was imposing order on the chaos. [Also,] I was writing this book either side of the July election last year. I was trying to analyse a moving target. The Cambodia I encountered at the start of writing in 2012 and the Cambodia today— the difference between the two is quite significant.

Are you optimistic about Cambodia’s future?

I think there’s reason for cautious optimism. Change is coming, but there’s no guarantee it’s going to happen according to [an international] template.

People are becoming more educated, more connected, and more demanding of change, and their demands are going to have to be taken very seriously.

I don’t think Cambodia is going to reach the promise land anytime soon. But given those caveats, I am optimistic the country’s moving in a more just direction. And whether or not it becomes a true democracy, any country that treats its people with more respect, gives them more back and is fairer to them will be a better country.

Published by Silkworm Books, Hun Sen’s Cambodia is for sale at Monument Books in Phnom Penh and Siem Reap.

AsiaLIFE Cambodia 31

Made in Cambodia

Writer Ellie Dyer takes a look at the developing local handicraft scene in time for Christmas. Photography by Rudi Towiro.

32 AsiaLIFE Cambodia

wo-and-a-half years ago, an idea was sewn amongst the ancient temples and dusty streets of Siem Reap town. The concept was simple: to promote Cambodian-made products at a regular market that could also help create jobs for local people.

What began as a once a month event has since blossomed into something much bigger. Every Saturday and Sunday, more than 50 stalls now promote their wares in front of the Shinta Mani hotel at the Made in Cambodia market.

“Each month new designs appear and new crafts are being revitalised,” says Christian De Boer, the general manager of the hotel, who first dreamt up the event. “The fact that suddenly various people have a future and are creating skill-sets means people become more hopeful and self-sufficient.”

Indeed, alongside such individual success stories, it seems that Cambodia’s handicraft and design field is on the move. Locally-made products are being promoted in increasingly savvy ways, while

companies both big and small are creating cutting-edge designs that have the potential to draw attention on an international level.

“Things are slowly going from plain, woven bracelets and boring tunics to fashionably on-point pieces and products you actually want to use daily,” says Anna Mischke, co-founder at Cambodian-made jewellery brand TEMPER, of the local market for artisan goods.

“I’m thrilled to see this happening.

Just because something is fair trade, artisanal, homemade, or crafted by hand doesn’t mean it should be unattractive,” she adds, singling out fashion brand Tonlé, which operates a zero-waste policy and uses recycled fabrics to create clothes and accessories, for special mention.

A message that is often repeated by designers and brands alike is the need to push creative design and innovation in Cambodia. This seems especially pertinent in 2014.

The Kingdom is facing greater integration into international markets with the arrival of the ASEAN AsiaLIFE Cambodia 33

Tonlé

Temper Bullet casings and bombshells provide the base material for TEMPER jewellery, where Cambodian culture and day-to-day encounters are inspiring a range of eye-catching rings and necklaces.

TEMPER has linked up the best of both worlds with its simple yet chic pieces, which see smiles, snakes and teardrops transformed into statement items.

The designs are thought up and rendered by co-founders Anna Mischke and photographer and graphic designer Jesse Morrow, who both hail from the Seattle area of Washington State in the US. The pieces are then handcrafted at the Cambodian-run Rajana fair trade workshop in Phnom Penh.

“We had the option of having our products made in China and churned out by the hundreds for a very low cost, but that didn’t add up to the values we wanted to live up to and where is the story, the heart in that sort of thing?” says Mischke.

The arduous process of creating the items tells a story in itself. With the help of Rajana, scrap casings and shells are soldered down and turned into nuggets, before being flattened and cut into designs, then plated with different precious metals to create the finished pieces.

“We find it especially impactful to be using these resources since they were used for such an ugly purpose in the past and while the country continues to move forward, these tokens of pain and terror can be transformed into beautiful, whimsical things – wearable history and a memory of the past,” explains Mischke.

Since its launch, the teardrop – an elegant shape that seems symbolic of TEMPER’s aesthetic – has proved popular.

“We believe it’s because everyone knows tears, whether they be from an emotionally or physically damaging moment in their lives or from a wonderful occasion,” she adds. ”It’s simple, it’s understated, yet it still makes a statement.”

Temper items are available at Paperdolls on Street 57, Phnom Penh, and in the United States. For more details, visit www.temperbrand.com.

34 AsiaLIFE Cambodia

Economic Community (AEC), set to come into force in December 2015.

This will bring freer movement of goods, investment and skilled labour in member countries throughout South East Asia. Meanwhile, mega malls in cities such as Phnom Penh are introducing global brands into the domestic sphere, alongside the imported handicrafts that already feature in local psars.

“We need to be innovative and take risks in our work to establish our own identity and design aesthetics. Importantly, to be aware of what is [in] the world outside,” explains Ly Pisith, founder and creative force behind contemporary jewellery house Garden of Desire, which launched its first gallery space seven years ago. “We need to be competitive and break away from our comfort zone.”

Using personal stories and encounters with people, history and culture as inspiration, the brand has built a worldwide client base and employs a team of young and skilful

artisans to make beautiful, modern pieces – including Khmer Collection, inspired by carvings at Angkor.

Innovation has been at the heart of another inspiring business: Coco Khmer. The social enterprise has made the most of a common local resource, the humble coconut, to make a range of stand-out products using virgin coconut oil.

The technique to extract the oil was developed in the Philippines in 1985 but didn’t become commercially available until 1992.

“During that time Cambodia was still rebuilding from the war so they were never exposed to the technique and they never incorporated [it] into their diets,” says founder Robert Esposito, who launched Coco Khmer in the Kingdom, which is estimated to have more than 12 million palms, in 2013. “I wanted give the people an opportunity to realise both the health and the economic benefits of this awesome product,” he says.

The brand works with the community around the former Boeung Kak Lake to produce

Garden of Desire

IF YOU WANT TO SUPPORT LOCAL BRANDS RATHER THAN MASS-MADE IMPORTED SOUVENIRS THIS CHRISTMAS, WE’VE PICKED OUT SOME OF THE BEST OF THE BUNCH:

All We Want for Christmas

Tonlé

Tonlé

Ethical fashion is at the heart of Tonlé. The brand is committed to a zero-waste process.

Around 90 percent of the fabrics used in the designs would have otherwise ended up on the rubbish heap, with the rest sourced from local suppliers.

Each piece is one-of–a-kind, and look out for the selection of woven scarves and envelope clutch bags. For more, visit www. tonledesign.com.

“We need to be innovative and take risks in our work to establish our own identity and design aesthetics”

Artisans Angkor

versatile, high-quality oil and hand-made coconut products, with Esposito‘s vision “to help make Cambodia a new hub for highquality coconut-based products with the farming, processing, and manufacturing being 100 percent owned and operated [by] the Khmer people”.

Various schemes and projects are also being put in place to help develop swathes of the diverse handicraft sector, which can vary from handmade jewellery, pottery, fashion accessories and silverware to traditional stone carvings and furniture.

Alongside the successful Made in Cambodia market at Shinta Mani, the Angkor Handicraft Association has brought in a “seal of authenticity” that clearly shows when a product has been made in Siem Reap province.

The country’s rattan industry, a sector worth an estimated $4 billion globally, is also being strengthened in a project run by WWF, in partnership with furniture giant Ikea.

The long-term scheme hopes to make the Cambodian forest product more competitive, sustainable and

Cambolac

Since launching in 2012, Cambolac has brought lacquer to new levels with its bold and eye-catching boxes, creating 50 new jobs along the way. Pieces, which are handmade in its Siem Reap workshop, mostly retail for around $10 to $50, with highend or custom items priced at up to $250. Look out for its stunning limited edition collaboration with Bangkok-based artist Christian Develter and Siem Reap’s Gallery Wa. Visit www.cambolac.com for more.

Garden of Desire

This jewellery brand offers stunning statement pieces with a distinctly Cambodian touch under the watchful gaze of designer Ly Pisith. To stand out from the crowd, check out the beautiful Khmer Collection that recalls Angkor, with grey sandstone carvings mixed with sterling silver and floral motifs.

See more at www.gardenofdesireasia.com.

AsiaLIFE Cambodia 35

Artisans Angkor

D. Wilkins The smell of leather permeates the D. Wilkins workshop at the Samai rum distillery in Phnom Penh, as a skilled craftsman rhythmically hammers holes into a stretch of cow’s hide, a pot of protective whale fat at his side.

Swathes of leather, some marked with the brands of the beasts themselves, are displayed nearby, ready to be transformed into the classic, hand-crafted bags and accessories that line the walls of the airy space.

The D. Wilkins brand sparked into life when its namesake Diego Wilkins, an expat originally from Uruguay, tried to repair his own leather bag around a year and a half ago.

He bought too much material, and decided to make another – which he went on to sell. Orders started flowing in, leading to the creation of the D. Wilkins workshop, which opened at the stunning, industrial-style distillery in September.

“Everything’s handcrafted: we cut by hand, we do the holes by hand, we sew by hand,” says Wilkins, who comes up with the designs organically, after observing the individual characteristics of each piece of leather.

“This is something you buy for many years. Hopefully you can give that to your son in 20 years’ time, when the leather is more beautiful, as the leather is aging,” adds the expat, who creates one-off belts, wallets, covers, wash bags and, of course, timeless gentlemen’s bags, with the help of two Cambodian craftsmen.

“Cambodia allows you to do whatever you want to create,” he adds. “If you have an idea, and you go for it, you can do something.”

For more information, visit the D. Wilkins Facebook page.

environmentally cleaner, with efforts being made to better connect the supply chain, from those who gather the product, to traders, processers and buyers. Small and mediumsized businesses are being brought closer to harvesters, who can also be trained themselves to process items and take pride in their craft and business.

Chey Koulang, WWF rattan senior project coordinator, explains that improving skills to create modernised pieces for high-class consumers can use the same amount of raw material but demand higher market prices, therefore creating less pressure on the forest.

“I think the future of the national market is improving… but what we have to do is bring the product and match the demand,” adds Thibault Ledecq, WWF conservation programme manager, emphasising that design is a critical factor.

36 AsiaLIFE Cambodia

With that in mind, 2011 saw a designer from Sweden brought into Cambodia for six months, alongside local artist Em Riem, to work with the Rattan Association of Cambodia to create sustainable, modern designs that used less chemical processing.

Yet the long-term future of Cambodian handicrafts also lies in the next generation, with schemes in place to ensure that craft skills are passed on to young people throughout the country.

Artisans Angkor, which has a 20year history in Siem Reap province and runs 48 workshops producing stone carvings to silk and silverware, is one business ensuring that new skills are passed on through its extensive apprentice scheme.

Since 2012, it has taken on more than 260 paid trainees, who train with master craftsmen for three to six months. More than 100 students graduated as fully-fledged artisans last September. The company’s Phnom Penh representative Rasmei Pech Janody explains that once they

Artisans Angkor

Artisans Angkor

Employing up to 900 artisans and running an excellent trainee programme, Artisans Angkor is one of Cambodia’s biggest and best handicraft businesses.

Putting an emphasis on quality, its products include stoneware, silverwork and textiles, crafted using traditional skills. Its new Royal Umbrella range features lacquered panels and silk cushions inspired by Cambodian bas-reliefs. Visit www.artisansdangkor.com for more.

Golden Silk

Taking the easy way is not an option at the Golden Silk farm in Siem Reap, where rare Cambodian silk worms are bred, and their silk spun, dyed and woven by hand into stunning high-quality designs using ancient techniques. Each piece is a work of art, and a visit to see its weavers at work at the tranquil centre is an experience in itself.

Visit www.goldensilk.org for more.

“The future of the national market is improving but what we have to do is bring the product and match the demand”

Coco Khmer

have completed three months of training, they can decide to strike out on their own or work within the Artisans Angkor structure.

And it seems many artisans and Cambodian-based companies are poised to take on the opportunities and challenges that working in an increasingly globalised world will bring.

“I believe there will be more opportunities than challenges if Cambodian businesses focus on brand building and quality. From a political and geographic position Cambodia is strategically well placed, as long as governmental reforms, democratic freedoms, and infrastructure development continue to progress, I believe Cambodia and Cambodian business will profit greatly,” says Esposito of ASEAN integration.

As jewellery designer Ly Pisith believes: “We need to be interesting and can’t do the same old thing over and over again. We need to always look forward and move on to the next level.”

Senteurs d’Angkor

Priding itself on sourcing its products locally, Senteurs d’Angkor sells spices and oils alongside an excellent range of soaps made using traditional techniques and plant oils. Pick up its sumptuous smelling products in Siem Reap or Phnom Penh.

Visit senteursdangkor.com for more.

Coco Khmer

Farmers in Kampot province grow the chemical-free nuts that are used to make Coco Khmer’s range of oils and products.

Try the social enterprise’s petroleum-free naga balm (a more potent version of tiger balm), the gentle baby balm, or a moisturising lip balm. Also look out for the liquid soap, body wash and shampoo bars set to be added to the brand’s offerings, as well as a sumptuous range of infused virgin coconut oils. Visit the Coco Khmer Facebook page for more.

DODGE DUCK &DIVE DODGEBALL IS A SPORT THAT HAS PICKED UP POPULARITY ACROSS THE GLOBE SINCE BLOCKBUSTER COMEDY DODGEBALL BURST ONTO THE BIG SCREEN. MARISSA CARRUTHERS DIVES INTO A GAME AT CAMBODIA’S ONLY CLUB. PHOTOGRAPHY BY RUDI TUWIRO.

38 AsiaLIFE Cambodia

D

odgeball is a sport of “violence, exclusion and degradation,” according to sporting legend Patches O’Houlihan in smash hit 2004 comedy, Dodgeball.

Despite the game involving hurling balls at opposing players at high speed, this claim is strongly refuted by John Munger, who set up Phnom Penh’s first club for the sport in July. “I don’t think I’d go that far,” he says with a laugh before adding, “Although it depends on who’s throwing the ball.”

The American expat’s first experience of dodgeball was in school as a youngster when he would occasionally play in PE classes. But it wasn’t until he moved to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, four years ago and a friend started twice weekly sessions that he really got involved.

MUNGER’S TOPTIPS ONE: TRY NOT TO TURN AROUND OR TAKE YOUR EYES OFF THE GAME BECAUSE THAT’S WHEN YOU’RE LIKELY TO GET HIT. TWO: A LOT OF IT IS ABOUT TIMING. YOU CAN HAVE A STRONG THROW BUT IF YOU THROW AT THE WRONG TIME, IT MEANS NOTHING. THREE: THINK ABOUT YOUR AIM. IF YOU THROW AT THEIR TORSO, THEY MIGHT CATCH IT. THEY’RE LESS LIKELY TO IF YOU GO FOR THE FEET.

“I thought I’d give it a go, more for fun than anything else but I found I really enjoyed it,” the IT training manager says, citing fun, a gruelling workout and a good place to make new friends as key benefits of participation.

Just over a year ago, Munger moved to Cambodia, where dodgeball was non-existent.

And after spending six months settling into the country, his craving for the sport set in. “I suddenly realised I really missed dodgeball,” he says. “My friends in Vietnam told me I should set up a club here when I was leaving but I laughed them off.”

Calling on their advice, Munger found a venue near the Russian Market, had some special inflatable dodgeballs shipped in from Vietnam and set up a Facebook group. Not expecting a great response, he was bowled over when more

than 20 players showed up.

Since then, the group has continued to welcome new members weekly, with the last session seeing 12 budding dodgeball players turn up for training. And what has surprised him the most is the range of people playing.

Each week sees a healthy mix of men and women of all ages – from 13 to mid-40s – and nationalities. “We have quite a few Cambodians that attend,” Munger notes. “That’s really good to see because I don’t think many Cambodians have ever played dodgeball before.”

The exact history of dodgeball is sketchy but it is believed the first official rules were drawn up by an American university in 1905 when an official dodgeball association was formed.

The game sees two teams of players throw balls at each other while avoiding being hit

themselves. While there are many variations, the ultimate aim is for each team to eliminate all members of the opposition by either hitting them with a ball or catching a ball that is thrown. If a ball is caught then another member of the catcher’s team can return to the court.

To discourage any blows to the head, rules state a player will stay in the game if they are hit there. Each of the Phnom Penh Dodgeball games last between five and 10 minutes, with about 10 to 15 people on each team.

“For me, it’s a really nice workout because you’re constantly moving and using a lot of muscles you don’t usually use,” Munger says, “It’s also a good way to relieve stress because you can throw the ball as hard as you want so you can take out all those frustrations.”

And you don’t have to be experienced to sign up for a

session, with the start being dedicated to practising throws and catches and new members being taught the rules and shown demonstrations before jumping in.

The Californian’s ultimate aim is to take on his former teammates back in Saigon by setting up an international dodgeball tournament in the spring. “This would be an amazing experience for everyone,” he says, “especially if we win.”

As a ball goes whizzing by, O’Houlihan’s summary of the sport springs to mind. “People have been hit in the face,” Munger, whose worst wound is stretching tendons in his finger, says. “Thankfully, that doesn’t happen too often but there is, of course, the possibility of injury.”

Phnom Penh Dodgeball meets every Tuesday, from 7.30pm to 9.30pm at 13 Street 456, near Russian Market. $1.50 per person.

AsiaLIFE Cambodia 39

Cambodia’s CreativeCapital

Traditionally home to a host of creative minds, Battambang has its roots steeped deep in the country’s art scene.

Marissa Carruthers meets some of the artists pushing the recent revival. Photography by Charles Fox.

40 AsiaLIFE Cambodia

K

hchao Touch sits cross-legged in front of her latest colourful creation in the studio that lies beneath her Battambang home. She looks through an open set of doors onto a small garden full of the nature from which she draws inspiration to create abstract paintings and thoughtprovoking installations.

She’s one of a group of emerging artists based in what is fast becoming Cambodia’s cultural capital.“Battambang has always had an artistic feel to it.

It breeds and attracts artists and I hope it will continue to encourage new artists to express themselves,” says the 32-year-old artist.

Historically, the Kingdom’s second-largest city has been the birthplace of many of the country’s most famous

artists, musicians and intellectuals, such as 1960s singer Ros Sereysothe and S-21 survivor and painter Vann Nath.

Although the majority of artists were killed or fled under the Khmer Rouge, 35 years on from their ousting the city’s art scene is gaining traction at a rapid pace. Today, Battambang is well on its way to once again being Cambodia’s creative capital, with more artists per capita than anywhere else in the country.

“Battambang is a really exciting place to be right now in terms of the arts,” says Darren Swallow, owner of Lotus, a three-storey art space and brasserie. “There are a lot of artists based here, both new and established, and they really are creating amazing work that is catching international attention.

It’s fantastic to watch.”

Romcheik 5 is one example of how creativity is blossoming in Battambang. Nestled in a small set of live-in studios across the Sangkae River, four young artists are carving successful careers for themselves.

Here the talented collective, who have been plucked from lives of horror having being forced into child labour in Thailand, call on their undeniable creativity to produce stunning contemporary work that challenges the audience.

At the age of 13, Bo Hak travelled illegally to Thailand with his grandfather on the promise of well-paid employment. They were forced to work long hours in appalling conditions, often seven days a week, in pineapple farms and factories dying fabric.

Unable to produce passports during a police raid, they were arrested and put in prison. After being separated, Bo, originally from Kampong

Thom, was released and taken to the border where he was taken under the care of an NGO and, for the first time in three years, able to step on home soil.

Recongising his talent and passion for painting, the now 23-year-old was given a place at Battambang performing arts school Phare Ponleu Selpak.

Here, he developed an interest in contemporary art and sculpture, which is his expertise.

Since graduating in 2010, he has set up a workshop at Romcheik 5 where he spends his days and nights creating bold and at times dark paintings and sculptures from materials such as wood and clay.

“For me, art is a way of expression,” Bo, who discovered his passion while sketching at the age of 12, says. “It’s a way of talking about things happening inside me, around me and in the world.”

Chov Theanly is also helping to stamp the city firmly on the artistic map. As a self-proclaimed “accidental artist”, the

29-year-old became fascinated with drawing after watching his uncle, who painted posters of stars from the 1960s, sketch the late King Father Sihanouk’s portrait in 1999.

Determined to learn the skill, he asked his cousin to teach him to use the Internet, which had just been introduced to his hometown of Battambang. He went to spend his spare time learning to draw on YouTube.

Under the guidance of Battambang-based expat artist Nicolas Grey, Chov learnt to use abstract ways to convey his message. Now, his huge oil on canvas pieces, which tackle class division and other social issues, continue to make waves abroad, especially in Singapore.

“Battambang is becoming a healthy place to be as an artist,” Chov says, adding he relocated to the city three years ago, trading in his graphic design career to become a full-time painter. “The growing number of expats living here and foreigners visiting is also

helping to foster the scene and I enjoy being part of it.”

Evidence of the emerging landscape is the smattering of independent galleries, studios and workspaces opening up shop. Street 2.5 is quickly becoming the hub of the movement, with Lotus, Sammaki and Make Meak centred there. Then there’s Phare Ponleu Selpak, also home to the renowned circus, and Studio Art Battambang, to name a few.

Returning to her painting to add a splash of purple, Khchao Touch says she has watched creative vibrancy blossom in the 13 years she has been painting in the town.

“Artists here nowadays are starting to push themselves into new areas and explore new methods of painting. That is very refreshing to see,” she says as she picks up the bamboo stick she uses to paint, dips it in oil colours and turns to her easel.

“Artists here nowadays are starting to push themselves into new areas and explore new methods of painting”

AsiaLIFE Cambodia 41

REVISITED

TWENTY YEARS AGO, A YOUTHFUL MARK BIBBY JACKSON VISITED THE REMOTE VILLAGE OF UBUD IN BALI. ASIALIFE’S PUBLISHER RETURNS TO SEE THAT MANY THINGS HAVE CHANGED.

N

ever go back. This truism applies as much to great holiday destinations as to failed relationships or any murder you may just happen to have committed. Now the doctors assure me that my days of multiple homicide are behind me, so relationship folly aside my greatest risk lies in trying to recapture a magical holiday experience that has become lost in faded images of time.

June 1994. I was taking time off from a dusty office where people were planning a cross-London railway project, which to this day is not yet completed. Trekking through Nepal people told me Bali was the place I just had to visit.

“Ubud man!” they would say, their eyes frosting over.

While not quite the drughazed hippy nirvana of Afghanistan and Morocco in the 60s – and Kathmandu still was at the time – Ubud possessed a spirituality that was quite unique. Wandering through its quiet streets, the only noise was the wind blowing through 42 AsiaLIFE Cambodia

bamboo charms dangling haphazardly from wooden ceilings, occasional cow bells and the ubiquitous Balinese rindik music that seemed a prerequisite for any green café.

Fast forward 20 years and I find myself standing on the side of a congested street, choking on exhaust fumes while trying to make out which of the seemingly endless stream of SUVs and minibuses was my hotel pick-up. Twenty years ago my greatest danger was an unwashed piece of lettuce, now carbon monoxide asphyxiation seemed a real possibility. I felt in desperate need of the mystical, restorative powers of ice cold Bintang beer. Somehow Ubud’s charm had become collateral damage in the mad and seemingly unregulated scramble for tourist dollar and yuan.

Fortunately, it is not all this way. Despite the excessive tourism in the intervening 20 years you can still find pockets of charm amid the diasporic chaos.

Wandering along the main road from the Monkey Forest, where tourist line up to take snaps

CHEDI SAKALA

of the cheeky animals trying to nab bananas amid the now neglected temples, to the main temple, I stumble upon a familiar name. Hidden among the signs inviting me to purchase Giordano, RipCurl, and, most sadly of all Starbucks, is Café Wayan - a mainstay of mine in the previous millennium.

Cafés such as Wayan offer secluded oases at the rear where you can stretch out on daybeds and enjoy some gado gado or nasi goring. The occasional hoot of a motorbike is the only evidence that much has changed in the intervening 20 years.

The manager explains that Wayan has stood here for 29 years. Her name is also Wayan,

but she laughs when I ask whether she is the owner – the name apparently is as popular in Bali as Jones is in Wales.

Like Ubud, Café Wayan has changed with time, a large garden extension to the rear and the addition of cookery classes – a concept that was as alien as mobile phones, Facebook and Karaoke TV in 1994 – indicate that business is good.

Wayan refuses to comment when asked directly. For her extra money just means greater funds to donate at one of the island’s many ceremonies. Today is the Day of Metal, where people make their pilgrimage to the temple to make blessings to all things metallic. “People want

their own space nowadays – that is the new luxury,” says Alain Bachmann, the general manager of the Chedi Club Tanah Gajah, a few kilometres outside of Ubud, over breakfast. “People come here to experience that.”

I feel most fortunate. The resort was the private estate of architect Hendra Hadiprana, one of Indonesia’s most respected art collectors. Ten years ago, though still owned by Hadiprana, it was transformed into an intimate retreat with 20 individual villas by hotel group GHM. The rooms still contain his eclectic collection of art, giving it an unplanned charm that you can’t find in today’s motifdriven, corporate resort chains.

For me, the real charm lies on the periphery. The resort is surrounded by acres of paddy fields, untouched by developers since Hadiprana took over his plot of land in the early 80s.

This is Bali’s real attraction, what made it so unique, and still does, albeit in much smaller doses than before. Whereas previously I could wander off any street and find myself

engulfed by rice stalks, tour companies now offer special excursions to visit them.

I admit to feel saddened when I left Ubud to return to the coast, although chatting to my driver on the optimism he has for the new Indonesian prime minister and the future he wants to provide for his children, I realise not all change has been for the worse.

Bali has never truly been about the coast – at least not the stretches of beach around Kuta where even 20 years ago bronzed Australian men would walk around bare-chested carrying a surf board under their arm as if in some primal mating ritual. Now, staying at the Chedi Sakala, just across from the beach at Tanjung Benoa I am amazed by the chaos in the water at this major water sports destination. Air-borne inflatable lilos compete with banana boats and speedboats for naval supremacy, while the sands become a mere access route for things more dramatic.

Spoilt for choice, I elect instead to head along the

CHEDI UBUD

PEOPLE WANT THEIR OWN SPACE NOWADAYS - THAT IS THE NEW LUXURY

coast to Finn’s Beach Club, Uluwatu, where the Chedi Sakala’s general manager, Giulio D’Alberto, has promised I will have a special time. During mid afternoon the beach is filled with like-minded people, but as the sun sets and the heat is removed from the sands, the fading light starts flickering on the waves. I order a margarita as the staff create a bonfire on the now deserted beach and ponder what was. At least some experiences are indeed timeless.

Air Asia has daily direct flights to Bali Ngurah Rai International, Denpasar from Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur and Singapore. For information visit httpwww.airasia.com.

AsiaLIFE Cambodia 43

BICYCLE BORDER TO THE

ASIALIFE VIETNAM WRITER SARAH JOANNE SMITH RECOUNTS THE HIGHS AND LOWS OF A CROSSCOUNTRY CYCLE FROM HO CHI MINH CITY TO THE CAMBODIAN CAPITAL AND BACK AGAIN.

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ack home, there was nothing I enjoyed more than a cheery jaunt around the streets of London on my 1970s bona fide Peugeot racer, affectionately named Peggy.

Upon my move to Vietnam, I traded her in for a motorised model. However, recently, friends suggested a visa run to Cambodia on two wheels and I returned, rather unceremoniously, to the saddle of a temperamental Chinese Motachie.

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Before the sun had a chance to rise, we embarked on our journey from Ho Chi Minh to Phnom Penh. On the outskirts of the city, a slow, gradual incline – silent hills, if you will, ascended toward the border, along with our appetites.

SUNSCREEN IN A MONSOON

Before the clock had even hit 7am, somewhere just beyond Saigon’s limits, we refuelled with generous portions of grilled meat and rice, watching

as a pair of locals knocked back an early-morning pitcher of Sting and several cigarettes.

Seventy kilometres later, we rocked up to the border town of Bavet, sweaty and disheveled amongst a busload of well-rested travellers. In typical Vietnamese fashion, bustling our way to the front of the customs queue, we obtained our necessary stamps and, after a brief pit-stop, swiftly got back on our way.

Unfortunately, the second

"OUR LYCRA EXPOSED ITS ELASTIC, OUR INNER TUBES WERE A PATCHWORK OF COLLAGES, OUR WEARIED MUSCLES TORN, YET OUR SPIRITS REMAINED HIGH."

half of day one was not so smooth. Thirty minutes later, torrential rain forced us to seek refuge beneath the leaky awning of a local drinks shop.

Still fearing all the elements, I applied suncream amidst the monsoon-level rains, much to the amusement of my fellow riders. Later, however, justice was served as we cycled into Svay Rieng, our destination for the night, and I was the only one without sunburn.

Food in Svay Rieng was limited, to say the least. That evening we ate what I can only describe as watery gruel.

Breakfast wasn’t any better. A flimsy portion of offal did little to satisfy the appetite but did serve to keep our legs turning.

We hit the road with half-empty stomachs and a raging dislike for Cambodian cuisine.

VASELINE, POTHOLES AND A CYCLISTS’ HIGH

Our second day proved the most challenging. Roads were rocky, uneven and unforgiving on our rear ends. In the same way that long-distance runners bandage their nipples, we protected our nether regions with frequent doses of Vaseline, allowing us to glide through the countryside friction-free.

The 63km between Svay Rieng and Neak Loeung, though bumpy, provided us with boundless natural beauty. Seemingly never-ending grasslands and emerald rice paddies lined our path as the ground slipped by at a familiar pace.

Cattle grazed among the fields, locals dozed in hammocks and butterflies fluttered whilst the smell of mint filled the air. Everywhere, elated children ran out to the road, yelling "hello" and waving with oodles of enthusiasm.

On our third day, the final leg into Phnom Penh was scattered with potholes almost the size of canyons. Despite some dangerous encounters with overtaking vehicles and death-defying craters, we arrived in Phnom Penh with a flat tyre but inflated spirits.

TESTING THE LIMITS OF OUR LYCRA

Like true expats, our time in Phnom Penh was not spent sightseeing but instead grazing and sleeping. We indulged on towering burgers, pizzas the size of dustbin lids, gigantic doughnuts and decadent crepes, all washed down with wellearned cocktails and ciders.

All the hard work we had put in en route was undone before making the return trip, and after a gluttonous two days it was time to squeeze ourselves back into our Lycra.

We left Phnom Penh around 9am and cycled 62km back to Neak Loeung with surprising ease. Retracing our steps, we turned in for the night at a convenient but putrid guesthouse with stained yellow walls and dubiously soiled bedsheets.

Hardly the luxury you would expect from a six-dollar-a-night establishment. The morning saw a hasty exit.

THE FINAL STRETCH

As we headed towards home, luminous orange cool boxes welcomed us along the way with ice cold cans of Coca Cola and lychee juice. These receptacles became a vision of salvation and relief, respite from the inexorable sun and our aching quadriceps. At each stop I’d ask to use the bathroom with a bashful squat.

The final day began with a 5.30am wake-up call. On the 110km back to Ho Chi Minh City, we watched a chicken meet an unfortunate end in a classic case of road kill.

Just before the border, a flat tyre entertained an audience of Khmer locals and I went several rounds wrestling with my kickstand which, instead of relieving burden, had become one.

As we cycled into Saigon we were met with Mother Nature’s wet embrace and I couldn’t help but reflect on the myriad emotions compressed into our unforgettable journey.

Our trip had taken us across 480km of beautiful, rural Cambodian countryside at a pace that mirrored the landscape we rode through. Our Lycra exposed its elastic, our inner tubes were a patchwork of collages, our wearied muscles torn, yet our spirits remained high.

An air-conditioned bus may offer comfort and speed, but at the cost of the experience only the open road can provide, whatever the model of cycle you ride.

AsiaLIFE Cambodia 45

festivefeast Being stuck in Cambodia for Christmas doesn’t mean missing out on a hearty festive feast. Jessica Sander explores what Santa is serving up in kitchens across the Kingdom.

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or many expats, Christmas in the Western world comes coupled with a table spilling over with food.

The mouth-watering smell of the juicy turkey that’s spent the morning cooking wafts across relatives squabbling over the last cracker on a table bursting full with the big bird, pigs in blankets, sprouts, roast potatoes and servings of cranberry and bread sauce.

For most, the festive season will be spent in Cambodia’s tropical climates. However, there are a host of venues who are getting in the spirit and serving up some specials with a seasonal twist this Christmas.

CABARET

Elegant French/ Mediterranean restaurant, Cabaret, is offering two classic menus on Christmas Eve. 46 AsiaLIFE Cambodia

The five-course seafood special ($50) starts with a salmon terrine teamed with asparagus, followed by stand-out dish, lobster candy with mesculin salad.

Lobster meat encased in crispy filo pastry follows with the citrus tang of the pomelo salad adding a fresh flavour.

Sole is up next, and becomes a prize catch when married with champagne. Dessert is a three-cheese platter and chocolate and raspberry ice-cream yule log.

Cabaret’s meat lover menu ($65) is a fusion of French classics, such as champagnebaked oysters, foie gras ravioli and duck breast, pan fried with foie gras and roasted mango. Cheese and dessert complete this delicious meal.

159 St 154, Phnom Penh, 092 650 980, open daily from 10.30am to 11.30pm

INTERCONTINENTAL HOTEL’S REGENCY CAFÉ

The Intercontinental Hotel will be embracing the full festive spirit with a live choir and white Christmas theme.

Here, an abundance of traditional Christmas classics are fused with contemporary Asian cuisine on Christmas Eve, from 6pm.

Executive sous chef Philip Nock aims to introduce classics from his home country Australia, such as fresh seafood and Australian wagyu beef.

Desserts take in favourites, including pavlova and trifle.

The buffet selection ($48 or $68 with wine) also takes in a carving and grill station, steamboat selection and creperie.

A buffet brunch (starts at $48) is also available on Christmas Day, from 11.30am to 3pm.

One child below 12-years-old is complimentary with the

second getting 50 percent off.

296 Mao Tse Toung Blvd, Phnom Penh, 023 424 888, open daily from 6am to 2.30pm and 6pm to 10.30pm

THE STRAND AT KNAI BANG CHATT

Kickback in the relaxing surroundings of Kep’s luxurious Knai Bang Chatt on Christmas Day and enjoy festive tastes at The Strand restaurant.

Executive chef, Janine Fourie, has rustled up a seasonal treat for diners. For $18, guests can enjoy three perfectly prepared courses.

Appetizers include salmon gravlax accompanied with horseradish, vegetable pickle and boiled potatoes, peppered pork terrine with Parmesan brioche or mixed herb salad with vegetables drizzled in a lime vinaigrette.

A roasted turkey breast

wrapped in smoked bacon stuffed with lemon peppered pistachio, asparagus or grilled snapper marinated in a lemon, ginger and coconut curry cream sauce is on offer for mains.

And for dessert, mince pies and caramel banana trifle is served with coconut cream and vanilla syrup.

Phum Thmey, Sangkat Prey Thom, Kep, 036 210 310/ 078 333 686, open daily from 7am to 10pm

CARAVANS BRASSERIE

Contemporary French/Italian brasserie, Caravans is using the season’s finest ingredients, sourced both locally and abroad in its Christmas Eve set menu ($35).

The filling five courses include lobster medallions with caviar and avocado foam and hoisin-glazed salmon with a welcome drink on arrival.

Home-made foie gras features throughout and teamed with terrine and truffles, pumpkin soup, or stuffed into a traditional capon. Savour a sweet finish with classic desserts by Christophe, the famous Phnom Penh baker.

Caravans offers tasty and eclectic wines from Europe, Chile, Australasia and South Africa, which can be purchased separately to enjoy with your feast.

68 Sihanouk Blvd, Phnom Penh, 023 699 600, open daily from 6am to 11pm

KEP SAILING CLUB

Sitting next to The Strand, Kep Sailing Club is a family-friendly venue and the ideal place to relax and enjoy the stunning seaside setting on Christmas Day. On offer is lunch set twocourse ($13.50) or three-course ($16.50) menus. For starters,

diners can choose from grilled Kep prawn, mint, cucumber and pomelo salad or roasted cherry tomato mille feuille, spring onion cream cheese, herb salad and olive tapenade.

The main course takes in the traditional turkey given a fresh twist with slow roasted turkey breast wrapped in smoked bacon served with thyme and berries.

Other options are baked eggplant and basil rolls with fresh plum tomato, roasted bell pepper and camembert cheese and grilled snapper served with green peppercorn curry cream sauce and rice.

Leave room for dessert, which includes Christmas pudding with vanilla sauce or chocolate mousse with peanut brittle ice cream with cappuccino biscotti.

Phum Thmey, Sangkat Prey Thom, Kep, 036 210 310/ 078 333 686 open daily from 10am to 10pm.

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LAZY GECKO 1D, Street 258, Phnom Penh // Open daily from 7am to 11pm Tel: 078 786 025

With comfort food on the brain, Marissa Carruthers and photographer Charles Fox head to Lazy Gecko to appease the craving.

There are certain times – mainly after consuming too much alcohol the previous night – when comfort food seems like the only way to get through the day. It’s the time when, back home, I’d round up a few friends and head to our local for some good pub grub to soak up the excess booze and make way for a gentle Sunday afternoon of beers.

While there are many venues purporting to serve up dishes that do the job – burgers, fryups, fish and chips – there’s certainly only a handful that can claim to do it as well as Lazy Gecko, as we discovered.

Having not tucked into a good plate of fish and chips since visiting my beloved local chippie back in Blighty during last year’s festive trip, I opted 48 AsiaLIFE Cambodia

for the Lazy Gecko version ($4.75) and prayed I wouldn’t be disappointed. The bacon cheeseburger ($4.75) was also calling our name, as was the big English breakfast ($5.50).

Trying to balance our options for the sake of the old cholesterol levels, we also ordered the warm chicken salad ($4.50).

First up was the big English breakfast ($5.50), and they aren’t kidding when they say big. A huge plate loaded with two fried eggs, with thick fluffy white surrounding perfectly-cooked, runny yolks, two rashers of bacon – a rarity when they arrived crispy, as requested – chips, Heinz baked beans, two thick sausages seasoned with a blend of herbs, cooked tomatoes and toast and a pot of tea arrived.

The fish and chips is another hearty meal, and, thankfully, I wasn’t left disappointed.

The hand-cut fries are crisp to the crunch and the fish is coated with a crispy, light batter. The accompanying home-made seafood sauce adds a tang to the overall taste and the side salad of lettuce, tomatoes, onion, cucumber and pepper balances out the dryness of the main dish.

The only problem with the beast of a burger was getting my mouth around it. The tower of salad, a thick home-made, delicately seasoned patty and layer of crispy bacon, topped with cheese, sautéed onions and green peppers, sandwiched in a soft, slightly toasted, sesame

bread bun, comes with those delicious crunchy, hand-cut chips and a small side salad.

Next up was the salad, and they definitely don’t scrimp on the chicken. Strips of lightly spiced meat sit on a bed of fresh mixed greens, chunks of tomato, tangy Spanish onion and hunks of cucumber. The drizzling of home-made honeymustard dressing subtly balances the kick of the chicken.

Stuffed, our craving was appeased. With attempts to solve problem number two of the day – no room left for beers – by burning off some calories tickling Lazy Gecko’s adorable pug, Chook, failing, we left vowing to return for what can only be a super Sunday roast (from 1pm, $4.50/$5).

TWG TEA SALON Ground floor, Vattanac Tower, Monivong Boulevard, Phnom Penh // Open daily from 9am to 10pm

Writer Marissa Carruthers and photographer Charles Fox sample the offerings being served in the capital’s new TWG Tea Salon.

As a Brit, tea runs through my veins. If I’m not clutching a cup of English breakfast, then you’ll find an Earl Grey on my desk or maybe a soothing peppermint and nettle.

So, as you can imagine, the excitement was hard to contain when I discovered TWG Tea and its stylish shelves stacked full of more than 800 jars containing tea collected from across the globe was opening one an exclusive salon in Phnom Penh.

The sumptuous surroundings take in dark wooden floors, tables surrounded by plush, black velvet chairs and a silver service to almost mirror tea shops in highend department stores. The air is fragrant with the fruits, flowers, herbs and spices that make up the carefully-crafted blends.

“We had a dream of creating something to suit tea lovers from around the world,” cofounder and president, Taha Bouqdib, says. And that TWG has achieved, with teas ($5 to $75 per pot), hailing from the finest estates in Japan, India, Laos, Georgia and Turkey.

On arrival, Singaporetrained tea connoisseurs are on hand to guide you to the perfect cup of tea, all served in a golden-armoured teapot. Fruity, fresh, spicy, flowery, hot, cold, black, red, white ... the list goes on.

Then there’s the craft of creating the perfect brew.

“Some blends need 90-degree water, others 100,” Bouqdib says. “Some need steeping for longer than others; it’s an art.”

Launching the brand in 2007 in Singapore, co-founders Bouqdib, Maranda Barnes and Cambodian Rith AumStievenard, introduced their refined tea drinking experience to Asia. Their debut blend was Silver Moon Tea ($5), an aromatic green tea made from rare wild French strawberries, flowers from South France and red berries. A hint of spices calms what has the potential to be sickly sweet.

The 1837 Green Tea ($5) is another signature blend that takes in a refreshing mix of flowers and fruits. Offering a zany boost, the roses from South France and citrus fruits offer a refreshing kick.

Taking tea to a whole new level, the salon also boasts

the craft of tea gastronomy – weaving blends into food. For example, the Cote D’Agneau ($19) sees a succulent rack of delicate lamb, lightly seasoned with cumin, oregano and rosemary. This is complimented with a perfectly cooked ratatouille drizzled in a rich brown sauce infused with Silver Moon Tea, adding a subtle sweetness.

Other dishes include summer quiche ($12), a warm and rustic French-style vegetarian dish, packed with seasonal vegetables. A side garden salad is tossed in 1837 Green Tea infused vinaigrette.

No tea salon is complete without pastries, and teainfused macarons ($1.50 each), offer the perfect companion for a fine cup of tea.

AsiaLIFE Cambodia 49

BehindtheDesign Words Mark Bibby Jackson Photography Courtesy of GHM

50 AsiaLIFE Cambodia

“You actually have to see it to believe it,” says Alain Bachmann as he looks out across the paddy fields that surround the Chedi Club Tanah Gajah, where he is general manager. It’s a claim often made, but seldom with so much justification.

Built in the early 1980s as the family estate for one of Indonesia’s leading architects and interior designers, Hendra Hadiprana, the Tanah Gajah was taken over about 10 years ago by hotel management group GHM, although Hadiprana retains ownership.

As such it lacks the corporate template that dominates so many hotel resorts around the world. Works of art selected by Hadiprana, who is a patron of the country’s vibrant creative scene, are sprinkled across the estate in a haphazard manner that reflects the owner’s personal taste rather than an unyielding design motif.

The Club retains the ambience of a family estate while providing the service of a five-star resort. For once, your personal butler seems in keeping with the timeless atmosphere rather than a marketing gimmick designed to increase the room rate.

“You don’t feel like you are arriving at a hotel,” says Bachmann. And once more he is right. It’s more like Bali’s Downtown Abbey than a chain resort.

Despite the addition of some pool villas, a larger swimming pool and the restaurant in which we are enjoying breakfast, Tanah Gajah remains relatively untouched from the days when the Hadipranas used to host Indonesia’s rich and famous.

Above all there is a sense of space – timelessness and space – created by the five hectares of land filled with lily ponds and mature trees, surrounded by a sea of paddy fields, left untouched by the crazy speculation that has infested this tourism-gilded island.

“People want their own space nowadays,” says Bachmann. “That is the new luxury. People come here to experience that.”

I just feel fortunate to have been invited for a few days to join this illustrious club.

THE CHEDI CLUB TANAH GAJAH UBUD, BALI

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womensgifts 1 Black/silver cushion (Apsara painting by Din) Ambre 2 Pink teapot Ambre 3 Pink button necklace Waterlily 4 Purple hair fascinator Waterlily 5 Multi candles Display 6 Silk clutch A.N.D. 7 Dress Skinny book Monument Books 8 Black/silver cushion Ambre 9 Meatallic 2015 Diaries Monument Books 10 Silver handmade Christmas decorations Tabitha 11 Pink diamante clutch Tabitha 12 Red scarf Paperdolls 13 Hand painted Chirstmas elephant Sovann (order through Paperdolls)

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mensgifts 1 Laptop bag Waterlily 2 Lego iPad cover Display 3 Ashtray set Display 4 Passport cover Display 5 Books Monument Books 6 Business card holder Paperboy 7 Knit bowtie Paperboy 8 Leather wallet Paperboy 9 Sunglasses Paperboy 10 Cap Paperboy 11 Silk wallet Tabitha 12 Headphones AEON Mall

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childrensgifts 1 Handmade ragdoll Waterlily 2 Handbag Waterlily 3 Art set and book Monument Books 4 Brown backpack Little Phnom Penh 5 Boys wallet Little Phnom Penh 6 Girls red purse Little Phnom Penh 7 Stripe headband Little Phnom Penh 8 Silk elephant backpack Tabitha 9 Soft dice Tabitha 10 Dinosaur lamp Display 11 Gold bear Display 12 Pink sandals Display 13 Handpainted pigs by Sovann (order through Paperdolls) 14 Knitted doll A.N.D

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LISTINGS

hotel & travel Airlines & Agencies

Silk Air Regency Complex C, Suite 2-4 Samdach, Monireth Blvd, S.k.

Tomnoubteouk, Khan Chamkarmorn Tel: 023 988 629

Asiana Airlines Room A16 at Phnom Penh International Airport.

Tel: 023 890 441

Thai Airways 294 Mao Tse Toung Blvd., Phnom Penh. Tel: 023 214 359

Air Asia Domestic Terminal Arrival Office NºA17, Phnom Penh International Airport Tel: 023 890 035

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

Tiger Airways No. 296, Mao Tse Toung (St. 245), Intercontinental Hotel, Suit 16B, 12306 Phnom Penh.

Tel: 023 5515 888 Vietnam Airlines #41, Street 214, Phnom Penh Tel: 023 215 998

Battambang

Cafe Eden Located along the River Tel: 053 731 525www. cafeedencambodia.com Eclectic cafe with incredible food that overlooks the river. EspressoWifi- A.C.-Local Art. Non-Profit that focuses on training Cambodian People. Boutique with handmade local crafts. Happy hour 3pm-7pm. Open Wednesday - Monday 7:30am-9pm Bambu Hotel Phum Romchek 5 Tel: 053 953900 / 053 953 905 bookings@bambuhotel.com www.bambuhotel.com 16 rooms arranged in four traditionally inspired buildings with swimming pool, bar and restaurant.

Battambang Resort Wat Ko Village, Battambang Tel: 012 510 100/053 666 7001 info@battambangresort.com www.battambangresort.com Jaan Bai restaurant Road 2 near Psar Nat Market Tel: 097 398 7815 Jaan Bai is a home for folks who share a love of gatherings around the table, a passion for food and an interest in supporting Cambodian youth. Using seasonal organic produce sourced from own kitchen garden, local farmers and neighboring markets. Open Tuesday – Sunday 11am – 9pm.

Kinyei cafe Street 1 and 1/2, Phum 20 Osaphea Tel: 017 292 119, www.kinyei.org Social enterprise, best coffee in town, serving snacks, lunch, breakfast and other drinks, friendly staff, free space for small open workshop. Won the National Barista Championship two years in a row 2012 and 2013. Open 7am-7pm, 7 days.

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.

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Sangker Villa Hotel Pool Restaurant 200 Street, Romchek4 Village, Ratanak Commune Tel: 097 764 0017 www.sangkervilla.com Sangker Villa has 7 rooms and 1 Balcony Suite. It is located 10 minutes walk from the city center. The hotel combines the charm of the countryside with the advantages of the city. Swiss management, speaking English, French, German, Italian and Spanish.

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.

Kampot

Rusty Keyhole 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.

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.

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.

10.49 $9.99

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Kep

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.

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.

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Knai Bang Chatt Resort Tel: 078888 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 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.

Spring Valley Resort/Mr. Mab Kep City, Cambodia, Tel: 036 666 6673 www.mr.mab.com, www.springvalley-resort.com Spring Valley Resort, at the base of Kep National Park, is just a short walk to the beach. The rooms are scattered throughout vibrant green gardens, connected by walkways that wind through vines, trees and flowering plants. Their new restaurant, Mr. Mab... very delicious, takes a fresh look at traditional Khmer street food.

Villa Dharma Pepper Street (before Kep Lodge entrance) Tel: 077 660 841/012 785 324 https://bit.ly./VillaDharma, albertworry@ hotmail.com Retreat and practice Yoga in a secure, fully equipped, private Villa with swimming pool and garden. Enjoy

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breathtaking views and local cuisine from the Kep Gulf and Bokor Mountain.

Price per night is $100 low season and $120 high season 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

Bellevue Serviced Apartments 68 Tonle Sap Street. Tel: 023 432 999 www.bellevueservicedapartments.com www.facebook.com Located in a deluxe hotel complex on the riverbank of the Tonle Sap, Bellevue offers spacious, contemporary accommodation 10 minutes away from the city.

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.

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.

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.

Season Residence Apartments 109-133, Street 144 Tel: 023 990 628 / 012 457 408 www.seasonresidence.com Season Residence is self-catered accommodation located only 9 km from the airport. Featuring spacious apartments with free Wi-Fi access.

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.

Phnom Penh – Mid

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.

Chateau the Meliya 10B Street 264 T: 023 987 212 Hotel and serviced-apartments, in a great central location, close to Independence Monument, Royal Palace, Silver Pagoda, National Museum and Riverfront. 54 units (studio, one bedroom and two bedrooms), with contemporary design and amazing city and river views.

The Billabong Hotel 5 Street 158 www.thebillabonghotel.com, Tel: 023 223 703 Phnom Penh’s premier boutique family hotel with 41 well appointed rooms surrounding a large free form salt water swimming pool. Poolside alfresco dining.

The Laneway Boutique Hotel 2 Street 278 Tel: 089 985 956 The Laneway Boutique Hotel is located in the heart of Phnom Penh and offers all the essential comforts you would expect from a first-class leisure hotel, including a cocktail bar, swimming pool, grill restaurant and a host of recreational offerings.

Pandan Boutique Hotel 15A Street 282. Tel: 012 373 78 www.pandanboutiquehotel.com Ideally located in the heart of Phnom Penh, at walking distance from the shopping and business district, 5mn walk from Independence Monumnent. 26 rooms with unqiue and classy design.

Rambutan Resort 29 Street 71, BKK1. Tel: 017 99 22 40 www.rambutanresort.com 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.

The 252 Boutique Hotel 19 Street 252, Tel: 023 998 252 www.the-252.com Conveniently located close to major attractions, the small boutique hotel offers a quiet and peaceful retreat from the bustling city. Spacious and stylishly decorated rooms with all amenities, swimming pool surrounded by a leafy tropical garden, outdoor restaurant and bar.

The Artist Guesthouse (Mid-Range) 69 street 178, Tel: 023 213 930 www.the-artist-guesthouse.com Located across from the National Museum, The Artist is your place.

The 11-bedroom guesthouse has a modern feel.

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. TEAV Boutique Hotel 14 Street 310, Phnom Penh, Tel: 023 981 818 / 017 989 191 www.teavboutiquehotel.com, stay@ teavgroup.com Located in a quiet, peaceful setting in the prestigious central heart of Phnom Penh near the Independence Monument, the uniquely designed art deco style TEAV Boutique Hotel provides single travellers, couples, families, leisure and business with a

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relaxing and highly personalised stay in Cambodia’s capital.

Rooms equipped with queen sized bed, cable TV, private bathroom.

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.

Sihanoukville

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.Downstairs bar has great Tex-Mex food and pool table.

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.

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Independence Hotel, Resort & Spa Tel: 034 934 300, Fax: 034 933 660 www.independencehotel.net Independence Hotel, Resort & Spa is an oasis of calm and luxury in Sihanoukville. The full delights of the resort, spa and private beach are ready for you to enjoy.

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.

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 .

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Linga Bar Alley behind Pub Street Tel: 012 246 912. www.lingabar.com Laid back, gay-friendly bar with

Diwo Galleries One at Vat Svay, Tonle Sap Road and another between Monument Books and Ta Prohm Hotel on the riverside Features

Siem Reap - Galleries

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.

siem reap

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.

Angkor Guidebooks Caroline Major Given that the temples of Angkor lie across a vast terrain of jungle and thick forest, it can be hard to imagine how many of these moss-swathed sites, all in varying states of disrepair, may have looked in their heyday. However, thanks to a new field guide to the temples launched on Nov. 14, The Angkor Guidebook: Your Essential Companion to the Temples aims to do just that.

Using visual reconstructions, 3D models have been rendered on transparent paper overlaying photos of the temples as visitors find them today in the Angkor Archaeological Park. Flicking between the two sets of images, the contrast between the past and present is remarkable.

Standing at the entrance of an iconic temple such as Ta Prohm, famous for its twisting tree roots that grip tightly to crumbling stones that featured in Hollywood blockbuster Tomb Raider, you’re lifted back in time to a temple that is hard to recognise.

Gone are the trees and natural features that captivate visitors today. Instead, bright colours are splashed across the temple structure; the phrase “a picture paints a thousand words” comes into its own. Siem Reapbased artist Bruno Levy carefully constructed the images, combining creative interpretation with historical evidence. While academics are not unanimous in their understanding of all details of the exact appearance of the temples, the book is

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not one of artistic fantasy.

Rather, it was compiled working with leading academics – the result gives a striking impression of how the original aesthetics may have looked, while the inclusion of photos from the early 20th Century shows how the temples have changed and been restored.

Dr Damian Evans, of the University of Sydney, a founding member of the Greater Angkor Project led the technical editing, with the concise text reflecting the latest academic findings. Aside from the 19 transparencies, the book also makes for an easy and accessible read for the first-time visitor to the temples, as opposed to alltoo-often confusing lists of historical dates and figures that require prior knowledge to make useful sense of.

The Angkor Guidebook is a useful introduction to the temples. Those looking for more depth can take advantage of the many other resources available including Focusing On The Angkor Temples: The Guidebook (3rd Edition), by Michel Petrochenko, or Ancient Angkor, by Michael Freeman and Claude Jacques.

Digital nomads who don’t want to be weighed down by a physical book are likely to find the iBook An Interactive Guide to Angkor, by Dougald O’Reilly, a helpful companion with zoomable maps and voice narration to talk you though some of the prominent sites – you can simply click play when you are at them.

Siem Reap - Hotels

Rambutan Hotels & Resorts Phum Wat Damnak, Kum Sala Komreuk, Krom 10, Siem Reap Tel: 012 654 638 / 063 766 655 bookings@rambutansr.com, www.rambutans.info The former Golden Banana resort has been rebranded but contains the same 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.

Sokkhak Boutique Resort Kok chork village, Trorpeang Ses commune, Wat thmey, Siem Reap Tel: 063 76 56 97/ 63 76 56 98 www.sokkhak-boutiqueresort.com We welcome you to experience a new way of life in Siem Reap by staying in either one of our 2 suites, 4 junior suites or 5 uniquely deluxe rooms and one classic standard room, decorated in a mix of boutique and homely styles that offer the simplicity, comfort and relaxation you desire on a tropical holiday.

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 10am - 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 - Pharmacies

U-Care Pharmacies Old market in front of Pub Street. Tel: 063 965 396; Inside Lucky Mall. Tel: 063 966 68; Siem Reap Airport. Tel: 063 766049; Sivatha Street. Tel: 063 763 399 www.ucarepharma.com Provide international cosmetic brands, leading imported health & beauty products, only certified medication. Professional advice and convenient and strategic location.

Open daily from 8am to 10pm.

Siem Reap - Restaurants

Armand’s The Bistro 584-586, Tep Vong, Sangkat Svay Dangkom (Next to ANZ Bank), Phum Mondul 1 Tel: 092 305 401 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.

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.

Hard Rock Café 7 Makara, Achar Sva Street, Watbo Village. Tel: 093 565 655, info@ hrcangkor.com Situated in a colonial-style building, Hard Rock Cafe Angkor fits perfectly with the surrounding businesses and buildings in the historic city centre. With 160 seats across two floors, and an additional 80 seats on the riverside terrace, the cafe is a great place to grab a bite. Open daily from 11am to late night.

King’s Road Angkor 7 Makara Road, Achar Sva Street (opposite Old Market bridge along the river) Siem Reap. Tel: 093 811 800, kingsroadangkor.com A unique dining and shopping village in Siem Reap, comprising of 15 restaurants and cafes and a dozen boutiques. it provides entertainment in elegant surroundings and is an ideal location to unwind from visiting the temples.

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-B Phum Slokram, Siem Reap (Between Wat Polanka & Catholic Church). Tel: 017 363 284 Featuring a winning mix of creative local cuisine, Marum customers will enjoy a fantastic dining experience that helps build a new life for the students in training there. Open daily from 11am -10.30pm (Kitchen closes at 9.30pm).

Palate Angkor Acha Sva Road, Wat Bo Village www.palateangkor.com Tel: 063 965 252 Palate Angkor Restaurant & Bar, the newest addition to the Siem Reap culinary scene. Serving delectable Pan Asian cuisine, Palate Angkor is centrally located in the leafy French Quarter between The Royal Gardens and the Riverside. Open daily from 11.30am-11pm.

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. Also offers free guided tours of the handicraft workshops to see some of the secrets of traditional Khmer craftsmanship.

Hard Rock Shop 7 Makara, Achar Sva Street, Watbo Village. Tel: 093 565 655, info@ hrcangkor.com The unique rock shop of Cambodia has some exceptional collectibles, fashion and music related merchandise. Open daily from 9.30am to midnight.

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

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.

Siem Reap - Spas

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.

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.

Harem 157 Sisowath Quay.

Tel: 015 868 104 Let us transport you to a world of opulence that inspires relaxation in the authentic and lavish setting of our Shisha lounge. Harem is the perfect place to find yourself again.

Operation from 2pm to 3am.

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

Garuda Khmer Restaurant No. 21, Street 466, Phnom Penh Tel: 092 877 345/092 710 097 Authentic homemade Khmer cuisine served at International standard and a museum where you can eat.

Open daily from 11:30 – 14:30 & from 17:00 – 22:00.

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.

La Table Khmère 11E Street 278.

Tel: 012 238 068 Taste the flavour of traditional Khmer specialities and fusion cuisine in a stylish ambience and atmosphere on Street 278. Also serving Western dishes. Open daily 11am to 11pm. www.la-table-khmere.com Malis 136 Norodom Bvd. Tel: 023 221 022 www.malis-restaurant.com

recipe

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, Phnom Penh Tel: 092 219 565 Romdeng serves Cambodian food that ranges from almost forgotten recipes from the provinces to contemporary creative Cambodian cuisine. It is set in a beautiful colonial building featuring wooden carvings, tables, chairs and unique lights all hand-made in Cambodia.

All of this plus a pool, free WIFI, a family area and a gift shop means a visit is a must. Open daily from 11am-10:30pm (kitchen closes at 9.30pm).

Chinese Topaz Restaurant No. 182, Preah Norodom Blvd (41), 12301 Phnom Penh.

Tel: 023 221 622, Email: topaz-reservation@thalias.biz Website: www.topaz-restaurant.com White and red Jasmine rice served with chicken breast and truffle sauce (2 servings) Ingredients: 200g white/ red Jasmine rice 30g carrots 30g onions 25g clarified butter 5g garlic 20g cooking cream 3g truffles 200g chicken breast cooked with truffle and foie gras 40g Supreme sauce 250g chicken stock 45g Pilaf red premium rice 40g Pilaf white premium rice Method: Step 1: Cook the white and red rice with butter, carrot, onion and chicken soup for 25mins.

Step 2: Fry the cooked rice with the carrot and onions.

Step 3: Sauce (Supreme sauce): Take the chicken stock and mix with the clarified butter for 10 minutes until well-cooked.

Then add the cream.

Step 4: Take the foie gras and truffle and insert in the chicken breast then marinate with salt, pepper and olive oil and wrap in vacuum foil.

Step 5: Cook with chicken stock for one hour and slice for serving.

Recipes provided by members of:

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.

Yi Sang Chinese Restaurant 128F Sothearos Blvd.

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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 The Bistro 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 Tuesday to Sunday 5pm 11.45pm.

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 Bistrot 218, Street 184. Tel: 012 495 841, email information@institutfrançais-cambodge. com.Nestled inside the entirely renovated spaces of the Institut français, Le Bistrot will now be open for who wants to enjoy a coffee break or a convivial lunch and dinner. Le Bistrot is between the media library, cinema, exhibition gallery and garden of the Institut français. Open from Monday to Saturday from 8am-10pm.

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.

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.

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.

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: 023 222 705 A boutique Asian-themed restaurant with an intimate, casual ambiance featuring classical Thai and Khmer cuisine with affordable price. Known for authentic flavours and attractive presentation, only the best local produce and choice seafood and meats are prepared fresh daily. Open daily 10am - 10pm.

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, 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 all-

you-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.

Botanico Gastro Bar 9B Street 29, Tel: 017 862 992 Botanico is located in its own habitat surrounded by over 2,000 plants and offers a provocative menu of tapas, salads, burgers & sandwich, and straightforward food.

Open on Tue – Sun all day menu from 10.30am-8.30pm Brooklyn Pizza + Bistro 20 Street 123. Tel: 089 925 926 A slice of Brooklyn right here in Phnom Penh. In addition to authentic pizza, Brooklyn serves pastas, burgers, ribs, chicken wings and more.

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.

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 : 023 986 114 www.doorspp.com Is the newest hub for music, art,nightlife and food. Experience world class Spanish cuisine and mouth watering Tapas cooked by our resident chef Cristia Nou Picart.

Open 11am until late Duplex 3 Street 278, www.duplex.com.kh A trendy spot for expats and tourists to hang-out. It has a cafe, a restaurant, a bar and a club. All this is under one roof in the heart of the city (Wat Langka).

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.

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 the Restaurant 215 Street 13, Phnom Penh Tel: 012 802 072 Friends the Restaurant is a training restaurant run by Mith Samlanh, which has worked to build the futures of former street children and marginalised young people in Phnom Penh since 1994. Located near the National Museum, it is famous for its legendary frozen shakes and daiquiris and its delicious blend of Asian and Westernstyle tapas. Free WiFi available and a dog-friendly restaurant. Open daily from 11am – 10.30pm (kitchen closes at 9.30pm).

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.

Hammok Garden 23 Street 288 between Street 63 & Monivong Blvd. Tel: 023 997 255 We prepare BBQ Slate Lava grill made from Sakurajima volcano’s lava stone. It makes meat tasty, healthy and juicy. Also large space for parties and big screen TV for watching sports and movies. Open daily 5pm - 10pm.

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 to 10pm.

Jay’s Diner 69 Street 178, Tel: 023 213 930 www.the-artist-guesthouse.com Jay’s diner is offering some of New York’s best food. The decor is a twist of a classic American diner and a bistro. Monday to Saturday 7 am - 10pm. Sunday 7am 4pm. Closed Sunday evening.

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

Tel: 023 999 200.

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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 to 2pm,5pm to 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.

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.

Lone Pine Cafe 14 Street 282 (Free delivery) Tel: 078 949 398/095 949 398 Colossal burgers, Memphis hunk ribs, Cajun gumbo, spicy chili, root beer barbecue pulled pork, po boys, wings, big salads, best beer list, great bourbons and fantastic margaritas. Open daily from 11.30am to 2pm, 6pm to10pm (evenings only on Sunday).

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 to Saturday, 7am to 10 pm.

Ludwik German Restaurant 28 Street 350 (near Toul Sleng Museum) Tel: 084 444 888 Ludwik is a German restaurant and authentic beer garden where you can hold major events, celebrate with friends or simply relax and enjoy an

ice-cold beer under the shade of the trees. We serves Paulaner (Munich) and Cambodian beers, alongside a range of German and regional cuisine. Open daily from 11am until 10 pm.

Meat & Drink Street 308 alleyway.

Bar and grill. A casual setting for drinks and a bite to eat. No reservations. Open Tuesday to Sunday, 5pm to 11pm.

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 (see bars) 20 Street 178.

Tel: 012 970 718

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.

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.

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.

Riverhouse Asian Bistro 157 Sisowath Quay, Tel: 023 212 302 www.riverhousecambodia.com Well known as one of the oldest French colonial buildings on the riverfront with breezy views along the Tonle Sap & Mekong River. The elegant restaurant and bar offers a special beverage menu, featuring delectable cocktails, quality wines, single malts and freshly squeezed juices.

Open daily from 10am - 2am

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.

Nike’s Pizza House No. 21 Street 282 Corner Street 63 Free home delivery 012 250 295/088 8751 555 Pizza, pasta and much more.

Open daily from 9am to10pm 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 (see bars) 16E Street 294. Tel: 017 327 378 Paddy Rice 213-217 Sisowath Quay.

Tel: 023990321. www.paddyrice.net (see bars) Public House Street 2401/2. Tel: 017 770 754 Offering fresh, simple and delicious cuisine set in a modern take on a pub. Open daily, from 11.30am to late (Saturdays from 10.30am and Sunday brunch).

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 Restaurant Tell 13 Street 90.

Tel: 023 430 650

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 to 3pm, 5pm to 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 to 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 to 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 10am to 10pm Tepui Restaurant Lounge Chinese House, 45 Sisowath Quay Tel: 023 991 514/092 553 300 Located on the second floor of

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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 Mon to Sat, from 5pm until late.

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 to 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 to 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 Shop 102 1B Street 102 (Inside Central Mansion) Tel.: 077 666 115 The Shop restaurant proposes a large range of fresh bread, pastries, chocolates, Western and Asian food.

At night time, the atmosphere becomes cozier and offers a selection of fines wines and cocktails to accompany the dinner menu. Customers have access to the nearby swimming pool, making it the perfect place for families.

Kirirom Pine View Kitchen Tel: 078 777 284, www.vkirirom.com The restaurant is surrounded by pine trees, located in Kirirom National Park.

Our chef’s will serve you special Khmer and western dishes, overlooking this beautiful nature. Open daily from 7am to 10pm.

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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

APERITIVO Sothearos Boulevard, opposite Wat Botum (used to be Dolce Vita) Giampaolo Chiarion gchiarion@gmail.com, aperitivo.italin1@gmail.com 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.

Caravan Restaurant and Fine Dining 68 Sihanouk Blvd., Tel: 023 966 600 Indulge in fine dining and fresh Italian food, from home-made pasta and tiramasu to American-imported lobster and prime kobe steak. A range of wines, whiskeys and cigars are also on offer.

Open daily, from 10am to 11pm.

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.

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.

Genova Italian Restaurant 20 Street 118.

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.

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.

Italian House 2 Street 312 (end of Street 9.)

Tel: 092 230 207 Italian chef. Wooden fire oven.

Pizzaeria, antipasti, pasta, salads, desserts. We offer delivery and catering around BKK I area.

Open daily from 5:30pm – 10:30pm.

Mr. Lee Garden Restaurant 44 Street 172, opposite Pontoon Club.

Tel: 017 384 772/010 254 162 Email: 1559835@naver.com Set around bustling street 172, Mr. Lee Garden restaurant serves international cuisine, especially Korean food, cooked

by Chef Mr. Lee. You can find various foods with affordable prices before or after the dance floor. Open daily from 7am – 11pm.

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

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 - 2pm, 5pm12am.

Luna 6C Street 29. Tel 023 220 895 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.

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.

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.

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.

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

Yuzu 1 Street 360. Tel: 095 600 400.

Open daily from 11am to 10pm Specialising in ramen, tempura and makisushi in chic surroundings.

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.

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

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imbibe

Roussanne Darren Gall The Rhone Valley in France is rightly famous for its rich, spicy, full-bodied red wines and grape varieties that go into these vinous legends, namely: Syrah, Grenache, Mourvedre and a number of lesser used red varieties like Cinsault and Carignan.

Syrah – Shiraz as it is known in Australia – is widely planted around the world. Grenache and Mourvedre have also been widely planted - the other varieties to a far lesser extent.

White wines from the Rhone Valley have never really enjoyed the international recognition and fame of their red counterparts.

In the Northern Rhone the three major white Rhone varieties that shine through are Viognier, Marsanne and Roussanne. Condrieu and Grillet are Viognier regions whilst Hermitage, Croze Hermitage, Saint Joseph and Saint Peray are regions that use Marsanne and Roussanne, either blended together or as separate varietals.

In recent years, it has been the white Rhone variety of Viognier that has been gaining an international profile from both the Rhone and vineyards around the globe.

This white variety is also sometimes used in small quantities in the famous Cote Rotie reds which consist mostly of Syrah. The addition of a small amount of Viognier -co-fermented- can give these big, richly flavoured

wines a lifted, attractive perfume and a silkier texture.

Roussanne is a variety that has been largely avoided by the rest of the world’s wine regions, due to its reputation for being pernickety in the vineyard; it is capable of wide variations in quality and quantity based on site selection, soils, climate and viticultural management.

The variety is also known for its miserly yields of fruit and is susceptible to picking up diseases. So, commercially the variety often doesn’t make much sense, but for the artisan or just plain bone-headed wine makers our there, it can present a challenge with unique and exceptional rewards.

Often used as a blending variety and a minor partner, Roussanne is used to add acidity, length and aromatics to a wine. On its own, however, the wine is capable of producing magnificent and unique blend with powerful, lifted perfumes of wild flowers, wild honey, floral spices, damp hay, dried herbs and nutty characters.

Flavours are often intense and complex: pear, herbs, floral spice, wild honey, almond and minerals, all kept tight and vibrant by that good, crisp acidity.

The wine pairs well with vegetable tempura, avocado salads, seafood curries and lighter Vietnamese dishes. In Cambodia look for wines by M. Chapoutier, d’Arenberg or my favourite, Giaconda Aeolia.

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. gall.darren@yahoo.com.

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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.

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.

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

K’NYAY (see restaurants Cambodian) 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 offering bagels, salads and wraps with a wide array of super fresh toppings. Choose from readymade 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

AlexCAFE 37 Street 123 corner Street 460

Tel: 012 343 994/070 344 353 AlexCAFE provides green environment for guests to sip Cambodian coffee and taste a selection of Khmer dishes. Stay awake & fresh at AlexCAFE with our promotion noodles and iced coffee for only $2, with free Wi-Fi. 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.

Brown Coffee & Bakery 17 Street 214, and other locations throughout they city.

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 Le Point Tel: 077 974 921 Enjoy the cosy and relaxed atmosphere under a big mango tree.

Located near KFC on Norodom Bvd, next to La Clef de Sol shop. Healthy, natural and delicious. Open Mon Sat, from 7am to 7pm.

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.

Cupcake Rush 23A Street 57/ 306. Tel: 087 696 988.Open daily from 8am to 8pm.

Sweet treats galore at this cute, specialist cupcake shop.

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in the kitchen

Mango Season Rebecca Luria-Phillips I’ve lived in a handful of mango-growing countries and, hands down, Cambodian mangoes taste the most amazing to me. Sweet, tender and an irresistible comehither saffron flesh color.

I’m a woman possessed when it comes to mango season. It’s my consolation for missing out on strawberries and peaches back home. March to July brings a steady supply to the markets, as that’s their natural growing season, but have you noticed mangoes now showing up in December?

The mangoes being plied by bicycling vendors across town are Keo Lamiet mangoes, literally translated as turmeric mangoes. This “second” season of mangoes right now is a result of trees being chemically cajoled to produce outside their traditional growing cycle.

I consulted Cambodiabased organic farm, Discovery Farms, to break down the science. Simply put, after the March to July mango season, trees are being induced with potassium nitrate to flower again during rainy season.

Wet and humid trees necessitate the use of fungicides and insecticides.

Fruits are picked green to preserve shape and aesthetics during shipping and then chemically ripened upon arrival at the wholesaler.

After harvesting, trees are coaxed with another dose of potassium nitrate to

prepare it for its traditional flowering season in January.

Potassium nitrate is used to replicate the conventional technique of burning leaves under the mango tree wherein ethylene in the smoke induces the branches to grow new leaves and flower again. If a tree does not flower after potassium nitrate application it means the tree is not physiologically ready to do so. Generally, it takes eight to 10 months for a tree to go from harvest to flower again.

While chemically sprayed trees produce more fruit than unsprayed trees, yields and fruit size decline after several years of repeated applications. By year seven, trees are producing 50 to 70 per cent less fruit, according to Dr Ramon Barba, a Filipino horticulturist and the discoverer of potassium nitrate as a flower inducer.

Year-round mangoes are proving fatal to the honey bee. When an insect returns to the hive with traces of synthetic chemicals, it builds up and contributes to the collapse of the bee colony.

A way to tell if a mango has been chemically “photoshopped” is skin colour. Saffron yellow, rather than a greenish yellow, has been artificially ripened.

While the bright yellow skin suggests ripeness, when you cut into it,the flesh will be a paler, less sweet yellow.

The greenish-yellow mango has a red-golden flesh that is super sweet.

Rebecca Luria-Phillips is writer and editor of the food website realfoodcambodia.com, which is about building connections to the foods we eat in Cambodia. Questions and comments can be sent to beccaluria@gmail.com

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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.

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.

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.

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).

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

Apros Pub 21Eo Street 322 (between 51 & 57) Mr. Sothea Tel: 097 6085 050 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!

Bar.sito Street 2401/2.

Tel: 077 960 413 Cocktail bar, serving especially designed cocktails, ice-cold beers, red and white wines, champagnes and spirits. Open seven days, 5pm until late.

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 a riverfront vantage.

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) Chez Rina Cocktail Lounge 6 Street 98, Round the corner of Brown’s Riverside Tel: 017 259 955 Phnom Penh’s coolest lounge in a beautifully restored 1890s space in the historic old French Quarter around the Post Office. The focus is on cocktails and conversation hosted by the lovely Chanrina. Open Monday - Saturday 5pm - 12pm.

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.

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.

Elephant Sky Bar 134Z 7th & 8th Floor Patio Hotel Street 51 (on the corner St. 288) Tel: 023 997 900/Ext. 701 www.patio-hotel.com Elephant Sky Bar has set up on the roof top of Patio Hotel with a sky pool where you can see a fabulous view of the town. It is perfect for business talks and relaxation during lunch or after work.

Open daily for breakfast, lunch & dinner from 6.30am – 11pm.

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 hangout, 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.

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, and has frequent live music. Open 4pm to 2am, take away 5pm til late.

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.

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 downstairs 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.

Meta House 37 Sothearos Blvd, opposite Phnom Penh Centre Tel: 023 218 987/010 312 333 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.

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.

Metro Café Cnr. Sisowath Quay & Street 148 Tel: 023 222 275 (see Restaurants International)

Wine Bars

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.

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.

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 until late.

Riverside Bistro Cnr. Sisowath Quay & Street 148, Tel: 012 277 882 / 023 213 898 (see Restaurants International) Seibur Street 308. Tel: 092 839 440 Aperitif room. Open seven days, from 5pm to 11pm.

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-Friendly

Arthur & Paul Males Bar and Spa 27 Street 71, BKKI Tel. 023 212 814/077 892 256, www.arthurandpaul.com The first gay (men-only) SpaBoutique-Hotel-Restaurant-Bar in Phnom Penh. For everyone who would like to relax after a harassing day of work or intensive visiting, the steam baths and sensual showers are at your disposal. Ease muscle tension, chat, have a Jacuzzi or just relax in one of the private rooms. After using our facilities or swimming, you can enjoy a drink in the bar or just relax in the restaurant and lounge or around the pool.

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

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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.

CodeRED

By Koh Pich Bridge, opposite Naga World. Tel: 017 800 642 Launched by veterans of PP clubland, CodeRED aims to bring high calibre DJs to Cambodia as well as support the best of local talent.

D-club 3 Street 278, Tel: 010 268 278 www.duplex.com.kh, www.facebook. com/dclubpp Stylish and energetic. D-club combines the allure of world-class decor with pulse-pounding sounds to create the most dynamic nightlife destination.

Open Sunday - Thursday 9pm – 2:30am, Friday and Saturday 9pm – 3am 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. Semi-private booths in a chic environment make for an unrivalled experience. Open daily from 7pm until late.

Heart of Darkness 38 Street 51. Tel: 023 222 415 One of 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.

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 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.

Nomads Club 46-48, St 172 Khan Daun Penh (opposite Pontoon) PP Facebook: www.facebook.com/ Nomadclub 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 to 4am.

Pontoon Street 172 It is an institution in Phnom Penh.

The biggest, wildest club where it all happens. Pontoon is the night-out you need to have while in Phnom Penh.

Riverhouse Lounge 157 Sisowath Quay. Tel: 012 299 161 The Riverhouse Lounge is a place for party lovers. Live DJ music every night of the week, theme parties and events will fill your calendar’s nightlife.

Operation Time: 4pm to 2am

LISTINGS

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.

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 to 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 airconditioned environment including 3D. Screenings:10am to 9pm, box office: 10am to 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

Meta House 37 Sothearos Blvd.

Tel: 010 312 333 Short films, documentaries and art films from Asia and the ret fo the world screened daily. International food also served, regular DJs perform throughout the week. Open Tuesday to Sunday, 4pm to 11pm - open late at weekends with DJs and parties.

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.

Romeet 34E Street 178. Tel: 092 953 567.

Romeet is a dynamic space for Cambodian contemporary art, presenting exhibitions, talks, workshops, local collaborations and international exchanges. The galllery was founed by Phare Ponleu Selpak in 2011.

Open Tues - Sat, 10am to 12pm and 1pm to 6pm, and 2pm to 6pm on Sundays.

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 128-G9 Sothearos Blvd. Tel: 023 986 032. www.cambodianlivingarts.org A non-profit arts organisation devoted to the revival and transmission of traditional Khmer performing arts that puts on performances and provides tours.

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.

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.).

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.

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.

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

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Carnets d’Asie offers a selection of French books.

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 to late.

Living Arts Experiences 128-G9 Sothearos Blvd.

Tel: 018 998 570 Email: events@cambodianlivingarts.org Visit local dance, theatre and musical rehearsals of the traditional Khmer arts through Cambodian Living Arts’ Observation Tours. Available in Siem Ream, Phnom Penh & Kampong Speu call for times and to book in advance.

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 full-day rates available.

Classes

At La Table Khmère cooking class 11E Street 278, Tel: 012 238 068 www.phnompenh-cooking-class.com For all those wanting to learn how to prepare traditional Khmer specialties from scratch in a clean and airconditioned setting. Morning classes include a visit to the local market. Open daily, classes start at 9am and 3pm.

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”.

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.

sos

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.

NataRaj Yoga Studio 52 Street 302, Tel: 012 250 817 / 090 311 341 www.yogacambodia.com, Welcome everyone to the peaceful yoga studio.

Wide variety of daily drop-in yoga classes & monthly workshops in many styles with international qualified teachers. Your yoga class contributes to our NGO yoga programs for local kids. Stretch your body while feeling great about reaching out to Cambodian youth.

Photography Tours 126 Street 136. Tel: 092 526 706 www.nathanhortonphotography.com Photography tuition and guided tours to Kampong Chnang and Udong, covering technical and creative considerations in the context of travel photography.

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 39 Street 21 www.yogaphnompenh.com Daily drop-in classes for all levels with experienced, qualified international teachers. Classes include Ashtanga yoga, Vinyasa Flow Yoga, Fly Yoga, Fly Fit and Classical yoga. Regular workshops and Bliss weekend also offered.

Rabies

By Dr Sary Om Rabies, in developing countries such as Cambodia, is much more common than people realise.

Studies conducted in Cambodia reveal a high rate of infection in stray dogs.

Monkeys, cats, and bats can also carry the disease.

Many rabies victims, most of them children under 15 years old, are dying without a proper diagnosis and adequate access to post exposure prophylaxis.

Rabies is a virus that attacks the central nervous system, ultimately causing disease in the brain leading to death. It is transmitted through rabid animal bites and scratches. Early symptoms include fever, headache, and general tiredness.

As the disease progresses, more specific symptoms such as insomnia, delirium, paralysis, hallucinations, agitation, over-production of tears and saliva, and difficulty swallowing occur. Many patients develop a strange fear of water. Death usually occurs within days of the onset of these critical symptoms. Even with the best medical care, almost no one survives rabies.

The chance of getting rabies remains high in Cambodia especially in remote places.If an attack occurs, it is important for the victim to see a doctor immediately to receive post exposure prophylaxis. This includes rabies vaccination and Human Rabies Immune

Globulin (HRIG). Both should be given within 72 hours.

Since this disease is so hard to fight, the immunoglobulin is needed to give immediate antibodies against rabies. A series of four shots, given at zero, three, seven and 14 days is also needed.

Some survive with just the vaccine but HRIG is important to ensure a good immune reaction against rabies. However, HRIG is very expensive and difficult to get outside Phnom Penh.

If you think you have been exposed to rabies, clean the wound with soap under running tap water for several minutes and apply an antiseptic such as povidone-iodine or alcohol.

Victims should then get to a health facility to receive the vaccine and immunoglobulin.

However, if you know you will be travelling to or working in a high-risk place, a rabies vaccine is a recommended preventative measure. This is made up of three vaccines to boost your immunity at zero, seven, and 21 to 28 days.

If you get bitten after that, you only need to receive two vaccines after (at zero and three days) and you will not need any immunoglobulin.

Pet dogs and cats can also be vaccinated against rabies. It would be beneficial for Cambodia to campaign against rabies by vaccinating animals to prevent the spread of the disease.

If you have any enquiries regarding this or any other medical matters and issues, do not hesitate to contact info.cambodia@ internationalsos.com

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Chemists

U-Care Pharmacy 26-28 Sothearos Blvd. Tel 023 222 499; 39 Sihanouk Blvd. Tel 023 224 099; 41-43 Norodom Blvd. Tel 023 224 299; 844 Kampuchea krom Blvd. Tel 023 884 004; 207-209 Sisowath Quay. Tel 023 223 499; 194 Tro Sork P’em. Tel 023 224 399. www.ucarepharma.com Provide international cosmetic brands, leading imported health & beauty products, only certified medication.

Professional advice and convenient and strategic locations.

Open daily from 8am to 10pm.

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 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.

ROOMCHANG 4 Street 184, Phnom Penh 10, Block 252 Bassac Garden City (inside Rose Condo), Phnom Penh www.roomchang.com Tel: 023 211 338 Emergency: 011 811 338 World leader in clinical implant dentistry.

Complete state of the art dental hospital. In depth consultations on all procedures. True precision with digital and robotic technology for an optimum clinical result. Excellent customer service. General check-ups are free!

Shigeta Dental Clinic 25 Street 294 cnr Street21

76 AsiaLIFE Cambodia

Tel: 023 223 225 / 010705083 Email: info@shigetadental.com Faebook: shigetadentalclinic www.shigedental.com 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-ofthe-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

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 to 8pm, closed Sunday.

Kate Korpi Salon 6 Floor inside Sun City corner of Street 51 & Street 370 Tel: 023 988 166 www.katekorpisalon.com Kate Korpi Salon is Phnom Penh’s newest premier salon. Tp sop stylists from around the globe provide a full range of services including hairstyles, skin care and Dermalogica Microzone treatments. Open Tue:sday 11am to 8pm. Wednesday to Saturday 10am to 6pm.

Toni & Guy Aeon Mall first floor, Tel 023 901 190, Facebook toniandguycambodia Toni & Guy Cambodia will bring 50 years of hair fashion heritage to Phnom Penh.

Originally from UK, there are now over 400 salons worldwide. Specialist stylists for cuts and colourists to give the colour you want from the UK and Japan. Uses Label M products. Open every day from 10am until 8pm.

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. Open Mon - Fri 8.30am6pm , 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.

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.

Aura Spa 21 Mao Tse Toung Blvd, Phnom Penh (near the corner of St. 63).

No. 23, Street 294 (between St. 21 and St. 9), Phnom Penh Tel: 023 555 3209 Mobile: 015 991 688, www.auracambodia.com Aura Spa creates its own signature massage therapy with well-trained therapists to enhance a traditional blend of ancient health and beauty practices which have been passed down from generation to generation. Open every day from 9am – 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.

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.

Derma-MK Skin Center 183 Street 63, Tel: 023 219 105 Focused on Dermalogica products, this care facility offers facial treatments, including anti-aging and brightening, as well as body treatments such as body scrubs and massage. Open daily from 10:00am – 7:00pm.

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.

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.

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 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.

Waterlily Spa N42, Spean Anthernou (near Koh Pich) Tel: 012 632 329, spawaterlilty.com Indulge yourself with our spa services that pamper guests from head to toe.

Waterlily Spa offers skincare/facials, body treatments, massages, waxing and nail care. Open daily 10am - 11pm.

Tattoos and Piercing

Black Star 5A Street 90, Phnom Penh www.blackstarcambodia.com Tel: 070 200 900/078 753 697 Welcome to Black Star Tattoo’s Cambodia’s finest whether you’re just passing through the Penh, or you’re a resident, this is the place to come for the highest quality tattooing.

Open daily from 10am – 10pm.

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 The Beeline Arena is the first multipurpose sports arena in Cambodia with international standards, 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.

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.

Cambodia Golf & Country Club Route 4, Kompong Speur Tel: 023 363 666 International standard, 18-hole golf course.

Open 6am until dark.

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.

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.

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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 The Shop Too 38 Street 337 Tel: 012 952 839 Little haven of calm with a wide range of fresh bread, patisseries, chocolates, juices and excellent salads, sandwiches.

All products such as croissants, cakes etc. are baked on the spot…With a big garden in front and nice courtyard at the back, it makes it a perfect place for family as well. Open daily 7am – 9pm.

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

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from the city. Dedicated to leisure, rest and entertainment, CCC is suitable for children.

Open daily 6.30am until late.

Kids City 162A Sihanouk Boulvard. www.kidscityasia.com Indoor entertainment centre with climbing walls, ice skating, laser tag. toddler town and other attractions.

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

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 Alberta.

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 play-based, ‘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: 077 222 084, www.footprintschool.edu.kh Established in 2007 Footprints School offers nursery (age 2) through

Secondary and has 4 campuses. The curriculum is designed for the dynamic needs and interests of our students and staff are hired for their experience and love for children.

Giving Tree Primary Class Preschool and Primary (Grades 1 to 3): Secondary Branch 50, Street 322 Tel: 017 997 112 registrar@thegivingtreeschool. com Our multi-age Primary Class, for students ages 6-9 years, is designed to accommodate each child’s individual learning needs. We follow the International Primary Curriculum, and include tennis, yoga, music, art, computers and swimming. 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 Learning Jungle School 14 Street 337, Toul Kork Tel: 095 222 885 / 023 5555 363 www.learningjungle.com International early learning and care provider headquartered in Canada is proud to announce its entry into the Cambodian pre-school market.

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 fullyauthorized 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.

Raffles Montessori International School of Phnom Penh 18 Street 294, corner of Street 57 Tel: 023 993 999 info@rmispp.edu.kh International standard school from Singapore which invites you to let your children experience the beauty of independent education with a team of Montessori-trained teachers. Offering Kindergarten from ages 1.5 to 6 years old in a loving and encouraging environment.

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

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.

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.

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.

Shops

Little Phnom Penh 194eoz Street 306 Tel: 017877471 French and Italian designers for kids fashion brand produce children’s wear from new born to 16 years old, using local fabrics and mixing it with their taste of European fashion. The collection includes printed T-shirts with graphic designs that recall beautiful Cambodia’s icons. Open daily from 9.30am to 6.30pm.

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 to 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 one-stop 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

A Robot or a Child?

Anna Glazkova Living in an environment where everything is affordable, many parents choose to enroll their little ones in a variety of different activities.

Way too many different activities, I should say.

My seven-year old son has already tried tennis, karate, judo, piano, swimming and violin. He didn’t stick with any of them. Sound familiar?

The other day I watched a documentary on a 12-year-old girl who decided she wanted to be an astronaut at the age of three. Since then, she has been training to make her dream come true, claiming, “Failure is not an option.”

This girl wanted to feel unique, and visiting Mars would make her feel that way. I’m still hoping this documentary is a fake.

First of all, let me make it clear, I can`t believe at the age of three a child can know their purpose in life. I’m 34 and I’m still unsure about where tomorrow will bring me.

Maybe I’m a special case, but jokes aside, if my threeyear-old decides to become a unicorn tomorrow, I’m not bringing her to a plastic surgeon to get that implant.

Indeed, many people who succeeded professionally, especially on the artistic or sports field, started early. And many of them are satisfied with their choice. But to what extent did the decisionmaking belong to them?

As for my family, I tried

different support teachers and schools, but always met the same poor response from my son. So I backed off on the afterschool activities. I decided to do because he didn’t seem to enjoy what I was imposing on him.

He would pretend he was sick and make me cancel the tennis class before happily running around the garden with friends, switching from the bike to roller blades, before jumping into the pool.

I waited in silent patience until one day my son realised his tennis teacher had somehow vanished from his life and he actually missed the sessions. Only when he asked about classes did we start it again.

If you feel that what your child’s regular school offers in terms of intellectual, physical and creative development is enough for now, then leave your child some space for silly play.

The most amazing discoveries happen during this free unstructured play, where the child is the leader.

They need this space to polish their personality, to sharpen their character.

Being a gentle guide, finding balance between encouraging them to do something and giving them time to grow, showing unconditional love, and teaching our children that it’s OK to fail is what we can do to raise unique and happy creatures.

Anna Glazkova is a mother to two children aged three and seven. She is interested in child psychology, especially early years development. Founder of The Giving Tree Preschool and Primary, Anna also teaches prenatal, regular and radiant child yoga programs.

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services

LISTINGS

business & services Architecture, Interior Design & Construction

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. 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.

Expat Motorbike Cambodia 38Eo, Street 322, Tel: 089 491 436/089 518 867 Email:emcjapeng@ gmail.com, www.facebook.com/ RentalMotorCambodia We offer motorbike rental services for expats living in Phnom Penh including well-maintained motors, reliable & responsive service.

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 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.

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 packages in 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.

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services

money matters

Resist the seduction of unrealistic returns Paul Dodd Since the dawn of time men and women have been seduced by the promise of great riches, only to be disappointed by reality.

Just look at Eve, tempted by a wily snake offering her divine knowledge and doomed to a future of suffering for yielding to temptation.

Succumbing to the temptation of improbably high guaranteed returns on investments may not have quite so dire consequences, but you should nevertheless be wary of the serpents operating in the financial industry in Asia.

Certain unscrupulous operators will try to tempt you to invest by promising higher-thanrealistic growth projections. It is entirely understandable why the promise of high returns might catch your eye but beware there will always be a catch.

The fact is that in the current financial landscape, it is not easy to make your money work for you. Since the global financial crisis threw us all a curve ball in 2007, bank deposits have been earning historically low interest.

In most cases you can hope to make at best one percent on your money by sticking it in the bank.

Other investment solutions such as stocks, shares and mutual funds may offer a higher return but that always brings with it greater risk. The risk:return ratio forms the basis of the global financial system

and you cannot get away from the fact that the higher the possible return, the more you will be risking your money.

If you see advertisements offering a ‘guarantee’ of a surprisingly high return, approach them with caution.

There will be a risk element, although it will probably be hidden in the small print.

How do I know? Because quite simply it is impossible to provide a fixed rate of return which is significantly higher than the rate of interest without adding risk. The risk could take many guises, including currency risk or long-term illiquidity, and it may be hard to spot but will be there.

There are circumstances where it may be judged that taking on more risk to attain higher returns is a valid strategy but it stands to reason that offering a ‘guarantee ‘ is not commensurate with that investment.

When it comes to their money most people are risk averse and would rather see their money grow slower and more consistently.

The way investment managers do that is by taking a percentage of the investment and hedging it against market falls. Logically, that means a lower percentage of the investment is chasing market rises.

It’s a bit more complicated than that but that is the essence of how investment works.

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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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, cimbbank.com.kh Full range of commercial and consumer banking products and services for both Cambodian and foreign businesses and individuals.

The first Japanese bank in Cambodia.

Maruhan Japan Bank 83 Norodom Blvd. Tel: 023 999 010 First Japanese bank in Phnom Penh.

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.

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.

KTOP 4th Floor, Sorya Shopping Center.

Tel: 023 6666 763, www.ktop.com.kh Broad range of quality and up-to-date smartphones, tablets, computers and accessories. Special services for OS upgrade, maintenance, applications, games, music and movies for mobile devices and computers. Open daily from 9am - 8.30pm 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.

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.

Internet Provider

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.

Forte Insurance 325, Mao Tse Toung Blvd, Phnom Penh, Tel: 023 885 077 www.forteinsurance.com Forte Insurance is dedicated to providing exceptionally comprehensive and efficient insurance services (Corporate Insurance & Personal Insurance) to all our clients.

Infinity Insurance 126 Norodom Blvd. Tel: 023 999 888 Professional insurance company offers motor, property, home, marine cargo, personal accident, healthcare, construction and engineering insurance.

Group policies can be customised.

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.

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.

Gordon and Associates Asia 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.

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. 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.

services 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

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. i3 Studio Tel: 017728895/095666817/092709596 www.facebook.com/i3studio Photography services: event, prewedding, wedding coverage and videography service.

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

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. expat2cambodia Call Sophie: 066 200 767 www.expat2cambodia.com Your personal consultant offering services from expat to expat in the client’s own language: city orientation, house hunting and utilities, health care, cars/motorbikes, recreation facilities, networking, shopping, administration.

Aircon Restaurant Art Exhibitions Dance Theatre

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.

German Classes Film School Musical Events Fixed +855 (0)23 224 140 Mobile +855 (0)10 312 333 Homepage: www.meta-house.com Email: mesterharm@gmx.net

Workshop Space Open-Air-Cinema

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 pickup service.

Telecoms

Emaxx Corner St 214 and Norodom Blvd.

Tel: 023 999 818 We provide a national, high-quality, 4G communications network service for Internet and multi-media services including commerce, entertainment and education for development of Cambodia.

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.

AsiaLIFE Cambodia 83

LISTINGS

shopping Art

Estampe 72c street 174 (between St. 63 & St. 51) and 197a Street 19 Tel : 012 826 186, www.facebook.com/estampe. phnompenh1 A wide collection of vintage items can be found at Estampe. There are originals and reproductions of old photos, books, maps from late 19th and early 20th century. Documents on specific themes or periods for unique tailor-made collections for hotels, restaurants or house decoration can be made. Open Monday - Saturday from 11am to 7pm.

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.

- 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.

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

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.

Beauty Products

Crafts & Furniture

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

84 AsiaLIFE Cambodia

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.

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.

Indulgence Interiors 23A Street 302 Tel: 023 637 3666 / 012 586 688 Email: Indulgenceinteriors@gmail.com Sells sofas, dining sets, bed linen, curtain & lights.

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. 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.

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. Back to the Future No. 193A Street 63 near the corner Street 294 Tel: 078 991 232 Old fashion is always becoming new fashion. What was fashionable before, will be fashionable again. At Back to the Future, we have an amazing selection of hand-picked, vintage items ranging from cloths, bags, shoes, and accessories. Open daily from 8am -8pm.

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.

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.

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).

inspiring arts

The Sound of Mourning CLA Music played at Khmer funerals is of vital importance as it is meant to ease the process of entering the afterlife for both the deceased and the ones who care for them.

This art form is one of the rarest Cambodian music styles one can find, and is named differently throughout the country: Kong Skor, Kantoam ming, Thoam ming, Troe ming, Tum mong, and Trai lea, All the aforementioned terms refer to the same genre of music commonly performed only in the northwest and the southeast of the country.

The most used term to depict this form of music is Kong Skor, which is understood throughout the country, whose music ensemble’s indispensible instruments being the drum and the gong. Kong Skor, literally meaning “gong and drum”, is an ensemble of gongs, drums and a unique Khmer reed instrument called srolai.

The instruments used to perform this kind of music vary widely from one region to the other, but always features a large drum (skor) and one or more large gongs (kong).

Each region’s Kong Skor music differs, various influences adding their twist to the basic ensemble of gong and drum. In Kampot province, Kong Skor ensembles include many of the “Khmer music” ensemble

instruments, combining it with bowed and plucked string instruments. Whereas in Siem Reap and Surin province in Thailand, a set of gongs borrowed from the pin peat ensemble called the kong peat and a quadrublereed aerophone called the sralai are included instead.

Kong Skor music’s meaning and history has been subject to a wide variety of interpretations. Some people deem Kong Skor as a uniquely Buddhist form of funeral music, suitable for contemplating the impermanence of life.

It is believed to have been either developed by Buddha himself or heard by his followers immediately after his passing. Others claim that Kong Skor resembles a lullaby for the end of life, music to ease and guide the spirit of the deceased back to its homeland for a favorable rebirth.

Although the instruments used in Kong Skor vary considerably and do not always correspond with the “Khmer music” ensemble of bowed and plucked string instruments, the repertoire of songs used is consistent with other forms of “Khmer music,” including music for weddings and spirit possessions.

Some ensembles include a singer, but the lyrics sung are often improvised and are not connected to the lyrics typically associated with the songs.

Cambodian Living Arts celebrates its 15th anniversary this year. To mark its achievement, CLA will be submitting a regular column to AsiaLIFE to explain the world of traditional art forms to our readers.

AsiaLIFE Cambodia 85

TROPICAL & TRAVELLERS MEDICAL CLINIC Dr.Scott BSc.MBChB. DRCOG.DipVen. (U.K.) -20 years of medical experience in Cambodia

Tel: 012 898981 No.88 St.108 Phnom Penh www.travellersmedicalclinic.com

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.

Dara Shoes 10 Street 166, near corner Street 107.

Tel: 012 855 173 / 097 809 743 Good quality shoes, boots, bags, belts and leather products made to order.

D.Hindley Jewellery 9 Street 184 Tel: 012 327 107 Discover a range of beautiful Cambodian gemstones. From affordable to extravagant, we sell top quality 18k gold and sterling silver jewellery, plus loose gemstones. New Zealand/Khmer ownership. All manufacturing done in Cambodia. Open 9am to 7pm.

Hummingbird 137 Street 19 Tel: 092 504 604 www.facebook.com/hummingbird. cambodia Modern women’s clothing boutique with all the latest styles. Opened in 2014 offering a unique, high-quality range of dresses, playsuits, shirts and blouses, skirts, tops and t-shirts, shorts, bags, flats and sandals, jewellery, beauty and wellbeing products and more. Open daily from 9am to 9pm.

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.

86 AsiaLIFE Cambodia

Kool as U 141 Street 19 (north of Street 172) Tel: 012 735 991 www.facebook.com/koolasu Specialist for men wears and tailor.

Open daily from 9am - 9pm.

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.

Luna Boutique 13Eo Street 282 Tel: 012 212 365 Lola’s Intimates 1st Shop: 175 Street 155 (corner Street 460) 2nd Shop: 6E0, Street 5 (btw Street 110 and Street 118) Tel: 092 876 223 Offer all kinds of stylish underwear and night dresses with beautiful patterns.

Price range from $1 to $12 per item.

Opens daily from 9:00-18:30.

Luna Boutique 8E1 Street 278. Tel: 023 220 176 13E0 Street 282 www.lunaboutiquephnompenh.com Original and stylish fashion designs for men and women.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.

Open daily 8am - 9pm.

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. Open 7:30 - 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.

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 Chocolate Shop 240 35 Street 240 Tel: 077 666 402 Premium Chocolate shop with a large range of Cambodian-made Belgian chocolates including some classics such as pralines, trufflesand bars.Open 9am - 7pm from Monday to Saturday & 9am - 4pm on Sunday. Second outlet in BKKI Street 63. Third outlet in Aeon Mall, Ground floor - Sweet Island.

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.

Household Goods

Japan Home Centre 48A Street 294 (btwn St 63 and Monivong Blvd) 101A Street 432 (cnr Street 167) Tel: 089 266 851 www.facebook.com/ japanhomecentrecambodia A place where you can find all of your household needs.

Open daily from 10am to 8pm MI-A JAPAN Street 271(100m after Stung Meanchey bridge). Tel: 023 6444 531 The store provides a variety of products from gardening tools to dining materials. The 100-yen shop is famous in Japan and has now arrives in Phnom Penh and Siem Reap.

Open daily at AEON Mall 1F 9am 10pm, Dream Land on Sisowath Quay 9am - 11pm, Street 271 8am - 9pm & Siem Reap 9am - 10pm.

Silks & Accessories

Friends ‘n’ Stuff 215 Street 13 Friends ‘n’ Stuff shop sells products made by the parents of children in need, from various Friends projects, as well as other consignment items. After some serious shopping, you can relax here with a manicure and massage

by Mith Samlanh’s beauty training students at The Nailbar. Friends ‘n’ Stuff has a small shop at Russian Market and Romdeng restaurant as well. Open daily from 11am to 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.

AsiaLIFE Cambodia 87

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St. 113

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St. 111

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St. 107

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Oknha Noukan

St. 182

(St. 128) St. 126

Kampuchea

St. 109

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Dara Shoes

Le Biz

St. 70

St. 24

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St. 22

St. 22

4

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St. 200

St. 184

St. 174

St. 21

8 St. 17

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St. 136

St. 158

Le Cafe CCF

Le temps des Cerises

Villa Srey

Laneway Luna Boutique

La Rose

Euro Dental Clinic

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Lone Pine

Lucky

St. 107

Krom Blvd.

St. 96

Raffles Hotel Le Royal

Villa Samnang

Hammok Garden

Hotel 252

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Monivong

St. 308

40 St. 2 St. 1

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St. 14

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St. 118

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St. 108

St. 106

St. 102

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Ocean UdonCafe HomeFeel Hotel Pandan Hotel Back to the Future Nike’s Pizza

St. 55

D. Hindley

St. 81

Central Mansions The Shop

St. 86

St. 80

French Embassy

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St. 76

St. 14

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St. 136

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St. 92

St. 90

St. 86

St. 84

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St. 61

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St. 72

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St. 108

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St. 466

St. 436

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1. Delete Almonds - make MI-A logo bigger at Aeon Mall.

2. Remove MI-A logo front street 217 to Street 271 (just one street different).

3. Delete Red Dot and Back to the Future name - just BTTF logo.

St.

43

4

430

Japan Home Centre

75

St. 442

St.

St. 432

St. 4

St. 438

3

St. 424

St. 17

St.

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488 St.

St. 444

St. 163

Physiotherapy

7

St.

St. 486

St. 482

St. 476

St. 478

St. 480

St. 472

St. 470

St. 468

St. 464

Lola’s Intimates St. 460

St. 450

St. 440

St. 432

St. 426

St. 408

St. 418

Toul Tom Pong

490

St. 147 St. 155

494

St. 145

Russian Market

496

500

St. 135

504

512

St. 450

St. 454

St. 446

St. 432

St. 440

St. 428

St. 408

St. 132

St. 456

St. 133

St. 454

St. 121

ercheap

St. 420

St. 396

St. 390

St. 386

Mao Tse Toung Blvd. (Street 245)

Ludwik

St. 376

St. 360

St. 368

St. 105

To Choueng Ek Killing Fields approx. 12 km

St St

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17

I am waiting from last night and till now for Update ads on Al Airports Map but I haven't received from you.

I will not check e-mail from next 10 minutes till Tuesday evening.

For this reason, I trust you to place all AL Map ads correctly based on a note i wrote on November Map (I gave it).

90% of the ads are full paid in particular for December issues.

Best regards, AsiaLIFE Cambodia 89

.2

07

2nd Birthday @ Bar Sito

Juli Handayani Private Collection

Photography by Rudi Towiro and Film Noir Studio

90 AsiaLIFE Cambodia

Epic Launch @ Epic

soundfix album review

by Mai Lynn Miller Nguyen

KINDNESS

GROUPER

AZEALIA BANKS

OLCAY BAYIR

In a cover story interview with The FADER earlier this year, Kindness’ Adam Bainbridge describes himself as “just a kid from Peterborough that loves music. It’s the dominating thing, above making it—just being a fan”. The British musician’s devotion to music is clear in his own work. Though Bainbridge classifies his genre as the catch-all pop, his songs reveal a connoisseur’s knowledge of disco, jazz, soul, hip hop, funk, and R&B. His sophomore album is fashioned with skilled artistic flourishes—a thrilling saxophone sample here, a seductive bass there. Bainbridge thrives with savvy collaborations, including his former roommate Devonté Hynes, Ghanaian rapper M.anifest, and the inimitable Robyn, whose yearning vocals on ‘Who Do You Love’ is the icing on a cake of a record. By creating music as a fan first and foremost, Bainbridge is set to earn a legion of his own admirers.

Being the loudest voice in the room isn’t always the best way to make people understand. The quietness of Grouper’s latest work makes you want to tune in.

Ruins is the 10th studio album from Grouper, the ambient solo project initiated a decade ago

by Portland, Oregon-based musician Liz Harris. Each of the record’s eight tracks serve as serene antidotes to the hustle and bustle of lives experienced in fast forward. More intimate and pared down than Grouper’s previous work, the album was made in a coastal village in Portugal and is built around gauzy acoustic piano melodies and the occasional background noise captured during recording—the patter of rain drops, the croak of frogs, and the familiar beep of a microwave.

Harris murmurs her vocals in a way that the ruminative words are barely discernible, but her songs aims for being heard by the soul.

After releasing a handful of tracks since 2008–crowned by her indie dance hit ‘12’ in 2011 - rapper-singer Azealia Banks is finally releasing her debut album in late 2014. Despite her early success, the Harlem-raised 23-year-old has earned more notoriety of late for Twitter tiffs with Iggy Azalea, Perez Hilton, T.I., Lily Allen, and other newsmakers. With the selfreleased Broke With Expensive Taste, Banks finally lets her music speak for itself. The feistiness that Banks displays in her personal life is fuel to her work, as she raps with a deep voiced confidence reminiscent of early Missy Elliott. Banks has created an album full of chutzpah and surprises, sprinkled with xylophones, a salsa interlude (with verses in Spanish), EDM, cheeky profanities, and UK garage. Years have passed since she first started recording this album, but Banks hasn’t lost a beat.

Turkish music is a bricolage of genres, with influences from Middle Eastern, Central Asian, Mediterranean, and Balkans musical traditions.

Singer-songwriter Olcay Bayir provides her own contribution to this mix, drawing upon both her classical opera training and Anatolian roots for her distinctive sound. Although now living in London, Bayir comes from the southeastern Kurdish region of Turkey, a historic crossing roads where traders travelled between the West and East. Her debut album features both original compositions and interpretations of long handeddown folk songs, each capturing a sweep of emotions from heartsick to plaintive to joyous.

An intoxicating combination of Turkish lute, clarinet, and violin accompany Bayir’s fullbodied soprano, as she sings in a variety of regional languages.

Even though the lyrics may be unintelligible for many, her music breathes the promise of enigma, beauty, and passion.

OTHERNESS

92 AsiaLIFE Cambodia

RUINS

BROKE WITH EXPENSIVE TASTE

NEVA/HARMONY

topten

endorsed

Official 97.5 Love FM Phnom Penh Top Ten 01. All About That Bass 02. First Flight Home 03. Black Widow 04. Shake It Off 05. Steal My Girl 06. Bailando 07. Boom Clap 08. Shower 09. Chandelier 10. Amnesia

Meghan Trainor Jake Miller Iggy Azalea ft Rita Ora Taylor Swift One Direction Enrique Iglesias ft Sean Paul Charli Xcx Becky G Sia 5 Seconds Of Summer

UK Top Ten 01. Do They Know It’s Christmas?

02. Real Love

03. Wrapped Up 04. Thinking Out Loud 05. Dangerous 06. Steal My Girl 07. Wake Me Up

08. 6 Words 09. Blank Space 10. Outside

Band Aid 30 Clean Bandit & Jess Glynne Olly Murs Ed Sheeran David Guetta One Direction Gareth Malone’s All Star Choir Wretch 32 Taylor Swift Calvin Harris

US Top Ten 01. Blank Space 02. All About That Bass 03. Shake It Off 04. Animals 05. Habits (Stay High) 06. Take Me To Church 07. Hot Boy 08. Bang Bang

09. I’m Not The Only One 10. Jealous

Taylor Swift Meghan Trainor Taylor Swift Maroon 5 Tove Lo Hozier Bobby Shmurda Jessie J, Ariana Grande & Nicki Minaj Sam Smith Nick Jonas

44 Scotland Street Series Brett Davis Scottish author Alexander McCall Smith is legendary for his prolific literary output. In addition to being a professor of medical law at Edinburgh University, he has written scores of novels for adults and children, collections of short stories and academic texts.

Many of these novels are produced in series, the most well-known of these being the international best-selling The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency.

The 44 Scotland Street series, which is now comprised of nine books in total, first appeared in serial form in The Scotsman newspaper in 2004, appearing each weekday for almost six months.

The books chronicle the lives of an eclectic group of characters inhabiting the Georgian Newtown section of Edinburgh, most of whom (at least initially), are residents of a tenement at the eponymous address.

The finely-drawn characters represent a place where the upper-classes rub shoulders with artists, students and young professionals. There is Pat, a 20-year-old on a gap year who rents a room from the abominably vain surveyor Bruce, and who works in the gallery of artisticallychallenged Matthew. Across the hall is anthropologist Domenica, who is often visited by her friend, the portraitist Angus. Downstairs is the Pollock family, made up of the passive Stuart, pushy Irene and their long-suffering six-

year-old son Bertie.

These are not novels of high drama, but rather they follow the gentle travails of these and the other protagonists with sharp observations of human behaviour and a droll sense of humour. Above all, what comes through is McCall’s compassion for his characters and his deep affection for the city of Edinburgh.

The concept for the series was partly inspired

by Armistead Maupin’s Tales of the City that appeared in the San Francisco Chronicle prior to being published as novels. The 44 Scotland Street books retain the short, episodic chapters of the original newspaper serial but with perspective shifting between characters.

This structure allows the author to reveal what is going on inside the heads of the different players, as well as allowing him to make digressions via the different characters on many varied topics ranging from the history of Scottish arts to the creeping influence of political correctness.

There is something about McCall’s writing, and the world he has created on Scotland Street, that is utterly engaging.

And while they will never be considered high literature, the simplicity of the stories and beauty of the prose have you wishing you could keep inhabiting this wonderful city along with the characters you have come to know so well.

AsiaLIFE Cambodia 93

bookshelf Suspended Sentences: Three Novellas Patrick Modiano, Mark Polizzotti (translator) Yale University Press

In this trilogy of novellas French author Patrick Modiano, winner of the 2014 Nobel Prize in Literature, reaches back in time, opening the corridors of memory and exploring its mysteries. Each novella in the volume – Afterimage, Suspended Sentences and Flowers of Ruin — were each published separately. However, they also form a single whole in which Modiano draws on his own experiences, blended with the real and invented stories of others, to describe the lives of orphaned children, mysterious parents, forgotten friends and enigmatic strangers in Paris. Shadowed by the dark period of the Nazi Occupation, these novellas reveal Modiano’s fascination with the lost, obscure and mysterious: a young person’s confusion over adult behavior, the repercussions of a chance encounter, the search for a missing father and the aftershock of a fatal affair.

Pogue’s Basics David Pogue Flatiron Books

Did you know that can you scroll a web page just by tapping the space bar? How do you recover photos you’ve deleted by accident? What can you do if your cell phone’s battery is dead by dinnertime each day? Award-winning tech expert David Pogue offers wise tech advice with Pogue’s Basics, a book that will change everyone’s relationship with technology through 225 essential techniques for making gadgets seem easier, faster and less of a hassle. Illustrations accompany each tip, such as how to bring a wet phone back from the dead, the fastest way to charge an iPad, the 10 best apps to put on your phone, how to type symbols, how to use map apps on your phone without an internet connection and more. Pogue is the founder of Yahootech.com and has served 13 years as the technology columnist for the New York Times.

94 AsiaLIFE Cambodia

The Strange Library Haruki Murakami, Ted Goossen (translator) Knopf (US) Harville Secker (UK)

Internationally-acclaimed author Haruki Murakami’s The Strange Library, a fantasy about a schoolboy imprisoned in a nightmarish library, was originally published in Japanese in 2008. This month, it will be released in English for the first time in the form of an illustrated short novel. It begins when the schoolboy visits his local library on the way home to find out how taxes were collected in the Ottoman Empire. An old man leads the boy to a reading room located under the library, where the boy finds himself trapped with a mysterious sheep man that makes doughnuts and a girl that can talk with her hands. “We are very excited to be publishing a special illustrated edition of The Strange Library as an unusual gift book for Christmas. Murakami’s imagination is unique and this is a wonderfully creepy tale that is sure to delight his fans,” said Liz Foley, publishing director at Harvill Secker.

The Book of Strange New Things Michel Faber Hogarth

The Book of Strange New Things begins with Peter, a religious devotee, as he is called to the mission of a lifetime, galaxies away from his wife, Bea. Peter becomes immersed in the mysteries of an astonishing new environment, overseen by an enigmatic corporation known only as USIC. His work introduces him to a seemingly friendly native population struggling with a dangerous illness and hungry for Peter’s teachings drawn from his Bible, which becomes their ‘book of strange new things’. But Bea begins to send letters from home that are increasingly desperate: typhoons and earthquakes are devastating whole countries, while governments are crumbling. While Peter is reconciling the needs of his congregation with the desires of his strange employer, Bea is struggling to survive.

Their trials lay bare a meditation on faith, love tested beyond endurance and a responsibility to loved ones.

boxoffice

THE HOBBIT: THE BATTLE OF THE FIVE ARMIES

THE PENGUINS OF MADAGASCAR

ZOMBIE FIGHT CLUB

HORRIBLE BOSSES 2

The third and final instalment of The Hobbit trilogy sees Bilbo and co return to the big screen.

Having reclaimed Erebor and a vast treasure from the dragon Smaug, Thorin Oakenshield sacrifices friendship and honor in his search for the Arkenstone, despite Smaug’s fiery wrath and Bilbo’s (Martin Freeman) desperate attempts to make him see reason. Meanwhile, Sauron sends forth legions of Orcs in a sneak attack upon the Lonely Mountain. As the ultimate fate of Middle Earth hangs in the balance, the races of Men, Elves and Dwarves must decide whether to unite or die.

DreamWorks’ latest 3D computer-animated action comedy film is a spin-off of the Madagascar film series, and follows straight on from the events of Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted. Here, the penguins Skipper, Kowalski, Rico and Private star in their own spy thriller. Travelling to Venice to confront an old enemy, Dave the Octopus, who is a super genius and takes the disguise of a human scientist dubbed Dr Octavius Brine.

Dave hails from the Central Park Zoo and was popular until the Penguins stole his thunder. Consumed with jealousy, Dave has made it his life mission to exterminate the penguins. Will they survive?

The latest zombie thriller takes place at the end of the century and a building sitting in a pocket of the city is filled with people who have been turned into zombies. After Jenny’s boyfriend was killed in a zombie attack, she faces the challenge of surviving in the face of adversity. In order to stay alive she struggles with Andy to flee danger. A former kind-hearted chemistry teacher has established himself as the zombie leader and is leading his people to world domination. With the good side of humanity seemingly lost and all order lost, how will humans survive into a new century?

In the Horrible Bosses’ second outing, there’s more fun and frolics behind the scenes.

Tired of always answering to others, Nick (Jason Bateman), Dale (Charlie Day) and Kurt (Jason Sudeikis) go into business for themselves. After demonstrating the prototype for an invention called the Shower Buddy, the guys attract the attention of Rex Hanson and his father, Bert. Bert invests in the trio’s product, then cancels the order and steals their idea. Now heavily in debt and with no legal recourse, Nick, Dale and Kurt decide to kidnap Rex and use the ransom money to pay off their loans.

COMING SOON DECEMBER MOVIE RELEASES Platinum See platinumcinplex.com/kh for screening schedule Penguins of Madagascar Dec. 4 Horrible Bosses 2 Dec. 5 The Couple Dec. 9 The Pyramid Dec. 11 Zombie Fight Club Dec. 18 The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies Dec. 25

Legend Cinemas See legend-cinemas.com for screening schedule Horrible Bosses 2 Dec. 5 Wolves Dec. 5 Trash Dec. 10 Automata Dec. 12 Vengeance of the Assassin Dec. 18

AsiaLIFE Cambodia 95

pub quiz

Celebrity Santas 26

27

Merry 11. What is the surname of Tolkien’s hobbit Merry?

12. Flora, Fauna and Merryweather are whose fairy godmothers?

13. Who or what was “merry” in Franz Lehar’s operetta?

14. Where does the phrase “Eat, drink and be merry come from”?

15. In one film version of the story, Robin Hood and his merry men were joined by Rabbi Tuckman. Who played the Rabbi and directed the film?

Chris 16. Which Chris was the brother of actor Sean and musician Michael?

17. In the Madagascar films, who provides the voice for Marty the zebra?

18. Which 16th Century dramatist and poet was widely regarded as the foremost tragedian of his day?

19. Which tennis player holds the record for the most Grand Slam singles finals?

20. Who, in 2002, went from “Dirrty” to “Beautiful”?

Mas 96 AsiaLIFE Cambodia

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pub quiz answers

1. How is 58-year-old musician, Stuart Leslie Goddard better known?

2. Where do pilgrims go to kiss the black stone?

3. Which Greek god of love is the Greek counterpart to cupid?

4. Manfred von Richtofen better known as the what?

5. What is ferrous oxide better known as?

6. What wood is traditionally used to make longbows?

7. Name the imaginary city in Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s poem ‘Kubla Kahn’?

8. There is a statue of her in Dublin, but what is the name of the girl who “wheeled her wheel-barrow, Through streets broad and narrow, Crying, “Cockles and mussels, alive, alive, oh!”?

9. Name the largest airline of the Russian Federation.

10. Which Merchant of Venice wanted his pound of flesh?

21. Mozart, Nat King Cole and Winston Churchill were all members of which organisation?

22. Nassau is the capital of which country?

23. What is the capital of Syria?

24. Which golf tournament is played every year in Augusta, Georgia?

25. In which TV series did Father Mulcahy plant a vegetable garden?

1. Adam Ant 2. Mecca 3. Eros 4. Red Baron 5. Rust 6. Yew 7. Xanadu 8. Molly Malone 9. Aeroflot 10. Shylock 11. Brandybuck 12. Princess Aurora – Sleeping Beauty 13. Widow 14. The Bible 15. Mel Brooks 16. Penn 17. Chris Rock 18. Christopher Marlowe 19. Chris Evert 20.

Christina Aguilera 21. Freemasons 22. The Bahamas 23. Damascus 24. The (US) Masters 25. MASH 26. Danny DeVito 27. Gary Oldman 28. Cristiano Ronaldo 29. Bryan Cranston 30. Bill Murray

A Merry Xmas! (Your present – just look at the first letters)

nailed it