18_ by Evans Marketing Business Adviser

Digital Magazine Apr - Jun, 2014

Cambodian Fisheries History of Phnom Penh

Cambodiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Sweet Spot The Slumdog Socialite Hong Kong or Koh Kong Lions, Tigers and Bears... Wow!

CONTENTS 08 The Slumdog Socialite 14 Russian Tourists Find Bliss in Goa, While the Indian Government Tightens Visa Restrictions

Charles R. Evans Dave Courtright Don Finck Kanyapat Evans Savuth Sao

16 History of Phnom Penh 19 Cambodian Fisheries

Chinda Sovan Atchariya Priabnan Sokum Tim Bunleab Hong Sopheap Khom Eric Larbouillat Peter Richards

26 Lions, Tigers and Bears... Wow!

PUBLISHER’S NOTE It’s hard to imagine anything that’s harder, more fun, and ultimately more satisfying, than completing the first four year of a new venture still standing. This issue of Cambodia Insight is our 18th quarterly publication. It’s been, as the Navy promises, not a job but an adventure. Heartfelt thanks to our many readers. You’ve proven again and again that you’ll visit an online publication. We appreciate your attention, as well as your comments and suggestions. Every one of them was read, and many adopted. We’re grateful. Heartfelt thanks, too, to our advertisers. We don’t charge our many readers, and your generous support has made this possible. We hope that your business has benefited from the attention your ads garnered both locally and internationally. We’re grateful.

As we look ahead to the new year, we’re encouraged that we’ve weathered the initial growing pains and can focus now even more on producing the leading publication about Cambodian life, business, culture, and especially responsible tourism. What will future issues bring? We’ll continue to spotlight the growing numbers of visitors and investors from Russia, the important role of investment from China and Korea, relations with our neighbors Vietnam, Thailand, and Laos. And most of all we’ll continue to bring to our readers the wonders of the Land of Wonders, our adopted home. As always, your readership, your advertising support, and you comments will help us make this the leading publication of its kind on the internet. We’re truly grateful. Sincerely,

Heartfelt thanks, as well, to our contributors. You’ve supplied us with interesting – indeed fascinating – insights into this Land of Wonder and its warm, welcoming people. The quality of your work shone brightly. We’re grateful. Heartfelt thanks, finally, to our staff. You’ve worked tirelessly and without complaint under the pressures of deadlines. You’ve brought creativity to Cambodia Insight, along with a full measure of talent, hard work and good spirits. We’re grateful. 4

28 Cambodia Aiming for Road Connectivity in 2015

30 In Praise of the Tuk Tuk

Dear Readers,

Charles R. Evans, Publisher H/P: 017.906.721 Tel: +855 (0) 63.963.583 Fax: 63.963.583 Charles@CorporateMarketingIntl.com

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32 Tourism Sector Earns US $700 33 Airborne Lasers Reveal Cambodia’s 34 Cambodia’s Sweet Spot 38 Hong Kong or Koh Kong

Publisher and Managing Director Editor - in - Chief Senior Creative Director Creative Director Manager, Graphic Design & Print Production Sales Manager Graphic design Graphic design Webmaster & Programmer Sales Executive Sales Executive Thailand Bureau Chief

Evans Marketing Business Adviser Co., Ltd., Tapul Village, Svay Dongkum Commune, Siem Reap - Angkor, 17000, Kingdom of Cambodia

Million in Q1

Lost City

A Quarterly Magazine on Business, Economy, Tourism, Culture and Society in English for Cambodia. Founded in Siem Reap City in January, 2010 by Evans Marketing

Tel: +855 (0) 63.969.200/201 Fax: +855 (0) 63.969.201. Advertising & Subscriptions E-Mail: Advertising@CambodiaInsight.com E-Mail: Subscription@CambodiaInsight.com @Copyright Evans Marketing Business Adviser Co., Ltd. All rights reserved. The name Cambodia Insight.com, in either English or Khmer languages, its associated logos or devices and the contents of this publication and website may not be reproduced in whole or in part, in print or electronically, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without written permission of Evans Marketing Business Adviser Co., Ltd. Cambodia Insight.com is a wholly owned publication and website of Evans Marketing Business Adviser Co., Ltd. Licensed by the Ministry of Information. Although every care has been taken in the production of this magazine and website, no responsibility for errors or liability is assumed through the use of the information contained herein. Cambodia Insight.com is an independent publication dedicated to providing our readers with informative content presented in a positive light helping to boost business investment, tourism, cultural awareness and the image of the country.

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Angkor National Museum The Legend Revealed The Angkor National Museum is the most important museum dedicated to the Angkor civilization in Cambodia and Asia. It is located in Siem Riep City, in the exclusive Charles de Gaulle Avenue, at the north of the National Road.

Lintel Style: Banteay Srei Date : 10th Century Display in Gallery C

Its collection, exhibited in eight galleries (the Exclusive Gallery and the other ones identified from A to G), numbers several masterpieces of theAngkor temples and it is the most complete representation of the culture, history and archeology of the Golden Age of Cambodia. The Charles de Gaulle Avenue is not far from the temples itself (about two kilometers from downtown). The facade keeps the harmony of the Angkorian unique architecture. Comparable to any modern museum in the world, it has a fast ticketing service system (and it is possible to book online), a Guide Map and Audio Tour Set (personal translation device) with eight languages (Khmer, English, German, Korean, Japanese, French, Chinese and Thai.) It is a highly recommended place to complete visits to the temples. The combination of modern technologies with its multimedia presentations is ready to introduce the visitor into the magic of the Angkor world. The Museum is placed in 20 thousand square meters (65,616 sq. feet) surrounded with the Cambodian traditional gardens and the exclusivity of the northern area of Siem Riep City.

The Museum

The Museum is the product of a joint effort of the Royal Ministry of Culture and Fine Art, the APSARA Authority and the Museum Co., Ltd. on a 30 year concession period. No doubt, it is a world class museum dedicated to the preservation of the Khmer artifacts, collections and restorations of the fascinating Angkor Civilization. The Angkor National Museum is unique in Cambodia. It has its own style and its full inspiration in the ancient glorious time of the Khmer Empire, just at the doors of the temples. by A. Rodas

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Gallery 6 : Ancient Costume

The Slumdog Socialite: Amy lived for shopping and parties - then meeting a Cambodian girl whose home was a rubbish tip changed both their lives From showbiz parties to the slums: Amy Hanson feels more fulfilled in helping Cambodian orphans.

I swapped fashion tips with everyone from Keira Knightley to Lily Allen. And nearly always we talked about shoes. They’re the one thing all women love. But, as the years passed, I began to feel increasingly bored.

Standing on a mountain of rubbish in 40-degree heat, I found myself staring into the biggest pair of brown eyes I’d ever seen. They belonged to a little girl of about six. Peeking from under a tarpaulin, she was looking at me with curiosity. Few tourists to Cambodia ever venture into this particular area. And who can blame them? As my eyes finally moved from hers, I noticed she was barefoot and entirely naked. My heart lurched. I was sweltering in the merciless heat. The stench of rotting rubbish was overpowering. I was literally teetering on piles of rotting nappies, syringes, decomposing food and discarded cans and bottles. Behind me lay the carcass of a decomposing cow, flies buzzing wildly around it. In front of me, giant trucks were dumping ton after ton of foul waste. It’s the most hellish corner of the world. But I was oblivious to the stench. All I could think about was this little girl. Squinting into the sunlight, I took in the full horror of the situation. This little girl wasn’t alone. All around were dozens of pairs of eyes, all staring up at me from under the tarpaulin. This heaving, smouldering 100-acre 8

Mahiki, Boujis and Annabel’s, where I rubbed shoulders with Princes William and Harry, Kate Middleton and Chelsy Davey. My shelves were full of all the goody bags I collected from showbiz and fashion launches: Jo Malone perfumes, Elle Macpherson underwear and Lulu Guinness jewellery.

Garbage place Smokey Mountain’ is home to more than 600 children looking out for each other as best they can. Their job is to hunt for rubbish that can be recycled. These tiny children -- some as young as three -- spend their days clawing for tins, plastic, rubber and clothes for just a few pence a day. A stagnant pond, reeking of sulphur, is most often their only source of water. I came across those ‘Slumdog’ children in January last year and it was to have a profound effect on my life. I’d gone to the Far East to escape a life in London which seemed increasingly meaningless and unfulfilling. I wanted a slower pace of life. And, if I’m honest, I also hoped I might find romance. The last thing I expected was to find my life turned upside-down. Apr - jun, 2014

But that’s exactly what happened that day I stumbled on the Stung Meanchey municipal rubbish dump in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. I knew I couldn’t just walk away. Of all the hellish things I saw, it was those hundreds of bare feet that moved me almost to tears. These children were walking barefoot on a burning, decomposing mess, littered with needles and shards of glass. I looked at their feet and I thought of my life in London and my dream of earning enough to own a rack of Louboutin shoes. How shallow that was. A few months before, I had been working as a showbiz journalist for various national newspapers and magazines. My life was a giddy round of partying until 4am. I was a regular at all the ritziest London clubs - Mayfair’s

Then, on Valentine’s Day 2008, the relationship I was in ended. I’d been dating Ramsay, a doctor, for a year. But the truth is we both worked too hard to spend enough time together - he was saving lives and I, well, I was being paid to party. Most of my friends were married. Some were pregnant and everyone was talking about babies. I was 29 and my body clock was ticking louder and louder. So I decided to take a break.

‘If I could raise £500, the cost of a pair of Christian Louboutin heels, I could provide 250 children with boots’ In October 2008, I set off on the hippy trail with one of my childless friends in search of a slower pace of life and possibly romance. Arriving in Bangkok, I was certainly distracted at first. Beaches and partying seemed to take my mind off my shallow existence in London. But as the weeks

passed, I realised it wasn’t actually that different - just cheaper. One day, as my friend Nancy and I were discussing the amazing fake Marc Jacobs bags we’d found in Vietnam, I suddenly realised just how ridiculous I most have sounded. Here I was in one of the most fascinating but impoverished areas of the world, still talking about shopping. I was bored of shopping, bored of my shallow materialism.

about how many orphans there were in Cambodia and how few places will care for them. Innocently, I asked what happened to all the children with nowhere to go. ‘They end up on the rubbish dumps,’ she said. I didn’t know what she meant. But, as she explained that on these dumps hundreds of children are forced to eke out their lives, uncared for, fending for themselves, I knew I had to see them for myself. And so, that day in January last year, I found myself at Stung Meanchey municipal rubbish dump in the capital city of Phnom Penh.

My life felt pretty vacuous and no amount of goody bags could fill the void. I had become exactly what I despised and mocked in the celebrities that I interviewed. I knew I had to do something radical. So I decided to move on, alone, to Cambodia for a few months. I planned to volunteer for a while. I had Childen in Garbage place worked with children in the past, teaching, Looking at the children, I knew so I got on a moped and drove I couldn’t just walk away. Evto every school and orphan- ery single aspect of their lives age in the small seaside town was hellish. It was almost impossible to know where to start. of near by Sihanoukville. And then I thought about their I had been before, on a previous scarred little feet. trip, and knew there was a particularly high number of street All the children had one thing in children and beggars. It was common. They all needed shoes there that I started working at to protect their feet from the House of Family, an inspiration- burning surface of the dump, al orphanage for children suffer- the needles and infections. If I ing from HIV. The experience could provide shoes, I could enable was life-changing. For the first them to take the first small steps off time in years, I felt useful and the dump and out of poverty. fulfilled. Then, one day, one of the doctors there started to talk apr - jun, 2014

‘Back at home, I found it difficult to be around my friends with children, watching how much they spent in designer stores’ These were children who, I discovered, were paid the equivalent of 80 pence for working 14 hours a day sorting rubbish that could be sold.

help me, I knew I couldn’t let her - or the children - down.

a dump in Nigeria, people weren’t laughing or happy.

So last January I flew back to England and set about raising money. I calculated that if I could raise £500, the cost of

The response was phenomenal. I raised £1,500 in a week. Then someone passed my email on to a film company called

It turned out that his children’s nanny, Mey, had actually grown up on the dump without her parents. Now 26, and a stunningly beautiful, charismatic young woman who speaks several languages. PSE had rescued her when she was 12. Illiterate, with scarred feet and ankles from wading through rubbish, she was in a desperate state. But the charity helped her turn her life around. Now, she had her own little home and enough money to eat. She knew exactly what it was like for these children. When she told me she’d do all she could to 10

But even they couldn’t control the mass of heaving bodies. It was chaos. One of the helpers shot off on a motorbike to buy up another 200 pairs of boots in rainbow colours so we had enough for all the children.

I knew, whatever the rights and wrongs of her situation, I’d done some good. But I also knew that providing shoes wasn’t enough. I was sure I could do more to help these children make new lives. Over the next few days, I convinced PSE (the local charity) to take this child off the dump and give her a home. Again, it was only a small step - there are hundreds of other children who still need help - but it was the most incredible feeling.

Still reeling from what I had seen, I talked to charity workers in the area. I met Tomas Jensen, who works for Amnesty International, and he introduced me to two people who ran another charity, PSE - Pour un Sourire d’Enfant (meaning ‘for the smile of a child’) - that offers accommodation and food to these desperate little children. But, to deter families from sending unwanted children to the dump as a means to have them adopted, they can help only children who have been living in this misery for at least a total of six months.

Who knew? Shoe-mad women will spend more than £33,000 during their lifetime on footwear, according to a study by Olay

Garbage place Garbage place a pair of Christian Louboutin heels, I could provide 250 pairs of Wellington boots - the most practical form of footwear for the children. I called it the Small Steps Wellington Boots Project. I posted a message on Facebook. I explained what I had seen. People had watched the Oscar-winning film Slumdog Millionaire - about the lives of children who live on rubbish heaps - and wanted to know if the dump was similar. ‘Absolutely,’ I explained. But I had to point out that there are actually another two dumps in Cambodia alone and many more all over the world. And, unlike in Slumdog Millionaire or other programmes such as the BBC’s Welcome To Lagos about life on Apr - jun, 2014

Revolution Films. They invited me to come in and talk about my plan. Even though they’d never met me before, they lent me equipment to take back and film what I was doing. I jumped at the chance. It seemed a fantastic opportunity to spread the word. Back at home, I found it difficult to be around my friends with children, watching how much they spent in designer stores such as Mamas and Papas on over-priced baby bibs and accessories and little Nike trainers for their toddler to wear on the carpets of their home.

The stark contrast with the ‘Slumdog’ children I’d met played on my mind all the time. Why should my friends’ children have hundreds of pairs of shoes they didn’t need, while others had nothing? Meanwhile, in Cambodia, those hundreds of children were breathing in methane gas 24 hours a day from rotting nappies that had been sent over from the West.

As the sun set, I watched the children laughing and giggling as they swopped sizes and helped each other try their boots on. And my heart lurched. It had all been worthwhile. Suddenly I realised I’d found my calling - and that I was no longer desperate for a baby of my own. I’d prefer to channel that maternal instinct into helping children who are already on this earth.

On Valentine’s Day last year I was back on Smokey Mountain, handing out 900 pairs of Wellington boots. Mey helped me buy shoes in every size and colour imaginable. It was an extraordinary day.

One of the most moving moments was watching Mey crouching down, talking to a timid little 12-year-old girl, Win. Mey was moved to tears as, falteringly, Win explained how she had ended up on the dump. The story mirrored her own.

Lots of the men from Mey’s village came to help - themselves former residents of the dump.

As the girl tried on her little pink Wellington boots, a huge smile broke across her face. And apr - jun, 2014

I actually drove with Win to her new home, and to watch her face as she began to understand how her life would change was incredible. All she had ever really known was the garbage dump. With the backing of Revolution Films, which has been supporting my work, I’m planning to visit all the other inhabited dumps in the world - at least eight of them - and highlight the plight of the children there. I’m using my showbiz contacts to appeal to celebrities for help. I’ll be asking them to donate one pair of designer shoes which I can sell or auction to raise money. I’ve seen the joy on the face of a child rescued from that nightmarish existence, and that’s motivation enough for me to carry on striving to save as many others as I possibly can. They deserve nothing less. Credit: Dailymail.co.uk

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on the way: the community has celebrated a baby boom in the last few years. Like many other Russian expats, the couple set up their own business in Goa. “Our yoga resort was the first business on this street five years ago, and now we have dozens of businesses along this shore,” says Timofei during a tour of his neighborhood in Arambol, in northern Goa.

Russian tourists find bliss in Goa, while the

Indian government tightens visa restrictions Some see a shift toward the beaches of Sihanoukville as an alternative to snow and freezing rains back home.

ired of city life and the notoriously harsh winter weather, Russians are increasingly taking time out in Goa – and some aren’t going home. But now India has increased visa restrictions in an attempt to curb the influx.

“I felt like I lived in a cage,” says Solovyeva, relaxing in her Goa home, legs folded into the lotus position. “We smoked cigarette after cigarette in constant stress; I could never imagine raising children in that aggressive Moscow environment.”

Five years ago, Yulia Solovyeva’s life was like that of any other young professional coming from the provinces to Moscow in search of a career. Mornings began with a quick cup of coffee in a tiny rented room, a walk through slushy streets to the metro, carriages packed with tired faces, and on to the bleak office where she worked as an interpreter.

And so, like thousands of other restless young Russians unhappy with city life, she headed to the Indian state of Goa in search of shanti – inner peace. The Russian exodus to Goa has become a trend, and many are moving there for good. Cheap daily charter flights are now carrying thousands of Russians to the former Portuguese colo-

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ny famous for its beaches and laid-back mood that have been popular with British ravers and drop-outs for decades. The allure of India has even spawned a best-seller in Russia, The Goa Syndrome, a book about living and working in Goa by Alexander Sukhochev – also known as DJ Sa Shanti, a resident of the Indian state since 2003.

Flyers in Russian are pinned to palm trees advertising yoga, massage, traditional Indian music and dance classes for visitors. Ilya Demenkov, 27, grew tired of his work as a computer programmer at a Moscow IT company. He flew to Goa last year to realize his dream of opening a windsurfing school. “I came here to begin my own business and find a girlfriend,” he says. Alla Duhl, a St Petersburg painter, found that she could live on just over $500 a month in Goa, including rent for a studio and a room in a house with a tropical garden. “Maybe a British lady would find this environment lacking comfort, but we are used to crowded buses and dirty streets,” she says, “so Goa feels like paradise to us.”

Duhl, who paints portraits of local people on pieces of antique dark wood, says she planned to exhibit and sell her art pieces this summer, during one of her short visits to Russia. But the influx has also raised some concerns in India. Last year, 80,000 Russians flew into Goa, and, according to the Indian embassy in Moscow, 1,400 did not return home after their visas expired. “Some tourists decide to stay and live in India permanently,” says the Russian embassy’s secretary. “Some, we hear, even burn their Russian passports to break off all the connections with home.” However, as of February, 2010, visa rules have been tightened for Russians and Western Europeans visiting India. After suspects linked to terrorist attacks in Mumbai used tourist visas to spend extended periods in the country, now they are only issued for a month at a time. Even though the rules have been changed for everybody, the Russians still feel singled out. The president of the Bharatiya Janata Party in Goa, Laxmikant

Parsenkar, said that Russians should “have fun, spend money and go back home” rather than start businesses. Indeed, the highly popular city of Morjim seeks a ban on Russian businesses after a taxi driver was killed in a scuffle with a Russian citizen. On their return to the cold of Russia, some fans of India try to preserve their state of shanti. Increasingly, Russian cities have yoga clubs, and practice of the physical and mental discipline has taken off after being barely visible just a few years ago. A new chain of Indian stores, The Way to Yourself, offers everything from Indian tea to little tin kettles – good for washing nasal energy channels or watering flowers. Recently, fans of India gathered at Gazgolder, a hip Moscow night club, for a “Goa Memories” party. Clubbers in Ali Baba baggy pants and Shiva shirts, sun glasses and flip flops, with third eyes painted on their foreheads, danced to tam-tam music under a big video screen featuring Goan scenes: Indian women in bright saris on motor bikes, enormous palm trees, and golden sunshine.

Solovyeva’s husband Timofei prefers to describe the drift of Russians to Goa as a movement of “up-lifters” rather then “down-shifters”, the term used in the West. The Solovyevas’ two children were born in Goa. Their son’s name is Om and their daughter’s name is Uma after the Hindu god Shiva’s wife. There are already two Umas in the growing Russian community and more could be apr - jun, 2014

The origin of Phnom Penh’s name

History of Phnom Penh

ong ago in 1372 A.D., there was a wealthy elderly woman named Penh living near the banks of the four river fronts. Her house was built on a plateau east of a hill. One day, heavy rains flooded the area. Daun Penh (Grandma Penh) went down to the dock and saw a koki tree floating towards the river bank. The strong fronting tides kept the koki tree floating nearby that particular river bank. Immediately, Daun Penh called for her neighbors to help get the tree out of the river. They tied a rope to the tree and gradually pulled it out of the water. While Daun Penh was wiping the mud off of the tree, she saw four Buddha bronze statues and a stone statue of Divinity in the hole of the tree trunk. The statue of Divinity was standing and held a bat in one hand and a conch shell in the other. Daun Penh and her neighbors were very happy to see those sacred objects and paraded them to Daun Penh’s house. She arranged to have a small hut built to temporarily house the statues. Later, Daun Penh called on her neighbors again for help to pile up more dirt on the hill west of her house. The koki tree was then cut and fashioned to become pillars of the temple which would be built on that hill. In 1372 A.D., Daun Penh and her neighbors all agreed to build a temple with a thatch roof on the hill. The four Buddha statues were placed in the temple, while the statue of Divinity was kept in a shrine at the east base of the mountain, for she thought that the statue was from Laos because of its appearance and name “Neakta Preah, Chao” which is what is has been called ever since.

Phnom Penh City was first built in the 15th century during King Preah Srey Soryopor’s (Ponhea Yat) time, when he abandoned Angkor Palace and built a new one at Tuol Basan in Srey Sar Chhor province, which is now called Srey Santhor district, Kampong Cham province. The king stayed there for only one year due to flooding every rainy season. He moved and built a new city along the bank of Tonle Chaktomuk in 1934, which is now Phnom Penh City today. There were two phases in the construction of the Royal Palace in Phnom Penh City: Phase One: During King Preah Ponhea Yat’s reign in the 15th century. Phase Two: During King Norodom’s reign in the 19th century. There were two phases of construction because after Phase One (1434 – 1497), the king’s palace was moved back to Angkor. After it was built in Angkor, it was then moved to Pursat, then Boaribo, next to Longvek, and then Oudong. After Oudong, the Palace was built again in Phnom Penh City in 1865 and has stayed there ever since. Phnom Penh during Pol Pot Regime, When the Khmer Rouge Regime took place on April 17, 1975, people were forcefully evacuated out of the city. Infrastructure was seriously destroyed and within 3 years, 8 months and 20 days, Phnom Penh was a ghost city. After liberation day, January 7, 1979, people returned to their normal lives. The authorities and the people altogether endeavored to protect the nation from falling into the genocidal regime again, to restore the country, and got over many difficulties to improve the image of Phnom Penh according to the development trend of the nation.

After the temple was built, Daun Penh invited monks to stay at the base of that hill. Since then, it was been called Wat Phnom Daun Penh, also presently known as Wat Phnom. 16

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Phnom Penh today With booming economic growth seen since the 1990s, new shops have opened as well as western - style malls such as Sorya Shopping Center and the new Sovanna Shopping Center. Two international franchises have also opened up in Phnom Penh. Dairy Queen has already opened up inside Phnom Penh International Airport and Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) has opened up a restaurant on Monivong Boulevard and plans to open more. The same company that opened up KFC in Cambodia has now obtained franchise rights to open Pizza Hut in the country. In addition, Swensenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ice cream was opened in Sorya Shopping Center, also Pubs, Bars restaurant western style all around river side. The Central market Phsar Thmei is a major tourist hot spot. The four wings of the yellow colored market are teeming with numerous stalls selling gold and silver jewellery, antique coins, clothing, clocks, flowers, food, fabrics and shoes. Phsar Thmei is also going under a major renovation project, with fresh paint on the exterior and interior, and the creation of newer stalls. People who always have a smile for you.

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Cambodian Fisheries T

he freshwater capture fisheries of Cambodia are among the most productive in the world (Baranetal 2006, MRC 2010).

and therefore are a significant economic activity. Inland capture fisheries dominate national fisheries production.

Fishing has been central to rural livelihoods in Cambodia at least since the times of Angkor; along with rice farming, it holds a central place in rural livelihood strategies and cultural practices, involving 2 million to 4 million rural people (Baran et al 2006, MRC 2010).

While it is known that natural production varies from year to year and is strongly influenced by hydrological patterns, determining estimates of production is very difficult (Coates 2002).

Fish and other living aquatic resources are enormously important for food security and nutrition, as noted earlier, contributing up to three-fourths of animal protein in rural diets (Hortle et al 2007). In 2009, fisheries contributed 25.2 percent to agricultural sector activities 20

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Generally production is estimated using catch records and is stated as being between 280,000 tonnes and 400,000 tonnes per year of fish, with additional production of around 60,000 tonnes per year of â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;other aquatic animalsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; (OAA) (MRC 2004). This ranks Cambodia as the fourth - largest inland fisheries producer in the world (MRC 2004).

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Cambodia’s vulnerability to climate change in the fisheries sector is therefore likely to be felt at the micro level of households and communities, as well as at the level of the national economy. A recent global study of the vulnerability of national economies to the impact of climate change on fisheries ranks Cambodia as 30th most vulnerable in the world (Allison et al 2009). The productivity of the natural capture fisheries of Cambodia is closely related to natural hydrological patterns and the integrity of fish habitats. This is not simply a matter of volume of water equalling volume of production. The onset of the flood season acts as a trigger for migration, with fish moving along the main stems of the rivers or between the rivers and floodplains, where they migrate to breed, spawn and feed and then retreat as waters recede. While the amount of water in any given year is a contributory factor, the timing of the flood, combined with the number of peaks during the flood season and the area of land inundated, are also important factors.

These figures may well be underestimates, often overlooking the small rice-field and floodplain fisheries that could alone be in the region of producing 285,000 tonnes (Hortle 2007).

The area of land flooded provides important habitats for feeding, breeding and spawning, while the quality of the vegetation, such as flooded forests and wetlands, and the interconnectivity of the floodplain ecosystems

Estimates based on people’s consumption patterns, and which are therefore more likely to be inclusive of all fishery types, suggest that total production levels are in the region of 524,000 to 616,000 tonnes per year (Hortle 2007). The natural production of aquatic animals in rice fields is estimated as worth at least US$100 per hectare (Hortle 2007), compared with the value of rice production at US$150 per hectare. 22

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also represent important factors in fishery production (Baran 2007). Inland fisheries productivity is strongly influenced by actions from other sectors. Fisheries constitute the main sector that is vulnerable to development of water resource infrastructure, with hydropower development, both within Cambodia and in upstream countries, considered to constitute the greatest threat to natural production and rural livelihoods (ICEM/ MRC 2010,Allen et al 2008). At local level, land use change – such as conversion of flooded forests along the Tonle Sap for agriculture – and unplanned development of rural roads also have significant impacts on natural fisheries (Baran, Starr and Kura 2007). Despite their economic importance, the concerns of fisheries are rarely addressed in planning processes for other sectors. In particular, hydropower projects have failed to identify costs and implications of impacts or to identify specific mitigation measures for fisheries impacts (Friend et al 2009).

Recognising the importance of fisheries for rural livelihoods, Cambodia has supported the establishment of Community Fisheries and is turning over commercial fishing lots to local communities (FiA 2009). This process began in 2001 as a response to conflicts between commercial and small-scale fishers, but performance to date has been mixed. In some areas of the country, the number of Community Fisheries (CFis) established has been high, but in other areas progress has been limited. Slow progress has been attributed in some cases to complex bureaucratic procedures and the need for official approval at key stages. In many areas, privatization of public water bodies, as a result of land concessions, has denied public access. There also exists competition from large - scale commercial fishing, which often uses efficient yet destructive gear and is often illegal.

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Lions, Tigers and Bears...Wow! “There are over 60 rare or endangered species of wildlife in Cambodia, many of which are now extinct elsewhere in South East Asia” OK, there are no lions in Cambodia (lions being native only to Africa), but there are indeed tigers and bears…and much more to see. While Cambodia is best known for the mighty Angkor Wat temples, beyond these temples the natural beauty of the country is waiting to be discovered. Cambodia offers many opportunities for adventure travel, and ecotourism, such as: trekking in tropical forests; sighting rare wildlife; water-based adventures on rivers and beaches; cycling along dirt roads through traditional villages, and more… Cambodia has unique ecosystems and impressive landscapes 26

within the country’s 23 protected areas, from pristine beaches and coral reefs to evergreen and deciduous forests. Its abundant natural resources and rich biodiversity hold huge untapped potential for eco-tourism development. Because of decades of war and isolation Cambodia’s countryside remains largely unexplored by travelers. Ecotourism in Cambodia offers much for the traveler with a sense of adventure. There are over 60 rare or endangered species of wildlife in Cambodia, many of which are now extinct elsewhere in South East Asia, including: the Asian Elephant; Tiger; Clouded and Apr - jun, 2014

Common Leopards, Asiatic Black Bear; Asiatic Wild Dog; Eld’s Deer; Irrawaddy Dolphin; Siamese Crocodile; Banteng; Bengal Florican; Douc Langur; Pileated Gibbon; Elongated Tortoise; Freshwater Sawfish; Giant Catfish; Giant Carp; Grey Ox; Javan; and Sumatran Rhinoceros. Cambodia’s seasonally flooded forests also provide an ideal habitat for several highly endangered water birds: the White Shouldered Ibis; Sarus Crane; and the Greater and Lesser Adjutant and beautiful Storks. Indeed, much of the nation’s culture is connected to water. Every year, revelers flock to the capital

city of Phnom Penh — where the Tonle Sap and Mekong rivers meet — for the annual Water Festival, always a fun time.

the Mekong every year — more than the Amazon, more than the Congo, more than the Yangtze, more than the Mississippi.

The festival draws more than one million people to the city, and the rest of the nation all but shuts down. Rural Cambodians flood into the city, eager for a brief respite from the hardship of their daily routines.

An unusual seasonal occurrence is one of the reasons: The monsoon rains pour so much water into the Mekong River that it briefly forces the Tonle Sap River to flow backwards, swelling the Tonle Sap Lake in western Cambodia to several times its normal size.

Cambodians depend on fish for 70 percent of their protein. So intertwined are the Cambodians and their fish that the country’s currency, the riel, is named after the small silver carp that is the staple of many diets here. Images of fish and fishermen are etched into the walls of stone buildings around Angkor Wat, the majestic temple complex that was once the center of an ancient empire nearly 1,000 years ago. Indeed, the Mekong Delta is one of the most productive fisheries in the world. Two million tons of fish are harvested from

Ecotourism in Cambodia is helping to protect this wildlife as well as the natural environment and local cultures while offering opportunities for employment and sustainable development to poor, often remote, local communities. Ecotourism is a much welcomed alternative to the exploitation of the wildlife and local natural resources. About the Author: Kay Kimsan is a Phnom Penh based journalist. By Kay Kimsan apr - jun, 2014

Cambodia Aiming for Road Connectivity in 2015 PHNOM PENH — bodia says it hopes to road connectivity to nam and Thailand by The connection part of Asean a process where lags behind its

Camhave Viet2015.

would be integration, Cambodia neighbors.

Six countries of the Mekong River delta have worked toward linking by road since 1998, in an attempt to create three economic corridors. The “Southern Economic Corridor,” funded mainly by the Asian Development Bank, would come of the linkage of the three neighbors.

A Cambodian woman carries a long-handled machete as she travels on a road in Thmey village, Koh Kong province, about 250 kilometers (155 miles) west of Phnom Penh, file photo.

The project is “90 percent complete,” Peng Sovicheano, undersecretary of state for the Ministry of Transportation, said. A border checkpoint must be built in Svay Rieng province, he said, but “by 2015, all roads will be connected.” Cambodia has received aid from the ADB and build or renovate roads es, linking it to Vietnam,

$680.5 million in other funders to across 22 provincThailand and Laos.

Some 2,000 kilometers of roads have been built, said Shihiru Date, senior transport specialist for the ADB. More than half of that has been in Cambodia.

This will increase efficiency and reduce travel times, bolstering the flow of investment and goods in the country, he said. However, there is more to be done, he said. To make the region a true economic hub, more infrastructure must be in place, including rail systems, clean water, electricity and other facilities, he said. Chheang Vannarith, a lecturer at the University of Leeds, in London, said road connectivity in Cambodia is good, “but railway and water connectivity are still an issue.” No railway connects Cambodia to Thailand or Vietnam, he said. And it remains expensive to move goods. According to the ADB, to move a ton of goods 100 kilometers $13. It’s only about $6 for the same transportation in Thailand and $7 in Vietnam. Experts say the road connection can reduce this gap.

Typical Cambodian dirt road 28

Credit : Khoun Theara, VOA Khmer

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In Praise of the Tuk-Tuk Invented in Thailand in the 1960’s, tuk-tuks are now seen everywhere in Bangkok, but also in India, South Africa, in much of Europe, and occasionally even in America. We believe, though, that the tuk-tuk has reached its full flower in Siem Reap.

a “surrey” is, but it seems to me to be a small cart pulled by a horse.) With the Khmer tuktuk the horse is replaced by a typically small motorbike, but the image remains. Readers too young to remember Oklahoma can do a Google search. The carriage is attached to the motor-bike by a ball joint that allows the driver to make very sharp turns without discomfiting his passengers. It also detaches easily, allowing the driver to disconnect the carriage and have the use of his motorbike when not working. Not including the cost of the motorbike, a new tuk-tuk can be had for $500-$600. A typical 2nd-hand 100cc motorbike might add another $500.

et’s start with the name. “Tuk-tuk” is the name given to any motorized rickshaw. It was first developed in Thailand in the 1960s when the government banned the human-powered “pedicab”, citing both the danger to its driver and passengers, and the traffic havoc created, when human-powered and gasoline engines tried to share busy city streets. There was also dismay from human-rights advocates who charged that peddle-powered pedicabs full of large Western tourists were an affront to the human dignity of their drivers. Whatever... “Tuk-tuk” is more-or-less the sound made by the original 2-stroke Thai motorized tricycles that replaced pedicabs. Their puttering motors made a sound that locals branded “tuktuk”, and the name stuck. 30

Why did tuk-tuks take off? Well, they’re relatively cheap to buy, and quite inexpensive to operate, especially compared to the costs of an automobile taxi. Those savings can be passed on to passengers, who pay about half the fare charged by a taxi. They’re also fun to ride. Depending on size (and some of the Thai models get quite elaborate, holding up to seven passengers), and open to the sights, sounds, and smells of the street-life through which they pass, they’re also superior for people-viewing, and easier to enter and exit. With so much going for it, the tuk-tuk caught on, favored by many visitors to Thailand who introduced the vehicle to countries around the world. Apr - jun, 2014

While a lot of money to a young man (never a young woman, for reasons not clear), this is far less than the cost of a Thai tuktuk, much less than a car. And, considering that a day’s work pulling a group of foreign tourists around town or on a temple-viewing outing can bring in $15-$20, it’s a worthwhile investment. Half the residents of Siem Reap province live on less than $40 a month, so the money’s not bad if you can attract customers. Tuk-tuk drivers can be quite creative when it comes to marketing their services. Several have websites and Facebook pages that allow visitors to arrange their transportation in advance of arriving in Cambodia.

Some have colorful paint jobs with slogans like “Funny Batman”. Hey, English isn’t their native language. There’s even one clever entrepreneur who’s outfitted his tuk-tuk with an auto-worthy sound system and who offers his customers their choice in musical selections. He calls his the “Rock & Roll Tuktuk”. And he does pretty well by all appearances. Tuk-tuks can also be found in Phnom Penh and Sihanoukville, but due to its relatively small size and the nearly 2 million visitors each year who arrive to see the famous temples of Angkor, tuk-tuks in Siem Reap are more ubiquitous and more colorful than those found elsewhere. And they’re lots of fun for tooling around town.

When the tuk-tuk made its way to Cambodia, Francophiles (who tend to hold intellectual sway wherever they are found) promptly renamed them remarques. Sounds classy, n’est pas? But tuktuk has the advantage of sounding like what it is, so tuk-tuk it is. It was in Cambodia that the lowly tuk-tuk reached its ultimate form, and nowhere more so than in Siem Reap. What’s so special about a Cambodian tuk-tuk? Well, it has all the advantages of the Thai tricycle described above, but in Cambodia a fullon motorcycle pulls a separate carriage (I always think of the song from the musical Oklahoma about “the surrey with a fringe on the top” when I see a tuk-tuk. I’m not 100% sure what apr - jun, 2014

Tourism Sector Earns US$700 Million in Q1 Cambodia’s tourism sector generated some US$700 million as income in the first quarter of this year, according to a report of the Ministry of Tourism. During the January-March 2014 period, about 1.27 million foreign tourists visited the country, up 10 percent year-on-year, it underlined. Of the total number of foreign visitors, 30 percent or 424,300 visitors were from other ASEAN member countries, an increase by 4 percent over the same period last year, it added. Meanwhile, there were over 20,000 Cambodian outbound tourists, up 4 percent if compared with the same period in 2013, said the report, indicating that the most visited countries for Cambodian people are Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore, China, Korea and Japan. The increase in Cambodian outbound tourists reflected better cost

Occheteul Beach, Sihanoukville

of living of Cambodian people and the Kingdom’s economic growth, said a Cambodian tourism expert. Cambodia’s GDP per capita rose from US$760 in 2008 to nealy US$1,000 in 2012, and over US$1,000 in 2013.

Based on the Royal Government of Cambodia (RGC)’s expectation, the Cambodian economy will grow by over 7 percent this year, while World Bank (WB) projected the country’s economic growth at 7.2 percent, and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) at 7 percent. Sourced: AKP

Airborne lasers reveal Cambodia’s lost city The discovery was announced late Monday in a peer-reviewed paper released early by the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The laser scanning revealed a previously unknown yet vast cityscape integrating the 1,200-year-old temples. The airborne lasers produced a detailed map of a formal urban planned landscape, including highways and previously undiscovered temples, hidden beneath dense vegetation atop Phnom Kulen mountain in Siem Reap province. It was the lost city of Mahendraparvata. “What we have now with this instrument is just ‘bang’ - all of a sudden, an immediate picture of an entire city that people didn’t know was there before, which is remarkable,” Univer-

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sity of Sydney archaeologist Damian Evans, the study’s lead author, told Australia’s The Age in a video interview from Cambodia. “So instead of this kind of very long gradual process, you have this kind of sudden eureka moment where you bring the data up on screen the first time and there it is - this ancient city very clearly in front of you.” The laser technology, known as lidar, works by firing laser pulses from an aircraft to the ground and measuring the distance to create a detailed, three-dimensional map of the area. It’s a useful tool for archaeologists because the lasers can penetrate dense vegetation and cover swaths of ground far faster than they could be analysed on foot. Lidar has been used to explore other archaeological sites, such as Stonehenge. apr - jun, 2014

In April 2012, the Australian researchers loaded the equipment onto a helicopter, which spent days crisscrossing the dense forests from 800 meters above the ground. The team then confirmed the findings with an on-foot expedition through the jungle. “We had reasonable expectations, I guess, of what we would find using the lidar data, but what we’ve ended up with has just blown our minds,” Mr Evans told The Age. “It’s just absolutely incredible what we can see.” The researchers theorise the civilisation at Mahendraparvata eventually collapsed because of deforestation and broken canals and reservoirs. Credit : Associated Press 33

have been turned into boutique hotels — properties like Villa Romonea, which opened in 2010, and Knai Bang Chatt, which opened a few years before. Villa Romonea was the dream second home of a Khmer woman who built the house in 1968 with the help of a famous local architect, Lu Ban Hap. It was the last villa built before the war, and the owner and her husband, a pharmacist, were killed in the early days of the Pol Pot regime. Now British developers have taken over.

On a sunny weekday in Kep, a seaside village about halfway along Cambodia’s coast, the crab market was heaving. Women in straw hats and rubber boots stood knee deep in the surf shouting out prices, periodically darting into the sea to pull writhing specimens out of wicker baskets. Children of all ages ran through the stalls; it seemed as if the entire town had congregated in this one main square. Nearby, suspended over the water overlooking the South China Sea, rickety open-fronted restaurants were perched on stilts. At one of the smallest, the Seagull, I sat with my son and husband watching wooden fishing boats move slowly along the coastline as the family who owns the spot prepared what would be the finest steamed crab I had ever tasted. Even my one-year-old tucked into the white buttery meat. It was a scene that felt quaintly out of time, made all the more novel because we were somehow able to exist seamlessly within it. 34

Cambodia’s sweet spot No one tried to sell us souvenirs or offer to guide us around town. It was just life as it had always been and always would be. But of course this wasn’t true. While we sat, lucky guests in this rustic tableau, not far away new bridges and roads were being completed; luxury resorts, casinos and golf courses mapped out; shopping malls planned. All this in an area of Cambodia occupied by the Khmer Rouge as recently as 1995. Like so many places that have dropped from, and re-emerged in, the traveler’s gaze, this area of southwestern Cambodia is in the midst of a now-familiar cycle. First come the backpackers, lured by tales of simple coastal villages and untouched island beaches. Next come the pioneering hoteliers, establishing in-the-know outposts of taste and luxury. Finally the big mon Apr - jun, 2014

ey arrives and, with it, the big plans. Right now the area around Kep is still in that traveler’s sweet spot — mostly itself, but with roads and a few boutique hotels here and there for those who want them. Yet as I would see over the course of two weeks, change is afoot. The crowds will surely be coming, but before they do I wanted a chance to see it for myself. JUST a few hours from Phnom Penh, the country’s capital, Kep started out as a stylish retreat for the French in the 1920s, and by 1960 was called the St.-Tropez of Southeast Asia (Kep-sur-Mer), with modernist colonial villas built along the coast and weekenders arriving in vintage convertibles. When the Khmer Rouge set up camp here in the 1970s the French beat a retreat, and the villas fell into disrepair. In the last five years, however, a number of these structures

The six-room hotel with its saltwater infinity pool and tropical grounds is representative of the kind of small-scale enterprises that have been spreading across southwestern Cambodia. Many are run by foreigners who discovered the area early on and wanted an excuse to stay. Jef Moons, Knai Bang Chatt’s Belgian owner, first saw Kep in 2003 while on a vacation. He then proceeded to buy a Le Corbusier-influenced villa, which he restored initially into a vacation home and then, in 2006 — a hotel. “I first fell in love with the people in Cambodia,” Mr. Moons said, “but also with the nature. It still feels remote.” Over the course of my stay last year, I tried out both hotels. Each, set along the tranquil rocky coast, proved difficult to leave. One could camp out for days, sitting at waterfront tables watching the boats pass by and taking brief strolls into town. They were also incredibly good spots to be with a baby; everyone from cooks to hotel managers treated my son like a visiting celebrity. But I was eager to explore the surrounding countryside, in particular the inland region to the northwest and the beaches and islands up the coast — areas, I had been

told, whose futures were already being plotted by Chinese, Russian and Cambodian conglomerates eager to make their mark. Our first trip was to Kampot, about an hour away. One can arrange to hire a car and driver but we decided to rent motorcycles. After leaving the baby in capable hands at Knai Bang Chatt, we sputtered along, passing countless oxen knee deep in rice paddies, bustling markets and clusters of little villages made up of traditional stilt houses. Decades-old Toyota Camrys seem to be the local car of choice (I noticed one with California plates), which shared the road with an assortment of scooters, bikes and vans that double as buses, not to mention the water buffalo, chickens and pigs that shuffled about amid the traffic. In Kampot, a quiet city set alongside pepper plantations and forested hills, we drank coffee at one of the cafes that have sprouted in the crumbling 1920s verandas that front the lazy Praek Teuk Chhu River. Kampot was once one of the country’s most important ports, and is still the center of Cambodia’s pepper production; its streets are lined with turn-of-the-century colonial buildings, now mostly in disrepair. apr - jun, 2014

As we sat watching boats make their way along the river, we were again struck by the startling lack of hawking here — especially compared with many tourist towns in Vietnam and Thailand. Another observation: There were few people in their 40s, 50s and 60s. The reason for this speaks to the horrifying fact that between 1975 and 1979 a fifth of the population was wiped out under the regime. The Khmer Rouge endured in Kampot through much of the 90s, much later than other parts of the country, and almost every person I met lost at least one close family member or friend. Despite this, a sense of unrelenting friendliness pervaded. As we meandered around the neighborhoods behind the riverfront, no one seemed to register our difference except maybe by giving us a wave. But the sleepy atmosphere of Kampot belied the busy construction going on above, in the old mountain retreat of Bokor. Almost a hundred years ago, about 20 miles from Kampot in the cool mountains of Preah Monivong National Park, the French created a summer escape from the intense 35

heat of the capital and plains below, with a hotel, casino, post office and church. The mammoth, once-opulent buildings of marble and timber were initially abandoned in the 1940s during the first Indochina war and then again in the 1970s when the Khmer Rouge took them over. More recently, according to Stephane Arrii, the Villa Romonea’s manager, they were the site of clandestine New Year’s parties, with expatriates and Cambodians dancing together in the spooky bullet-riddled ruins of the former casino with its graffiti-covered walls and echoing drawing rooms. Intrepid travelers would take daylong hikes through the jungle or suffer the bumpy roads in 4x4s to see the dilapidated icon. When I was there a year ago, however, it took quite a lot of maneuvering to arrange a visit, as the area is once again the object of a developer’s dreams. Sokimex, Cambodia’s oil and banking company, along with its hospitality division, Sokha Hotels & Resorts, is redeveloping the area and is busily creating access roads. After multiple calls Ms. Arrii was finally able to arrange for a guide to take a couple of Belgian birders and me to see the work in progress (though it wasn’t until a park ranger gave us the final goahead that we were assured access). The route, once almost impassable in a car, was being turned into a multilane paved road that has now been completed. It snakes through forests that are reputedly teeming with rare birds and animals — including, some say, Cambodia’s last tigers. And even though we went on a Sunday, construction was moving at a furious pace, with young men paving the remaining miles up to the top. To keep efficiency at a maximum, temporary encampments 36

had been set up along the way. Toddlers wandered about; lines of washing hung outside trailers. As we made our way farther into the hills, the bright sun of the coast turned to fog; soon we couldn’t see more than a few feet in front of the jeep. Finally, the outline of two hulking structures came into view — the casino and the church. Out of the car we were able to freely explore, peering in to see what looked like acres of elaborate mosaic floors, mostly smashed.

An unending chorus of bird calls wafted up from the jungle below. Plans for a casino, a cable car, an Arnold Palmer golf course and 652 guest rooms all seemed improbable when I saw the site, but construction has moved quickly. The hotel is scheduled to open this season and work is under way at the casino.

the sandy coast to the north is resort-ready, and resort owners have taken notice. Not that it’s entirely deserted. There are simple seafront villages along the coast on some of the bigger islands. Populated by fishermen and their families as well as people from nonprofits there to teach about sustainable fishing practices (and English), the ramshackle outposts are a colorful part of any visit here. To get a more intimate sense of the landscape, my friend put us in

touch with Claude Du Dinh Tan, a Franco-Vietnamese man who rents a small collection of bungalows in the hills above Sihanoukville and leads dive excursions.

MEANWHILE, thanks to Cambodia’s wealth of not only history but natural beauty, ambitious plans are simultaneously unrolling up the coast to the north. Before I had come, a friend had written to me about the coastline: “The sand is like snow and there are miles of crystal-clear-water beachfront with nothing there.”

As we chugged around the islands and the mainland’s coastline in his small motorboat, Mr. Du Tinh Tan, who arrived here in 1992, did not try to conceal his feelings about the planned development. “It is forbidden to build concrete hotels on the beach,” he pointed out, as we drove by what was at the time an almost-completed concrete tower sitting on a prime piece of beachfront. “But it seems like local officials are just turning a blind eye to this kind of site.”

In other words, unlike the oceanfront in Kep, which is mostly rocky,

The suggestion that developers are playing fast and loose with a

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pristine area was echoed throughout the day as we toured the hundreds of islands, many of them marked by a single, unassuming flag indicating some sort of ownership or planned development. One of the closest to Sihanoukville, Snake Island, was recently connected to the mainland by a large concrete bridge that was forced to close soon after it was opened because parts of it were buckling. A Russian company apparently has plans to populate the island with a resort, a yacht club and shopping centers. Luckily (and thanks in large part to the global financial meltdown of the last few years) the more egregious development plans seem to be moving slowly. Except for the bridge and the concrete hotel, Cambodia’s version of a Macao on the beach still exists only on paper. The few projects that have been realized, like the recently opened Song Saa on the island of Koh Rong, tend to be high-end and lower-impact — 27 luxury villas mixed with an emphasis on sustainability and community participation. In the meantime, there are still toogood-to-be-true budget places. We stopped at one of them, called Angkor Chum, on the southwestern part of Koh Rong, for a meal on the way back to Kep: $15 (American dollars are accepted all over Cambodia) a day covers a beach front bungalow at the edge of a secluded cove reached only by boat;

meals of crab, squid and barbecued fish are served to order at a bare-bones dockside restaurant. It is hard not to see a piece of haunting history like Bokor or the unspoiled islands off the coast of Siha-

noukville and not want them to stay like that forever — for your eyes only. But Cambodia has other needs, too. The average family makes the equivalent of only $2,100 a year, and development can put money in their pockets. On one of my last excursions I went to visit a resort that is attempting to serve the triple needs of tourists, locals and the land itself. Specifically, we headed to the Vine Retreat, a hotel and restaurant that opened a couple of years ago on a working pepper plantation close to Kep. The owner, David Pred, found the plantation by Chamcar Bei village, now the site of the Vine, through his work with Bridges Across Bor ders, an organization that has, among other things, established a local school and health clinic.

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Overlooking pepper fields, the property is lovely, with a few beautifully decorated rooms that cost less than $50 a night. After a meal of curry and fresh juice at the hotel’s organic restaurant, we visited the school, passing kids on bikes who called out to our toddler. Without the school, which opened its doors in 2007, Mr. Pred said, the children would be working on family farms. Later, I spoke to him about the dual impulses of progress and preservation. “Aid groups alone are not going to be able to lift Cambodians out of poverty,” he said, “but I wanted to demonstrate that it is possible to do business here in a way that is profitable, and at the same time benefits the local community and leaves as faint a footprint as possible on the environment.” With a little luck, projects like this that mix hospitality with community initiatives will flourish along this changing coastline and create alternatives to huge resorts. I certainly hope to find him here when I come back. Having seen Koh Samui and other Southeast Asian islands before developers set in, I know what can be lost when a place is found.

Credit : ONDINE COHANE travels frequently to Southeast Asia.

HONG KONG OR KOH KONG

The easiest way to get to Koh Kong in south western Cambodia By Peter Richards Many of Pattaya’s expats escape the madness of Pattaya’s annual Song Kran event, by holidaying in the Philippines or Hong Kong, but there is an easier and cheaper alternative. Simply travel south to the last remaining narrow strip of Thai territory, cross into Cambodia, and within 10-Kms you find yourself crossing a modern 1.9 Km. bridge into the beautiful little fishing & tourist town of Koh Kong. While everybody knows that the former British colony Hong Kong is situated on the south western coastline of China, it is probably only dedicated travelers to southern Cambodia, who know where the small coastal town of Koh Kong is located. 38

The easiest way to get to Koh Kong in south western Cambodia, is to travel to the city of Trat in south eastern Thailand, which takes about four hours from Pattaya if you drive your own car, and you will need to spend around 1,000 baht for fuel. The 6.00 am Bangkok – Trat bus can be caught on Sukhumvit, opposite Pattaya Central Road and together with the mini-bus to the border will only cost a little over 300 baht. A Koh Kong bus company, which is part of the Riverside Guesthouse, does regular scheduled runs from Pattaya to Koh Kong then travels on to Sihanoukeville and even on to Phnom Penh. From Trat you travel east for another hour until you get to the Cambodian boarder post of Klong Yai, which the Cambodians call Apr - jun, 2014

Cham Yeam, and crossing by foot is well organized with the Kmer immigration charging a fee of around 1,000 – 1,300 baht, depending on your length of stay. The above travel prices are peanuts, when one compares them to flying to Hong Kong, then comes the not so big whammy of accommodation, and for the “cheap Charlie,” basic guest house fan rooms start from around $5 US. However, as a typical example, the Blue Marlin Guesthouse, has newly built very well appointed fan rooms (with hot shower, TV, etc.) for around $15 US. If you are wondering, security is rarely a problem in Koh Kong, and this particular guest house is owned by a senior police officer who lives on site.

Whilst there is always some night entertainment in the form of bars and discos, these do not go on noisily all night, and many of the locals are asleep at 10.00 pm, so nighttime crime is virtually non existent. The Kmer people are polite, and more reserved than most of their Asian neighbors, with a totally laid back approach to life. So hire a motorbike for about $5 US per day and enjoy slow, sensible motorbike driving. Take a 20 minute run north on the new asphalt highway, up to the first big river crossing and the Tah Tai Eco Resort, so that you can enjoy the beautiful national park, with its many serene waterfalls. A quick run back to town allows you to enjoy a delicious Kmer or western style meal with a cool

drink, at affordable prices that will surprise you. Being a fishing town, seafood is cheap and readily available at most hotels and restaurants, but the real bargains are at New Beach, situated on the south western shores of Koh Kong island, which lies back about 10 kms back towards the Thai border. This 2 km stretch of pristine beach is pretty well deserted, except for a few Cambodians and a handful of small beachfront restaurants, where they eat large bowls of freshly cooked prawns & shellfish for less than 300 baht. Add to this the fact that there are no beach vendors continually pestering you, and this quiet beach is indeed paradise. apr - jun, 2014

Being built at the mouth of a large river there are plenty of boat trips for diving, fishing, sightseeing and exploring the ecology of this province, which has Asia’s largest mangroves. With the construction of four new bridges opening up a direct road link to Phnom Penh, it is better to book in advance, and at least one month ahead for Song Kran. When Pattayans try to escape to Hong Kong or Philippines, the flights are often booked out, so why not go to Koh Kong, which is widely recognized as Cambodia’s most beautiful province. At a fraction of the cost , with no hassles associated with airline flights, you will feel ten times more relaxed, for what will be a decision well made, so go Koh Kong and not Hong Kong.

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Tourism ON THe rise

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Ta Prohm Temple

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