A fine blend of coffee and conservation: The Vann Molyvann house turned Brown Coffee

Posted on June 16, 2025 by Susan Haythorpe

For years an architectural gem has lain empty and overlooked on Mao Tse Tung Boulevard near Tuol Tom Pong. Now entrepreneurial Cambodian coffee chain Brown has stepped in to save the former Vann Molyvann house, securing the future of a valuable piece of the city’s built heritage and creating a stunning new venue in the process.

The Vann Molyvann house, rescued from destruction.

The house was built in 1966 as the home and workshop of Vann Molyvann, the revered Cambodian architect behind the capital’s iconic Independence Monument, whose modernist vision created a new physical landscape for post-colonial Phnom Penh. Brown’s architects have carried out a careful, creative and contemporary restoration of the too-long unloved property, with the support of the Molyvann family and the Vann Molyvann Project , the organization dedicated to documenting and promoting the architect’s heritage. Continue reading →

See the Eiffel Tower in Phnom Penh

Posted on April 26, 2025 by Lina Goldberg

Have you ever wanted to go on a European holiday but balked at the cost? Have you felt compelled to expose your children to European culture, but shuddered at the thought of taking them on a long-haul flight? You’re in luck because some intrepid developer has created a miniature Europe (and a bit of Australia) in a Phnom Penh suburb. Best of all? It’s completely free.

Skip the long-haul flights and head to Euro Park for your next European vacation.

PH Euro Park was brought to you by the geniuses at Peng Huoth Group, a property development firm who recognized the value of having an upscale leafy suburb close to the city, and outdid themselves by adding a pint-sized Eiffel Tower, among other things. The development is located along National Road 1, about a 20-minute drive from BKK1. It’s called ‘Star Platinum Euro Ville’ and features six-bedroom villas, but the truly unique selling point is the Euro Park, which is open to the public. Continue reading →

Shopping malls, Phnom Penh-style

Posted on April 6, 2025 by Susan Haythorpe

When I first came to Phnom Penh in 2012 the nearest equivalent to a shopping mall was the Sorya Shopping Center (not to be confused with Golden Sorya Mall, which wasn’t a shopping mall either but a now-defunct, distinctly sleazy ‘pub street’). Sorya was more like an indoor market hall but it had Cambodia’s first escalator and that alone qualified it as a futuristic shopping experience by the capital’s standards of the time. Twelve years on and the retail landscape has been transformed as Phnom Penh embraces mall culture with zeal.

Aeon shopping mall Phnom Penh

The original Aeon Mall in 2014 was Cambodia’s first “real” mall.

Japanese retail giant Aeon led the way in 2014 with the opening of its first Aeon Mall on Sothearos Boulevard. Locals approached it with eager curiosity while expats cheered the arrival of brands like Mango, Daiso, and Lock ‘n’ Lock and the chance to shop in air-conditioned comfort. This medium-sized mall has since been expanded and revamped and remains the most convenient location in central Phnom Penh to meet your shopping needs. Customers can shop international names like H & M, Nine West, Ecco, Superdry, and Decathlon; an increasing number of upmarket brands like Coach, Michael Kors, and Tommy Hilfiger; and a wealth of sports retailers including Adidas, ASICS, Puma, and New Balance. Nojima has an excellent range of phones and home electrical appliances large and small; there are optical services; pharmacies, and beauty stores; and a very popular World Dining food court on the ground floor. Lively Plaza lives up to its name with regular promotions and activities and of course there’s loads of parking for those ginormous SUVs. Continue reading →

Six of the best places to satisfy your sweet tooth in Phnom Penh

Posted on March 14, 2025 by Susan Haythorpe

There’s no shortage of treats in Phnom Penh for those who want to have their cake (and eat it). From street food to fancy French patisseries, there’s a sugar rush waiting to happen in just about every corner of the capital.  If cakes are your thing as they are mine, these are some of the places you need to know about.

The showstoppers from Love & Cakes just might be too beautiful to eat.

 Love & Cakes

Elena Tumanova is the confectioner par excellence behind this exceptional home bakery where each cake and cookie is a work of art. You name it, Elena and her team will bake it — and present it so beautifully you hardly dare eat it. From madeleines and marshmallows to bento cake boxes and beautiful occasion cakes. Hand-rolled mochi is a melt-in the-mouth speciality. Contact them via facebook or WhatsApp (+855 96 978 8955) to make your order. Continue reading →

Ebinosekai: omakase sushi in Phnom Penh

Posted on March 6, 2025 by Lina Goldberg

When it comes to getting great sushi, Phnom Penh has its ebbs and flows. I’m happy to report that these days in Phnom Penh the sushi is flowing, and it’s better than ever. Ebinosekai on Street 63 offers an experience that’s as close to eating in Japan as you’re likely to get in Cambodia, and offers great value for money for the quality they’re serving.

A Cambodian sushi chef putting a single piece of nigiri sushi onto a plate.

A piece of chutoro nigiri as part of Ebinosekai’s omakase menu.

The highlight of the menu are the various omakase selections. The term omakase loosely means “I’ll leave it up to you,” and is an invitation to trust the chef to serve whatever is best that day. It’s served at the sushi bar, and the chef presents each piece, one by one, which feels more like an experience than a meal. Continue reading →

Pomelo Bar: a stylish Phnom Penh garden oasis

Posted on February 26, 2025 by Lina Goldberg

Pomelo Bar, a design-lover’s dream, opened just a few weeks ago in Phnom Penh and is already garnering rave reviews. Tucked away on a laneway off of Street 184 across from Plantation, Pomelo is housed in a 1990s villa clearly inspired by Van Molyvann and the New Khmer Architecture movement, with its characteristic VVV-style roof and accents. The laneway location gives the place a secluded feel; it’s like a secret garden oasis in the middle of the city.

Inside, Pomelo bar is stylish and inviting, and it’s clear that someone put a lot of thought, and love, into the design. The bar’s aesthetic blends mid-century modern and Scandinavian design, and could just as easily be in Stockholm as Phnom Penh. One of the owners, Drew, formerly of popular Siem Reap wine bar Balthazar, is passionate about architecture and interiors, and it shows. Continue reading →

Tuk tuk, bong? Navigating Phnom Penh transportation

Posted on February 4, 2025 by Susan Haythorpe

The traditional Khmer tuk tuk in all its quirky glory is one of the iconic images of Cambodia. Despite an influx of alternatives, these two-wheeled carriages, known as remorques from the French term for trailer, and usually drawn by the ubiquitous Honda dream, are still an appealing way to get around the city. Time was, remorques were the standard means of transport in Phnom Penh alongside the moto, or motorcycle taxi, and cyclo, the equally iconic Cambodian rickshaw. They first appeared in Cambodia in the 1990s as motorbike ownership grew and by the turn of the millennium were overtaking the cyclo as the staple way to travel.

Phnom Penh is teeming with tuk tuks.

The growing popularity of Indian Bajaj tuk tuks, also called autorickshaws, since the first fleet was launched in Cambodia in 2016 posed a threat to the future of the traditional remorque and has shaken up the capital’s public transport framework significantly. These dinky, agile LPG vehicles, greener, cheaper to use — and to buy and operate — truly came into their own when the first ride hailing apps were introduced the following year. It wasn’t just the remorques and their drivers who suffered the fall out, but the city’s motodops were pretty much put out of business, too. Continue reading →

How to get from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap (and vice versa) in 2025

Posted on January 15, 2025 by Lina Goldberg

If you’re heading to Cambodia in 2025, you may be wondering how to to get from Phnom Penh and Siem Reap (and Siem Reap to Phnom Penh).

Giant Ibis bus Phnom Penh to Siem Reap

Check out the view on a Giant Ibis bus between Phnom Penh and Siem Reap.

There are options to fit every budget, but some are nicer and more comfortable than others. I’ve tried all of these ways to travel between Phnom Penh and Siem Reap, some of them many times (unlike most of the other sites who just copy my content, yawn). The journey by road usually takes between 5 and 7 hours, depending on your mode of transport, traffic, and the ever-changing condition of the road.

Table of contents

Summary

  • Taxi: Costs $80-100. Most comfortable option. Best balance of price and convenience. About 5 hours. → Book now.
  • Bus: Costs $10-18. Smoothest ride and best views. About 6 hours.
  • Mini-bus/van: Costs $10-13. Faster than the bus, but more cramped. About 5.5 hours. → Book now.
  • Plane: Costs $100-200. Fastest method, but domestic flights are unreliable. About 1 hour. → Book now.
  • Ferry: Costs $35. Best scenery, if you sit outside. About 8 hours, sometimes more. Not currently running.

Continue reading →