Review: Skybar, Koh Rong

As your boat arrives at Koh Toch pier, high above the line of beachside bars, restaurants and guesthouses, you’ll see the word “Skybar.” The term is often been used to describe city bars perched on top of a high-rise block, and it seemed unlikely that the view from a beach bar that wasn’t serviced by an elevator could match the vertiginous heights of skybars I’d been to before. But, after having put in the legwork to get up to the bar-restaurant, the panoramic view of sea and sky did justify the name.

Skybar Koh Rong

The view from Koh Rong’s hilltop Skybar.

In case the climb begins to put you off, the stairway up is dotted with encouraging signs — “Keep going! Not much further!” — as you make the ascent. We arrived around 5 p.m. to find a happy hour from 6 p.m. offering two-for-one cocktails (normally priced between $3 and $4.50). They also have regular daily deals, such as Wine and Dine Wednesdays and Thirsty Thursdays. The lovely view along with reasonably priced spirits and a couple of choices of wine make this arguably the best spot on Koh Toch for some sundowner drinks — even if you won’t be getting a direct sunset view (which you would need to be on the other side of the island on Sok San beach for). Continue reading

Review: Cambodian Cultural Village, Siem Reap

In a town dominated by foreign tourism, the Cambodian Cultural Village in Siem Reap offers a uniquely local — and to Western eyes, decidedly odd — take on Cambodian culture and history. Part amateur museum, part theme park, part fun fair, the CCV may disappoint more serious-minded visitors, but it’s an ideal outing for those with young children to entertain or a taste for the quirkier side of the Kingdom.

Cambodian Cultural Village Siem Reap

Just one of many photo ops at the Cambodian Cultural Village in Siem Reap.

The Cambodian Cultural Village aims to sum up the essence of Cambodia within 210,000 square meters (about 52 acres). There are miniature versions of the Royal Palace in Phnom Penh, the Reclining Buddha, and other famous landmarks (“It like you have traveled all over Cambodia in haft day,” boasts the CCV’s vaguely English-language web site) and a series of “villages” dedicated to the Khmer and six of the country’s other ethnicities, including the Cham and the Chinese. Continue reading

Visiting Kep National Park

Most visitors to Kep do little more than eat crab, laze on the beach, and enjoy sundowners. But if you’ve already exhausted all of those options, just turn around and you’ll see that right behind you is a jungle — Kep National Park — that’s home to walking and trekking (or moto) trails, tranquil scenery, and lovely vistas.

Kep National Park

Need a break from feasting on crab? Hit the trails at Kep National Park!

We’ve been to the park a few times and have always meant to explore, but didn’t get around to it until now. Recently, however, we managed to roll out of bed at 7 a.m.(!) and take hugely enjoyable early morning hike that was well worth the early start and sore feet afterwards. Continue reading

Exploring Sihanoukville’s coffee culture

Surprisingly, there are other things to do in Sihanoukville besides drinking beer. One of our favorite things to do is to sit down with a coffee and watch the world go by. Cafe culture is booming in Sihanoukville, and it seems that every week another coffee shop pops up that serves coffee, frappes, and more. We feel duty bound to try them all and share the secrets of Sihanoukville’s coffee culture.

Cambodian iced coffee

The sweetest rocket fuel you’ll ever drink.

Cheap local-style iced coffee is widely available from street vendors everywhere for around 1,000 riel, but if you fancy something more sophisticated or require air-conditioning or WiFi, here’s a rundown of some of our favorite places to grab a caffeine fix. Continue reading

Insurance nightmare in Cambodia

One of the worst medical experiences of my life occurred two years ago, and I wasn’t even the patient. Shaun, a visitor to Cambodia whom I’d recently met, was admitted to Calmette Hospital, a public hospital in Phnom Penh, with a near-fatal spinal injury. He’d been mugged by a motodop and left for dead, and he urgently needed high-quality medical care.

Travel insurance nightmare Cambodia

Shaun in Calmette Hospital, waiting to be airlifted to Bangkok.

Instead, he was shuffled around from clinic to clinic, and after it was confirmed that he had a potentially fatal injury, he lay in a bed at Calmette for 33 hours, untreated and surrounded by filth, while his friends and family tried to convince his travel insurance company to honor his policy and evacuate him to an international-standard hospital in Thailand. Continue reading

Review: Little Red Fox, Siem Reap

When we woke up three days in a row thinking about Little Red Fox’s terrific cold drip coffee we realized we had a real problem. The cold drip coffee, brewed in an apparatus that would look at home in a science lab, is just that good — this isn’t yesterday’s coffee with a few ice cubes tossed in. The overnight, slow drip technique produces a gentle, flavorful brew, where the bright, sweet berry notes of the coffee beans shine through. No milk or sugar is needed here, as the cup comes perfectly balanced. Served in a dainty little glass, and ideal for sipping outside on a warm afternoon, the cold drip is our go-to after lunch beverage in Siem Reap.

Little Red Fox coffee Siem Reap

Little Red Fox in Kandal Village serves Siem Reap’s favorite coffee.

From time to time, Little Red Fox Espresso also has a single origin bean in stock for cold drip — when we visited, it was an organic bean from Laos — and it’s worth trying if they’ve got it. True to its name, the cafe serves an array of espresso drinks, flat white to americano, all made expertly by the Australian and Khmer staff, and both skim and soy milk are available. Or switch things up entirely and try a Cuban coffee, something you don’t see much of on coffee menus in Cambodia. Like many other specialty cafes in Cambodia, the Little Red Fox sources its beans, including the single origin roast, from Feel Good in Phnom Penh. Continue reading

Review: Golden Bayon Express mini-bus, Phnom Penh-Siem Reap

Golden Bayon Express is Cambodia mini-bus company that goes to a few cities, but their Phnom Penh to Siem Reap route is their most popular. If you’re looking for the quickest way to get between Phnom Penh and Siem Reap (other than flying, of course), a mini-bus is the fastest, albeit bumpiest, way to go. Golden Bayon Express does the trip in just around six hours, and when the roads aren’t so bad they claim to do it in five.

Golden Bayon Express Phnom Penh

Golden Bayon Express: A long six hours to get from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap.

Golden Bayon Express has a fleet of 15-seat Toyota HiAce, that are similar (but not as nice) to their competitor Elephant Express. These are certainly the most comfortable of all of the current mini-bus types currently on the road in Cambodia, with larger padded seats than the Ford Transits. Golden Bayon Express claims their HiAces are from 2012, and if that’s the case, they have had a long, hard two years. The interiors are dingy, with holes in the upholstery and stains on the ceilings. Continue reading

Review: Champa Mekong bus, Kep to Kampot to Phnom Penh

In my quest to find a direct bus from Kep to Phnom Penh (hint: there are none), I recently found myself on a Champa Mekong bus from Kep to Phnom Penh via Kampot, and frankly, I wouldn’t do it again.

Champa Mekong Tours and Travel

Champa Mekong is one of the least desirable ways to get from Kep or Kampot to Phnom Penh.

First of all, I thought the bus went direct from Kep to Phnom Penh, but actually it detours to stop in Kampot for 15 to 20 minutes. By car, the trip from Kep to Phnom Penh takes about 3.5 hours, and sometimes less. The 2:30 p.m. Champa Mekong bus was scheduled to arrive at 6:30 p.m., but the bus driver admitted it would be closer to 8 p.m., making for a 5.5 hour journey. On their signage at their office, though, they advertise the trip as 3.5 hours. Continue reading