Cycling to Teuk Chhou, Kampot

Posted on February 14, 2014 by Steven Halcrow

If you need a break from life in hectic Phnom Penh, Kampot provides a nice respite as life there runs at a significantly slower pace. Located two and a half hours south of the capital, Kampot is a small town that offers great opportunities to see some of Cambodia’s countryside.

Cold beer in Tuek Chou

Tuek Chhou offers everything a traveler might want…

The town itself was the site of a crab haven of Kep as well as the motorbike ride up to Bokor Hill Station that offers spectacular views of the Gulf of Thailand.

If motorbikes or crabs are not your thing then you can rent a bicycle for the day and spend the day in the countryside. I opted to head for Teuk Chhou which is a spot roughly nine kilometers North from Kampot town center. You should allow between three and four hours for the round trip and be sure to apply some sunscreen. The combination of no sunscreen and a tee-shirt means that I am now sporting a rather aggressive farmer’s tan.

Cycling in Kampot

Rent a bicycle and see the wonders of the Kampot countryside.

The road to Teuk Chhou is full of interesting insights into rural Cambodian life. The disused irrigation ditch, for example, that runs practically the entire length of both sides of the road itself was dug during the time of the Khmer Rouge. These days it is overgrown with vegetation and used as dumping ground for durian skins and other waste. Agriculturally, Cambodians are not as developed as their other Asian neighbors with just one rice harvest per year (compared to three in Vietnam and up to four in China).

The ditch exists but the desolate rice paddies point to the fact that irrigation has not developed further than the ditch-digging stage. Whether this will be put to use in future remains to be seen, and perhaps all the Cambodians you see along the way lying around in hammocks or sitting by their durian stalls are contemplating this very issue. You may also be rather surprised by how many rural Cambodian families own a pool table, many of which are visible on the road to Teuk Chhou.

Hanging out in Tuek Chou.

Hanging out in Tuek Chhou.

Distribution of wealth in Cambodia has been the subject of much debate for many years. You will see plenty of people living in wooden shacks on the road to Teuk Chhou and many of them are smiling, giving the appearance of a contented and happy community. Occasionally you will also see a very grand house with several new vehicles parked in the drive and perimeter fencing built around it (one house even had gold plated animal statues sitting in the middle of a professionally landscaped garden). This egregious display of wealth sits rather awkwardly in between two durian stands, both run by women who look as tired as the fruit they sell.

Swimming at Tuek Chou

After a leisurely ride, go for a dip at Tuek Chhou.

Teuk Chhou itself is not spectacular but is a great place for a swim after an hour and a half cycle. The thatched wooden platforms that line the river bank contain hammocks and are big enough for a few people to sit and get a picnic. Lots of Khmer families take advantage of Teuk Chhou’s swimming and hanging out facilities that sit in the shadow of trees, next to a 50ft stone Bhudda. Inevitably, durian are for sale.

Cycling back, the same sights are available, only in reverse, leading to a very similar experience as the journey in: wooden shacks, durian stands, irrigation ditch, inequalities in the distribution of wealth and, as far as I counted, five pool tables.

Motorbikes cost $5 (plus gas) and bicycles are as little as a dollar a day in Kampot. Just look for signs around town as many guesthouses and travel agents rent both.

How to buy crab at the Kep Crab Market

Posted on February 6, 2014 by Lina Goldberg

For those of you who read my last post ‘Eating crab in Kep: The crab shack face-off‘ you may be curious about how one actually goes about buying crabs directly from the ladies at the Kep Crab Market. There’s no denying that the experience can be slightly intimidating, but the results—a giant steaming basket of crabs—are well worth it.

Crabs from Kep Crab Market

Throw yourself in the Kep Crab Market and be rewarded with a delicious lunch.

If you want to try your hand at buying live crabs in Kep, here are a few tips.

Be prepared to bargain. The first price you are offered will not be the going rate or the best price you can get. The difference is not huge, 5,000 riel ($1.25) or 10,000 riel ($2.50) at most, but you are expected to bargain. If you bargain in Khmer, you will get a better price. This is why learning numbers and shrieking “so expensive!” (t’lay na!) is the most important Khmer you can learn. If you can’t bear to bargain, there is a drink seller in the market who speaks English and is happy to help if you buy your beverages from him. You can identify him as the sugar cane juice stand closest to the cooking area and closest to the water—he has a green Apple logo on his stand and he doesn’t charge a markup to help (or not much).

Bargaining at Kep Crab Market

Be prepared to bargain. This crab seller wanted 30,000 riel, we settled on 25,000 riel.

Prices vary. Keep in mind that prices can change dramatically day to day. So don’t assume you are getting ripped off just because you are paying more than someone else did last last week. A few days ago I was offered 20,000 riel ($5) for a kilo of small crabs and 30,000 ($7.50) for large crabs. Just a day later I paid 25,000 ($6.25) for a kilo of large crabs. But a day before I arrived during Chinese New Year, Lui paid 40,000 riel ($10) and the Canby Guide staff heard of prices going as high as 60,000, while a tuk tuk driver told me 80,000 was the going rate. Do any of these numbers matter? No. My point is just that prices vary wildly based on demand and availability so don’t be concerned if you don’t get the same prices you’ve read about. Have a smile on your face and keep the bargaining good-natured and you’ll get a good price.

Inspecting crabs and Kep Crab Market

Don’t be afraid to put your hands into the crab baskets and pick out the best of the bunch.

Inspect the crabs. From watching the locals, I learned that buying crabs is a hands-on affair. Decide if you want male or female crabs (females have delicious roe inside but males can have meatier claws) and learn how to identify them. Females have a bigger “apron” that is a dark color. Cambodians value the females more, but the Western palate doesn’t necessarily appreciate the roe and guts, so you may get a better deal on male crabs. Whichever you choose, you identify yourself as an engaged consumer by squatting down and putting your hands in the crab basket and picking the ones you want and rejecting the ones you don’t. If you don’t do this, essentially you send the message that you are prime for the taking. Watch a few locals buy crabs before you try it—even if they are buying kilos and kilos, they will inspect every one with a ridiculous amount of attention. Whether or not you have any idea what you are looking for, pretend that you do just to show you care. And ask for the big ones—kdam thom (big crabs). They’re easier to eat.

Cooking crabs at Kep Crab Market

Boiling crabs and the Kep Crab Market makes for a great photo opp.

Get them cooked. It costs 3,000 riel ($0.75) to boil a kilo of crabs or 5,000 riel ($1.25) to stir fry them. The locals and the Move to Cambodia team usually go with boiling. The crabs are stunned and then boiled in salty water. Eaten in this method, the crab becomes the real star of the meal, and you can enjoy its natural crabby flavor to the fullest. Order some rice and chili sauce to accompany it—you’ll see women in the market selling both. The chili sauce is sold in water bottles for between 4,000 and 6,000 riel (the darker variety is tastier in my personal opinion). You can sit down to eat them at any of the drink-sellers’ tables if you buy drinks from them, or bring them back to your hotel if you prefer.

Take advantage of the photo opportunity. If you start pushing your way into the middle of someone else’s crab purchase to take photos with your iPad, you’re being a jerk. You’re getting in the way of someone else’s transaction if you butt in with your camera. But if it’s your transaction, feel free to take as many photos as possible. The cooking process with the steaming tubs of crabs make for wonderful photographs. You’ll get some great shots and no one minds because you’re buying their product.

Crab sellers at Kep Crab Market

Get involved and get yourself lunch.

Don’t be scared. I’m not going to lie, the first time you buy crabs at the Kep Crab Market you will probably intimidated. You will be swarmed by crab fisherwomen who will all be shouting at you in Khmer about how fantastic their crabs are. But the results are more than worth it. The crabs you buy on the pier will be fresher, tastier, and better value than the ones you’ll get at any of the nearby restaurants and you’ll get an authentic Cambodian experience in the process.

Eating crab in Kep: The crab shack face-off

Posted on February 5, 2014 by Lina Goldberg

Five or so years ago there were a handful of small, family-run restaurants lined up next to Kep’s Crab Market, and there was little to nothing to differentiate one from the next. Then Lonely Planet anointed Kimly the best of the bunch, and it quickly became the most popular place on the strip. Many expats won’t eat anywhere else and others refuse to eat there because they claim a Lonely Planet recommendation is the kiss of death. Over the last few days we at Move to Cambodia decided to eat as much crab as possible and see which of the Kep crab shacks came out on top.

Kep crab shacks

It isn’t easy deciding where to eat on Kep’s Crab Row. We’re here to help.

Kimly Restaurant

We stopped by Kimly on the last day of Chinese New Year and the place was packed to the rafters with both tourists and local families gorging themselves on seafood. The crab dishes are undeniably tasty, especially the stir-fried crab with green pepper. Kimly has a “secret sauce” for their seafood dishes, a sort of sweet Cambodian curry that they only slightly alter for their various dishes. It’s tasty, but it masks the flavors of the Kampot pepper, which should be the star of the meal. Moreover, when you get a few of their dishes and they come out with a very similar version of the sweet curry it does get repetitive. The crab dishes cost $7.25 for a small plate that consists of two crabs.

Kimly's Kep green pepper crab

Kimly’s green pepper crab in their signature sweet, spicy sauce.

We ordered the crab with green pepper (really good), prawns with fresh coconut milk (pretty good) and Chinese kale (inedible). We sent the Chinese kale back because it was so overcooked that the only person who would have enjoyed it was a teething baby or geriatric. They brought another one out that appeared to be the same dish we had sent back, just chopped up into smaller pieces. It was so mushy that we didn’t eat it and I’m confident that no Cambodian–even the chef that prepared it–would have eaten it either. Service was awful, but that could have been because the place was packed for Chinese New Year. On the plus side, they sell Beer Lao in the big bottles, which aren’t easy to find in Cambodia. Overall, not as good as I remembered from several years ago and certainly not as good as their reputation.

Crab Market, Kep
T: 089 822 866

Srey Pov Restaurant

After lunch at Kimly, we waited until we weren’t uncomfortably full and headed to Srey Pov for dinner. In the interest of fairness, we ordered crab with green pepper here as well, and were very happy with the results. The sauce wasn’t sweet, which was a relief. Clusters of green pepper adorned the dish and the pepper flavor was more prominent. If the goal was to try Kampot green pepper, this is a better option because the spicy, peppery flavor is more prominent in Srey Pov’s version. We also ordered squid “with the hot oil” which turned out the be deep-fried squid served with freshly-made sweet chili sauce. Finally, we got stir-fried mixed vegetables, which were the same as any other mixed vegetables in Cambodia but decidedly better than Kimly’s veggie offerings. Srey Pov is the favorite of one of my long-term expat friends, who says the food is marginally better than Kimly and is much cheaper–a small crab dish costs $5. Overall, I thought Srey Pov was a better option and very good value.

Crab Market, Kep
T: 012 604 206

So Kheang Restaurant

We stumbled into So Kheang after a few sunset drinks at La Baraka. The place was empty and we were slightly apprehensive as the staff seemed unsure of whether or not they were open and once they decided that they were, whether or not they had the ingredients to make any of the dishes on their menu. We ordered the crab with green pepper to see how it would hold up to the other restaurants’, and our waiter promptly hopped off the deck into the nighttime water and retrieved two live crabs out of the restaurant’s crab traps. This, we felt, bode well for the meal and we were not wrong. The crab with green pepper was the pepperiest of them all–the flavors of the crab and the pepper were the true stars of the dish, perfectly complimenting each other and unmarred by any competing flavors. Perhaps it was the sunset cocktails talking, but to my palate this was the best of all of the crab shacks and it was also just $5. Prices at So Kheang were very affordable and the service, although shy at first, was really friendly. Recommended.

Crab Market, Kep
T: 092 254 683; 097 253 9186

Crab from Kep's Crab Market

The best value for money can be bought directly from Kep’s crab fishers.

Crab Market

Finally we decided to skip the crab shacks altogether and head to the Crab Market to buy our crabs direct from the source. This turned out to have the best results–at Kimly two crabs cost $7.25. For the same price we got seven crabs at the Crab Market that were twice the size. We paid an extra 3,000 riel ($0.75) to have them killed and cooked. Easily the best value and most enjoyable option available. If you’re nervous about trying this method we’ve got a post on how to buy crabs at the Kep Crab Market, down to the last excruciating detail.

Want more? Check out part two, Eating crab in Kep: Crab shack face-off, Redux and Crab shack face-off, Part 3.

Review: Mie Cafe, Siem Reap

Posted on January 31, 2014 by Steven Halcrow

Located in a beautiful Khmer wooden house with a large garden area at the front where they grow fresh herbs, Mie Cafe is a small restaurant on a quiet street on the road to Angkor Wat, just five or ten minutes from the center of Siem Reap.

Tuna tartare at Siem Reap's Mie Cafe.

Tuna tartare with fresh mango at Siem Reap’s Mie Cafe.

When we visited last week, we were only looking for a light lunch so we focused on the soups and starters (and skipped the page of the featuring the Western dishes,including fish and chips, crusted salmon and the reportedly very good BBQ pork ribs). We ordered two types of tasty tartare — tuna and salmon — which were excellent. Both were very fresh and prepared with obvious care and attention to flavor and presentation. The crab chowder and wonton soup were also incredibly tasty and seasoned perfectly. We liked them so much, in fact, that we ended up passing them around the table so everyone could get a taste. I also had the beef lok lak, which was a more refined version than the typical fast food standard. It was good, but not as exciting as everything else we ordered.

Mie Cafe Siem Reap

Mie Cafe is located in a traditional Cambodia wooden house with a lovely garden.

The service was friendly and attentive without being overbearing. On the whole, I have found service in Cambodia to be very good despite being fairly relaxed (unlike neighboring Laos where you have to phone a week in advance just to get the bill). I like the laissez-faire attitude that Khmers have to food service, but I still appreciate when a place goes that little bit further to ensure customer satisfaction and Mie Cafe got it just right.

Chef Pola Siv came out to our table after we had finished to see that we had enjoyed our meal. His manner was incredibly humble and made me like the place even more. He gave the impression of a man who genuinely cared about the happiness of his guests — he wasn’t fishing for compliments, just checking that we had enjoyed our lunch. He has a definite creative edge and said that he regularly makes changes here and there on the menu, including overhauling a dish to suit the season, or just refining something slightly to satiate his creative urge.

I discovered after leaving and doing a bit of research that he has travelled far and wide and gained a very wide range of experience from Bahrain to the Caymen Islands, and two years working in Geneva at the two Michelin-starred Domain De Chateauvieux. This experience is very evident in the food that Pola serves. The flavors are very good and well-balanced and the presentation sets Mie Cafe apart from many of the other restaurants in Siem Reap. Even though Mie Cafe is a great place to eat right now, over time, I think it will only get better.

Mie Cafe
#0085, Phum Treng Khum Slorgram, Siem Reap (On the road to the temples, turn right after the Sofitel Hotel)
T: 012 791 371
miecafe-siemreap.com

Expat kid Q&A: Life is easy here, and so is raising kids

Posted on January 28, 2014 by Lina Goldberg

In this expat series about raising kids in Cambodia, we talk to parents about the finer points of child rearing in the Kingdom of Wonder.

Greg Bloom Cambodia

Greg Bloom birdwatching with his daughter at Prek Toal Bird Sanctuary.

American expat Greg Bloom has been living in Phnom Penh since 2008, where he writes for Lonely Planet and other travel publications. He’s also the father of an adventurous 7-year-old daughter who often accompanies him on his research trips around the country. I asked Greg a few questions about raising kids in Cambodia.

What’s the best part about raising kids in Phnom Penh?

Life is easy in Phnom Penh, and that extends to raising kids. Housing and and help are both cheap. Not that this should be a reason to ignore your parental duties, but in Phnom Penh it’s more realistic to have a life outside of parenting than in, say, the US, where a live-in nanny might cost most if not all of your own salary. Leisure activities like tennis and football are also very affordable here, so parents have an opportunity to get their young ones started with a variety of sports at a young age. It’s also nice to be relatively close to the ocean, which is just 3-4 hours from Phnom Penh depending on where you go. Of course, it would be nice to be closer. In short, Phnom Penh is just a very pleasant place to live, kids or no kids.

There are also, for whatever reason, a remarkable number of kids here, especially of elementary age, so there are plenty of playmates for your rug rats. Healthy competition to provide an education to all of those kids has resulted in some excellent international schools. And of course those kids come from all over the world. This multinational exposure is something you can’t put a price on, and you can’t teach at home. Exposure to a foreign culture in the form Cambodia has to offer is another horizon-broadening benefit.

What’s the worst part about raising kids in Cambodia?

Lack of parks and open-air recreational spaces, and it’s often too hot to enjoy the few parks that exist. Outdoor activities that you might enjoy at home — like camping, hiking, river rafting, biking – are not so viable here either because it’s too damn hot or they just aren’t accessible. Those aforementioned beaches are just a little too far away to enjoy on a regular basis. The traffic and bustle of the city also won’t appeal to all.

What are your favorite activities for kids in Cambodia?

Phnom Penh & around (viable day trips):

    • Seeing a movie in an air-conditioned theater
    • Browsing books at Monument Books
    • Taking the Naga World ferry over the Mekong and biking the rural roads and trails on the other side
    • Strolling the riverfront promenade or Wat Botum Park at dusk
    • Kid’s City/Monkey Business
    • Get-togethers at restaurants like Le Jardin that have space for kids to play while the adults socialize; these places rarely exist back home.
    • Temple hopping at Oudong or in Takeo: Phnom Chisor, Phnom Da, Phnom Bayong

Weekend breaks:

    • Kayaking and swimming at the Kampot River. (Les Manguiers is arguably the most kid-friendly resort in the country.
    • Escape the heat at Kirirom National Park and hike or bike amid alpine pine forests, plus there is decent accommodation.
    • Kep for a host of good resorts and pleasant seaside beach, although beaches are disappointing here.
    • Sihanoukville (Otres Beach) and Cambodia islands (Koh Rong, Koh Rong Samloem) for beaches and snorkeling.

Longer trips:

    • Siem Reap/Angkor Wat for temples. Kids really love temples once they reach six years old or so!
    • Chi Phat ecotourism program in Koh Rong for birdwatching (my daughter loves it), biking, hiking, kayaking.
    • Stung Treng/Laos border for kayaking with Irrawaddy dolphins.
    • Kratie has a nice island resort and more dolphins (unfortunately in motorized boats, not kayaks).
    • Ratanakiri for waterfalls, elephant rides, lake swimming, gibbon spotting deep in forest for older kids and decent accommodation with pool at Terres Rouges.
    • Preah Vihear for Preah Vihear Temple. Preah Vihear Boutique Hotel in Sra Em has a pool.
    • Mondulkiri for Elephant Valley Project (mostly an option for older kids) and birdwatching.

If you could give one piece of advice to new expat parents in Phnom Penh, what would it be?

Cambodia is fun, don’t be scared to move here. Just do it. No place is ever as dangerous as you might assume. Relax and enjoy all Phnom Penh has to offer!

Review: Angkor Muscle Gym, Siem Reap

Posted on January 24, 2014 by Steven Halcrow

Angkor Muscle Gym is a cheap, local gym that sit on the banks of the Siem Reap River. At $1 for entry (including locker and towel) this is remarkable value for money. Even though the locals only pay 2000 riel, I still find it hard to complain. It may not come with the luxuries of a more upscale gym like air-conditioning or sauna, but the range and abundance of equipment more than makes up for this. That and the flexing.

Angkor Muscle Gym, Siem Reap

Where Siem Reap’s muscle go to work out.

Angkor Muscle Gym is primarily a body building gym where the emphasis is on free weights and other forms of resistance training. This is made apparent by the fact that there are only a handful of cardio machines, all of which are in perfect working order, probably due to the fact that no one seems to use them very much. (And if you do want to use the Life Fitness treadmill, it costs an additional $1 for every 20 minutes.)

There are a load of dumbbells, several benches (decline, incline and flat) Smith machine, two cable machines, lat pull down, squat rack, dipping stations and pretty much every other type of bench or machine that you could want. This abundance of equipment is great for an efficient workout as even if someone is using the thing you want to use, there will be something else you can use instead that will do the same thing.

There is also a reasonably sized studio area at the back for more aerobic-based workouts and plenty of mats for stretching or pilates/yoga-type exercises.

Inside Angkor Muscle Gym, Siem Reap

Some of the equipment is old, some of the equipment is new, but everyone is flexing.

Every time I visited there were at least a couple other foreigners there. Not that the locals would care–they all seem far more interested in checking themselves out in the mirror to worry about what some barang might be doing. Their perpetual flexing meant that at some points it felt as though I was not, in fact, in a gym at all, and instead had wandered into some weird human peacock farm. 99% of the clientele are Cambodian, a further 99% of them are topless and 75% of them spend their rest periods between sets flexing. At any gym I have visited in the UK this would be seen as unbearably vain (most of the people I know will wait until they are in the confines of their bedroom before beginning the gun show), but at Angkor Muscle Gym they are proud to show off their hard work. Some might think that such a concentration of testosterone would have a negative effect on anyone not participating in the flex-a-thon but everyone is having fun and smiling, which in my opinion helps to create a very enjoyable and fun environment in which to work out.

It is a growing scene in Siem Reap and the posters on the wall of the more successful patrons of the gym competing in bodybuilding competitions is testament to the hard work that goes into the place, which is the home of ABBA, the Angkor Body Building Association. Personal training is also available with the same guys that are on the posters and the price I was quoted was a paltry $5 an hour, although I would anticipate a few language barriers.

For women looking for a good gym to use, I would recommend Angkor Muscle Gym but be prepared as the testosterone shot is pretty intense. This actually made my female friend a bit uncomfortable, purely because she was not ready for it. If you are looking for a cardio-machine based workout then this may not be the place. But if you are willing to give it a shot, it will help you relax if you have an idea of what you are doing workout-wise before you go in. Once you start, though, you will realize that the locals care more about their muscles than you.

To find Angkor Muscle Gym, from the Old Market area, cross the Old Market Bridge and make an immediate right and walk along directly by the river until you see it. It’s less than a 10 minute walk from the Old Market. (See it on Google Maps here.)

Angkor Muscle Gym
Open 5 a.m. to 9 p.m.
House #0471, Watdamnak Village, Salakomreuk Commune, Siem Reap
T: 012 970 443
facebook.com/Angkor-Muscle-Gym

Expat kid Q&A: It makes a difference

Posted on January 13, 2014 by Lina Goldberg

This is the first of a new expat series about raising kids in Cambodia, where we talk to parents about the finer points of child rearing in the Kingdom of Wonder.

Narisara Murray and family

Family life in Siem Reap.

Narisara Murray has been living in Siem Reap with her husband John McDermott for a decade now. They have a four-year-old son and recently became parents to a baby girl. I asked Narisara a few questions about raising kids in Cambodia.

What’s the best part about raising kids in Cambodia?

The supportive environment and help with childcare. By and large, Cambodians are warm and friendly to kids and it makes a difference to feel welcomed into a restaurant or shop, where staff might play with your child, giving you a little more time to enjoy your meal or make your choices. About childcare, I find that my friends in my home country (the US), especially the families with two working parents, often have to wrestle tough choices about childcare, which is usually pretty expensive. My husband and I both work at home and we’re lucky that we can afford a wonderful nanny at home, so that we can participate in our son’s day and see how he’s doing, but get our work done at the same time.

What’s the worst part about raising kids in Cambodia?

A higher risk level than I’m used to in my home country. Poisonous snakes have been sighted in our garden, including cobras and green tree pit vipers. Dengue is always a concern, especially during rainy season.

What are your favorite activities for kids in Cambodia?

My four year old loves to go for “nature walks” — from Siem Reap, we can drive a couple miles into the countryside and find places with plenty of nature for a four year old to explore, or go to the Angkor archeological zone and wander around paths through forested areas there.

If you could give one piece of advice to new expat parents in Cambodia, what would it be?

Don’t worry. Siem Reap is a wonderful place for a child to grow up: compared to a major city, there is so much access to nature and natural life. People here are used to raising kids without iPads, iPods, TVs, etc. It’s easier to unplug here. I don’t want to be hypocritical — our son loves his iPad, but he’d also just as soon go play in the garden, look for tadpoles and lizards, make a play building out of fallen bamboo twigs (nature’s Tinker Toys), or watch the cows amble down the road. I hope these are things he’ll always remember about his childhood.