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Cambodia in mourning

Posted on October 17, 2012 by Lina Goldberg

Phnom Penh's Royal Palace lit up to commemorate king-father Norodom Sihanouk

Phnom Penh’s Royal Palace lit up and bunting being added to a photograph of king-father Norodom Sihanouk.

The country of Cambodia is in mourning for the loss of its king-father, Norodom Sihanouk who died on Monday. Crowned king in 1941, Norodom Sihanouk oversaw the country for more than 60 years. Credited with achieving independence from France and ushering in Cambodia’s golden age in the 1960s, and later, for supporting the Khmer Rouge. Much loved by Khmers, he abdicated the throne in 2004 and became known as the king-father. A week of official mourning starts on Wednesday, but on Tuesday evening hundreds of Cambodians gathered in front of Phnom Penh’s Royal Palace to remember their former king.

A Cambodian woman taking a photograph of the Royal Palace.

A young woman photographs the proceedings at Phnom Penh’s Royal Palace.

Cambodians gathered outside the Royal Palace to pay their respects.

Girl posing in front of memorial photo of king-father Norodom Sihanouk.

The impromptu gathering was attended by hundreds of Khmers.

A woman prays next to hundreds of lit candles for king-father Norodom Sihanouk.

Lighting candles and joss sticks, Cambodians pay their respects.

Cambodians young and old turned up to light candles and mourn the loss of their king-father.

Weekend break in Koh Kong

Posted on October 14, 2012 by Lina Goldberg

Koh Kong, a sleepy riverside town offers expats an excellent weekend break.

Koh Kong is a seriously underrated place for a weekend break in Cambodia. It used to be the Wild East of the country — a border town that was known as a hotspot for smuggling, prostitution and illegal logging. Until 1998, the area was also one of the last holdouts for the Khmer Rouge.

Ten years ago the Koh Kong Bridge was built and the town had a legitimate link with Thailand and things started to calm down. These days, it’s a relaxed riverside town that offers access to some of the most beautiful spots in Cambodia and has many thriving ecotourism businesses.

Koh Kong’s riverside is dotted with tiny stands selling fresh seafood in the evenings.

For such a small town they’ve got a lot of tourist-oriented businesses that mainly cater to expats from Thailand who are on visa runs and backpackers and other visiting the Cardamom mountains and looking for other sorts of sustainable tourism. And to be sure, there are lots of lots of jungle trekking opportunities just outside of town and in beautiful Tatai just down the road.

That said, there are, perhaps, more tourist-oriented business than the town can handle, and as a result, you’ll find some of the best value-for-money accommodation in Cambodia in Koh Kong. And although there aren’t a lot of huge tourist attractions, per se, the local tuk tuk drivers and motodops can create a tour that will take at least a day or two, shuttling you from waterfall to Safari World to pagoda to sunset drinks…there’s even a giant casino at the border if your fancy yourself a gambler.

Ecotourism is one of Koh Kong’s main draws.

The town is also known for its enormous mangrove forests, located seven or eight kilometers outside of town. The forest is well-preserved, and non-Cambodians can visit for 5,000 riel (locals are charged 3,000 riel). The project aims to provide the villagers an alternative to ecologically-damaging businesses, an admirable goal.

There are still a handful of crusty expats in town willing to tell you about the old days, if that’s your sort of thing (and if it is, stop by the The Ice Cream Shop aka Bob’s).

Cambodia island getaways

Posted on October 7, 2012 by Lina Goldberg

If you’re dreaming of a Cambodian island getaway, it’s not too early to start planning!

Reminding Thailand of the good old days on Koh Rong.

There are a number of islands that are an easy trip from Phnom Penh via Sihanoukville — here are my top choices:

Koh Rong

This island is one of the most beautiful in Cambodia, or the Gulf of Thailand. On Koh Rong placid turquoise waters lap against sparkling white sand beaches. The island is remarkably undeveloped and there’s not a lot to do — you’ll have to be content with jungle hikes, diving, snorkeling and sitting on the beach drinking Cambodia beer. For food there’s a Thai chef offering her native fare and not one, but two Italian chefs who’ve made the island home and dishing up pasta and pizzas out of a wood-fired oven for visitors. You can also get inexpensive seafood dinners for very little. Check out the best places to stay on Koh Rong.

Waiting for something to happen on Koh Russei.

Koh Russei

Also known as Bamboo Island, Koh Russei is only an hour by boat from Sihanoukville, which makes it one of the easiest islands to get to from Phnom Penh. Accommodations are very basic and all bungalows have shared toilets. But if you’re looking for a crowd and a party, this old favorite is the place to go.

Be sure to bring sunblock to Lazy Beach on Koh Rong Sanloem.

Koh Rong Sanloem

My two favourite places to stay are on opposite sides of Koh Rong Sanloem and offer two very different experiences. Lazy Beach is where embassy employees go to get away — the bungalows are large, clean and well-maintained and even picky types will have a hard time finding fault with their setup. They’ve also got a badminton net, volleyball setup, lots of board games and table tennis. The bungalows at M’pay Bay are more rustic and less relaxing — you stay just next to a fishing village and will almost definitely get woken up by roosters crowing. But that’s the appeal of the place, getting to see a rural Cambodia village up close without being on some weirdly invasive danger trip.

The best Mexican food in Phnom Penh

Posted on October 1, 2012 by Lina Goldberg

A table covered with the makings for roll-em-yourself tacos at La Cita, in Phnom Penh.

Everything you need for delicious tacos and burritos at La Cita in Phnom Penh.

In case you’re worried that you’ll be giving up the simple pleasures of the Western world when you move to Cambodia, let me be the first to assure you: yes, we do have tacos.

There’s a plethora of California and Texas-style Mexican food in Phnom Penh, which is perhaps one of the greatest advantages to the surprising number of American expats there are in town.

Many Phnom Penh bars offer a Mexican food menu; Garage is at the top of my list — the owner, Jeff, hails from Southern California and cares deeply about the authenticity of his offerings. You won’t find lettuce on his tacos, just heaps and heaps of carnitas and al pastor marinated in pineapple juice, cilantro and onions. At just $3.50 for two, they’re great value.

My favorite Mexican joint in town is La Cita. It used to go by the name La Cita Rendez-vous, which was good for chuckle, but they’ve recently changed the name to La Cita Urban Mex, probably because everyone thought it was a brothel before. The owner, Richard, is from Chile and he’s constantly tinkering with the menu and the marketing of the place. His style is not that of a California taco truck, but it’s delicious. His tacos may be made with flour tortillas but they’ve got the best fillings in town — try the carnitas — and the burritos are even better. Priced at $7.49 for a small (and a small is BIG) the place even satisfies picky Californians who think they know more about Mexican food than you do. They also serve a few Chilean specialities.

Dark horse in town is Viva! I say dark horse not because it’s little-known, quite the opposite. Originally from Siem Reap, Viva! opened a branch in Phnom Penh last year to much ho-humming. The place was known for being boring and bland, and most expats went there for one thing and one thing only: $1.50 frozen margaritas. But I’ve caved in and ordered the wet burrito a few times and it’s actually pretty damn good and only $5.50 (be sure to ask for sour cream on the side for an extra $0.50). They also have $1 tacos which aren’t the best tacos in the world but are quite large and make a good-value snack after a few margaritas.

Garage, 9 Street 110; T: 012 754 763
Viva!, 11Eo Sisowath Quay: T: 093 678 888
La Cita Rendez-vous, 13 Street 282; T: 092 388 123

Edit 10/31/2013: Since this post was written, I have a new favorite, Alma Cafe. Check out the Move to Cambodia review here.

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