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Lockdown, what lockdown? Embracing expat life in Phnom Penh during coronavirus

Posted on October 5, 2020 by Susan Haythorpe

“Life not normal is the norm” a Khmer Times editorial read, explaining the importance of adjusting to virus safety precautions in the early days of COVID-19. It’s fair to say, however, that a few months on (and notwithstanding that old chestnut about what constitutes ‘normality’ in the Kingdom of Wonder), expat life in Phnom Penh feels pretty much as usual.

“In order to prevent the recent outbreak of coronary artery disease (Corona Virus)…” Helpful signage at Dol Chaang Cafe.

As most of the rest of the world navigates various levels of lockdown, in our rarified corner of Southeast Asia it’s almost possible to forget there’s a global pandemic out there. With the number of confirmed cases in the low hundreds and no deaths to date (and I’m typing this with difficulty due to the need to keep my fingers firmly crossed) Cambodia has so far been able, for a whole slew of reasons I’ll leave to the experts to consider, to keep the virus contained. We’re lucky, we know it. Continue reading →

Sambor Prei Kuk: Cambodia’s other forested temple complex

Posted on September 28, 2020 by Pete Ford

Back in the halcyon days of my first few months in Cambodia in 2014, when political discussion among local colleagues still included optimism for the future and there were far fewer coffee shops, I first visited Sambor Prei Kuk in Kampong Thom province while en-route to Preah Vihear.

Kampong Thom has their own extremely photogenic banyan-tree-smothered-temples!

In fact, I saw both of these before even venturing to Angkor Wat a few months later to brave “the temples” with the great hordes of unwashed masses. It may not get the attention that Angkor does, but the Sambor Prei Kuk temple complex is no less worthy of a visit.

Continue reading →

BeTreed Adventures, ecotourism in Preah Vihear province

Posted on September 18, 2020 by Pete Ford

Down a potholed village road in Preah Vihear province in northern Cambodia, in what can accurately be described as ‘the middle of nowhere,’ you’ll find BeTreed Adventures, an excellent ecotourism project focusing on conservation and community development, with an environmental protection mandate over a vast swathe of forest.

Seeing the forest for the trees at BeTreed Adventures

BeTreed Adventures (the capital T keeps the focus firmly on the forest) offers rustic accommodation in treehouses or stilt cabins, as well as ziplining and guided hikes that give visitors the opportunity to experience Cambodia’s lush forest, a luxury rapidly disappearing across the Kingdom as pressure for land and resources grows.

Banteng, eagles, owls, hornbills, wild pigs, deer, monkeys, snakes, two ponies, a tame squirrel, a somewhat-friendly gibbon, and a three-legged dog called Mikey are just some of the animals you might spot during your stay. Continue reading →

Pchum Ben in Cambodia

Posted on September 16, 2020 by Lina Goldberg

Pchum Ben, or Ancestor’s Day is a uniquely Cambodian ritual, and one of the country’s most important holidays. It’s based on the lunar calendar and is usually between late September to mid October. The holiday is 15 days long, and each year three days are official state holidays. In 2020, the national holiday is September 16-18, and the country shuts down while Cambodians return to their home provinces and visit pagoda after pagoda, making offerings for their ancestors.

Putting together the meals that will be served to the monks. Some Cambodians believe this brings them merit, others believe that the food is transferred directly to their dead ancestors.

The 15 days of Pchum Ben are a time that the line between the spirit world and the living world is thought to be especially thin. It is believed that the gates of hell open and ghosts are particularly active. Monks chant continuously at pagodas, and some believe that during this time souls released from the spirit world look to find their living relatives and repent — these can be spirits that have bad karma or those that have died a violent or unexpected death. For Cambodians, most of whom had relatives die during the Khmer Rouge era, it is important to do everything they can to ease the transitions of their ancestral spirits to the next phase of their spiritual path. One way they do this is through food. Continue reading →

Museum of Money and Economy: Cambodian history through economics

Posted on September 11, 2020 by Pete Ford

Name three facts about money in Cambodia’s present or future. Go on, I dare you. Fine, I’ll start. Did you know that the Angkorian Empire largely used a barter system and forswore cash? Or that when the riel was re-introduced in 1980 it was pegged against rice (1 kilogram of rice was equal to 1 riel)? Or that the Khmer Rouge printed millions of dollars worth of banknotes in China, and then promptly blew up the National Bank of Cambodia and banned money for a few years?

The outside of the Cambodian Museum of Money and Economy

Cambodia’s newest museum is all about the Benjamins (not riel-y! It’s all about the Sihanouks)

Well, I knew the last one, but the first two were new to me, and all thanks to SOSORO: Cambodian Museum of Money and Economy, Cambodia’s newest museum, and one certainly different from those that have come before it. Housed in the former French protectorate municipalité, with the modern layout, the attempt to tell a story, the clear and informative (and mostly grammatically correct) bilingual signage, the request that visitors switch their shoes for white faux-Crocs during their visit, and the fact that it is most certainly aimed at both local and expat audiences — nothing quite like it exists in the Kingdom. Continue reading →

The Areng Valley – a rare victory for environmentalism in Cambodia

Posted on September 3, 2020 by Pete Ford

Not all villagers in the Areng Valley, a remote community in the southeastern Cardamom Mountains, were happy when news that the Chinese-funded hydroelectric dam project had been cancelled in 2017. They had been promised land (and all important land titles) to relocate, with schools and electricity and roads — all largely unavailable in the community at the time.

Eco-tourism in Cambodia’s Areng Valley is attracting domestic tourism and saving the forest.

Yet three years later and the victory of environmental protection is clear; today Areng Valley is a growing ecotourism attraction, drawing Cambodians from across the country to hike, boat, bicycle, and camp amid flora and fauna now increasingly rare in other parts of the Kingdom. Continue reading →

Things for older kids and teens to do in Siem Reap

Posted on August 25, 2020 by Ruth Lolo

We’ve already covered a selection of play spaces for young kids in Siem Reap, but there’s even more for older kids and teens. Here are some fun options of things to do in Siem Reap for older kids and teens who are looking to run off some energy or try something new. Best of all, they’re all just as much fun for adults, too!

Cambodia’s one-and-only wake park is at ICF Cambodia in Siem Reap.

Local NGO ICF Cambodia has a ninja obstacle course suspended across a large pond for anyone up to the challenge. It includes wooden planks, swinging bars, tyres and rope nets. After that, you can take a dip off their diving platforms, or cross the road to Cambodia’s one-and-only wake park for more water fun. The ICF Wake Park offers wakeboarding, water skiing and knee boarding — you’ll be pulled around a track on their custom-built pond. There are obstacles and jumps for those keen on advanced options. They offer hourly access starting at $19/hour (or $24 for 2 hours), and they also offer one-year memberships for unlimited fun. Safety gear and all necessary equipment is included. Continue reading →

Review: Angkor Wat Putt, Siem Reap

Posted on August 16, 2020 by Lina Goldberg

I’ll admit that despite a life-long love of miniature golf I was skeptical when I first heard about a miniature golf course in Siem Reap filled with scale models of Angkorian temples, maybe because it sounded too good to be true. But luckily it turns out that Angkor Wat Putt is even better than what I could dare to imagine. In fact, it has been on my list of “best things to do in Siem Reap” for years.

Angkor Wat Putt — where you can enjoy the temples of Angkor while playing a round of mini-golf.

The 14-hole course is in a lovely garden setting, filled with young banana trees and lots of shaded seating. From that shaded seating you’re free to ring a bell and get a beer or soda delivered. All of the major temples of Angkor are represented, and it’s hard not to be thrilled when you knock a ball up Angkor Wat while listening to the incongruous soundtrack of classic rock that’s always on. Continue reading →

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