Phnom Phen

[Guest Astrrro]

Last thread re Phnom Phen is over a year old. Anyone have any recomendations or updates on the scene?

[PattayaMale]

Do a search on the Gay Thailand message board. I posted about the difference that I experienced about a month ago.

[Guest Astrrro]

Thanks, finally found it in the Gay Thailand sub-forum after discovering how to properly spell Penh.

[Guest Astrrro]

Just got back from Phnom Penh and an interesting place to visit. If your dates are flexible then u can find some cheap AirAsia.

 

Not too many gay bars but Blue Chilli is a good spot, quiet on weeknights but packed on weekends.

 

Quite a few saunas, only 4 or 5 bucks to get in.

 

Think a first time visitor will be happiest on the riverfront, I stayed in a nice enough room for $23.

 

Most venues u patronize will be priced in dollars but if you go somewhere priced in riels you should pay in riels since they will probably credit your dollars as being worth 4000 riels instad of 4250.

 

ATMs dispense dollars. A 280 withdrawal cost me 282.24, not sure if it was my bank or the Cambodial bank that tacked on the fee.

 

Instead of "smoke", their euphemism for blowjob is "yumyum", cute.

 

Please let me know if u have any questions.

[Gaybutton]

Please let me know if u have any questions.

I'd like to know the name and contact information for where you stayed.

 

As for boys, what is the expected "tip"?

 

Besides Blue Chili, where do you recommend cruising for boys?

 

Are there any problems about bringing boys back to your room?

 

What kind of public transportation is available?

 

In Thailand, ATMs are virtually everywhere. What about Phnom Penh?

 

To see and do the touristy things, how many days would you recommend?

 

Do you have any restaurant recommendations?

 

Do you have any "must try" or "must avoid" foods?

 

Do you have any "must see" or "must do" recommendations?

[Guest Astrrro]

I'd like to know the name and contact information for where you stayed.

 

As for boys, what is the expected "tip"?

 

 

I^ll tackle a few at a time as that makes it easier for me.

 

I stayed at the Paragon: info_paragonhotel@yahoo.com

 

You can google around sites like Trip Advisor to get reviews. I liked it, nothing fancy but a good location and it has an elevator while some more expensive hotels don^t. I think it^s a good choice for a first timer. Not a gay hotel. Nor a monger hotel. But some friends had stayed there and reported no problems. They take IDs at the desk.

 

As far as the tip I gave one boy $25 bucks for shorttime and a ladyboy $40 bucks for longtime though they don^t use these terms. I don^t like talking about money in advance since I don^t want to negotiate before sex. I^m not sure if these are typical prices but neither seemed disapointed and wanted repeats.

 

Sauna activity was free and while I may be dunb, I^m not young and full of cum.

 

Will answer some more of your questions tomorrow GB.

[Guest Astrrro]

More Paragon details:

 

219B Sisowath Quay

(023) 222 6-7

011 878 343

info_paragonhotel@yahoo.com

[Guest Astrrro]

What kind of public transportation is available?

 

There is no intra city mass transit whatsoever in Phnom Penh.

 

There is a big train station in Phnom Penh however there are no trains, at least no passenger trains.

 

Transport is by motobike or tuk tuk. I like traveling by tuk tuk. Don^t worry about finding a tuk tuk, they^ll find u. You will be asked at least 100 times per day if u want a motobike or transport starting with the very second u leave anywhere.

 

Some will find this extremely annoying. Just put on a big smile and say no. I find it helps to be thankful that they soliciting my business rather than mugging me.

[Guest Astrrro]

 

 

Besides Blue Chili, where do you recommend cruising for boys?

 

I^d recommend Aram, Galaxy, and Roamantic Saunas. Can^t really recommend one of the other, different folks will have their favorites, they are all 4 or 5 buck admission.

 

Thursday night is the Glory Hole at Pontoon, an interesting venue as it^s floating on the river.

 

Classic Entertainment has a show but is pricey with beers at $3.40. I did notlike it but maybe it was a bad night. The original Clasic cabaret is closed.

 

Bazara on Street 104 is a girl bar with quite a few ladyboys.

[Guest]

I stayed at The Manor House, which was a gay run establishment.

It was about $30 at the time.

 

They now want at least $43, which seems to be rather expensive for the standard of room on offer in a low cost country. There is a cheaper & probably better located establishment listed earlier in the thread.

 

Manor House

 

Does anyone else have accommodation ideas to share?

[Gaybutton]

Classic Entertainment has a show but is pricey with beers at $3.40. I did notlike it but maybe it was a bad night. The original Clasic cabaret is closed.

 

Bazara on Street 104 is a girl bar with quite a few ladyboys.

How does it work at the bars? Is there "off" or "bar fines"? Is it farang customers simply meeting Cambodian customers? What's the story?

 

Are there places other than bars recommended for cruising?

 

Please don't forget the rest of my questions that have not yet been answered . . .

[Guest Astrrro]

How does it work at the bars? Is there "off" or "bar fines"? Is it farang customers simply meeting Cambodian customers? What's the story?

 

Are there places other than bars recommended for cruising?

 

Please don't forget the rest of my questions that have not yet been answered . . .

 

I don^t think Blue Chili has an off fee but am not sure. I met a boy there and since it was Thursday, told him I^d meet him later at GloryHole. Lots of Cambodian freelancers looking to meet barang especially on weekends, that^s not a typo, in PP we are barang.

 

BC has great margaritas for 3 bucks. i would have hung out there more but my buddy who is into ladyboys was put off by the more macho types making eye contact with him.

 

The girlbars that have ladyboys do have an off fee which is generally 7 bucks.

 

Best place for cruising is the saunas IMO. Primetime is about 6 PM.

 

I^ve heard that the area around Wat Phnom is good for street action at night but I was not familar enough with PP to be comfortable soliciting on the streets off the beaten path.

[PattayaMale]

How does it work at the bars? Is there "off" or "bar fines"? Is it farang customers simply meeting Cambodian customers? What's the story?

 

Are there places other than bars recommended for cruising?

 

Please don't forget the rest of my questions that have not yet been answered . . .

If this is someones first time to Phnom Penh, I would use the following guy for transportation and very good advice:

 

One tip! If you go, we found a fantastic guide/tuk tuk driver. His name is Ya Chea. his email is chea.tuktuk@gmail.com If you call +855 (0)17773460

[atri1666]

Have a look here if you want:

Amam Sauna >> http://www.amam-cambodia.com/

Galaxy Sauna >> http://www.galaxykhmer.com/ (sometimes not working)

Happy Spa opened in oct. 2009 but no homepage

Romanticsauna >> http://www.romanticcambodia.com/

[Guest]

As for boys, what is the expected "tip"?

 

Besides Blue Chili, where do you recommend cruising for boys? The Salt Lounge was good when I was there, but I heard it has closed.

Try this:Cambodia Out

 

Are there any problems about bringing boys back to your room?

No. Well not at the gay hotel I used.

 

What kind of public transportation is available?

Tuk tuks & motorcyles. Buses & boats to other large towns.

 

In Thailand, ATMs are virtually everywhere. What about Phnom Penh?

Loads of them, not an issue. Dispensing US$.

 

To see and do the touristy things, how many days would you recommend?

Minimum 2 full days, although the whole place is a refreshing experience & you may well want to stay longer just to wander around the town & maybe explore the surrounding area. I only spent 2 days there. It should have been longer, but the itinerary for that trip was messed up by the yellow shirts.

For touristy things, of course you also need to go to Siem Reap (Ankgor Wat).

 

Do you have any restaurant recommendations?

Do you have any "must try" or "must avoid" foods? I'm vegetarian, so I avoid quite a lot of things.

 

Do you have any "must see" or "must do" recommendations?

Any good PP website gives a list of things to see. You can get around most of them in a couple of days.

[pong]

AFAIK/can remember, there is no off or same thing-its al freelance. It used to be-a long time ago- the Martini bar-somewhere in the south of the city. (mixed). At that time, with just a litle bargaining, 10US$ was enough-short time. This seems to have doubled to 20. All bigger amounts in Camb. are done in US$.

Most HTLs etc have their own ''troupe'' of tuktuk/cyclo men, and you are well advised to hire one of them-this will leave you without the constant pestering. If going out late eve-arrange to have him wait or arrange time for pickup (well-by now the mobuy fone should do this trick). All-day hire is also common. Robberies-even by drivers-have been known to happen late night.

Food: Khmer food does not hail high prizes for me-but there are restrts in about any Asean and most western style-notably of course French. Several Thai-style rests also exist-the better choice for daytime lunch, around places that employ many Thai (Bangkok bank etc.). As in the other ex-FR colonies, wine is a good buy. And in the morning baguette (FR-style stick-bread) and real dark strong coffee.

[Guest]

Suggested Itinerary (for Pattaya/BKK resident or tourist)

 

Fly to PP. Book accommodation for 2~3 nights.

Extend the stay if you are enjoying it.

 

Then when you are ready, travel to Siem Reap by bus (about 4~5 hours if I remember).

Ei8ht rooms is a good clean & elegant but basic option. A little noisy at night due to vents near the ceiling.

Spend at least 3 nights here to allow visiting to Angkor Wat complex. Probably more.

Take taxi to Poipet border crossing (was about $32 at one of the travel agents in town).

Walk accross border. Either catch bus from the market on the Thai side or take a Tuk Tuk to Aranya Prathet & get a slightly lower grade of bus from there.

 

Flying on the outbound route gives you total flexibility over timing for the return.

 

I had intended to do a circular route over land: BKK, Siem Reap, Phnom Penh, Bokor, Sihanoukville & Pattaya, but the yellow shirts stopped that.

[ceejay]

Hi everyone. I've been lurking on this site for a while and decided to sign up to make a contribution to this thread - only to find that by the time I've gone through the clearance process Z909 has recommended pretty much my itinerary! I did it at much the same time as him as well, because I transited Bangkok on the way back to the UK three days (I think) before the yellow shirts closed the airport. The only differences were that I spent 5 days each in Phnom Penh and Siem Reap - Phnom Penh for Bon Om Tuk and Siem Reap because I wanted to see Beng Melea and Koh Ker in the outlying temples. I also flew back from Siem Reap to Bangkok, because of my schedule. There were some relatively cheap fares to be had, but a lomg time in advance

A few things I might add, though:

Bon Om Tuk was my must see for Phnom Penh. Its a huge longboat festival, taking place alomg the river in front of Sisowath Quay. Over 400 boats take part, so there's plenty of eye candy in the crews. The whole town is en fete for the three days - firework displays and illuminated barges on the river at night, funfairs, outdorr music stands and so forth by day. Very friendly, very happy crowds. If you go at that time though, some of the usual touristy venues - Royal Palace, Silver Pagoda and National Museum are closed.

Bon Om Tuk is 19th-21st November this year.

The bus journey from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap. It's interesting and, if you get a VIP one, comfortable. Costs about $10. I was glad, however, that I had booked a tuk tuk from the hotel to pick me up. I arrived after dark, and the bus terminus was down an unlit soi where I couldn't see my hand in front of my face. I could also have bought a tuk tuk voucher on the bus - recommended at any time of day if you haven't booked a pick up, because the drivers in Siem Reap have a reputation for taking you to the hotel of their choice - where they get a commission!

If you want to book a taxi in Siem Reap, then Mr Tee is really reliable. I used him all the time I was there, and have also recommended him to a friend who speaks equally well of him:

Angkor Wat Tours

I stayed at Golden Banana in Siem Reap. Very pleasant place down a quiet soi, about 10 mins walk from the Old Market. Split level rooms, built around the swimming pool. I have pictures if anyone wants them.

This website has good street maps of Phnom Penh and Siem Reap, plus listings of things to see and do, places to stay and eat, etc.

Cambodia travel guides: Siem Reap, Angkor, Phnom Penh, Sihanoukville - hotels, resturants, maps, airlines and more

[ceejay]

The "must see" event that took me to Phnom Penh was Bon Om Tuk. This is a water festival held in October or November each year. This year it is, I think, 19th-21st November.

It is a series of dragon boat races, one of the biggest in Asia with over 400 crews taking part. For the whole three days the area around Sisowath quay is buzzing, day and night with the races by day and firework displays and illuminated barges on the river by night. A sort of tented village springs up on the opposite bank to the Quay, and there are all the funfairs, street vendors and other stuff you would expect for a SE Asian festival. The eye candy is also pretty good - 15,000 or more fit young men in wet sports kit!

[KhorTose]

While you are in Phnom Penh, I would recommend you might try the disco "Heart of Darkness". It is very gay friendly and cruisy.

[atri1666]

December will have my first stay there for 4 days. For the first time i booked Manorguesthouse incl. transfer from the airport. They give 10% for Utopiacardholders. Already changing messages with a lot boys from gayromeo. Are there any sights? I will not go to other places.

[Guest ryanasia]

Salt Lounge is indeed closed. Was in PP not long ago and noticed this.

[Guest nekete]

Have a look here if you want:

Amam Sauna >> http://www.amam-cambodia.com/

 

I didn´t like this place. I was there this afternoon.

 

I think is an ugly place and a non comfortable place to be for more than an hour. It´s a three floors building. In the first one is the sauna, the second one is the gym and the tv room, and in the third one is the jacuzzi, a small one. The bar is the refrigerator in the reception.

 

It costs 5 dolars for the foreigners and is cheaper for the locals. I don´t like the double price for the private business.

 

There is no places to sit and rest for a while. Just in the tv room, but it is not a good place to stay just reading, or looking around, or even thinking in nothing...

 

I really didn´t like the place. I think is good if it was cheaper, like the 3 dolars they say in their web that it costs, so you didn´t feel you throw away your money. I don´t know...

 

Most of the costumers are locals, I think is because of the price.

 

And, well, you know, it´s always the same, people is walking un and down all the time

 

At the end I asked for a second towel to dry me and they gave it to me without any problems. It was the only good thing there.

 

There were also staff up and down, cleaning, with their clothes on... I dind´t like it

[Guest]

There were also staff up and down, cleaning, with their clothes on... I dind´t like it

Maybe your expectations are too high. I've yet to visit a sauna where the cleaning staff walk around with no clothes on. The absolute minimum they wear is a T-shirt and shorts.

Reminds me of a sauna in Bratislava where the fittest guy by a considerable margin was the cleaner, but sadly not available.

[Guest ronnie4you]

So it cost $2 more for a foreigner to enter. Golly gee. Here I am in Cambodia for probably the only time, but I won't patronize this sauna over the $2 difference in admission. That's not very realistic. Two dollars?