Gay Phnom Penh, Cambodia Trip Report

[Guest beachlover]

Got back recently from Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia. Here's as much as I could garner from a week's stay.

 

Why visit Cambodia?

Cambodia is a raw, developing nation with a fascinating history and beautiful people. It's next door to Thailand, easy to get to and very cheap. Cambodia has some of the world's most breathtaking ancient ruins (Angkor Wat, Siem Reap) a small but vibrant capital city (Phnom Penh) and an emerging beach side and seaside holiday town (Sihanoukville and Kampot).

 

Cambodia cuisine is absolutely delicious and there is no alcohol tax so you can enjoy many cocktails and terrific wines from all over the world for next to nothing! It's fun and there's some good nightlife. I was surprised how genuine Cambodians are and how many just want to help you in any way possible. They're not as jarred by foreigners as the Thais are.

 

Wine and cocktails

 

There's no better place than Cambodia for tasting a variety of wines. You can sample some of the best wines from all over the world for next to nothing because Cambodia has no alcohol tax!

 

Yep, that's right. You can sit down at any bar or restaurant and drink wine from France, Australia, Italy, Chile, Argentina or more for only USD$2 to $3 a glass. Bottles are typically USD$8 to $15. Blew me away. These aren't cheap bottles. They're good bottles, which would be $40 to $60 in shops or $80 to $150 in restaurants back home. Insane.

 

Cocktails are $2 to $4. The bartenders are well trained and seem to use top-shelf ingredients like Absolut and Grey Goose vodka. They make fantastic martinis. I worked online for a couple of days sitting in a bar-lounge. From around 9am until 7pm each day, expresso martini was my default drink. Beer is about 50-70 cents a glass.

 

Cambodian boys

 

Cambodian boys can be very handsome. Ordinary Cambodian boys you meet (not moneyboys) are very genuine and humble. They're totally friendly and want to have fun just like Thai boys. I met all kinds of boys, from students to waiters, tailors, translators, bankers and tour guides.

 

I found some of them could be a bit less mature in some ways. For some reason, I was really popular with them. Being the young "exotic foreigner" probably had something to do with it. At the Heart of Darkness on my first night in Phnom Penh, I was dancing with a group of gay boys and there were literally three of them fighting and jostling a little over me. This has never happened anywhere else but it happened twice in Phnom Penh.

 

I had a bad incident on one of the following nights. I met two boys who were enjoying a night out at the Heart of Darkness. One was very cute but the other wasn't really my type. I ended up flirting with cute one and invited him back to my room. 10 minutes after we got in, there was a knock on the door. I opened it and the other boy was standing there with a worried-looking security guard behind him (worried, I assume, because he wasn't supposed to let strangers in without asking first!). He was jealous and had followed us back to my hotel! What a shocker.

 

I couldn't believe it. Tensions rose between them and they ended up fighting. First with words. Then hitting each other. I tried to calm the situation (and keep it quiet for my neighbours' sake) but they were really pissed at each other. Eventually, it calmed down. I had to ask both of them to leave. Felt terrible. Apparently they were really good friends before this so I felt really bad about what happened between them. I asked the security guard not to let anyone in without asking first next time. I spoke to the cute one the next day, said I was really sorry about what happened and he said he felt the same way.

 

The security guard sure enjoyed the excitement and kept teasing me about it LOL. The next night, I decided not to go out and got a massage at Bodia Spa instead. Coming back, the security guard had a big grin and teased, "tonight, alone?!" and laughed.

 

Cambodia has had a pretty horrific recent history and you get the feeling this affects the boys' mindset. About 20% of the country's population was wiped out by the Khmer Rouge's campaign to turn the country into a communist agricultural nation. An estimated 2 to 3 million people were killed. Today, the country's population is about 12 million.

 

What impressed me is every single boy I met, with few exceptions, went to school. They all study something, whether doing a degree at university, technical college or just studying English. Most will work during the day and go to classes at night. I'm guessing they think education is the best way to ensure what happened before never happens again there. It's humbling to see this kind of diligence.

 

Nightlife

 

The two venues I got to were The Heart of Darkness and Blue Chilli Bar.

 

Blue Chilli Bar in Phnom Penh is probably the best known gay bar in Phnom Penh. It's only a few blocks back from Sisowath Quay, about 10-15 minutes' walk from the Foreign Corrospondents Club on the riverfront. There are people there every night but it's busiest after 7pm on Saturday nights when there is a short show at around 9pm (from memory). I'm not sure about other nights.

 

It's full of money boys sitting around eying up patrons and waiting to be approached. You'll never fail to find money boys there if you are after one. But what surprised me is despite the prolific presence of moneyboys, you can meet a lot of ordinary gay locals and expats there too.

 

I went on a Saturday night. Early in the evening, there were only moneyboys and a few older Caucasian expats. The Western expats are mainly working guys, quite respectable and less sleazy than your typical sexpat Pattaya type LOL. But after 8-9pm a lot of local Cambodians turn up. There were all kinds. I met a few interesting boys, some of whom had worked (professionally) in Western countries. There is a show around 10pm (Saturday only).

 

At around 11pm everyone either leaves or moves onto The Heart of Darkness.

 

The Heart of Darkness in Phnom Penh is an awesome disco/club with a big gay section! It's near the riverfront and only a few blocks away from Blue Chilli Bar, a 3 minute motorbike ride or 15 minute walk. A visit to Phnom Penh isn't complete without coming here. It has an infamous history - shut down a few years ago when a patron was shot dead by a bodyguard on the dance floor but reopened sometime later. Today it's quite safe. There are security guards everywhere inside and outside. However, if someone asks you to move to another chair or table, you should comply. You never know who they might be.

 

The Heart of Darkness is busy 7 nights a week. It gets busy around 11pm. I never stayed until closing time but I assume it closes in the early hours of the morning. It is busiest (packed) on Friday and Saturday nights. I found the music similar to DJ Station - lots of Lady Gaga, good to dance to LOL. On other weeknights, it's still fairly busy but not quite as packed and I found the music wasn't as good as Saturday night.

 

The "gay corner" is pretty much the whole dance floor area in front of the DJ. When you walk in, turn right. You'll see a staircase going upwards. The dancefloor is on the other side of this. The gay bit is generally in the part of the dancefloor closest to the staircase. One of my Cambodian acquaintances told me, this area is even divided into Cambodian gays and foreigner gays. The Cambodians are in the half closest to the staircase. The foreigners are more on the outside bit. But I wouldn't worry about this.

 

I know there are moneyboys here but I didn't meet any because I either went there with a few Cambodian boys I met elsewhere or was able to chat up some normal boys there. I met some really interesting characters and had a really great time there. If you meet a cute boy you get on with and want to get a bit more intimate, take him upstairs. There's a more chilled out lounge area with nice couches you can sit on, relax and get to know each other. I read it's a good idea not to kiss (boy on boy) when the security guard/bouncer is nearby but after a while I found they didn't care at all... just smiled etc.

 

I know there's another gay bar called Salt Lounge, which is now closed and another called Pontoon, which recently re-opened but I didn't get around to checking it out.

 

Things to see and do

 

During the day and in the early evening: Take a stroll along the Mekong Riverfront at Sisoworth Quay. Visit the Royal Palace and some of the temples and wats if you're interested (I didn't).

 

Shopping: The Russian Market and Central Market is where you find really cheap stuff. It's worth a visit. Both are within a 10-15 min tuk tuk ride.

 

There are lots of nice boutiques at Sisowath Quay on the waterfront near the Foreign Correspondents Club with quality Cambodian designed goods, interesting and funny artwork (Stef's Happy Paintings), clothes and Cambodian silk (Sentosa Silk). More expensive but worth it. I found Cambodian silk better than anything I've found in Thailand or Vietnam for both the quality and designs. I loaded up with a huge bag of great gifts for my family and friends. There's also a big modern mall, called Sorya, but I found this pretty disappointing and not so modern. Worth a look though.

 

Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum and The Killing Fields are best done together. It takes about half a day. You can pay a tuk tuk driver about USD$15 to take you to each location and wait for you. It's an extremely sobering experience. Go to the Tuol Sleng prison (a former school) first. Thousands of prisoners were taken there and tortured to extract confessions (to make the executions somewhat "legal"). When they ran out of room to bury them there, they took them out to an old cemetery, now called the Killing Fields to execute and bury them. Spend an hour there, then move onto the Killings Fields, which are a 30-min ride away.

 

The Killing Fields are the worst. The grassy landscape is cratered with shallow exhumed ditches and little signs saying, "please don't walk through the mass grave" and "400 women and children were found in this grave". Apparently, they still find human bones coming to the surface when it rains. There's a tree they used to smash babies' heads against to kill them. There's another tree where they hung a loudspeaker to drown out the screams and moans from the neighbours.

 

Check out Wikitavel or Lonely Planet for other things to visit, like the garbage dump community and Olympic Stadium.

 

Need a quiet spot?

 

If you need a quiet spot to eat, meet or work, I recommend this bar-lounge I found. I forget the name. But it's around the corner from the Foreign Correspondents Club (one block back from the waterfront) in Sisowath Quay on the corner of Samdach Sotheros and Preah Ang Makhak Vann. It's on the second floor of a dark red corner building with floor to ceiling glass windows above the Sentosa Silk Boutique retail store.

 

Open from around mid-morning till about 10pm. It's like an executive lounge, fully air conditioned, quiet, serves nice food, has a fantastic cocktail list, big tables and comfy chairs is relatively inexpensive (mains $3-4, cocktails $2.50) and has free WiFi internet. It's usually fairly quiet so I was even able to phone clients from it.

 

Getting Around

 

Tuk tuks are everywhere. Bargain for a good price. I think $1 to $2 is enough for short rides around town.

 

Get a massage

 

I recommend visiting Bodia Spa - http://www.bodia-spa.com - at least once! It's conveniently located at Sisoworth Quay around the corner from the Foreign Correspondents Club. It's strictly professional but they have male therapists (cute LOL) and you will get a truly excellent massage there. The facilities, staff, skills and service are 5-star. Price is cheap (by Western standards) but a little more but Cambodian standards but worth it. I had a fantastic scrub, wrap and massage one night there. Cacooned in relaxation and one of the best I've had anywhere in the world. I know there are other spas and massage joints but didn't get to any of the others.

 

Gay Sauna

 

There are a couple of gay saunas but I only checked out Galaxy Khmer http://www.galaxykhmer.com. It's a 2-3 min tuk tuk or 20-30min walk from Sisowath Quay. Gets busy in the evenings after 5-6pm. I only saw Cambodians there and they all seemed to know each other so it was hard to get to know anyone. There is no air conditioning in the place, which was quite annoying. Anyone had experience in any other saunas there?

 

Places to stay

 

I stayed at the Foreign Correspondents Club in Phnom Penh http://www.fcccambodia.com/phnom_penh/phnom_penh_hotel.php in one of the Deluxe Rooms. It was very nice but I consider it quite overpriced, so if you're on a budget, stay elsewhere. I paid over USD$120/night for it but you can get much better value elsewhere.

 

- Avoid Standard Rooms. Get a deluxe room with a nice big balcony overlooking the Mekong riverfront promenade.

- Best possible location in Sisowath Quay near eateries, bars and boutiques. Walking distance to Blue Chilli and Heart of Darkness.

- Rooms are nice and spacious with timber floors, big desk, good WiFi connection and lots of natural light.

- Fantastic delicious breakfast included! Nothing nicer than having breakfast in the FCC Bar overlooking the Mekong River.

- The bar can be noisy but the rooms are extremely well sound insulated. I heard nothing once inside my room.

- No problems bringing guests back. There's a guard on the front entrance 24/7. If your guest has a motorbike they will let him park it securely at the back.

- Don't expect a 5-star hotel. There are lots of imperfections in the rooms and service. It's more of a small boutique.

 

I've heard good things about Manor House - http://www.manorhousecambodia.com but location doesn't look so good. I've also heard good things about the Bougainvillier Hotel http://www.bougainvillierhotel.com and checked it out. It overlooks the river but the location seems to be a bit further up and slightly more out of the way than the FCC and I wasn't so impressed by the rooms.

 

I checked out a great guesthouse in the next block North of the FCC with decent rooms with balconies overlooking the river, which was only $25 to $35/night, which was great but lost the business card - sorry. They didn't have a website. If anyone has info, please post.

 

If anyone else has any other suggestions for places in Sisowath Quay near the river, let me know. I think USD$40 to $80 is a more reasonable rate to pay for accommodation in PP than the $100+/night FCC charges. But it's worth staying at the FCC once.

 

There are some other nice big 4 and 5 star brand and locally-owned hotels like the InterContinental Hotel and Himawari Hotel, but most of these were too far out of the way for me. I like to be in the middle of everything.

 

Safety

 

You need to be more safety conscious in Phnom Penh than you do in Bangkok. Apparently there's large number of "snatch thefts".

 

- If you're on a motorbike, secure belongings as best as you can.

- If riding in a tuk tuk, keeping bags secured between your legs as low down in the foot well as possible.

- Be careful getting around late at night. Avoid walking anywhere. If on the back of a motorbike or tuk tuk, be alert to what's around you.

- If you're on foot, keep your bag to the building side of the footpath. Especially if you have a laptop inside.

 

Money

 

Cambodia uses US Dollars, but instead of using cents for smaller denominations, they use Cambodian Riels. If I remember correctly, 4,000 Riels is USD$1. If something costs $1.50 you can give them $1 and 2,000 riels. I found it better to acquire USD before landing in Cambodia.

 

Be aware they only accept USD$100 notes in pristine condition, no rips or tears, and they will inspect one carefully before accepting it. Don't get mad if they turn it down. It's a lot of money to them. It's best to enter the country with smaller notes because only large establishments like hotels and bars can change $100 notes.

 

Getting in and out

 

From Siem Reap you can get a bus (cheapest), a boat (most scenic but a little uncomfortable) or fly (fastest).

 

Unfortunately, I had client conference calls that day so I decided to fly. Cambodian Angkor Air http://www.cambodiaangkorair.com is a new airline joint venture with Vietnam Airlines and the aircraft are reasonably new. The ticket was USD$100 (can be much cheaper if booked in advance). The ATR-72 turbo-prop flight was about 30 mins. With airport and hotel transit time, it was less than two hours door to door from Siem Reap to Phnom Penh. Impressive!

 

From Bangkok, you can fly cheaply to Phnom Penh via http://www.airasia.com for 1,500-2,500 baht.

 

Avoid flying Bangkok to Siem Reap. Bangkok Airways has a monopoly on that route as a condition of their investment into Siem Reap infrastructure and charge upwards of 6,000 baht. Instead, first fly AirAsia to Phnom Penh first and then go to Siem Reap from there.

 

From Kuala Lumpur there are cheap flights with AirAsia http://www.airasia.com to Phnom Penh and Siem Reap.

 

From Singapore there are cheap flights via Jetstar http://www.jetstar.com to both Phnom Penh and Siem Reap. Jetstar also do a domestic flight between PP and SR and vice versa but you can only do this if you've done the international flight into Cambodia from SG with Jetstar.

 

I believe there are some other LCC flights from other countries like Vietnam too. There are lots of full-service airlines flying into Cambodia like SilkAir, Malaysia Airlines, EVA, THAI and more.

 

Phnom Penh Gay Map

 

Hope that helps! Utopia has some great info here - http://www.utopia-asia.com/camphnom.htm. There's a fantastic Google map with all the gay venues marked out here: http://www.utopia-asia.com/map/phnom.htm

 

If anyone has any useful information to add please do so. Everything I wrote is from memory, so if I've made any mistakes or missed anything important, please comment. I'll do a Siem Reap trip report soon.

[Guest]

Beachlover, this report is simply amazing. Thank you for sharing. It gives someone that wants to visit Cambodia a perfect amount of knowledge to do this. Simply fantastic. Thank you for sharing.

 

Your fighting story was great. I would have been freaked out if someone followed me to my hotel. But, perhaps I would have been a bit excited as well. Anyway, I am glad you made it out of that situation OK.

[Jason1988]

That was an excellent report. Please keep us updated on any all future trips you make,

[Guest Motel69]

What are the visa requirements? Does Cambodia have arrival visas, like Thailand?

[Guest beachlover]

Your fighting story was great. I would have been freaked out if someone followed me to my hotel. But, perhaps I would have been a bit excited as well. Anyway, I am glad you made it out of that situation OK.

Heh... yeah, you're right. It did freak me out that he followed us back. But the security guard was there (though I let him go back to the front door after a bit), I was aware of the situation and the room all the time and if turned into anything worse, I can handle myself.

 

Afterwards, I was like, "did that really just happen?" LOL. I put it down to getting to know the locals.

 

That was an excellent report. Please keep us updated on any all future trips you make,

Just posted the Siem Reap trip report here: http://www.gaythailand.com/forums/topic/6451-gay-siem-reap-cambodia-trip-report/

 

What are the visa requirements? Does Cambodia have arrival visas, like Thailand?

Good question... It depends what country's passport you hold. For me, I was able to apply for a visa in advance with their eVisa program. It's fantastic, cheap, very quick and convenient: http://www.mfaic.gov.kh/evisa/ ... I think the visa was e-mailed to my inbox within 24 hrs but it can take longer. You have to print two copies out and have it with your passport. Note that the photo you need to submit (electronically) for the visa DOES NOT need to be a passport photo so don't go out and pay for one. Just grab an old holiday photo and crop it in "Photoshop" or "MS Paint" so it only shows your face.

[Guest]

I wonder why they were so keen to get into the sack?

 

Was the attraction of a session with Beachlover so great?

Or was it the slim possibility of getting a BF who is wealth, relatively young and Asian? Some of these guys are DESPERATE to get a wealthy BF.

[Guest beachlover]

Some of these guys are DESPERATE to get a wealthy BF.

That's a good point, which was lingering in my mind for a bit. The poor/wealthy divide. You can't help but notice they really can be a lot poorer and lacking in opportunity in Cambodia. Most boys I met were doing ok, spoke English, had good jobs etc. In fact, a few of them earned more than your average low-skilled Thai, about $20/day, which is about $400-$500/month. That's more than the 6,000-8,000 baht low-skilled Thais earn in restaurants and factories isn't it? I wonder...

 

I think for the most part, the boys I met up with were just out to have a great night, like most Thai boys. I'm young and not bad looking. But the thought that they might want something more than a quick fling and the idea they might have done it with the hope that it might be possible did leave me slightly guilty on some occasions. But I always treat any casual affair with a lot of respect and care and genuinely want them to have a great time. I'm keen on being a good host.

 

I never felt odd staying in good hotels in Thailand, but in Cambodia, being in the $100+/night FCC hotel did feel a little odd with one of the boys I brought back... though it could've just been in my mind.

[ceejay]

Most boys I met were doing ok, spoke English

I know the standard of English (and, I am told other foreign languages) is much higher in Cambodia than Thailand. When you travel outside Phnom Penh or Siem Reap, every largeish town you come to seems to have a language based school.

had good jobs etc.

In fact, a few of them earned more than your average low-skilled Thai, about $20/day, which is about $400-$500/month.

That's rich in Cambodia. It's somewhere around 10x minimum wage.

[Guest]

I also found better levels of English in Cambodia (and Laos) than in Thailand. I'm not sure if this is due to better average tuition standards, or the boys you meet just tend to be from a different part of the socio-economic scale. The theory is there are better opportunities for educated Thais.

 

If you go into a Thai bank, many of the staff seem proficient at English, so some Thais clearly do speak English to a good level. I doubt many of these are moonlighting as gogo dancers.

 

I still keep in touch with one Cambodian guy. He's currently working in Manilla providing English and Chinese language customer support for an online gaming company. He had been working as a hairdresser in Phnom Penh.

[Guest beachlover]

I also found better levels of English in Cambodia (and Laos) than in Thailand.

Yeah, I noticed that too. I found in most cases the Cambodians who could speak English spoke it really well. Some even had a bit of a Western accent, kind of like a mix between American and Australian.

 

I know the standard of English (and, I am told other foreign languages) is much higher in Cambodia than Thailand.

Somehow, I get the feeling they're bit less lazy and complacent than the Thais who are a bit more comfortable. They're certainly very keen on education.

[Guest beachlover]

Found a photo of the comfortable corner bar/lounge mentioned above.

 

It's called "Corner 33 Cafe and Lounge".

[Guest]

Somehow, I get the feeling they're bit less lazy and complacent than the Thais who are a bit more comfortable. They're certainly very keen on education.

 

That may well be the case. Education may be one way to escape the worst of the poverty.

[pong]

1.What are the visa requirements?

2.Does Cambodia have arrival visas, like Thailand?

as you can read in about any guidebook or travel-website:

1.visa ALWAYS are dependent by nationality. But for Camb for most westerners (=about98-99% of readers of this forum) it is indeed a true visum on arrival- at ALL airports or most landborders. The official price is 20US$+ 1 foto ( for tourist-1 entry, max 30 days) and its daft simple-use eyes and follow signs. BUT on many landborders, esp from Thaiold, they charge an inflated THB-amount (read travelfish or talesofasia for detailed info).

2. Thailand does NOT have visum on arrival for most westerners-that is reserved for 2nd grade citizens, like Indians, Latvians, Czech etc. But the 1st grade westerners get a free visum exempt stamp-also 30 days if arrive by air and having airbookings out in that period.

Note on tukx2s: about any HTL or guesthse will have its own trusted tuktukdrivers, who you are advised to use. In late eves you can arrange for them to wait for your return. yes-the going rate is 1US/short and 2 USD/long rides. Late at night, it will be slightly more. NO tuks at airport-but there is a choice of taxi (regulated set fares-5-7USD into centre) or moto-sy (motodop in Khmer lanmguage).

Nice report, dear khon chawp chai-haat, hope to see more like those in future.

[Guest]

What are the visa requirements? Does Cambodia have arrival visas, like Thailand?

 

You can apply on line for an e-visa. It says 3 working days, but if I remember correctly, the last one was e-mailed to me within about 24 hours.

Print off a couple of copies & place loosely in passport (therefore not wasting a whole page of the passport).

 

Cambodia e-Visa

 

I've used these at the Poi Pet land crossing and on arrival at Phnom Penh without any problems.

The arrival at Phnom Penh was spectacularly fast. First off the plane, through immigration within about 3~4 minutes. Quick pee and my bag was already on the belt. If only all airports were like this.

[Guest Motel69]

And how young are you?

[Guest beachlover]

NO tuks at airport-but there is a choice of taxi (regulated set fares-5-7USD into centre) or moto-sy (motodop in Khmer lanmguage).

Nice report, dear khon chawp chai-haat, hope to see more like those in future.

Thanks!

 

What do you mean by no tuk tuks in the airport? In Phnom Penh, I was taken straight into the parking lot where there was a line of tuk tuks waiting. I think I paid $6-$7 for the ride to Sisowath Quay.

 

In Siem Reap, I took a motorbike taxi to my hotel for $2 but there were tuk tuks available for $7 too.

 

You can apply on line for an e-visa. It says 3 working days, but if I remember correctly, the last one was e-mailed to me within about 24 hours.

Yeah, I got mine e-mailed back in 24 hrs too. I think the 3 days might be in case there's something wrong with your photo.

 

.

The arrival at Phnom Penh was spectacularly fast. First off the plane, through immigration within about 3~4 minutes. Quick pee and my bag was already on the belt. If only all airports were like this.

Yeah, both airports were like this... they are small airports.

[Guest]

Yes I walked straight out of Phnom Penh airport and hopped on to a $7 tuk tuk to the Manor House. This was 2 years ago though.

I only remember the price, as I checked the going rate in advance whilst thumb twiddling in the departure lounge in the thoroughly dreadful KL LCCT. Apparently they sometimes ask for more....

[PeterRS]

Since there are no photos so far and some might be interested to see what others have described, I'll add a few general ones from a trip to Phnom Penh and Siem Reap. It was 6 years ago and my information is therefore out of date, so there's no point my mentioning bars, hotels and prices which have already been covered.

 

I loved Phnom Penh and its constant hustle and bustle. It was fun being there at the end of Songkran. This is the same period as Thailand and is celebrated with as much gusto as the revellers in Pattaya and elsewhere - especially around Wat Phnom hill. Dangerous going on a motorbike as kids were throwing water by the bucketsfull. The Royal Palace complex (first 2 photos) is more compact than Bangkok's. It's very beautiful and I felt one of the musts. Some will probably find the nearby Museum worth a visit. I found it a little boring - but maybe that was a result of a drink too many the previous evening. Others have mentioned the Tuol Sleng Museum (chilling and horrific), the riverfront, Russian Market etc. If you don't stay at the FCC like beachlover, I'm sure he'll agree it's worth going for a drink in the bar and just gazing out over that part of the river. The bar stools had FCC built into the ironwork backs! The Killing Fields outside the city are also a must. Man's inhumanity to man knows no bounds. it's hard to hold back the tears.

 

The main purpose of visiting Siem Reap is of course the huge Angkor complex. It's not just the main Angkor Wat temple. It's hugely impressive at any time of day, but especially in the late afternoon. The whole area is something like a mind-boggling 400 square kms. Inevitably you have to choose which temples to visit and it's best to have your own guide and driver so you can arrange your visit at your own pace. If you don't know, get friends or the hotel to organise one in advance, which is what I was able to do. I was told the best ones were booked this way. Can't remember what the driver and guide fees were. You must purchase a ticket to enter, but one ticket gets you everywhere. You can get one either for one day, or multiple days. I assume it's still the same procedure.

 

To appreciate the main Angkor Wat temple, you need half a day. Others on a must-see list are The Bayon and Ta Phrom, the one with trees coming through the stone walls and structures like at Bang Mealea further away. But Bang Mealea is much more as it was when discovered and seems still to be in the clutches of the jungle. Wherever you go, remember that the area was around the 12th century an enormous city of some 1 million people - by far the largest in the world.

 

Also, as Moses mentioned in the Gay Siem Reap thread, take a boat on the Tongle Sap. Usually this is a relatively small freshwater lake which feeds into the Mekong river. By some quirk of geography, it reverses flow during the monsoon season and becomes huge. It makes for a fascinating half day trip.

[Guest]

Yes I walked straight out of Phnom Penh airport and hopped on to a $7 tuk tuk to the Manor House. This was 2 years ago though.

I only remember the price, as I checked the going rate in advance whilst thumb twiddling in the departure lounge in the thoroughly dreadful KL LCCT. Apparently they sometimes ask for more....

 

Z, I was just there and the taxi stand says 7. I walked beyond it and it was hit by a slew of drivers and I asked one how much to my hotel and he said 6. I said OK lets go.

 

Over some of the inaccuracies that some have mentioned I think of my first trip to Brazil when I was in my early 30's. My boyfriend and I went for 6 weeks. 2 weeks in Rio and 3 weeks in Sao Paulo and then 1 week back in Rio. In that entire time, the only things of interest we had done was the saunas every day, the discos at night and a few nice restaurants. The very last day of our trip we hired a driver from the hotel in Rio and told him to take us to every major tourist attraction. He did. We jumped out of the car and he snapped a few photos and we went to the next one. We did this for the entire day so when we got back to the USA we would be able to show our families some photos of something other than boys from the sauna or the BF dancing in the discos. Luckily, I was never really challenged about the places we visited or "museums" we attended. The next year, I went on my own and I did go to all those places but for my first 7 weeks in the country, we didn't see a great deal of daylight.

[KhorTose]

Also, as Moses mentioned in the Gay Siem Reap thread, take a boat on the Tongle Sap. Usually this is a relatively small freshwater lake which feeds into the Mekong river. By some quirk of geography, it reverses flow during the monsoon season and becomes huge. It makes for a fascinating half day trip.

 

Yes, I commented on this trip and completely agree. However, there use to be a Russian High speed boat in PP that went to SR and back. I thought this would be a great trip, but was warned off. Do you know if it is still running and have you heard anything about how good or bad it is?

Great pictures, thanks.

[PeterRS]

No idea about the Russian boat service now, sorry.

 

I had some thoughts about reports in general and the controversy over did he/didn't he. OK. Does anyone not agree that it IS perfectly possible to craft a report by spending time looking through the masses of material available on the internet? To do that, all you need is a creative mind. You don’t need to go anywhere. It’s a work of fiction which can easily be interpreted as fact. But - and it's a big but - why would anyone waste hours of time to do that? Beats me.

 

Looking back over this Board and a couple of others, virtually all reports stand out as pretty obviously written by the authors, in my view. How to tell? The little details that make it so personal. I came across a fantastic series of reports here about a long bicycle ride around Thailand GT did with some Thai friends.The title is "An Adventure Across Thailand on a Bicycle". It’s packed with descriptions of what heppened each day, the people they met, the little accidents, where they stayed and how they felt. All illustrated with dozens of insightfull photos. That could only have been written by GT who posted it.

 

It’s hard to find one report that I’d say – wow, that doesn’t read like a real report. Beachlover’s report is long and full of specifics. It tells what he saw, where he stayed, what he did etc. I have no clue about the gay scene now compared to 6 years ago. You can pick holes in almost any report, but nothing in this report stands out as indicating that anything was made up.

 

Moses, a regular visitor, pointed out there are some small inconsistencies. Who doesn’t make the odd mistake when recollecting things, unless you’ve written a daily journal? I read somewhere on another site than one poster even lists his exact expenses in a daily ‘what I did’ record! That’s weird in my view. Like, who makes lists of the price of every tuk-tuk ride or the beers he had in each bar???

 

Being totally subjectve, the only other thought I had is a lack of more personal ‘feelings’. I was blown away by the temples at Siem Reap. It’s all so much vaster than I expected, and they are all so different and unique. Also, nothing about time of visit and what time of year? I think there must be quite a difference if you go in the monsoon season, when it must be horribly hot and sticky for clambouring over all the temples. Only my view! Others may be more interested in what ordinary folks do and nightlife.

 

Last point. It’s so easy to upload photos here. In such a scenic country as Cambodia, everyone I saw was clicking away madly. If there are doubters around, wouldn’t attaching photos be the best way to knock them out of court? (Yeah, I know, thousands of photos can also be found on the internet and so how do you know photos are genuine? I’m sure there’s a way, but I'm a computer illiterate and don’t know it!)

 

But, hey, everyone’s writing style is different. Celebrate diversity.

[KhorTose]

Last point. It

[Guest beachlover]

Thanks for the photos and your perspective of the place, PeterRS.

 

If you don't stay at the FCC like beachlover, I'm sure he'll agree it's worth going for a drink in the bar and just gazing out over that part of the river. The bar stools had FCC built into the ironwork backs!

Totally agree... Have breakfast there or a drink at sunset. Can't believe you remember the "FCC" ironwork in the seats...

 

 

Wherever you go, remember that the area was around the 12th century an enormous city of some 1 million people - by far the largest in the world.

That's one reason I went there after reading about it.

 

Bang Mealea is much more as it was when discovered and seems still to be in the clutches of the jungle.

Yeah, it's worth visiting because you actually see what the ruins were like when they were discovered, not restored and not touched.

 

 

Beng Melea: You clamber through and over fallen down ruins to get around a lot of it.

 

 

Since your photo of the famous tree routes six years ago they've cordoned it off and built a platform in front of it.

 

 

Bum

[Guest beachlover]

In that entire time, the only things of interest we had done was the saunas every day, the discos at night and a few nice restaurants. The very last day of our trip we hired a driver from the hotel in Rio and told him to take us to every major tourist attraction.

Hmmmm... That's one challenge I have traveling. If there's any gay nightlife in the place I'm staying goodbye sleep LOL.

 

OK. Does anyone not agree that it IS perfectly possible to craft a report by spending time looking through the masses of material available on the internet?

Yes, I agree. It is possible. However, looking at what I wrote, it would be one hell of a task. Especially if dozens of people pour over it and attempt to discredit it.

 

Beachlover

[Guest beachlover]

Since PeterRS, asked, I'll put up some photos.

 

Apologies in advance but I have blacked out even the mildest of possible identifying objects in some of the photos, things like signs and personal possessions. Might sound paranoid but there's just too many nutcases on these boards.

 

Cambodian Angkor Air... for those of you airline enthusiasts

First night there: Walking along the riverfront promenade at Sisowath Quay, I saw one tuk tuk tip another one over. This nosey crowd quickly gathered to stare and see if they would fight. It ended without drama.

The "gay" part of the Heart Of Darkness Club/Disco. Note, all men on the dancefloor.

Nothing worse than riding in traffic and having to stare at the arse of an elephant.

Foreign Correspondents Club: Photo taken from the upstairs bar across the street. I think the roof top is either a restaurant or an extension of the bar (only went up for a peek once). The bar is on the second floor. The hotel rooms are on the first floor. Ground floor is taken up by cafes and shops.

Highly recommended: Breakfast at the FCC overlooking the Mekong River

Room at the FCC

The Killing Fields: The grassy landscape is cratered with ditches, which are actually exhumed mass graves. Very sobering.

The sign says: "Please don't walk through the mass grave!"

The sign says: "Magic Tree: The tree was used as a tool to hang a loudspeaker which make sound louder to avoid the moan of victims while they were being executed"

The sign says: "Killing tree against which executioners beat children". In the museum, there are graphics of executioners holding babies by their legs and smashing their skulls against this tree. Beside it is a large mass grave, in which they found a large number of infants.

 

Corner 33 Cafe Bar and Lounge: Around the corner from the FCC at Sisowath Quay. Fantastic martinis. Good food menu. Very quite, air conditioned lounge/bar to chill out during the day and evening.

 

Lastly, this, is as much as most of you will ever see of me.