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DAWN TO DUSK
WANT TO SEE THE BEST OF PHNOM PENH IN A DAY? FOUR LOCALS REVEAL THEIR TOP TIPS TO GEMMA PRICE
ONCE KNOWN AS the Paris of the East, Cambodia’s quaint capital is fast sharpening its contemporary cosmopolitan edge. Chic new hotels and eateries are springing up all over the city, the art scene is attracting international acclaim, and there are more places with see-and-be-seen credentials sprouting up daily. And all this on top of elegant colonial architecture, alfresco lifestyle and laid-back locals.
One day is certainly not enough time to explore this charming town’s numbered streets fully, but check out the recommended itineraries of these four in-the-know residents and you will begin to see why they choose to call Phnom Penh home.
THE EXPERTS
Here is our panel of four Phnom Penh insiders:
THEARY SENG
Executive director of the Centre for Social Development, reality TV personality and radio producer
TASSILO BRINZER
Restaurateur and editor of Globe magazine – Phnom Penh’s current affairs and lifestyle monthly
SOPHEAP PICH
Installation artist and one of the frontrunners in the vibrant local creative community
CHRISTINE GAUTHIER
Jewellery designer and Paris native who’s called Cambodia home for 12 years
THEARY SAYS…
Theary is a Phnom Penh native who spent two decades in the United States before returning home to work with the Centre for Social Development (CSD). For her job, she has travelled across the country with her staff, conducting dialogue on justice and national reconciliation with villagers, and working with non-governmental organisations to tackle domestic and social issues.
Now settled in Phnom Penh, Theary moonlights as a judge on a youth leadership challenge reality TV show, and produces a daily radio show. To relax, she goes to hip art hangout Java Cafe and Gallery – her favourite place to start the day.
“They serve great breakfast amid a laid-back atmosphere. Eating there also supports a good cause – there’s always artwork by local artists on display,” she says.
“You should visit the National Museum as well. It has an old grandeur, and you’ll find small pieces of Cambodian history inside. Although it’s obviously not on the same scale as Angkor Wat, the sacred pieces of stone and exhibits of ancient relics still convey Cambodia’s magnificent past.”
The cool interior and leafy grounds of the museum are also perfect to escape the midday heat. From here, Theary advises visitors to clamber into a breezy tuk-tuk.
“Ride around a few times to get a sense of the city,” she advises. “It doesn’t matter where you start, but make sure to ask the driver to take you along the riverfront, past Wat Phnom, the Russian Market and the Royal Palace. Get the driver to drop you off at Street 240 so you can spend the afternoon browsing in the boutiques there.”
As the sun sets, many of Phnom Penh’s inhabitants like to congregate at one of the city’s innumerable happening bars and Theary highly recommends spending cocktail hour at Elephant Bar at Raffles Le Royal.
“You might just meet somebody who’s anybody there – from dignitaries to film stars. My favourite cocktail is the Femme Fatale, made with champagne, cognac and raspberry liquor. Between 4 and 8pm, it’s buy-one-get-one-free! After that, dine at Cantina restaurant for the best Mexican food in town.”
Information
Cantina, 347 Sisowath Quay, tel +855 (0)23 I222502; Elephant Bar, Raffles Le Royal Hotel, Street 92, tel +855 (0)23 981888; Java Cafe and Gallery, 56 Sihanouk Blvd, tel +855 (0)23 987420, www.javaarts.org; National Museum, Street 13, tel +855 (0)23 211753
TASSILO SAYS…
After buying La Croisette restaurant on Sisowath Quay five years ago, German journalist Tassilo admits to spending most mornings hanging out by the riverfront.
“You can see locals doing tai chi, and everything is still so surreal and quiet,” he explains. But having breakfast early in the day at Psar Th mei, the art deco Central Market, would be the first stop on his recommended itinerary.
“Enjoy Restaurant and Cafe Shop on the corner serves the best Khmer soup – with thinly sliced beef, eggs, beans and vegetables – it’s very hearty and wholesome. Sitting here, you can just watch people come and go. Vendors, bus drivers, newspaper sellers… everyone is very busy,” he enthuses.
“I would then head over to the Olympic Stadium. It’s a nice place to walk around – the architecture is really interesting.”
His choice for a delicious lunch is Les Jardins des Orient for its French-Mediterranean cuisine and villa-style garden setting. After that, Tassilo suggests hiring a boat for the afternoon. Phnom Penh sits at the confluence of the Tonlé Sap and Mekong Rivers, and a few hours spent exploring the waterways is a great way to cool off and leave the city behind.
“Take the boat to Silk Island (Koh Dach) where the majority of silk scarves sold in the city are made,” he says. “There’s even a little beach and you can paddle or grab a quick bite at the platform.”
Ask any travel agent, check the prices of the touts along the river, or go to tour operators, Cambodia by Boat, to get on the river.
“Head to Wat Phnom later in the afternoon. The place has a great energy – there are always people about and you can see the astrologers reading fortunes for US$1. Ask for one who speaks English, or find someone who will translate and just maybe, you might get to see what tomorrow holds.”
Information
Cambodia by Boat, tel +855 (0)12 432456, www.cambodiabyboat.com; Enjoy Restaurant and Cafe Shop, 48 Street 67, tel +855 (0)12 844734; La Croisette, Sisowath Quay, corner of Street 144, tel +855 (0)23 220554; Les Jardins des Orient, 35 Street 75, tel +855 (0)12 413825
SOPHEAP SAYS…
Sopheap does not usually wake up for breakfast. However, the self-professed late riser still knows where to get the best early morning meal.
“Go to the Rising Sun Cafe,” he declares. “It’s a small English restaurant where you just sit on the sidewalk. They do a great breakfast and my friends love the pancakes. After that, walk along Street 178 to check out the art on this eclectic gallery street.”
The Hen Sophal Gallery, housing the socially aware abstract paintings of its namesake Khmer artist, is one of Sopheap’s favourites on this strip.
Sopheap lives and breathes Phnom Penh’s art scene. Born in Battambang, he left Cambodia at the age of nine, eventually reaching the United States where he studied painting. He returned to Cambodia in 2002 and started an arts initiative called Saklapel (www.saklapel.org), with other Cambodian artists. He has become well known for installations using natural materials.
Sopheap discovered rattan – his current medium of choice – “by accident”, and now, sculpting with rattan, bamboo and wire has superseded his interest in painting.
In the mid-afternoon, Sopheap suggests escaping the scorching heat Khmer-style – with a nap until temperatures cool down. However, if sun-worshipping is your thing, he recommends the Hotel Scandinavia’s pool.
“There’s a great vibe to the hotel and they have a small art space called Scan Gallery,” enthuses Sopheap.
“If you’re ready for lunch after that, go to Romdeng for real Khmer food in a great atmosphere,” he adds. “I love Tak Kreong, which is a farmer’s meal of fish, prahok fish paste, spices and vegetables. It has a really strong, tasty flavour.”
Phnom Penh’s art community is very sociable, and Sopheap recommends visiting Meta House – his regular haunt – to meet local artists and chat over an afternoon coffee.
“In the evening, everyone meets up at Rubies, a cool wine bar that could be somewhere in Europe. I also like Equinox, which feels like a friend’s porch – you can hang out at the bar, sit on a chair, or even on the floor. ”
Information
Equinox, 3A Street 278, tel +855 (0)12 586139, www.equinox-Icambodia.com; Hen Sophal Gallery, 39C Street 178, tel +855 (0)12 997771; Hotel Scandinavia, 4 Street 282, tel +855 (0)23 214498, www.hotel-scandinavia-cambodia.com; Meta House, 6 Street 264, tel +855 (0)23 224140, www.meta-house.com; Romdeng, 21 Street 278, tel +855 (0)92 219565, www.friends-international.org; Rubies, corner of Street 19 and 240, tel +855 (0)92 319769, www.rubieswinebar.com; The Rising Sun, 20 Street 178, tel +855 (0)12 970719
CHRISTINE SAYS…
Christine believes experiencing the Phnom Penh way of life is the first order of the day. “You should definitely walk around the streets to observe how the local people live, see what kinds of jobs they do, and enjoy the happy children playing in the street.”
“I love Phnom Penh because the people are so open. You can just walk up to a house, knock on the door, and ask what they’re doing inside,” she says.
Christine loves to peek into houses on Streets 362, 370 and 372 to search for locals making incense sticks. They dip hundreds of thinly sliced bamboo sticks into glue. Then they gather them into a bunch and drop them in a container of yellow incense powder mix. The sticks are instantly coated with incense. The last step is to roll them around and coat them evenly. “They’ll oft en let you try yourself, but they do it so fast!” Christina says.
Spontaneous and impulsively creative, Parisienne Christine spent 15 years in advertising before moving to Cambodia in 1996. Although she has always enjoyed making things by hand, it was not until after a successful experiment selling her jewellery designs at a Christmas bazaar that she made the decision to turn her hobby into a full-time business.
A $50 deposit was enough to secure a beautiful colonial-era property on Street 240. Since opening Water Lily in 2002, she has produced ready-made and bespoke accessories in beads, buttons and anything else she can find.
Around midday, Christine suggests heading to the garden at Gasolina, a pretty cafe with a large alfresco area. “It has amazing day beds so you can lie under the trees and take a nap.”
“After a relaxing lunch, I’d recommend visiting the Bophana Audiovisual Resource Centre to anyone who is interested in learning more about Cambodian history,” says Christine.
The centre’s tri-lingual database (in Khmer, English and French) documents Cambodian culture through audiovisual media, as well as hosting regular art exhibitions and film screenings. Digest all that history over afternoon tea at The Shop. “They have the best chocolate,” Christine confides.
And later in the night? “For the best atmosphere and view, it has to be the FCC Phnom Penh Bar,” she asserts.
Information
Bophana Audiovisual Resource Centre, I64 Street 200, tel +855 (0)23 992174, www.bophana.org; FCC, 363 Sisowath Quay, tel +855 (0)12 724014, www.fcccambodia.com; Gasolina,56-58 Steet 57, tel +855 (0)12 373009, www.gasolina-cafe.com; The Shop, 39 Street 240, tel +855 (0)23 986964; Water Lily Atelier, 37 Street 240, www.waterlilycreation.com
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