AsiaLIFE Cambodia December 2016

122016 ISSUE120

note from the editor AsiaLIFE Group Group Editor-in-Chief / Director Cambodia: Mark Bibby Jackson mark@asialife.asia

Group Director Sales & Marketing / Director Vietnam: Jonny Edbrooke jonny@asialife.asia

Managing Editor Cambodia: Marissa Carruthers marissa@asialife.asia maris.carruthers@gmail.com

Director Thailand: Nattamon Limthanachai (Oh) oh@asialife.asia

Associate Editor: Erin Hale

Marissa Carruthers

Accountants / Distribution Seang Seiha 012 887 118 Distribution: Son Veasna 096 222 7231 Printing: Sun Heang Printing House

Photographers: Enric Català & Lucas Veuve & Lim Sokchanlina Sales Director: Jonathan Baxter 010 561 502 Sales Officer: Simon Crutch 093 828 033 Accountants: Sorn Rathana

Special thanks to: Waterlily, Darren Gall, Paul Dodd, Pet Grooming Cambodia, Ryan Drewe Taylor and Cambodian Living Arts for their contribution.

122016 ISSUE120

On the Cover Design & Art Direction: Thang Pham L.C. AsiaLIFE is a registered trademark.

No content may be reproduced in any form without prior authorisation of the owners. © 360º Media.

AsiaLIFE Media Vol. 104

| NOVEMBER 2016

It’s hard to believe it’s that time of year again when the Christmas decorations are dusted down, Santa pops up across Phnom Penh and the last-minute present shopping stress sets in.

While some choose to stay in Cambodia for the festive season, this time of year brings with it a mass expat exodus as people return to their native lands or jet set to spend Christmas and New Year in another part of the world.

This month, we help those gearing up to get away plan their trip, and help it run a little smoother. From boarding planes with babies to bagging a last-minute bargain – fear not, experts claim they are still to be had, even at peak season – and coping with calamities while you’re away, we’ve got it covered.

Continuing with the travel theme, we take a look at some of Asia’s best airports – and those to avoid like the plague – after Sleeping in Airports released its annual passenger survey. And we feature some top gadgets to take with you on your travels.

Of course, there’s our Christmas guide with a rundown to some of the spots to bag your presents this year, if you haven’t already.

With tropical diseases seemingly rife in the city recently, writer Erin Hale looks at some of the most common tropical diseases and how to avoid them. And she takes a trip to Koh Rong to find out more about environmental efforts being made there to preserve the precious marine life.

I spend a jam-packed 48 hours in Singapore, proving it’s well worth extending your layover, or escaping Cambodia for a weekend break.

And, as usual, we have restaurant and bar reviews, new openings, plus an exclusive interview with Mrs Claus, who reveals she’ll be accompanying her increasingly mischievous husband on his journey across the globe on Dec. 25.

So from the whole AsiaLIFE team, we hope all of our readers have a merry Christmas and a very happy New Year, whatever you may be doing.

Siem Reap: Sarah Brown

Art Director Cambodia: Thang Pham L.C. leo@asialifemagazine.com

HALONG HUB one-stop party shop Dependable progress

SÁCH KHÔNG BÁN

www.asialifemagazine.com

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FOR SALES ENQUIRIES: Jonathan Baxter Tel: 010 561 502

INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATIONS PUBLISHING HOUSE

Next time you're in Vietnam, check out the latest issue of AsiaLIFE or download it from www.asialifemagazine.com

122016 ISSUE120

front

08 Events 11 Trending

getaway

42 48 Hours In Singapore

food

44 Delikat Galeto

12 Openings 14 News 16 Top 5 20 Day In The Life

45 Le Broken Plate 46 The Supreme

22 Photo Essay

47 City Drinks: Hops Brewery &

26 Q&A: The Shop

on the cover

28 The Festive Escape

storyboard

34 Tropical Diseases: From Dengue to Diphtheria

style & design back

Craft Beer Garden 48 The Smallest Details 50 Phnom Penh Designers Week 54 Listings 78 Map 88 Pub Quiz

36 Gift Guide 38 Take-Off 40 Protecting Koh Rong's Underwater Kingdom

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28 36

42

Buster Keaton shorts @French Institute

1 DEC 7pm

A unique, open air screening with live music from Phare Ponleu Selpak musicians. Three Buster Keaton shorts: One Week, The Haunted House and The Goat, will be accompanied by an original score specifically created for the event by the musicians from Phare Ponleu Selpak.

4 DEC 6am

Angkor Wat Half Marathon The Angkor Wat international Half Marathon is the 21th edition of this charity half marathon, organised by Cambodia Events Organiser (CEO). It raises funds for the victims of antipersonnel mines in Cambodia. The race is open to all, including those with prosthetic limbs, and wheelchair users. The event offers different categories from 3km to half marathon. Starts from Apsara Angkor Resort and Conference, National Road 6, Siem Reap.

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Create Your Own Flip-Book @French Institute This workshop is led by Sarah Richardot from Fotokino Association. The flip-book is like a pocket movie. After browsing through some of the most famous flip-books, participants can create their own memoirs. With a touch of humour and some patience, words and drawings will spring to life. For children and adults. $10.

ABODIA Christmas Shopping Pop-Up @The Tiger’s Eye

10 DEC 10am

An afternoon of gift shopping and festive refreshments curated by ABODIA – the lifestyle blog dedicated to design and interiors in Cambodia (abodialifestyle. com). The event will feature local retailers and designers as well as a special one-off sale of jams and treats by The Tigers Eye. Festive cocktails on the day. Until 6pm.

11 DEC 3pm

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22 DEC 8pm

The Jumping Jacks Christmas Special @Meat & Drink Joe Wrigley & the Jumping Jacks will bring a dose of festive cheer to Bassac Lane, ably accompanied by Meat & Drink’s famous mulled wine. Meet, drink, be merry and get right into the festive spirit. Until midnight.

Holiday Farmers Market @Farm to Table Celebrate the season with local growers and makers. Find last-minute gifts made by leading ethical, sustainable producers and grab fresh ingredients for your holiday feasts.

Hear Christmas Carols sung by Rhiannon Johnson, enjoy free holiday activities for children and families, and sip special holiday brews and beverages while you shop mindfully. Until 6pm.

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24 DEC 3pm

Political Apocalypse 2016 The election of Donald Trump to US president on Nov. 8 shocked the world, but in the grand scheme of this year it could be seen as an event right on schedule. Brexit and bombs in Europe, zika, ISIS, police brutality and a harrowing drug war in the Philippines have led many to ask if the world is hurtling over the proverbial cliff into chaos?

Ideally, 2017 will be better if the planet can get its act together – although France could elect the far-right Marine Le Pen in April.

Rogue One

Slated for release on Dec. 2, the latest Star Wars installment Rogue One is sure to set social media aflutter. As the first standalone film in the Star Wars series, the film fills in some of the 20-year gap between episodes III and IV – or what was happening while Luke and Leia were growing up on separate planets. Variety magazine reported as of mid-November, Rogue One had already generated 1.9 million social media conversations - expect many, many more.

The 3Doodler The 3Doodler is a welcome distraction from the world’s woes.

Similar to a 3D printer, this gadget lets users design things freehand with heated plastic. While it seems like a great way to waste time, it also has practical uses, such as repairing plastic items. For $99, the 3D pen makes a great gift, with a special model for children aged eight and above ($60). The professional 3Doodler Pro can print on polycarbonate, nylon, bronze, copper and wood.

fusion tapas hand made dumplings fresh hand pulled noodles

Christmas

Whether you celebrate it or not, Christmas is a global phenomenon and annual shopping extravaganza.

It’s also a time when expats head home to see family and friends. For those who are, before departing try to come up with strategies to avoid common Christmas indulgences, such as overspending, overeating, and over-boozing. Start 2017 right with good karma by also coming up with strategies to break up family squabbles and handle grating relatives like an adult.

DELIVERY & TAKE AWAY

Add: #41b-Street 308 I Tole Bassac, Phume Phnom Penh Tel: 097 850 83 83 ●OPEN:11:00-23:00 AsiaLIFE Cambodia 11

CARL’S JR DRIVE-THRU BURGERS Cambodia has got its first drive-thru as Carl’s Jr makes its debut in the Kingdom. As well as offering drive-thru facilities, the American fastfood joint has a spacious seating area to cater for the swelling number of diners. Located opposite Burger King and next to KFC in BKK1, it is giving the other fastfood giants a run for their money offering a range of burgers, claiming to be made from 100 percent Australian beef, as well as chicken dishes. Signature dishes include the Super Star with cheese burger, the Western bacon cheeseburger, charbroiled and crispy chicken sandwiches, and hand-scooped ice cream shakes and malts.

Corner of Street 51 and Street 310, Phnom Penh.

Tel: 012 410 404. Open daily from 10am to 10pm.

BELMOND LA RÉSIDENCE D’ANGKOR

REFURB REVEALED

Following a full refurbishment, one of Siem Reap’s top hotels has reopened as an all-suite hotel. Belmond La Résidence d’Angkor boasts newlydesigned interiors inspired by the classical Khmer-era juxtaposed with contemporary Cambodian art that connect the past with the present.

Nestled within lush landscaped gardens and surrounding a cooling saltwater swimming pool, the hotel offers stylish new rooms, restaurants and bars. The new accommodations include a deluxe poolside suite with a large alfresco terrace, 20 poolside junior suites, 12 garden junior suites, eight deluxe studio suites and 18 junior suites. There is also a new meeting room, outdoor dining space and water feature.

River Road, Siem Reap. Tel: 0845 0772 222.

A TO Z MARKET MART WARS BKK1 residents and workers have access to another new mart among the many that are cropping up, only this one seemingly stocks all the items under one roof that you can’t find elsewhere. Chocolate, crisps, Tampax tampons, a small range of organic fruit and vegetables and freshly-baked goods, imported sweets from America, cat and dog food, and everything in between can be pretty much found stocked on A to Z’s shelves. And if that wasn’t enough, it boasts an extensive range of reasonably priced bottles of wines and spirits, lagers, beers and cider. And with friendly staff always putting on a smile to greet customers, there is every reason to return.

Corner of Street 334 and Street 57, Phnom Penh.

Open daily from 7am to 10.30pm.

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LE 21 TASTE OF FRANCE One area that seems to continually improve in the capital is the number of quality bakers, and Le 21 is one of the latest to join the growing crowd. Specialising in everything from crispy baguettes, croissants and pain au chocolate, to light bites such as pizza, pasta and fish dishes, and a tasty rainbow of macaroons, the eatery has an extensive menu. As well as offering take away, there is plenty of seating to relax and enjoy breakfast, lunch or dinner in the bright space. Rotating breakfast and lunch specials can be found daily.

Street 51, Phnom Penh. Tel: 088 818 9898.

Open daily from 7am to 9.30pm.

VIBE CAFE HEALTHY EATING The philosophy behind plant-based Vibe Cafe is the “earth to table” approach to food. Believing food should be an experience, always vibrant, truly nourishing and bursting with energy, owner, Emma Fountain, takes pride in the honest ingredients that are consciously sourced, and presented in a clean and creative way. Working with local suppliers of organically and ethically grown produce, the diner is also mindful to incorporate medicinal and healing properties into its dishes, which take in an Arabian bowl of homemade gluten free superfood falafel with red pepper hummus, pomegranate jewels, za'atar and turmeric and tahini dressing and explorer quesadilla with fresh sweetcorn, pickled beets, black beans, cashew crema and guacamole.

715 Hup Guan Street, Siem Reap.

Tel: 069 937 900. Open daily from 7.30am to 8pm.

SLANH HOUSE KHMER FASHION Local designer Mean Sonyta is catering to men and women’s trends with her new boutique and online store, Slanh House. Ranging from clothes to accessories, the classic styles take in skirts, suits, shirts, trousers and jackets, as well as hairbands, make up bags, purses and jewellery. Cute krama-style dresses sit alongside fitted checked shirts, patterned baby dresses and trendy high rise shorts.

And for those who like to shop from the comfort of their sofa, Slanh House has an online store where buyers can browse the everchanging, innovative stock that celebrates Cambodian style.

Street 306, Phnom Penh. Tel: 071 950 8888.

Open daily from 10am to 8pm.

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DEC BY KATE 2016 BURBRIDGE

Another Time, Another Train AS Cambodian rail travel experiences a rebirth, photographer Bruce dv is looking back to the locomotives of the past.

Bruce dv, a freelance architecture and landscape photographer, stumbled upon a vast depot full of abandoned locomotives preserved in time in the capital, which inspired his work.

“I am more into architecture and urban landscapes”, he says. “That is why I noticed from the street one day a huge, mysteriously sealed warehouse behind Phnom Penh Railway Station. I got inside and it was, visually speaking, a powerful moment.”

He discovered massive steam locomotives still bearing cryptic names as Alsacienne 4-6-2 231.508 on their steel flanks, and diesel railway engines made several decades ago in East Germany, Czechoslovakia or

China, reflecting the period when Cambodia ceased to rely on French suppliers. They now stand silent and dusty, yet speak volumes about Cambodia’s recent history.

Born in South Africa but growing up around the world, Bruce dv came to photography while travelling around Southeast Asia. “This region and its people are so photogenic, it awakened the photographer in me”, he says.

In 2009, he made Cambodia his home. He pays particular attention to capturing light, “not to embellish reality, just to enhance certain atmospheres”.

Bruce dv is presently working on a series devoted to Cambodian hotels.

The photography exhibition, Another Time, Another Train, can be seen at the Plantation in Phnom Penh until Jan. 4.

Performance and Dialogue with Decomposition THIS month, contemporary dancer and choreographer Yon Davy will debut a new performance commissioned by Sa Sa Bassac.

As a literal and conceptual stage, the performance will be in creative and generative dialogue in response to Yim Maline’s exhibition Decomposition. This will be followed by a discussion with Davy moderated by Chey Chankethya.

Davy is an independent dancer and choreographer, currently working for Amrita Performing Arts. Yon studied classical, folkloric dance, and contemporary dance. She has worked with leading choreographers including Emmanuèle Phuon, Bob Ruijzendaal, Peter Chin, and Arco Renz. Yon has performed and choreographed works throughout Cambodia, as well as abroad, and has been awarded residencies in Surabaya and Taiwan.

Chey Chankethya began her career touring nationally and internationally with the Royal Ballet of Cambodia under the direction of HRH Norodom Buppha

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Devi. In 2006, Chey began working with Amrita Performing Arts as an artist and was introduced to contemporary dance.

Since then she has been a featured dancer of award winning pieces of contemporary dance, as well as becoming one of Cambodia’s most prolific choreographers in her own right. Chey’s works have been presented at multiple festivals globally. Since 2014, Chey has been Artistic Director of Amrita Performing Arts.

Decomposition is a solo exhibition in mixed media by Yim Maline, one of Cambodia’s up and coming female artists.

Yim uses two and three dimensional works to engage in a dialogue about cycles of life and environmental sustainability.

Using her relationship with nature and with everyday discarded materials, the artist retraces a narrative that began in the poverty of a civil-war torn country.

Amrita Performing Arts is committed to the creation of cutting edge Cambodian contemporary dance and, responding to the creative drive of a young generation

of artists who have taken on the task of ushering Cambodia’s ancient performing arts heritage into the future.

Amrita’s work is developed through workshops based on intensive exchange and dialogue with international collaborators.

All of the company’s efforts emphasise capacity building as they assist in nurturing a new generation of Cambodian choreographers, directors and practitioners in all areas of arts management.

It takes place on Dec. 8 at Sa Sa Bassac, from 6.30pm to 7.30pm in Khmer with English translation.

Going Greener at the Gates of Angkor TEMPLATION has become the first hotel in Siem Reap to begin producing enough solar energy to cover the majority of its energy usage – and all of it during the hottest time of day.

This environmentally-conscious engagement includes a sustained efficient management of energy demand. Each day the pumps and filtering systems that ensure pristine water for all the resort’s swimming pools are programmed to start functioning when the solar panel output reaches its peak.

The whole hotel complex has been designed to make best use of natural air and light flows for ventilation and temperature control, limiting the need

Expansion for Sihanoukville SEZ

The Sihanouk Special Economic Zone (SSEZ) announced plans is to open 300 more factories by 2020. The zone currently has around 100 working factories, providing 160,000 local jobs. The majority of the factories supply garments to major brands in the West.

for AC units in bedrooms, even on the hottest days. The main strain on electrical supply is the pumping and filtration system for the 22 swimming pools within the complex (1,346 KwH).

In cooperation with Solearon experts, a company specialised in solar-based installations, Templation installed 350 solar panels with the aim of avoiding the accumulation of solar energy into hazardous, contaminating and inefficient batteries. This is done with timers that regulate the time the pumps and filtration systems begin and end their cleaning cycles. Given that each of the 350 panels produce 90Khw at peak time, there is no risk of shortage.

Romdoul Rice Chosen for Glory

Cambodia has chosen Romdoul rice from 11 contenders as its champion for the World's Best Rice competition. Cambodia won the title from 2012 to 2014, but lost last year to Californian rice. Cambodia Rice Federation is confident it will reclaim its position.

Better Factories Boost

The result, even before the end of the rainy season, is most satisfying. The technology of this solar system works in complementary harmony with the Templation design ethos and its lush garden surroundings. Native trees and shrubs, carefully preserved during the building process, provide natural shade, cooling air temperatures.

Many bodies of water, from swimming pools and ponds to water features, produce a further cooling effect. All the detached villas are insulated and cooled by planted, living roofs. Built-in awnings protect the large bay windows from the harshest sunrays without blocking natural light, while in the communal areas vents and openwork partitions ensure pleasant air circulation.

International Labour Organization’s Better Factories Cambodia programme has been extended for a further three years to continue efforts to improve working conditions and labour laws in the country’s garment industry. It will continue to publically report its findings.

Tourism Deal Inked with China

Officials from China and Cambodia have signed a memorandum of understanding to increase exchanges of investment and training for tourism. The deal aims to increase cooperation between in the tourism industry of both countries.

AsiaLIFE Cambodia 15

T

Sticking with the travel theme, editor Marissa Carruthers takes a look at some of the top travel gadgets that are essential for frequent flyers.

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Scrubba Wash Bag ($55) Dubbed the world’s smallest washing machine, travellers no longer have an excuse to stink while on the move because the Scrubba Wash Bag is on hand to help. The idea was born in 2010 when Aussie founder Ash Newland took a four month break from his job to travel to Africa to tackle Mount Kilimanjaro.

With little space to pack many clothes, he set about designing his own washboard, leading to the Scrubba Wash Bag of today. Equipped with a flexible washboard, this eco-friendly, lightweight, pocket-size wash bag not only helps with the laundry anywhere on the road, it also saves money and time.

With only two to four litres of water and a bit of washing liquid, clothes come out fresh and clean in less than three minutes.

It comes complete with a transparent window to monitor washing and water levels, and doubles up as a dry-bag. thescrubba.com

BlueSmart Suitcase ($399) The days of lost luggage are a thing of the past, thanks to this nifty suitcase. Boasting built-in GPS the carry-on suitcase can be tracked anywhere in the world. Controlled by a mobile app, the Bluesmart also contains a power bank that will charge your phone up to six times, so no need to worry about the battery running out and losing access to the control panel. A built-in scale means no more extra kilo fees slapped on at the check-in desk, and a digital lock keeps thieves and sticky fingers at bay. It is also well designed, with easy access to belongings, including a convenient slot for laptops. A notification system also tunes into your travel habits, reminding you what to pack and to do those lastminute travel chores, and lets you know if you’ve managed to leave it behind thanks to the distance tracker – genius. bluesmart.com

Micro 3in1 Luggage Scooter ($400) Killing time at the airport just got a whole lot more fun with this practical and stylish travel accessory, which helps travellers move around quickly and easily. And as well as offering a kids’ version, designed in collaboration with DJ Steve Aoki with funky patterns, adults can get some of the action with a more sophisticated and slick suitcase, making travelling fun for the whole family. The innovative trolley doubles up as a kickboard scooter, and comes complete with Bluetooth Sound2Go speakers incorporated for listening to music while gliding through the airport. The Swiss designed scooter is also approved as hand luggage with most airlines, meaning that carrying suitcases will never be boring again, thanks to this multifunctional travel gadget. microkickboard.com

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CamelBak All Clear ($99)

SeaSack ($36) Trips to the beach just got a whole lot easier – and cleaner – thanks to the SeaSack beach bag and backpack, which makes lugging and storing awkward, sandy beach gear quickly, cleanly and painlessly. Currently in the Crowdfunding startup stage, SeaSack is built to carry beach chairs, towels and blankets in its huge main compartment. There are over-sized zip pouches on either side for lotions, books, beach toys, snorkel gear and anything else a beach trip desires. It’s made of durable, water-resistant polyester and features a thick halfinch of padding to give it a pleasant, weightless feel. And for every bag sold, Soles4Souls has pledged to ship a brandnew pair of shoes to someone in need, around the globe. seasackthebag.com

nd drinks m ad e f r o m t h e F o od a

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Unsafe tap water is an issue in many countries across the globe, with a lot of travellers’ health issues stemming from drinking contaminated tap water. While traditional methods for water purification, such as boiling water, iodine treatments and pump filters, can often be impractical, time-consuming and exhausting, CamelBak All Clear solves the problem, turning nearly any tap water or clear natural water into portable and safe drinking water. Using UV technology, it neutralises viruses and bacteria to purify water in less than 60 seconds, hydrating on the spot. The 0.7 litre water purifier bottle is equipped with rechargeable lithium ion batteries to deliver more than 80 cycles on a single charge, and doubles up as a water bottle so freshly purified water can be enjoyed on the go throughout the day. camelbak.com

D AY IN THE LIFE

Chief Christmas Coordinator

Mrs Claus

Words by Marissa Carruthers. Photography by John A. King.

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M

rs Claus lets out a sigh as she recalls her husband’s visit to Cambodia last Christmas.

“Christmas was almost cancelled,” she says with a tut. “I got a phone call from Dancer saying Santa had necked too many cans of Angkor doing his rounds and was refusing to move from Sorya Mall; it was a nightmare.”

With the help of his elves, a few strong coffees and a couple of energy drinks later, Santa was back on track.

However, his annual frolics here have led to Mrs Claus accompanying him on his travels this year.

“I dread him coming to Cambodia because he gets himself into some sort of trouble every year,” she says. “After being in isolated Claus Towers, surrounded by snow, the temptation can be too much for him.”

Dodging bullets from illegal poachers who had their eyes on the reindeer as they flew over the Cardamoms, tearing his trousers and getting stuck as he clambered over a barbed wiretopped gate to deliver presents, a few dubious stints in girly bars and being held hostage at border control for refusing to “donate” a large portion of his presents are among the tales Santa has to tell of his times in the Kingdom.

“This year I’m coming with him. Although I’ll be enjoying a G&T or three lazing around Raffles’ pool,” she adds with a mischievous grin.

With the Christmas countdown on, it’s full steam ahead at the Claus household as the team gathers Christmas lists from across the globe and does one final sweep to assess which children will get presents and the naughty ones who will go without.

“We have a bunker full of machines that constantly monitor bad behaviour,” says Mrs Claus. “I don’t want to give too much away but kids living in Cambodia have been as good as gold this year, which Santa is pleased about because he hates having to stop off at the market to buy prahok or dorian to dish out instead of gifts.”

In the run-up to the Big Day – December 25 – Mrs Claus and Santa are busy sourcing presents – made much easier in Cambodia thanks to the addition of global brands and shopping malls – while the elves carry out the mass wrapping process. The days ahead of Christmas are spent programming and testing the special SatNav system that maps out Santa’s journey across the world.

“Technology has certainly made the whole delivery process much easier,” says Mrs Claus, adding since being installed last year it has helped eliminate hours of frustration for her husband, who was often mistaken for a drunken old sexpat yelling obscenities in the street in the early morning. “He would get so frustrated trying to find addresses in the capital,” she says. “And he has such a short temper, my husband. More scary Santa than cuddly Santa on these occasions.”

On Christmas Eve, Mrs Claus spends the day briefing Santa on each country’s developments, preparing him for any drastic changes.

“Cambodia always takes a while,” she says referring to the rapidly changing country. “I hear there’s a couple more private islands being built.

I told him, next year he needs to speed things up so we can squeeze in a visit to Six Senses.”

With Christmas almost here, Mrs Santa says there’s still time to brush up on any bad behaviour to ensure Santa’s visit is fruitful for all.

“Ultimately, mine and Santa’s days are devoted to making sure everyone has an enjoyable December 25. Merry Christmas, Cambodia.”

AsiaLIFE Cambodia 21

Photo Essay

T

he 12th Angkor Photo Festival is landing in Siem Reap this month, bringing with it a collection of creative photographers from home and abroad.

As Southeast Asia’s longest-running photography event, the festival offers a free platform and educational resource for established and emerging photographers wanting to develop their talent.

A series of workshops will take place across Temple Town with 30 photographers from countries including Cambodia, Malaysia, China and Hong Kong honing their skills from six professional tutors.

The work of more than 130 photographers from 45 countries will showcase their work, with daily projection screenings held in public spaces each evening.

In the second series, AsiaLIFE takes a sneak peek at some of the diverse work that will be on display during the event.

Angkor Photo Festival and Workshops takes place in Siem Reap from Dec. 3 to 10. For information, visit angkor-photo.com.

Š Anuar Patjane Floriuk

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©Alejandro Duran

©Cédric Gerbehaye

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© Dario Mitidieri

©MatildeGattoni

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©Kim Hak

©Yoshi Okamoto

AsiaLIFE Cambodia 25

The SHOP

Hailing from humble beginnings, the seed for The Shop was planted cooking healthy lunches at Northbridge School. It has since grown into one of Phnom Penh’s most popular eateries, bakeries and producers of gourmet chocolates. As The Shop celebrates its 15th birthday, editor Marissa Carruthers talks to founder Griet Lorre. Photography by Enric Català.

What was Phnom Penh’s coffee shop and bakery scene like then?

How was The Shop born?

It was an extension of a business I was running at Northbridge School. I enrolled my kids there in 1998 and started The Lunchbox cooking for students.

I hired two people and for the first year we cooked for 50 kids together. In 2000, I opened poolside restaurant, The Club, at the school’s new sports club and swimming pool. By that time, I was frustrated with the quality of bread in town; it was all sweet and mushy, not for me.I started training the staff on how to make good quality bread and by luck came across a Belgian baker who helped develop our breads and baked products. Restaurants became interested in buying from us but delivering by tuk tuk or motodop in those days was a big challenge. I needed a place in town to distribute from. When I saw the location on Street 240, I knew we could distribute from there. I liked the building and thought, “I can also sell coffee and make sandwiches”, and in 2001 The Shop 240 opened. It was all by accident really, I never intentionally came here to open The Shop.

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On Street 240, Bliss and Tamarind had just opened before us but that was it. There was not one coffee shop in the city, I don’t think. In terms of baking, there was Comme a la Maison. Everything has changed since then; the whole coffee culture. Back then, there wasn’t one. It’s only been in the last five or six years it has really exploded.

How was The Shop welcomed by expats?

You could only see smiling faces and surprise, it was incredible.

That was one of the reasons that since the beginning, we have changed the menu weekly.

It’s a small space and we want people to come back. I never intended The Shop to be for tourists. I wanted to create a community and provide good food and good fresh drinks.

The switch when locals started coming was when we opened in Toul Kork. It suddenly became more accessible to Cambodians and seemed less foreign, I think.

When did you start expanding?

In 2009, I stopped at Northbridge – by then we were doing 500 meals compared with 50. I came to the Tuol Kork location, mainly for production that year. We installed the production line, made sure quality was consistent and then we opened The Shop Tuol Kork there as well in 2010.

In 2013, we opened The Shop 102 at Central Mansions.

Tell us about The Chocolate Shop.

I bought the house where The Chocolate Shop is on Street 240 and downstairs had a retail area, which I put up for rent. After one day, I said it's maybe better we do something ourselves. What does Phnom Penh need? A flower shop, a chocolate shop? Together with the baker, we thought let’s cook chocolate. We’re Belgian; we have it in our blood.It took six very adventurous months.

We travelled to Belgium on a research trip, to source ingredients and materials and learn more. Then we spent months experimenting until we knew we were ready. Because it is almost next door to The Shop 240, I’d go in almost every day with a tray of chocolates saying, “Come on, tell me what you think”. People would come in and sit there waiting for the chocolate. We opened in 2007 with production at the back.

Again, there were only smiling faces. In 2013, we opened another outlet on Street 63 and moved production there. That’s why the quality is so good because it is made and sold on site, and isn’t transported.

How have you retained your top spot among the growing crowd of competitors?

The quality of products and service we deliver have definitely helped. We have a real dedication to quality and take pride in that. We smoke our own salmon, make our own quark cheese, dry our own tomatoes; we do as much

ourselves as possible. It’s also for sure because of the staff and their loyalty and hard work. We have gone from two to 120 employees, and those first two still work with us.

What has been your biggest achievement in the last 15 years?

Probably creating a sense of community. For sure for the first 10 years that was my biggest satisfaction. The team is a great accomplishment because all our managers now in production are former street kids. But that took time. It took eight years before I could leave the production by itself and wasn’t in there every day. Another big achievement is the chocolate because the bakery and coffee, there are a lot of people doing that but chocolate, we’re still the only ones. Our quality is really, really good and we offer 32 different types of chocolate.

I am extremely proud to have overcome so many challenges in order to deliver consistency in the quality of our products.

What are your plans for the future?

We now have five locations plus two other activities with catering and B2B. The future is to expand when and where is possible but most likely not in Phnom Penh.

Because we're already spread out well across the city.

The Shop is marking its 15th anniversary with a series of events and special offers this month. Follow them on Facebook for details.

AsiaLIFE Cambodia 27

December is the month of the expat exodus when many take leave from Cambodia to return to their home turf or have a break. Editor Marissa Carruthers learns how to make the most of getting away. Photography by Enric CatalĂ .

28 AsiaLIFE Cambodia

AsiaLIFE Cambodia 29

S

ally Grield has been struggling to contain her excitement about boarding a plane this month with her partner and taking their newborn baby back to their family to celebrate Christmas.

“It seems like forever that we’ve been looking forward to this,” says the Scottish mum, who gave birth to her first child in August. “We go away every Christmas, but this will be even more special because we need to introduce Ben to the rest of the family for the first time.”

Like Grield, many expats use the festive season as an excuse to make their annual escape to return to relatives and friends or explore the region and beyond.

Whatever the reason, AsiaLIFE has got it covered, from booking a last minute bargain and making the most out of your flight, to coping with travel calamities and what looks set to be next year’s hotspots.

And fear not if you’re planning on staying in the Kingdom this Christmas because these tips can be transferred to travelling all year round.

Bagging a Bargain

Don’t fret if you haven’t booked a break yet because, despite being peak time, there are still some bargains to be had.

“Staying flexible is always good, especially if you’re willing to travel on Christmas Day or New Year’s Day,” advises Anita Ngai, Viator’s general manager for the Asia Pacific region. “Booking last minute is always risky but, again, if you’re willing to travel on unpopular dates, then you may still find a deal.”

Living in the digital age where the world is at our fingertips, thanks to smart phones, there is a wealth of ways to get your hands on last minute trips.

“The generation of millennials uses the mobile phone for everything,” says Raphael Cohen, co-founder and CSO of app HotelQuickly. “When planning and booking trips, they want to be able to do it from their mobile phone, quickly.”

For those who haven’t yet booked a break, get some apps on download, remain flexible and allow destiny to dish you a last-minute deal.

HotelQuickly makes hunting for lastminute hotels at bucket prices easy, giving users the chance to snag the best available three- to five-star hotels in more than 200 destinations across Asia Pacific.

Rates offered are on average 28 percent cheaper than online booking options. Each day, partner hotels upload unsold rooms to the app, leaving a wealth of varied vacations waiting to be bought at rock bottom prices.

If leaving things until the eleventh hour doesn’t have you breaking into a sweat, then get Jetsetter on download. With parent company TripAdvisor and partner Secret Escapes having access to some of the world’s top hotels, holidays and curated trips, the options to choose from are seemingly endless. Offering up to 60 percent off hotel market rates, Jetsetter hosts limited-time flash sales that last five to 14 days, or until sold out.

30 AsiaLIFE Cambodia

Spur-of-the-minute getaways are aplenty on Last Minute Travel, which specialises in bargain basement, all-inone holiday packages. Packed full of last-minute flights, hotels, holiday homes and activities, as well as hotel, flight and car rental packages, this is another option worth looking into to clinch a bargain festive break.

Ngai also recommends trawling through credit cards and memberships to see if there are any special discounts or offers available. “Even better is if you can pay, or at least partially, using whatever points you may have – the dollar per point ration is probably the best during this period.”

Up and Away

Flying is unavoidable for expats, and with kids in toe can be terrifying for some. “I’m so excited to go home,” says Grield. “But I’m already freaking out about the flights and long travelling with the baby.”

Australian mumpacktravel.com blogger Evie Farrell and her daughter Emmie, five, are currently on a one-year backpacking break, making their way through Southeast Asia, including a stop-off in Cambodia in November. “Preparation is key,” she says.

“If possible take a night flight, it’s better for baby and toddler sleeping routines, and book the bassinet seat.”

She advises breast or bottle-feeding on take-off and landing to help equalise the baby’s ears, waiting for the plane to start down the runway on take-off. Pack a small carry bag that includes nappies, change mat and a change of clothes, formula and food, a blanket and comforter if they have one, as well as a medical kit and baby wipes. “I also pack a torch so I can find dropped toys and pacifiers in the dark,” she adds.

Packing saviours such as snacks, colouring books and toys in hand luggage is essential, and downloading movies and games on the iPad is a must. “People can be as disapproving as they like but the iPad is an absolute godsend,” says mumof-two Goldie Shoon, who has lived in Cambodia for 18 months, adding bending the rules is a no-brainer.

“When we’re travelling, all the traditional rules are thrown out of the window; it’s all about survival.”

If there’s a baby on board, infants under the age of two can fly for free if on an adult's lap. However, Shoon recommends, if it doesn’t break the bank, buying them their own seat – airlines allow car seats on board. If not, then consult SeatGuru for the plane’s layout to find those spots with the most legroom.

Constantly crying babies disrupting passengers is the factor that cripples most parents with family flight fear.

“I think this is unnecessary,” says Farrell.

“People are generally understanding, and your priority is your baby and their comfort. If your baby cries then comfort them as you would at home and try to enjoy the flight.”

Airplane essentials include a baby carrier, for example Ergo, which enables parents to be hands free and is also useful

for jiggling babies to sleep, a black shawl to drape over airline bassinets to create a blackout, baby wipes and a change of clothes for the whole family. “Don’t forget spare plastic bags for anything from finished bottles to vomit-covered clothes,” advises Shoon.

Coping with Calamities

After all the planning and revelling in the mounting excitement, there is nothing worse than disaster striking while away, from missing a flight and lost luggage to stolen passports.

“Don’t freak out if you miss your flight,” says seasoned traveller Christopher Tan. “Most full-service airlines will put you on the next flight to your destination, without an additional charge.” Many budget airlines offer tougher policies and will often slap on additional fees.

If a missed flight is due to delays on the airline’s side, jumping on the next available flight is their responsibility.

However, if you overslept, got stuck in traffic or didn’t leave enough time to get to the airport, it’s time to turn on the charm as most airlines give employees power to waive change fees.

Overbooked flights can cause problems, with some airlines relying on cancellations.

Take advantage of the situation, and keep your cool, advises Tan. “Often airlines will offer good compensation in these situations so try and make the most of it.”

While travel insurance policies do not cover missed flights, most offer compensation if delays occur for a specified number of hours due to factors such as mechanical failings, adverse weather conditions and natural disasters.

Having successfully landed, there’s nothing worse than that dread when the last bag circles the carousel and your suitcase isn’t in sight. “Losing your luggage can be especially annoying,” says frequent flyer and travel writer Marianne Rogerson, who has been cursed with missing bags on several occasions.

She recommends carefully packing carry-on luggage to ensure all essentials are with you at all times, as well as a change of clothes. Keep important documents, such as itineraries and insurance papers on you, and make sure valuables, including credit and debit cards, cash and jewellery are stored safely in hand luggage, as well as other necessary items – glasses, contacts lenses, toiletries and medication.

If your luggage is lost, lodge a claim with the airport immediately and check what your travel insurance policy is on purchasing necessities – remembering to keep receipts. Several credit cards also provide lost luggage insurance after a set number of hours so check your policy.

A lost or stolen passport is another travelling nightmare. As well as making it tricky to check into hotels or change money, it is impossible to cross borders and, most importantly, get home.

Shoon always makes several copies of important documents, which she takes with her. Filing a police report within 24

AsiaLIFE Cambodia 31

hours if it is stolen is essential, as well as reporting it to your nearest embassy.

If onward travel is imminent, check your insurance policy as most will pay for additional travel and accommodation expenses, within reason, as well as the cost to replace the passport.

There is no avoiding natural disasters, or knowing when they will occur. But there are ways to minimise the panic in their wake for both you and your loved ones.

After ensuring your personal safety, letting friends and family know you are safe is vital.

In the digital age, Facebook offers a safety check service for disaster updates, where users can register themselves safe, instantly alerting friends. Carrying updated medical cards, with details of emergency contacts on, is also recommended.

If it’s a minor disaster, then roll with it, says Rogerson, who was hit by a hurricane while backpacking through Costa Rica.

An exciting adventure taking in a dodgy bus journey, a taxi avoiding landslides, a closed hostel and shredding her knee while pushing a car out of mud ensued.

“We ended up being taken in for the night by a guy working in a resort that had a generator. He greeted us at the door in the pouring rain, with a monkey

32 AsiaLIFE Cambodia

on his shoulder, and we had to share our bedroom with two snakes in the rafters,” she recalls. “Sometimes you just have to go with the flow.”

Travel Hotspots

If home isn’t on the agenda then holidays are instead, with many seeking the icy bite of winter that Cambodia lacks.

“Since it’s not easy to see snow and experience the full celebratory atmosphere of Christmas in Asia, we see many willing to go farther to places, such as Lapland in Finland to meet Santa Claus and the reindeers and places known for their Christmas markets such as Munich and Salzburg,” says Ngai.

Within Asia, she says Japan is a popular option, with South Korea on the rise with regard to skiing, especially since Pyeongchang is hosting the Winter Olympics in 2018.

Destinations that are on Viator’s radar for 2017 include Canada, which will mark its 150th birthday next year. “The celebration events will bring more people to see the country that consistently ranks at the top of different ‘most livable’ lists.”

“We also see travellers choosing destinations based on a specific interest, for example biking, running or

food tasting,” she adds. “Visitors may have already been to destinations such as Melbourne and seen the classic attractions, but the city offers a totally fresh and unique experience if they spend several days there just to taste coffee and experience the café/barista culture. Same with say Tokyo and ramen, or France and biking. This type of thematic travel is something we see trending.”

And for homebirds, comfortable with spending the year in Cambodia, there are plenty of new options on the horizon.

Luxurious Six Senses is opening a resort on Koh Krabey, close to the Sihanoukville shore, mid-2017. With 40 villas boasting a private plunge pool and decking set around the 30-acre island, a restaurant, spa, gym and boutique, it is expected to prove a hit.

The Shinta Mani is gearing up to open a second resort in Siem Reap and its first in Phnom Penh, with the capital welcoming a host of international hotel brands, such as Rosewood in January and Shangri La in early 2018.

“In 2017 and 2018, there are a lot of new products coming to Cambodia,” says Pierre-Andre Romano, manager of EXO Cambodia. “This is great for Cambodia and an exciting time to be here.”

AsiaLIFE Cambodia 33

Cambodia is rife with tropical diseases poised to strike. Erin Hale looks at how to avoid them and stay healthy all year round.

I

t started with aches and exhaustion.

Last September, Australian Kimberley McCosker found it a daily struggle to get out of bed for a week until she realised something might be wrong. “It dawned on me after I walked up a flight of stairs and had to sit down because my legs were aching so much,” she recalls.

“I went to the doctor that day and she knew straight away that it was dengue – although I got the blood test to be certain.”

Then came the high fevers, aches and shivers associated with the illness. “It got really bad a couple of days after that,” McCosker adds. “I was in bed for about two weeks, and at the start I was so weak I couldn't sit up without someone helping me. My back muscles would ache and spasm and my arms would shake and collapse if I tried to push myself up into a sitting position.”

The worst part, she says, is that there is no “cure” – patients can only treat symptoms with painkillers and fluids at home, or hospital if the case is serious.

However, as bad as McCosker’s story may sound, dengue is common in rainy season when excess water and poor drainage creates an ideal breeding ground for mosquitos, such as the aedes aegypti, which spreads dengue, to breed.

It is also active primarily during the day, when most people are paying less attention to mosquitos.

Dengue cases should be winding down with the end of rainy season, but McCosker’s experience is a reminder that even in Phnom Penh’s most innocuous spots there’s a health risk, thanks to Cambodia’s tropical climate and limited health infrastructure.

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While dengue may be one of the most common examples of a mosquito-borne virus, it’s not the only one that can be found in Cambodia. The aedes aegypti mosquito also transmits chikungunya and zika. All three viruses have similar symptoms and can be confused with each other, according to Dr Som Leakhena, medical director at Khema Clinic in Phnom Penh, but a blood test can determine the difference.

Malaria is only a risk in rural areas as it is spread by the aedes anopholes mosquito, which prefers to breed in fresh water rather than stagnant pools. It’s found primarily in forested areas in Cambodia, according to the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (US CDCP), which recommends taking malaria chemoprophylaxis if visiting remote parts of Banteay Meanchey, Battambang, Kampot, Koh Kong, Odder Meanchey, Pailin, Preah Vihear, Pursat and Siem Reap province.

The global spread of zika has created some worry in Cambodia as cases of the virus have been confirmed in neighbouring countries. Zika, however, is endemic to Cambodia, which means there have been cases in the past with the last known outbreak in 2010, according to the US Embassy. Due to its history in Cambodia, the US CDCP reports that many Cambodians may be immune to the virus, although it is still a risk for most foreigners and pregnant women. Also noteworthy is the fact that it can be spread through sexual exposure.

There is no vaccination for zika, dengue or chikungunya, but there are preventative steps that can be taken to reduce the risk of infection says Lina Goldberg, author of Move To Cambodia: A Guide to Living

and Working in the Kingdom of Wonder.

“Practice good mosquito protection by wearing long pants and sleeves, and liberally dousing yourself in mosquito repellent,” is her advice. “Dusk is one of the worst times of day for mosquitoes, so I don't leave the house at that time of day unless I'm coated in DEET.” While cases of dengue should subside with the end of rainy season this month, Dr Leakhena warns that hot season will bring its own cycle of diseases. These include rotavirus, enterovirus, typhoid and cholera as well as other less severe gastrointestinal infections that can be spread through contaminated food, which is at higher risk during hot season due to poor hygiene and food safety practices.

Symptoms can resemble food poisoning in the beginning, but can quickly escalate into the danger zone from dehydration or high fever. They require antibiotics to cure so a visit to the doctor is important if symptoms seem exceptionally bad.

Children are most at risk from rotavirus, enterovirus and typhoid, and vaccines need to be updated annually, advises Dr Leakhena, along with regular childhood vaccines check with a GP for advice.

Goldberg has similar advice. “Generally, doctors suggest getting vaccinated for Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, Typhoid, Japanese encephalitis – this one is not always recommended but if you get it, get it in Cambodia where it's cheaper – and rabies,” she says.

Most vaccines need a booster every 10 years, and Goldberg advises staying up to date on the tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis vaccinations to help keep a clean bill of health.

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36 AsiaLIFE Cambodia

If the Christmas shopping has been left to the last minute, fear not because AsiaLIFE has it covered. Here are some suggestions of great gifts to buy.

Photography by Lucas Veuve and Enric Català.

Trinkets and Treasures

Trove is one of the latest stores to open its doors in the capital, specialising in selling quirky and unique trinkets and treasures, along with a whole lot more, all lovingly sourced from across the globe.

From stylish aprons, elegant evening bags that hark back to the 1920s and travel accessories, to belts, intricately patterned napkin rings and every other treasure in between, Trove has got the gifts covered.

Corner of Bassac Lane and Street 308, Phnom Penh Delve into the past at Estampe and browse the ccarefully curated collection of postcards, posters, black and white photos and original maps of Indochina from the early 20th Century, which are just a few of the vintage treasures stocked at Estampe. As well as offering the originals, owner Lien Bouvet, who has spent years searching the continent searching for these lost gems, has reprinted vintage photos onto notebooks, keyrings and glasses.

197A Street 19, Phnom Penh

Gentleman’s Style

Another new kid on the block is Bearing, which is injecting some classical, yet affordable, gentleman’s style into the capital. Specialising in leather shoes ($129) in a range of styles, gift sets are also available in the form of a tie, cufflinks and a handkerchief, as well as belts, shirts and trousers 382 Street 63, Phnom Penh For funky men’s fashion, Kool As U by James Ou offers a range of menswear, from patterned T-shirts to jeans, jackets and a delightful denim range. And the Cambodian designer recently launched a ladies’ line so the boutique is now full of fashion for all.

23E1 Street 208, Phnom Penh

Arty Stuff

Creative collective Black Lab has

drawn up a series of intricate maps of Phnom Penh, with stunning sketches of iconic buildings, such as Independence Monument and the Royal Palace, standing out. Sections have also been replicated on postcards and notebooks, making the perfect Cambodian-themed present. The ideal finishing touch to maps and postcards is to get them framed at Kenou on Street 9, next to Phsar Kapko.

Available at various places in Phnom Penh, including Nowhere Gallery, Artillery Cafe, Monument Books, Tea House and Plantation hotel For handmade Khmer arts and crafts, Artisan Angkor has it covered.

With everything from artistic works of art, carvings and statues to modern silk items, the social business, which launched in 1998 with the aim of rekindling the traditional arts across the country, is full of great gift ideas.

12 AEo Street 13, Phnom Penh

Food and Drinks

Having built up a strong reputation across the capital for providing top notch coffee, caffeine-lovers will be delighted to know that Feel Good Cafe flogs stylish packets of its beans. Specialising in providing high quality chemical free, fair trade organic coffee beans from Thailand, Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia, its coffee make the perfect present. A range of teas are also available.

79 Street 136 & 11B Street 19, Phnom Penh; Street 1.5, near Phsar Nath, Battambang Samai Distillery’s rum has proved popular across Cambodia, and the welldesigned bottles are as catching on the eye as the beverage is on the tongue.

Samai Gold Rum (70cl and 20cl), Samai Kampot Pepper Rum (20cl) and Samai PX Limited Edition (70cl) can be bought directly from the Street 830 venue or various other outlets.

Trove, Plantation, Teahouse, The 240 Shop, Chin Chi Asian Street Bar, all in Phnom Penh; La Fabrik, Battambang,

Templation Hotel in Siem Reap, and from this month at FCC in Phnom Penh and Siem Reap and Amazing Cambodia Shop at Aeon Mall, Phnom Penh.

Bookworms

Monument Books & Toys has been building up to Christmas for months and has stocked its shelves with all the international best sellers and popular festive reads, making them readily accessible in Cambodia. Spanning a range of genres, iit has good reads to suit all. And don’t forget to take a trip to Monument Toys to get your hands on presents for the little ones.

111 Norodom Boulevard, Phnom Penh (main store) For pre-loved reads, browse the shelves of D’s Books. Stocked full of secondhand classics, contemporary fiction, history, biographies and fact, for all ages, take your time to browse through the books and find some hidden beauties and classics.

Street 240 & 178, Phnom Penh

Female Fashion

Help your female friends, relatives or other halves inject some fresh style into their wardrobe with a visit to Paperdolls.

Home to a hive of designers, the wares on offer will dazzle with edgy fashion, one-off pieces and a whole lot of bling on sale. It also stocks a range of unique accessories.

Bassac Lane, Phnom Penh Started by two French ladies, CULT provides a platform for the best of Cambodia’s ethical brands, from fashion to accessories and beauty, which are showcased at a monthly market. With many of the items now available to buy online, CULT’s offerings go further than just catering to women, with plenty for the lads to look at too.

Dec. 8 from 6pm to 10pm at Hops Brewery, Street 228, Phnom Penh; cultcambodia.com.

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F

rom whizzing down a multi storey slide and lazing away long layovers in a rooftop pool, to lengthy queues, cramped waiting rooms and dirty toilets, Asia’s offering of airports range from uber luxurious to downright frustrating.

To help travellers prepare for tedious or titillating transit times, for more than a decade travel website Sleeping in Airports has conducted a global survey on the world’s best and worst airports.

With users ranking experiences based on comfort, services and facilities, food options, immigration and security, customer service and cleanliness, the lengthy list has been unveiled and the best airports in the world are those that dazzle and delight.

Efficient, clean, fun, friendly, creative and comfortable are a few of the adjectives used to describe the top terminals.

Asia dominates the world’s top airports, with the first four spots being dealt to the some of the region’s swankier offerings.

Making a debut on this year’s Asia’s Worst Airport chart was Siem Reap International Airport, which ranked 10th. Complaints included insufficient seating and restaurants and harassment for bribes and tips when passing through immigration.

Here are Asia’s top airports to wrangle a layover at, and those to avoid.

Asia’s Best Airports 1. Singapore Changi International Airport, Singapore As well as scooping Asia’s top spot, Changi’s extravagance saw it secure the title of world’s best airport. The twinkling terminal won over flyers with its clean, friendly, comfortable and convenient services, ease of navigation and friendly staff. But it is the extras the airport offers that really wowed voters, with many commenting they felt as though they were at an amusement park rather than a transit hub. Boasting five gardens, a fish spa, free massage chairs, a multi-storey slide, rooftop pool, XBox 360 gaming stations and a free cinema, Changi also has a seemingly endless range of shops and restaurants. For those having to endure a long layover, there is a free tour of the city centre so you can explore Singapore.

Facilities: Pay-per-use lounges ($) • Free Wifi • Free city tour • Free cinema • Napping rooms ($) • Transit hotel ($) • 24-hour food options ($) • Swimming pool ($) • Showers ($) • Luggage storage ($) • Gardens • Rest zones • Spa ($) • Cultural activities • Free transit tour.

2. Seoul Incheon International Airport,

A downside to expat life is that airports are unavoidable.

Editor Marissa Carruthers takes a look at Asia’s best and worst airports. Photography by Lucas Veuve.

South Korea As the second best airport in Asia and the world, Seoul Incheon Airport is almost enough to rival the winner, providing a truly exceptional travel experience. In fact, it’s almost worth opting for a long layover to give ample time to explore the cultural centre, catch the latest blockbuster at the cinema, stroll through the gardens, take to the ice rink or indulge in one of the free tours. For those wanting to catch up on sleep, reclining lounge chairs dot the quiet rest zone. Free showers are also on offer, and there are plenty of places to charge devices before boarding. The only factor dragging it down is the slowing security processes, which have previously been lightning quick.

Facilities: Pay-per-use lounges ($) • Free Wifi • Transit hotel ($) • 24-hour food options ($) • Gardens • Cultural activities • Luggage storage ($) • Free showers • Skating rink ($) • Transit tour ($) • Museum • Cinema ($) • Rest zones.

3.Tokyo Haneda International Airport, Japan Another firm favourite with flyers is super clean and efficient Tokyo Haneda Airport.

While it doesn’t offer the same applause as Changi and Incheon, voters were impressed by the Japanese themes that run throughout. Its ability to sooth even the most stressed-out travellers saw it win top marks. Those running late for flights commented on the cool, calm and collective nature of staff, and those sleeping in the airport left rested and content, thanks to the multitude of armrestfree benches, the attached hotel and the sense of safety and security.

Facilities: Pay-per-use lounges ($) • Free Wifi • Transit hotel ($) • 24-hour food options ($) • Showers ($) • Luggage storage ($).

Asia’s Worst Airports 1. Tashkent International Airport, Uzbekistan As the primary airport for Central Asia, travellers were put off by the multitude of checkpoints required to pass through, which bring lengthy queues and pushy mobs. The boarding gate area was criticised for its shabby, old and hard seating that is in notoriously short supply.

However, the airport does offer free Wifi – its sole service – meaning travellers can at least get lost in cyber space.

Facilities: Free Wifi.

2. Kathmandu Tribhuvan International Airport, Nepal Considering the country is continuing to rebuild itself after the 2015 earthquake knocking the airport seems unfair, and there have been small improvements made to the international terminal. However, if you’re travelling domestic, brace yourself for crowds, chaos and more chaos. Voters noted the terminal is especially dirty and the toilets smelly and should be "avoided until absolutely necessary". Signage and food options are poor, and staff unhelpful.

Facilities: Pay-per-use lounges ($) • Free Wifi.

3. Peshawar Bacha Khan International Airport, Pakistan Being packed with passengers and devoid of any form of organisation led to Peshawar International Airport making its debut on the list. Likened to a poorly run bus terminal, many services, such as issuing boarding passes, are done manually, which exacerbates the already snaking queues.

The non-existent crowd control also means spending a lot of time and effort jostling, and keeping, your spot in line.

Facilities: Free Wifi.

WORLD’S BEST AIRPORTS

WORLD’S WORST AIRPORTS

1. Singapore Changi International Airport, Singapore 2 .Seoul Incheon International Airport, South Korea 3. Tokyo Haneda International Airport, Japan 4. Taipei Taoyuan International Airport, Taiwan 5. Munich International Airport, Germany

1. Jeddah King Abdulaziz International Airport, Saudi Arabia 2. Juba International Airport, South Sudan 3. Port Harcourt International Airport, Nigeria 4. Tashkent International Airport, Uzbekistan 5. Santorini Thira National Airport, Greece

AsiaLIFE Cambodia 39

During a trip to Koh Rong, writer Erin Hale discovered a swathe of new projects to protect the archipelagos’ priceless environment.

40 AsiaLIFE Cambodia

W

hile Koh Rong and its sister Koh Rong Samleon are best known as relaxing beach destinations, it is hoped by some that it will rise to fame for its marine conservation after a new project was launched in June to protect the waters around the 16-island Koh Rong archipelago.

If all goes well, it could usher in the country’s first marine natural park.

However, environmental NGOs and their supporters face challenges from the fishing industry to business interests. They will also have to deal with all the complexities that come with the latest species to arrive on Koh Rong: humans.

Unlike other islands in Cambodia, the archipelago was human-free until 2000, when villages were established alongside the brand new tourism industry catering primarily to foreign backpackers.

The industry took off significantly in 2011, according to Paddy Robinson, a long-term resident and manager of

Monkey Island guesthouse, thanks to promotion by the Koh Rong Dive Centre.

The popularity of Koh Rong means more tourists can appreciate Cambodia’s beaches and waters, but increased visitors and residents have also brought negative side effects, including overfishing, deforestation, littering, and pollution from improper waste management.

Fauna & Flora International (FFI) and Cambodia’s Fishery Administration aim to undo some of this damage with a 405 square kilometre marine protected area around the main island.

The project will preserve and study aquatic habitats, taking incoral reefs, seagrass beds and mangrove forests, while working with local communities to fish sustainability, says Kate West, FFI coast and marine project manager.

Besides setting boundaries for protected (no-fish) areas and multiple use zones, for diving and other recreation, the project also employs locals fishers to patrol the waters around Koh Rong to stop illegal

fishing. West says approximately 20 patrols take place each month around the protected zone.

The new marine reserve complements a similar initiative by luxury hotel Song Saa Private Island, which sits on two tiny islands off the northeast coast of Koh Rong. Song Saa created its own marine reserve in 2008 to protect the waters around the luxury hotel and, with the establishment of the Song Sea Foundation in 2013, now runs a tropical marine conservation programme.

Wayne McCallum, foundation executive director, says “notable improvements” have been seen in the condition of the coral, mangrove and sea-grass ecosystems across the area where the foundation works.

Under the programme, crucial data has also been collected on marine habitats. In October, foundation members spotted a whale shark.

However, Koh Rong island faces a giant unknown its future. The Royal Group,

Cambodia’s largest conglomerate, was granted a 99-year land concession in 2008 to develop the island and its first project has stumbled out of the gate.

The group’s planned $40 million Royal Sands Koh Rong Resort on the island’s Long Beach has seen a number of delays since it broke ground in December 2015, mainly due to opposition from local government leaders.

Whether the 148-room project is completed as planned or a smaller version is built, it will still bring more traffic to the island and likely problems associated with large-scale construction like waste runoff, noise pollution, and disposal of construction materials.

Besides participating in marine preservation efforts, Steven Cannon, of Everest Partners Limited, which developed Sol Beach Resort on Koh Rong Samleon, says there are many small steps that can be taken to preserve the environment and the islands' beauty.

These include installing a proper waste

water management system and building away from the shoreline..

“Black plastic septic tanks with proper secondary overflow chambers are expensive, but the ecological damage they help avoid is priceless. It is regretful that proper waste treatment systems are not installed in order to minimise costs in the name of (precarious) short term profits,” he says.

“Not only are long term ecological impacts a critical priority, but when inadequate waste water systems are present where water supplies are only surface or shallow subsurface it creates a real short term health risk to tourists.”

With renewed interest in protecting the Koh Rong archipelago’s marine environment, it is hoped more businesses will follow suit with their own projects.

The marine protected area will help preserve the islands' waters, but growing tourist interest in Koh Rong means conservation efforts are essential if visitors are to enjoy the islands' beauty.

AsiaLIFE Cambodia 41

T

he ride from Changi International airport always leaves me dazzled.

My eyes lap up the tree-lined, functional roads with rows of colourful, manicured flowerbeds serving as a barrier to oncoming traffic.

Sprawling parks whizz by. Trees, trees, trees; green is seemingly everywhere, despite the rustic shophouses shadowed by the shimmering skyscrapers and shopping malls, and there isn’t a scrap of litter in sight. A welcome temporary contrast to the Kingdom of Wonder.

Friday

It may teeter close to the cost of a month in Cambodia for some, but indulging in a weekend in Singapore is well worth dishing out the dollar or delaying your stop-over. Editor Marissa Carruthers spends 48 hours in the city.

42 AsiaLIFE Cambodia

The short drive to the city centre meant we were checked into our hotel within no time.

Arriving just ahead of dusk, we headed to the Singapore Flyer to catch a unique glimpse of the city.

After forking out a hefty $33 – more than $1 a minute – for each adult (children $21), I wasn’t given time to worry about my crippling fear of heights because in the surprising absence of a queue we were whisked into one of 28 gently rotating, giant glass capsules.

Stretching 165 metres into the air, this architectural feat offers bird’s eye views that stretch out across Marina Bay, taking in the jagged silhouette of the central business district’s soft-lit skyscrapers, across to the

greenhouse in the world, the huge 1.2 hectare conservatory replicates the cooler climates of South Africa, California and parts of Spain and Italy – so don’t forget a jumper.

The Cloud Forest was another mustsee, with the enclosed compound taking in a 35-metre tall “mountain” veiled in mist. Standing as the world’s largest indoor waterfall, bridged paths take visitors up into the sky, through lush vegetation found in tropical highlands 2,000 metres above sea level.

With the sun starting to set, we joined the quickly-growing queue for the OCBC Skyway – a 128-metre long aerial walkway that winds in and out of the Gardens’ futuristic Supertrees. Acting as canopies to the sun during the day, by night the 22-metre tall “trees”, which belong in a sci-fi film, come to life, with thousands of twinkling lights sparkling from each branch.

Hungry, we put food on hold to catch the daily Wonder Full show on the waterfront outside Marina Bay Sands.

The free 15-minute spectacle is a show of light, sound, music, water and bubbles, with the iconic cityscape acting as a backdrop.

On the hunt for cheap eats, we headed to bustling Maxwell Road Hawker Centre in Chinatown, where we jostled for a seat at one of the heaving tables to tuck into chicken rice, popiah (fresh spring rolls), dumplings and spinach noodles.

Sunday peppering of dots floating in the expanse of water – the cargo ships that frequent busy Singapore Straits – and everything in between.

Ready to explore the city mapped out beneath us, Chinatown was next.

Despite sitting in the shadows – literally – of modern Singapore, Chinatown is like stepping into another country, and pays testament to a bygone Singapore.

The historical area sees the modern world collide with the old, with traditional shop houses transformed into trendy stories, coffee shops and restaurants, or flogging an Aladdin’s cave of paraphernalia, herbs, fruits and spices. The smell of traditional cuisine wafts down the streets, and a healthy smattering of Chinese, Buddhist and Hindu temples welcome visitors.

Saturday

Shopping was a must – even if it was partly wasted lusting after dream-only dresses in the many designer stores, such as Louis Vuitton and Chanel, which dot upmarket Orchard Road. Singapore is a shopaholic’s paradise, rammed full of malls, lively lanes brimming with boutiques, and colourful markets.

Avant-garde Haji Lane is a fashionista’s heaven and is steeped in old-world charm, with the narrow shophouse-lined lane home to a hip retail stretch. Here, stylish spaces stock everything from

uber-trendy tailored dress shirts and bold patterned fabrics, to chic cushion sets, one-off art pieces and home accessories.

Accompanied by a photographer friend, a visit to price up equipment at Sim Lim Square, where prices sit at 10 to 20 percent cheaper than elsewhere, rounded off our spree as we made our way to Little India.

Home to the city’s third-largest ethnic community, Little India’s streets are a hive of the sights, sounds, smells and colours of Indian culture, but it is the vibrant neighbourhood’s food that stands out.

The aromas of the multitude of spices being cooked up in the many kitchens lure hungry passers-by, with a selection of authentic dishes, from spicy fish pulusu to fish head curry.

Our afternoon was spent in the Marina Bay area. Having been in the absence of a garden since moving to Phnom Penh four years ago, Gardens at the Bay promised plenty of opportunities for me to get my flower fix, and it didn’t disappoint. Days could easily be spent roaming around the 101-hectare horticultural site, but with time tight, we kept it limited to the highlights.

As well as being home to flowers and plants from the Mediterranean and semi-arid regions, the Flower Dome structure itself is just as impressive on the eye. Listed in the 2015 Guinness Book of World Records as the largest

With our flight at 4pm, we decided to spend the morning at Sentosa – a builtup island resort with a 2km beach, golf courses, 14 hotels, Universal Studios Singapore, casinos, a water park and S.E.A. Aquarium.

The latter is home to more than 100,000 marine animals of about 800 species. Visitors can wonder through glass tunnels with menacing sharks circling above or across transparent floors with lively leopard and blue water flasher wrasses swimming below. Spot rare coral and Finding Nemo fish; stroke squidgy sea cucumbers and starfish, and be hypnotised by the electric jellyfish.

Make sure to stop off at the Open Ocean section – a glass wall offering a glimpse into deep marine life – to stand in awe of the gentle giants of the sea, such as the leopard shark, goliath grouper, sawfish and manta rays.

Having worked up an appetite, we stopped off at Singapore Seafood Republic on the waterfront.

Here we donned our paper bibs as we prepared for a messy feast made up of the restaurant’s signature chilli crab, prawn in mayonnaise and scallops with yam – delicious.

With our flight looming, our short but sweet time in Singapore was coming to a close so the airport was our final stop, with just enough time for some duty free shopping before the brisk two-hour flight back home.

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DELIKAT GELATO 534 Street 155, Phnom Penh. Tel: 087 211 211. Open daily from 9am to 9.30pm.

Living in tropical climes, ice cream can be a great way to cool down. Editor Marissa Carruthers and photographer Lucas Veuve sample Delikat Gelato’s offerings.

When the sun’s beating down, there’s nothing more refreshing than ice cream to take the edge away.

After creating a storm in Siem Reap since opening in December 2014, Delikat Gelato has expanded its offerings, opening a spacious shop in the Toul Tom Pong area of Phnom Penh to cater to the capital’s ice cream cravings.

Light and bright with plenty of seating and a corner filled with human-sized cuddly toys, visitors are welcomed to Gelato with a display case.

This showcases a a changing selection of about a dozen homemade flavours of ice cream, from staples such as chocolate and vanilla, to more unusual tastes, including kiwi, a baby blue-coloured blue angel dotted 44 AsiaLIFE Cambodia

with colourful sweets and durian and, of course, stinky durian.

Served in a cone (one scoop $1.50, two scoops $2 and three scoops $2.50) or tub ($1.50/$2.50/$3.50), varying ice cream options include waffles ($3.50), gelato stick ($1.25) and gelato cake ($2.50).

A range of sweet treats in the form of cakes, such as tiramisu, are also available.

With the rainbow of offerings all tempting to try, we opted for cones of chocolate, mint and mango.

Packed full of flavour, the mint offering was peppered with choc chips, adding texture to the smooth ice cream.

The mint was powerful and refreshing, clearing the palate with each lick.

The chocolate was indulgent

and more-ish. Rich in taste, chocoholics such as myself will not be disappointed with this entry to the menu.

Despite being in the air conditioning, the ice cream quickly started to drip.

Thankfully, the cone was crisp and strong enough to withhold the melting without going soggy.

Pleased with the first two ice creams, the mango sorbet topped the lot.

As a lover of mangos, I may be biased, but the flavour really popped. So much so, I even let out a surprised, “Wow, this really does taste of mango”, after my first try. Sweet and super refreshing, I could easily have devoured this by the bucket load.

While the ice cream was tasty, there was something slightly different.

It seemed smoother, less creamy and slightly lighter than usual, but all the more refreshing. That’s because it is in fact gelato, which bears a subtle difference to its ice cream counterpart.

Gelato may well mean ice cream in Italian but, in fact, there are subtle differences to techniques and ingredients that make gelato – believed to be healthier because it contains less fat and sugar – softer and smoother, with a sharper taste, than its sister.

Using the PreGel base, ingredients sourced from across the world, secret recipes, artisanal methods and a magic ice cream making machine, Delikat Gelato produces ice cream that will refresh the palate and soul.

LE BROKEN PLATE 108 Street 13, Phnom Penh. Tel: 078 903 335. Open daily from 11.30am to 2.30pm and 5.30pm to 8.30pm

Le Broken Plate stands out from a city crowded with sushi restaurants thanks to its extremely fresh ingredients and close attention to detail. Words by Erin Hale; photography by Enric Català.

Sushi is a competitive business in Phnom Penh. The large number of Japanese expats and tourists has ensured there are dozens of restaurants, varying in quality and price from Aeon Mall’s conveyor belt sushi to fine dining at Daishi Japanese.

Canadian-Khmer chef Narith Plong, however, gives the best sushi chefs a run for their money at his new riverside restaurant. It’s not every day in the Cambodian capital that diners can sample sushi cut with a $1,000 knife directly from a whole fish – head, scales and all – fresh from Japan or Norway without breaking the bank.

Plong brings 18 years of experience working in Montreal’s food and beverage industry to Le Broken Plate, named after his grandfather’s village in Kandal

in its English translation. After several months of cooking for family and friends, the restaurant saw its official opening early in October. The menu changes weekly with new dishes added or removed, with an overhaul planned every three months to change with the seasons.

The best place to start is the $30 omakase tasting menu which is the best deal, and way, to try most things on the menu. It also comes with plenty of surprises, as per Japanese custom.

“Traditionally the Japanese sushi chef would serve you what he [had[ fresh at that moment in time, and he would cook for you without you ordering anything.

And that is done throughout Japan with omakase menu,” says Plong. “Then you end up with a series of small courses, whether

it’s nigiri [slices of fish on rice], grilled fish or steamed fish.”

For us, the tasting menu began with fresh cold water oysters imported from Nha Trong, Vietnam ($1 each) and served with a spicy micro salsa mignonette with flavours such as pineapple, pepper and lime. This was followed by a rich Takeo river prawn and lemongrass soup, which, while slightly off course from the Japanese theme was delicious.

Sushi and nigiri followed, and with it the standout dish: salmon belly nigiri with a miso-based glaze, braised with a small blow torch to “activate the fat” and add a smoky texture (two pieces for $2.25).

While it’s intended to be eaten in one bite, it’s almost a shame because the salmon belly is the

fattiest and softest piece of the fish – and most delicious.

The salmon belly was followed by a fresh and equally favourable Japanese red snapper (three pieces for $4.75) accompanied by fresh sea urchins. Australian lamb also features on the menu (100g for $4.25) which comes with surprisingly tasty yucca – also known as cassava – fries topped with grated cheese.

The feast that is the omakase menu is best washed down with cold sake. Le Broken Plate offers a range of sakes, but be warned they aren’t cheap – once again, quality comes at a price. For those on a budget, try beer or some hot Japanese tea. And don’t forget the dessert, which on this occasion was a creative reimagining of pumpkin pie that saw cooked pumpkin served with cream.

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THE SUPREME 38 Street 308, Phnom Penh. Tel: 077 607 622. Open daily from 11am to 2.30pm and 6pm to 10.30pm.

Meaty burgers are the latest food fad to enter thriving Street 308. Editor Marissa Carruthers and photographer Lucas Veuve test out the offerings

A hardened passion for burgers led to the five owners of The Supreme settling on bringing a more up market option of the popular fastfood offering to Street 308.

“We all love burgers and have always been a bit disappointed by what’s on offer in Phnom Penh,” says Cambodian-French co-owner David Do, who was inspired to open a restaurant after Bistrot Bassac – where The Supreme now sits – announced it was to close Calling on the talents of partner Sovan Ly, a pastry chef based in Siem Reap who is famous for his cheesecake, they devised the perfect recipe.

“We know lots of people across the world likes eating burgers,” says Do. “There are five of us and we thought 46 AsiaLIFE Cambodia

together we represent maybe 50 to 60 percent of expats’ tastes, so we each chose our favourite ingredients and designed five burgers.”

The result is burgers that span the palate. Le Classic ($3.50), a basic cheeseburger, Le 11 ($4.50), a double cheeseburger and Le Supreme ($4.50), which Do describes as “The Supreme’s version of a Big Mac but with everything inside fresh”. Le Mountain ($6.50) nods towards traditional French raclette, packed with two patties, raclette cheese, bacon and grilled onions, while Le Gotti ($6.50) – Do’s invention – takes in two patties, goat cheese, bacon, lettuce, tomato and red onions.

And this month the menu is set to expand, with a further 12 items added,

including chicken burgers, veggie and vegan burgers, chicken wings and salads.

While burgers arrive at the table within minutes, it’s unfair to clump The Supreme in the same fastfood category as the likes of Burger King.

Its boutique location, with attention to detail in the decor, personal touches to the food and the love put into the menu by the owners elevates it from this standing.

Opting for Le Mountain and Le Supreme ($9 with fries and a soft drink), the burgers – made of 30 percent Australian beef and 70 percent Cambodian to keep costs from sky rocketing – come in a soft sesame-seed bun.

While the patties are slightly on the thin side, both of our burgers boasted two with melted

cheese oozing in between, so we couldn’t complain. They were both firm and flavoursome, helped by the addition of homemade sauces, such as honey-mustard, signature Supreme and barbecue. The fries were crispy on the outside and fluffy inside, and tasted fresh.

The only dessert on the menu is cheesecake ($4) – Sovan’s secret recipe – and it’s well worth saving some space for. The flavour is rich and creamy and the smooth texture of the topping works well alongside the crunchy base.

With grand plans to expand in Phnom Penh, before hitting the rest of the country, and moving onto the region, The Supreme believes it has got Cambodia, and Southeast Asia’s, burger game cornered.

8

CITY DRINKS

Hops Brewery & Craft Beer Garden 17 Street 228, Phnom Penh. Tel: 093 999 017 Open daily from 11am to midnight.

As Phnom Penh’s first bonafide German beer garden, Hops Brewery and Craft Beer Garden offers high-end brews and all the sauerkraut your heart desires, as writer Erin Hale and photographer Enric Català find out.

While it may seem like Phnom Penh is awash in cheap beer, Hops provides some respite with the capital’s first German-style beer garden serving a selection of high-quality Teutonic beers brewed onsite, alongside a selection of hearty dishes.

German brewmaster Bernd Kirsch has crafted four beers for the permanent menu: a light and smooth Golden Angel lager similar to a German pilsner, fruity Amber Witch wheat beer, fullbodied Red Fury Stout and a dark Indian Pale Ale (IPA). Each is made from four ingredients: hops, malt, water and yeast imported from Germany. A monthly special is also crafted.

Hops offers several sizes, with prices starting at $1.50 to $2.20 for a 0.175 litre “tester” – a highly recommended way to try all the beers as a “flight” progressing from light to heavy. A half litre goes for $3.90 to $6.20, while groups can also order beer towers for $29 to $44, or table barrels for really large groups for $45 to $59.

Kirsh hopes new breweries like Hops can change Cambodia’s appreciation for beer.

“We think that Cambodia is now ready for taste,” he says.

“This was the same in Germany.

First it was a mainstream product, then after a while people get bored from zero taste.”

And Kirsh may well be one of the best qualified to introduce dignified beer drinking to Cambodia, bringing years of experience as a brewmaster.

However, the attention to detail doesn’t end at drinks. As a trained beer sommelier Kirsch hopes to provide a menu of well-paired German dishes to accompany a pint.

“From the sommelier view, we think about taste, more about the occasion for that beer, what is the best time or what is the best food.

This is something we really want to do at Hops,” he says. “Our philosophy is to deliver quality and not just sell beer. We want to have good service, good food and good beer.”

The menu is also a standout for its authentic German fare – hard to find in Phnom Penh – which has proven popular with both Western and Khmer clients.Kirsh says the traditional pork knuckle ($17) with sauerkraut and French fries and currywurst with French fries and curry sauce ($7.75) are favourites with the afterwork Khmer crowd.

As a venue, Hops has something for everyone. There’s a large outdoor beer garden true to German style and more intimate seating available inside on the first and second level.

Guests can also sit in the brewery room amid the large chrome vats and watch staff tinker with each batch while sipping on beer, or try out the pool tables and darts in the opposite wing.

While the beer is undoubtedly the main attraction, there’s plenty to keep punters coming back to Hops for more.

47 AsiaLIFE Cambodia

TheSmallestDetails

BEARING

Words by Marissa Carruthers.

Photography by Enric Català.

48 AsiaLIFE Cambodia

"B

eing a true gentleman never goes out of fashion,” is the slogan for one of the latest male fashion boutiques, which specialises in timeless leather shoes, to open its doors in the capital.

Nestled in an intimate store opposite Thai Huot on Street 63, Bearing is proving popular with the country’s suave gents wanting to avoid the popular choice of flip flops and inject some class into their walk without breaking the bank balance or having to trek abroad.

Resembling the kind of boutique you’d imagine finding on the chic cobbled streets of Paris or a stylish stretch in London, Bearing oozes sophistication from the moment you walk through the door.

The comforting smell of leather fills the air and polished wooden floors, soft music plays in the background, plump leather chairs and well-placed items on display transport shoppers out of dusty Phnom Penh.

The only differences are the location and, more importantly, the price tag. Boasting rows of quality leather and suede shoes in a variety of styles, from Oxford, Cavalier and Milano to Danese, Arles and Harvard, for $129 and a second pair for $109, Bearing has got all corners covered – and barangs will be pleased to hear the shoes go up to a European size 45 – the equivalent of a UK 11 and US 11.5.

“It was difficult to find quality leather shoes here,” says owner Gregoire Garin. “With a growing local middle-class in Cambodia and demand from expats, we felt it was the right time.”

Wanting to ensure the products were perfect, visits to China, the UK and mainland Europe were made to size up designs, materials and shoe quality.

Materials were sourced in Europe, with all leather imported from there, and the shoes produced in a small workshop in Cambodia before hitting Bearing’s chic shelves.

While its main market is shoes, Bearing also sells a range of other accessories to polish off the classic gentleman look, such as ties, belts, keyrings and gift sets made up of a tie, cufflinks and handkerchief.

And it stocks a healthy range of shirts and trousers, which are tailor made in Cambodia, with suits in various styles and fabrics also an option. “We try as much as possible to have everything made or sourced locally, but it can be hard,” says Garin.

Since opening at the beginning of September, along with website www.bearing-4.men, Bearing is already proving popular with the gentlemen of Phnom Penh, offering an affordably classic alternative to the overriding flip flop fashion.

382 Street 63, Phnom Penh. Tel: 088 322 5089.

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Photographer: Luke Ding Location: Audi Showroom

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By Devinalex

By Kims

By Established

By A.N.D. AsiaLIFE Cambodia 51

By Don Potasio

By Lee & Taylor 52 AsiaLIFE Cambodia

By Ou Kosal

By Soknan

By Waterlily

By Two Wonders/ Coco Wellington AsiaLIFE Cambodia 53

escape

LISTINGS

Qatar Airways 296 Mao Tse Toung Blvd.

Ground floor, Intercontinental Hotel Phnom Penh.

hotel & travel Airlines Air Asia Domestic Terminal Arrival Office A17 Phnom Penh International Airport Tel: 023 890 035 Asiana Airlines Room A16 Phnom Penh International Airport Tel: 023 890 441

Cruising Saigon

Bangkok Airways 61A Street 214 Phnom Penh Tel: 023 722 545

The hotel that re-defined Vietnam as a destination for the glitterati is popping the champagne bottle on how best to maneuver Saigon after dusk. A one-of-a-kind package by The Reverie Saigon, Cruising Saigon, dispatches hotel guests with a personal butler in tow on a private two-hour sunset cruise on the Saigon River, then switches gears at sundown for a city-chic adventure on a chauffeured vintage Vespa, as part of Saigon After Dark excursion by Vespa Adventures. The Cruising Saigon package also includes round-trip airport transfers via choice of a Mercedes-Benz S-class or BMW 7 series, daily breakfast at Café Cardinal and access to the lofty Reverie Lounge on the hotel’s uppermost floors. Rates start at $1,152 for a minimum three-night stay. For information, visit thereveriesaigon.com.

Bassaka Air 335 Preah Sihanouk Blvd.

Phnom Penh Tel: 023 217 688

Visit ASEAN@50

China Airlines 32 Preah Norodom Blvd.

Phnom Penh Tel: 023 222 056

The VISIT ASEAN@50 Golden Celebration 2017 campaign has revealed 50 cross-border travel experiences in Southeast Asia that will showcase the region’s rich diversity and promote multidestination travel within ASEAN. It is hoped this will contribute to raising international tourism arrivals from 109 million in 2015 to 121 million by 2017. Fifty special travel experiences, ranging from two to 26 nights, have been created by leading tour operators and cruise lines in Southeast Asia to entice travellers to visit Southeast Asia for the first time, as well as encourage repeat visitors. A 114-page online brochure outlining the 50 VISIT ASEAN@50 packages can be seen by visiting visitASEAN50.com.

Best Luxury Hotel

The Outrigger Laguna Phuket Beach Resort has won Best Luxury Family Hotel – Southeast Asia in the World Luxury Hotel Awards 2016. The 255 key beachfront resort in Laguna Phuket in Thailand has won a string of awards since opening in April 2013. The property boasts a large freeform pool, spiralling water slide and Thai design lobby giving a unique sense of arrival. “The award shows real recognition for the hard work and dedication of the Outrigger hotel staff,” says Tony Pedroni, resort general manager.

Serving up Seasonal Spirit

A 15-metre evergreen festooned with 50,000 colorful lights and 850 traditional Vietnamese conical hats. A life-size Seven Dwarfs’ house. A storybook inspired by the highland town of Sapa. Christmas carols in five languages. All of this, and Santa Claus, will anchor the holiday celebration at the Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi this year, from Dec. 2. Five special Christmas Eve dinners will take place on Dec. 24, Christmas Day presents two buffets and a dinner and New Year’s Eve brings with it a Gala Dinner and count down party.

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Phnom Penh Tel: 023 866 404

Cambodia Angkor Air 206A Preah Norodom Blvd. Phnom Penh Tel: 023 666 6788 Cambodia Bayon Airlines 174ABCD, Mao Tse Toung Blvd.

Phnom Penh Tel: 023 231 555 Cebu Pacific Air 333B Preah Monivong Blvd Phnom Penh Tel: 023 219 161

China Eastern 68 Street 606 Phnom Penh Tel: 016 985 668 / 016 985 304 China Southern Room F-G-H-I, Ground floor 53 Phnom Penh Hotel, Monivong Blvd Tel: 023 424 588 DragonAir 168 Monireth Blvd Phnom Penh Tel: 023 424 300 Eva Air Suite 11-14B Street 205 Phnom Penh Tel: 023 219 911 Jet Star Asia 333B Monivong Blvd Phnom Penh Tel: 023 220 909 Korean Air 254 R03 Monivong Blvd.

Phnom Penh Tel: 023 224 047 023 224 049 Lao Airlines 58B Preah Sihanouk Blvd.

Phnom Penh Tel: 023 222 956 Malaysia Airlines 35-37 Street 214, Phnom Penh Tel: 023 218 923 023 218 924 Myanmar Airways International 90-94Eo Charles de Gaulle (Street 217)

Skywing Asia Airlines IOC building Monivong Blvd.

Tel: 023 217130 Silk Air Regency Complex C, Suite 2-4 Samdach Monireth Blvd Tel: 023 988 629 Thai Airways 294 Mao Tse Toung Blvd.

Phnom Penh Tel: 023 214 359 Tiger Airways 296 Mao Tse Toung Blvd.

Intercontinental Hotel, Suite 16B Phnom Penh Tel: 023 5515 888 Vietnam Airlines 41 Street 214 Phnom Penh Tel: 023 215 998

Battambang Bambu Hotel Phum Romchek 5 Tel: 053 953 900 053 953 905 Email: bookings@bambuhotel.com 16 rooms arranged in four traditional inspired buildings with swimming pool, bar and restaurant.

Battambang Resort Wat Ko Village, Battambang Tel: 012 510 100 053 666 7001 Email: info@battambangresort.com Café Eden 89 Group 5, Mapei Outsapeea Village Tel: 053 731 525 Eclectic café with incredible food that overlooks the river. Non-profit boutique with handmade local crafts that focuses on training Cambodians.

WiFi, AC, Local Art. Happy hour 3pm-7pm. Open Wednesday - Monday 7.30am-9pm Jaan Bai Restaurant Road 2 (near Psar Nat Market) Tel: 097 398 7815 For those with a passion for food and an interest in supporting Cambodian youth. Using seasonal organic produce sourced from their own kitchen garden, local farmers and neighbouring markets.

Open Tuesday – Sunday 11am–9pm.

Kinyei Café Street 1 and 1/2, Phum 20 Osaphea Tel: 017 292 119 Social enterprise with the best coffee in town, serving snacks, lunch, breakfast and other drinks, friendly staff, free space for small open workshop. Won the National Barista Championship 2012 - 2013. Open daily from 7am-7pm.

La Villa 185 Pom Romchek 5 Tel: 017 411 880 053 730 151 lavilla.battambang@gmail.com Beautifully restored 1930s colonial house with six rooms. A premium hotel in the country’s second city and with an excellent kitchen and bar.

Sangker Villa Hotel Pool Restaurant 200 Street, Romchek4 Village Ratanak Commune Tel: 097 764 0017 Sangker Villa has seven rooms and one balcony suite. It is a 10 minute walk from the city centre. The hotel combines the charm of the countryside with the advantages of the city.

Swiss management, speaking English, French, German, Italian and Spanish.

Kampot Bokor Mountain Lodge Riverfront Tel: 0 33 932 314 017 712 062 Beautiful French colonial building situated on riverfront with well-fitted air-conditioned rooms.

Has a good restaurant and bar.

Epic Arts Café Old Market Street Employing deaf staff, this café next to the old market has a good range of bagels, shakes, brownies and coffee. Is also the centre for the community arts programme. Open from 7am-6pm.

Les Manguiers 2km north of Kampot Tel: 092 330 050 Small resort with bungalows and rooms set in beautiful gardens overlooking the river with a restaurant which has daily changing menu and freshly prepared food.

Mea Culpa 44 Sovansokar Tel: 012 504 769 Email: meaculpakampot@gmail.com Accommodation established by the former manager of Bokor Mountain Lodge set in the French Quarter. Six rooms have AC, hot water, DVD and TV. The large garden has a patio pizzeria and bar.

Rikitikitavi Riverfront Tel: 0 12 274 820 012 235 102 www.rikitikitavi-kampot.com Western food served in large portions in this river-facing restaurant, bar and three-room guesthouse. A more upmarket venue for Kampot, the upstairs seating affords great sunset views.

Restaurant and bar open daily.

Rusty Keyhole Riverside Road Tel: 012 679 607 Friendly British owner has recreated the atmosphere of a rural British pub in outer Kampot, or at least as close as it gets. The ribs remain as good as ever. Open 8.30am until midnight.

Kep Knai Bang Chatt Resort Tel: 078 888 557 www.knaibangchatt.com An exclusive resort offering personal service in private grounds housing a collection of remodeled 1960’s style colonial villas. Offering 18 rooms, infinity pool, spa and media centre.

All rooms refurbished to international standards.

Choice of two dining options – upscale The Strand or the adjoining Sailing Club.

Le Bout du Monde Tel: 011 964 181 www.leboutdumondekep.com Individual and separate bungalows in traditional Khmer architecture located on a hill-top with good views and nice gardens. Serves French and Khmer cuisine. Rooms have hot water, mini-bar, fan and safe.

Spring Valley Resort /Mr. Mab Tel: 036 666 6673 mrmab.com www.springvalley-resort.com Spring Valley Resort, at the base of Kep National Park, is just a short walk to the beach. The rooms are scattered throughout vibrant green gardens, connected by walkways that wind through vines, trees and flowering plants.

Their restaurant, Mr Mab takes a fresh look at traditional Khmer street food.

Villa S’aat Tel: 017 383 185 www.villa-kep.com Elegant and spacious villa for rent in Kep during holidays and weekends. Located around 2km

from the crab market, with spacious rooms, fully equipped kitchen, swimming pool, large terrace, garden and household staff. Maximum capacity of 12 guests.

Kirirom Kirirom Pine View Kitchen Tel: 078 777 284 www.vkirirom.com The restaurant is surrounded by pine trees, located in Kirirom National Park. Serves special Khmer and western dishes, overlooking this beautiful nature. Open daily from 7am-10pm.

Mondulkiri Mayura Hill Resort Tel: 077 980 980 www.mayurahillresort.com Mayura Hill Hotel & Resort has 14 exclusive private bungalow villas embodying the northeastern province’s lifestyle. The first ecotourism resort in Sen Monorom city located just 1km from downtown, surrounded by wonderful views of the highlands.

Pailin Memoria Palace Resort Tel: 0 15 430 013 015 430 014 Email: reservation@memoriapalce.com www.memoriapalace.com Memoria Palace Resort features 16 beautiful bungalow, three unique eco-lodges, a hilltop saltwater swimming pool, restaurant, bar and conference room. The perfect environment for peaceful relaxation or adventurous outdoor activities in the Cardamom Mountains.

Phnom Penh – Apartments Bellevue Serviced Apartments 68 Tonle Sap Street Tel: 023 432 999 www.bellevueservicedapartments.com Located in a deluxe hotel complex on the riverbank of the Tonle Sap, Bellevue offers spacious, contemporary accommodation 10 minutes away from the city.

Part of the Cambodian Trilogy Available at Monument Books and Amazon from Now.

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Himawari Hotel Apartments 313 Sisowath Quay Tel: 023 214 555 Email: reservation@himawari.com.kh www.himawarihotel.com Choose from panoramic views of the Mekong Delta or the city skyline backdrop with the Royal Palace, the spacious and well-appointed suites are a home away from home, both for tourists and long-stay guests. Amenities include fullyequipped kitchen, daily housekeeping services, international pool, fitness centre, tennis court, spa and various food and beverage outlets.

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Season Residence Apartments 109-133, Street 144 Tel: 0 23 990 628 012 457 408 www.seasonresidence.com Season Residence is self-catered accommodation located only 9km from the airport. Featuring spacious apartments with free Wi-Fi access.

Silvertown Metropolitan 251 Street 63 www.silvertowncambodia.com Located in BKK1, one of the most vibrant neighbourhoods of Phnom Penh, the fully serviced apartments take everyday living and lifestyle at the highest quality. Features include a tranquil rooftop skybar and infinity swimming pool.

Sokea Suites Extended Stay 168 Monireth Blvd. www.sokeasuites.com The 21 apartments ranging from 37 m2 to 95 m2 are designed with one idea in mind: to make guests feel at home in Phnom Penh.

TAMASA Serviced Apartment Located next to Cambodia Country Club Tel: 023 995 594 The 26 rooms all have different designs and

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layouts. A café is located on the ground floor of the building and it also has an infinity pool on the top floor, which is opened for residents and guests.

Phnom Penh – Deluxe InterContinental 296 Mao Tse Toung Blvd.

Tel: 023 424 888 www.ihg.com One of Phnom Penh’s most luxurious 5-star hotels, the 346 air-con rooms have all the expected facilities including in-room safes and king size beds. Also has a large swimming pool, a fitness centre and spa.

Rambutan Resort 29 Street 71 Tel: 017 992 240 www.rambutanresort.com Urban modern oasis located in a quiet residential area only 5 minutes from all major sights in Phnom Penh. Deluxe pool view and garden rooms with outdoor bathtubs. Salt water pool and private spa room for some unwinding treatments.

www.villa-samnang.com Boutique hotel with 14 rooms, swimming pool, bar and restaurant.

The 252 Boutique Hotel 19 Street 252 Tel: 023 998 252 www.the-252.com Conveniently located close to major attractions, the small boutique hotel offers a quiet and peaceful retreat from the bustling city. Spacious and stylishly decorated rooms with all amenities, swimming pool surrounded by a leafy tropical garden, outdoor restaurant and bar.

Phnom Penh - Budget

Raffles Hotel Le Royal Street 92 Tel: 023 981 888 www.raffles.com/phnom-penh/ Emanates the same class as its more famous namesake in Singapore. The Elephant Bar is a popular expat haunt during the 4pm to 8pm happy hour.

Mid-Range

Sofitel Phnom Penh Phokeethra 26 Old August Site, Sothearos Blvd.

Tel: 023 999 200 www.sofitel.com Set on the riverside amongst landscaped gardens this 12-storey, 5-star colonial style hotel is close to key attractions, embassies and the central business district.

Almond Hotel 128f Sothearos Bld. Tel: 023 220 822 Owned by Cambodia’s top chef, Luu Meng, this hotel boasts 70 guest rooms, and is aimed at the visiting business community. Tasty dim sun is served from the ground floor restaurant, YiSang.

Sister hotel about to open close to Aeon Mall.

Sokha Phnom Penh Chroy Changvar Peninsula Tel: 23 685 8888 www. sokhahotels.com/phnompenh An blot on the horizon or testament to the rising wealth of the capital - you choose. Located on Chroy Changvar peninsula opposite the Royal Palace the views are quite spectacular, but the opulent interior can not disguise the distance to Phnom Penh’s bars and restaurants.

The Artist Guesthouse 69 Street 178 Tel: 023 213 930 www.the-artist-guesthouse.com Located across from the National Museum, The Artist is an 11-bedroom guesthouse has a modern feel.

Phnom Penh – Mid Chateau the Meliya 10B Street 264 Tel: 023 987 212 Hotel and serviced-apartments, in a great central location, close to Independence Monument, Royal Palace, Silver Pagoda, National Museum and Riverfront. 54 units (studio, one bedroom and two bedrooms), with contemporary design and amazing city and river views.

The Billabong Hotel 5 Street 158 Tel: 023 223 703 www.thebillabonghotel.com Phnom Penh’s premier boutique family hotel with 41 well-appointed rooms surrounding a large free form salt water swimming pool. Poolside alfresco dining.

The Laneway Boutique Hotel 2 Street 278 Tel: 089 985 956 The Laneway Boutique Hotel is located in the heart of Phnom Penh and offers all the essential comforts you would expect from a first-class leisure hotel, including a cocktail bar, swimming pool, grill restaurant and recreational facilities.

Mito Hotel 11 Street 174, corner Monivong Blvd.

(North of Wat Koh Pagoda) Tel: 023 213 999 023 220 188 023 220 199 Email: reservation@mitohotel.com www.mitohotel.com Mito Hotel is a newly renovated business hotel in the heart of Phnom Penh. Blessed with premier central location, diverse international clientele of business men, entrepreneurs, adventures with affordable luxury. Mito Hotel is the preferred choice for business and leisure travellers.

Pandan Boutique Hotel 15A Street 282 Tel: 012 373 78 www.pandanboutiquehotel.com Ideally located in the heart of Phnom Penh, at walking distance from the shopping and business district, 5 minute walk from Independence Monument. 26 rooms with unique and classy design.

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The Quay Sisowath Quay Tel: 023 224 894 www.thequayhotel.com Five-storey, 16-room riverside boutique hotel has beautiful contemporary rooms designed by Gary Fell. The stand-out features are the rooftop Jacuzzi and the very contemporary groundfloor bar and Chow Restaurant with WiFi. Samsara Villa Boutique Hotel 43z5, Street 466, Phnom Penh.

Tel: 0 11 562 629 023 219 136 www.samsaravilla.com Located in a quiet alley, between Aeon Mall and Russian Market, 15min from Riverside and Central Market, Samsara Villa is charming, peaceful with a small but luxurious garden, a pool, 20 rooms, restaurant & bar open from 7am to 10pm, transportation & tours.

Tama Hotel Phnom Penh Tower – The H22 Phnom Penh Tower, 22nd Floor Tel: 023 964 020 www.d22h22.com Many of the rooms feature large windows allowing guests to easily take in the beautiful city view from your room on the 22nd floor of PPT. Room available from $25.

TEAV Boutique Hotel 14 Street 310 Tel: 023 981 818 / 017 989 191 Email: stay@teavgroup.com www.teavboutiquehotel.com Located in a quiet, peaceful setting in the prestigious central heart of Phnom Penh near the Independence Monument, the uniquely designed art deco style TEAV Boutique Hotel provides single travellers, couples, families, leisure and business with a relaxing and highly personalised stay.

Villa Borann 235A Street 19 Tel: 023 211 518 www.villa-borann-boutique-hotel.com Business boutique hotel in the historical centre of Phnom Penh with 14 rooms, swimming pool, bar and restaurant. Nicely furnished rooms.

Colonial style.

Villa Samnang 15 Street 302 Tel: 023 221 644

Villa Srey 16 Street 306 Tel: 023 213 219 www.villasrey.com Charming hotel, six rooms with terrace and swimming pool. Very quiet in the heart of Phnom Penh.

Le Rit’s 71 Street 240 Tel: 023 213 160 Small & charming 6-room guesthouse with spacious rooms is managed by NYEMO NGO, part of its hospitality training. Rooms equipped with queen-sized bed, cable TV, private bathroom.

Sihanoukville Café Sushi 25 Street Ekreach, near Golden Lion Tel: 012 777 476 (Khmer/English) 097 516 5727 (Japanese) Cafe Sushi serves up fresh sushi prepared by a master Japanese “itamae” in a stylish, air-conditioned lounge. Choose from an authentic range of sashimi, nigiri and other Japanese favourites, with both locally-caught and rare, imported fish, or go for more westernised choices. Open daily from 11am2pm & 5.30pm-10pm.

Mick & Craig’s Restaurant Serendipity Beach Tel: 034 934 845 www.mickandcraigs.com A small, friendly restaurant serving comfort food from around the world since 1997. Open daily from 7am-11pm.

Tel: 023 218 948 www.exotissimo.com Excellent French-owned agency specialising in adventure tourism, flight bookings, package holidays and a range of tours of Southeast Asia.

Helicopters Cambodia 10 Street 310 Tel: 012 814 500 www.helicopterscambodia.com Over 12 years’ experience operating in the Kingdom offers scenic flights around the Temples of Angkor and beyond. Is a wholly owned subsidiary of Helicopters New Zealand Group.

Intrepid Travel 468 Sivutha Blvd. Tel: 063 966 655 For travellers with a yearning to get off the beaten track, Intrepid opens up a whole new world of adventure travel. With a huge variety of tours available.

Scuba Nation Lane off road to Serendipity Beach Tel: 012 604 680/012 715 785 www.divecambodia.com Five-star PADI centre offering daily trips to the area’s many islands and reefs including the decent dive sites at Koh Rung Samloem and Koh Kong.

Travel Indochina 43-44EO Street 108 Tel: 023 991 978 www.travelindochina.com.au Australian-owned travel company specialising in small group journeys around Asia that can tailor trips for individuals.

LISTINGS

Reef Resort Road to Serendipity Beach Tel: 012 315 338 www.reefresort.com.kh Guesthouse set around a beautiful pool with well apportioned AC rooms, in-room safe and cable TV, family rooms also available. Has a welcoming bar with excellent TV screen.

Scuba Nation Lane off road to Serendipity Beach Tel: 012 604 680 012 715 785 www.divecambodia.com Five-star PADI centre offering daily trips to the area’s many islands and reefs, including the decent dive sites.

The Secret Garden Otres Beach Tel: 097 649 5131 www.secretgardenotres.com Modern beachside AC bungalows with hot water, TV, WiFi and swimming pool. Restaurant run by professional Australian chef.

Travel Cambodia Uncovered 11B Street 370 Tel: 012 507 097 www.cambodiauncovered.com Offers village and cultural tours in Phnom Penh and surrounds including road trips, Mekong cruises, accommodation, cooking classes and other activities.

City Tour Hop on Hop off Tel: 016 745 880 Visit 10 popular attractions in Phnom Penh.

Unlimited hop on hop off. English commentary, free Wifi and water. Departs hourly from the Night Market. Shuttle bus to Genocide Museum and Killing Fields: 9am and 11am from the Night Market.

Discover the Mekong Suite 1844, Canadia Tower 18th Floor Monivong Blvd.

Tel: 023 962 468 Email: dmc@discoverthemekong.travel Discover the Mekong offers unique adventures into the heart of Cambodia.

Exotissimo Travel 66 Norodom Blvd.

siem reap Bars AHA The Passage Tel: 063 965 501 Sophisticated and beautifully designed wine bar selling a wide range of wines from around the world and tapas, as well as great cheese and Lavazza coffee. Open 10.30am-10.30pm.

Angkor What?

Pub Street Tel: 012 181 4001 “Promoting irresponsible drinking since 1998,” this graffiti-laden bar is the mainstay of Pub Street. A healthy mix of loud rock, punk and grunge, buckets of vodka and red bull for $6.

Laundry Bar Old Market Extremely chilled music bar just off Pub Street with great mellow decor and extremely cool t-shirts. Free drink during the 6pm-9pm washing hours. Open 6pm until late.

Linga Bar Alley behind Pub Street Tel: 012 246 912 www.lingabar.com Laid back, gay-friendly bar with extremely chilled Buddha Bar tunes and amazing light boxes. Range of cocktails. Open 5pm until late.

Mezze 13a (1st floor) Street 11 Tel: 097 766 7343 mezze.siemreap@gmail.com www.mezzesiemreap.com Enjoy signature cocktails, original Cuban cigars,

fine Champagne and fusion tapas.

Open daily 6pm-1am.

international standard 18-hole 72par golf course

Miss Wong Lane off Pub Street Tel: 092 428 332 Imagine yourself in China at the turn of the last century and you won’t go much wrong in Miss Wong with excellent and original cocktails and dim sum. Open late.

Sokkhak Boutique Resort Kok Chork village, Trorpeang Ses commune, Wat thmey Tel: 063 765 697 063 765 698 www.sokkhak-boutiqueresort.com Stay in either one of the two suites, four junior suites or five uniquely deluxe rooms and one classic standard room, decorated in a boutique and homely style that offers simplicity, comfort and relaxation.

Nest Sivutha Blvd.

Tel: 063 966 381 Up-market drinking and dining, serving light Mediterranean and Asian food in a unique, highly stylised setting, with loungers and table settings.

The Warehouse Old Market Tel: 012 530 227 Popular expat bar plays great music with good fusion cuisine. Best stocked bar in town and homemade infused vodkas. Open 10am-3am.

Galleries Diwo Galleries Vat Svay, Tonle Sap Road / between Monument Books and Ta Prohm Hotel.

Selection of refined Khmer statues and Buddhas.

The larger Vat Svay location features a gallery exhibition of Thierry Diwo’s photography. Drinks are available in the garden and on the terrace.

Leisure Angkor Silk Farm Puok District (20min from Siem Reap downtown) Tel: 063 555 5768 www.artisansdangkor.com Learn about the meticulous process of silkmaking and traditional silk weaving. Free shuttle bus departing from Artisans Angkor’s shop in Siem Reap centre to the Angkor Silk Farm from 9.30am-1.30pm. Open daily from 8am-5pm Helicopters Cambodia 658 Hup Quan Street.

Tel: 063 963 316 Professionally run company with flights over the temples and beyond in modern, safe helicopters.

Happy Cambodia Gallery 2 Hospital Street, next to Pub Street Tel: 063 963 114 www.happypainting.net The distinctive and highly colourful work created by long-time Cambodian expat artist Stef.

Phare, The Cambodian Circus Behind Angkor National Museum on Komay Road Tel: 015 499 480.

A unique professional Cambodian theatrical circus show mixing traditional and modern artistic skills. Daily at 7.30pm.

McDermott Gallery I & II FCC Complex Pokambor Avenue/Alley behind Pub Street Tel: 092 668 181 www.mcdermottgallery.com Two galleries devoted to photographic works.

With permanent exhibition of photographs taken

by John McDermott. Open 10am-10pm.

Phokeethra Country Club Sofitel Angkor Phokeethra Vithei Charles de Gaulle Tel: 056 396 4600 reservation.angkor@phokeethragolf.com International standard 18-hole, 72-par golf course 16km outside of Siem Reap. Clubhouse facilities: pro shop, rental equipment, restaurant.

Hotels

Sam Veasna Centre Wat Bo Area Tel: 063 963 710 Some of the rarest birds in Asia can be seen at Prek Toal and Ang Trapang Thmor, a day-trip from Siem Reap, or combine bird watching with temple trips to Koh Ker and Beng Melea.

Kingdom Angkor Hotel Tel: 063 760 526 Email: reservation@kingdomangkor.com or info@kingdomangkor.com www.kingdomangkor.com Lynnaya Urban River Resort & Spa Tel: 063 967 755 www.lynnaya.com A luxury resort equipped with swimming pool, spa and restaurant.

Prince D’Angkor Hotel & Spa Sivatha Blvd.

Tel: 063 763 888 Email: info@princedangkor.com www.princedangkor.com Experience ultimate luxury and bask in the splendor of elegance at the Prince D’ Angkor Hotel & Spa, the perfect base from which to explore the legendary Angkor temples.

Rambutan Hotels & Resorts Phum Wat Damnak, Kum Sala Komreuk, Krom 10 Tel: 012 654 638 063 766 655 Email: bookings@rambutansr.com www.rambutans.info The former Golden Banana resort has been rebranded but contains the same deluxe suites and villas in modern Asian style build around a salt-water pool. Private balcony or terrace with outdoor bathtub/splash shower. LBGT-friendly.

Sofitel Angkor Phokeethra Golf & Spa Resort Vithei Charles de Gaulle Tel: 063 964 600 063 964 610 www.sofitel.com Ultimate in comfort and refinement, combining the traditional architecture of Cambodia with elegant French colonial style. Five-star accommodation, swimming pool, spa and

siem reap

Medical Royal Angkor International Hospital National Route 6, Phum Kasekam, Khum Sra Ngea Tel: 063 761 888 www.royalangkorhospital.com Royal Angkor International Hospital is part of the well-known Bangkok Hospital Network.

Offering high quality care for all eventualities from routine care to emergency treatment 24 hours a day.

Pharmacies U-Care Pharmacies Old market Tel: 063 965 396 Lucky Mall Tel: 063 966 68 Siem Reap Airport Tel: 063 766049 Sivatha Street Tel: 063 763 399 International cosmetic brands, leading imported health and beauty products, only certified medication. Open 8am-10pm.

Restaurants Armand’s The Bistro 584-586 Tep Vong, Sangkat Svay Dangkom (Next to ANZ Bank) Phum Mondul 1 Tel: 092 305 401 A true bistro experience in a cosy woodpanelled space, despite the informal and relaxed ambience it has the menu to even satisfy high-rollers.

Chanrey Tree Pokombo Ave. Tel: 063 767 997

Creative Christmas Shopping Sarah Brown This year will be my first Christmas back home in the UK for six years, and to say I’m excited is an understatement. I’ve ordered festive knitwear ready for my arrival, and I’m already meticulously planning all of the treats I plan to consume (I’m looking at you, Terry’s Chocolate Orange). The only thing dampening my mood was the pressure of buying Christmas gifts, which after a six-year hiatus was both an unfamiliar and unwelcome feeling.

I’ve no doubt friends and family will be expecting unusual gifts from Cambodia, and having long-since exhausted the shopping potential of the Old Market, I’ve been hunting out locally-produced gifts beyond kramas and elephant pants. Here are a few of the gems I stumbled upon.

If, like me, you have jewellery lovers among your friends and family, there are some great Christmas gift potentials around town. My first pick has to be Garden of Desire, which masterfully crafts beautiful, unique silver jewellery inspired

by Cambodia, using local gemstones. Another excellent option is the striking pieces on offer at Saomao, made using recycled brass bullets for the especially ethically conscious.

Alternatively if a natural vibe will go down better with your friends and family, Graines de Cambodge offers a treasure trove of adornments made from local seeds.

For those wanting to tick off their entire shopping list in one hit, I’d recommend heading to Kandal Village, as Siem Reap’s hippest street is a gold mine for those on the hunt for unique gifts. For lovers of all things quirky Trunkh is hard to beat, with a boggling array of printed wearables and vintage ephemera that’s sure to produce some popular Christmas gifts. On the other hand, Louise Loubatiere’s chic boutique is just a few doors down, offering Asia-inspired homewares for discerning gift-buyers.

If there’s a coffee lover among your friends and family I’d recommend picking up a local blend at either Little Red Fox or The Hive, while the heavenly Saarti offers beautifully scented (and entirely natural) products for both the body and home.

I’m particularly obsessed with Saarti’s soy-wax candles hand-poured into Cambodian blessing bowls, and they’d no doubt make for excellent stocking fillers.

If supporting a local cause is important to you as you shop, the Friends ‘n’ Stuff shop at Marum has a lot to offer. Funky bike-basket covers will go down a treat with bicycle lovers, and I’m a big fan of both their printed jersey scarves and bags and wallets made from recycled materials. Smateria also offer an excellent selection of bags, wallets, and luggage items that are colourful, well crafted, and made from recycled materials.

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www.chanreytree.com Traditional Khmer food in a beautiful contemporary setting. Alongside the river, 50m before Preah Phrum Rath Pagoda.

Open daily. Lunch 11am-2.30pm, dinner 6pm-10.30pm.

Hot Stone Café Old Market area, next to Angkor trade center Tel: 012 926 562 063 966 966 Email: info@hotstonecafe.asia www.hotstonecafé.asia The hottest culinary concept in town, with two dining options, cook yourself BBQ selection and Khmer dining.

Il Forno Restaurant Siem Reap Paris Alley, off Pub Street Tel: 063 763 380 Come and try our wood fire pizza and our traditional homemade pastas. New air con room to cool off with a nice Italian wine and a charcuterie.

King’s Road Angkor 7 Makara Road, Achar Sva Street (opposite Old Market bridge) Tel: 093 811 800 www.kingsroadangkor.com A unique dining and shopping village in Siem Reap, comprising of 15 restaurants and cafés and 12 boutiques.

Lava/Sushi Plus/Rio Tel: 085 330 093 063 962 952 Email: fb@riverbayvilla.com www.riverbayvilla.com Experience the flavors of the world under one roof. LAVA: sizzling specialized concept of oriental and creative international cuisine.

SUSHI PLUS: cozy Japanese restaurant paying tribute to the origin of Sushi. RIO: the outdoor lounge filled with lazy loungers cushions.

Maharajah Indian Restaurant Next to Pub Street, Old Market.

Tel: 063 966 221 092 506 622 Authentic Indian vegetarian and nonvegetarian food. Maharajah believes that exclusivity with a touch of simplicity is important in the creation of every dish.

Open daily 11am–10pm.

Mahob Khmer Cuisine Tel: 017 550 206 063 966 986 Email: info@mahobkhmer.com www.mahobkhmer.com Mahob is the Cambodian word for ‘food’ serving traditional Khmer cuisine in the new level by using only the freshest local ingredients to tantalise your taste-buds.

Marum 8A-B Phum Slokram, (Between Wat Polanka & Catholic Church) Tel: 017 363 284 A winning mix of creative local cuisine.

Open from 11am-10.30pm (Kitchen closes at 9.30pm).

Palate Angkor Acha Sva Road, Wat Bo Village Tel: 063 965 252 www.palateangkor.com Palate Angkor restaurant and bar, is a recent addition to the Siem Reap culinary scene.

Serving delectable Pan Asian cuisine.

Open daily from 11.30am-11pm.

feast

Shops Artisans Angkor Boutique and Workshops Stung Thmey Street (2min from the Old Market) Tel: 063 963 330 www.artisansdangkor.com Boutique offering collection of handmade souvenirs such as high-quality silk scarves, clothing and accessories, wooden and stone sculptures Free guided tours of the handicraft workshops.

Open daily from 7.30am-6.30pm Jasmine Boutique FCC Angkor, Pokambor Avenue Tel: 063 760 610 Same sophisticated, stylish boutique as on Street 240 in Phnom Penh.

Smateria The Alley West Tel: 063 964 343 www.smateria.com Boutique specialising in accessories made from recycled materials including a range of bags and wallets made from old cartons, plastic bags and mosquito nets.

Spas Body Tune 293-290 Pokambor Ave. (Next to the old market) Tel: 063 764 141 www.bodytune.co.th When you need to re-balance and rejuvenate your body in between daily routines, Body Tune is the perfect place to regain your energy. Open daily, from 10am-10.30pm.

Sokkhak Spa Sok San Street, Old Market Tel: 063 763 797 A nature-inspired décor with a tranquil atmosphere to relax, refresh and indulge.

Open daily 11am-10pm.

Malis SR Pokambor Avenue, Siem Reap Riverside Tel: 015 824 888 Cambodian celebrity chef Luu Meng has opened a second Malis in Siem Reap. Serving up sumptuous traditional Khmer cuisine with a contemporary flavour, Malis SR offers signature dishes, such as Kampot red crab curry and Royal Mac Mee. Open daily from 6.30am to 10.30pm.

Cheese Delights

In keeping with its mission to bring the very best of France to Cambodia, Khéma has partnered with Mons Cheesemongers, one of the most respected and highly awarded cheese makers in France. Richard Gillet, Khema logistics development manager, says, “This is a range of cheeses that corresponds well to the concept of terroir français that exports very easily, and which we want to promote and develop in Cambodia.

French cheese, especially the Mons range, has a history of harmony, knowledge, epicureanism, and affinity with wine.”

As cheese is representative of its environment, so can be the manner in which it is served. Cheese can be appreciated for its own flavour, but the appreciation of that flavour can be enhanced when it is properly presented and served, and also properly accompanied. Naturally, Khéma has that covered.

CamFood Success

Cambodia’s biggest food and drinks exhibition came back for its fifth showing at Diamond Island Exhibition Centre in October for three days of products known and new, competitions, ideas and inventions from Cambodia, and international exhibitors from countries, such as China, India, Italy, Japan, Korea, USA, Malaysia, Taiwan, Thailand and Singapore.

The competitions attract hundreds of chefs and hospitality workers from the Kingdom, who pit their skills against their peers in the most prestigious competition of the year. Thalias staff participated in a series of competitions, with two of the team walking away with prizes for best bartender and best sommelier. Un Somkian won best sommelier following a rigorous competition that tested contestants’ general knowledge of wine, a blind taste test and service, while Heng Ly Heang won a tough competition for best bartender.

Celebrate Christmas in Style

The Sanchaya is pulling out all the stops to mark Christmas and New Year’s Eve with merry good cheer and a collection of events that include a four-course champagne dinner hosted by the world’s oldest champagne house. With December temperatures set to average at a balmy 27C at the beachfront property, a short ferry ride from Singapore, The Sanchaya will stage its celebrations, including six-course Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve dinners, from Dec. 21 to Jan. 1. “We won’t have snow but we do expect Santa Claus and much remembrance of auld lang syne,” says estate manager Magnus Olovson. For more information, phone +62 770 692 200 or email reservations@thesanchaya.com.

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LISTINGS

food & drink Cafés Art Café 37 Sothearos Blvd.

Tel: 012 834 517 Elegant bistro in the style of a European coffee house is now transposed to the Meta House with regular classical music performances.

Blue Pumpkin 245 Sisowath Quay, and at Monument Books on Norodom Blvd.

Tel: 023 998 153 At multiple locations in Phnom Penh, serving breakfast sets, Asian and Western entrées and an array of ice cream flavours in air-conditioned comfort. Open daily from 6am-11pm.

Brown Coffee & Bakery 17 Street 214, and other locations throughout the city.

Tel: 023 217 262 Stylish, locally owned café with bakery on the premises serves a variety of coffees and pastries, with the green tea latte a house speciality. Open 7.30am-8pm.

Café Le Point Tel: 077 974 921 Enjoy the cosy and relaxed atmosphere under a big mango tree. Located near KFC on Norodom Bvd, next to La Clef de Sol shop.

Healthy, natural and delicious. Open Monday to Saturday, from 7am-7pm.

Café Yejj 170 Street 450 Tel: 012 543 360 092 600 750 Quiet, cosy café serving bistro-style Western cuisine, with extensive range of coffees, pasta dishes, pannini and wraps and fabulous cheesecake, making this an ideal spot to escape the bustle of the nearby Russian Market. Open every day from 7am-9pm.

The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf 30 Street 57 Tel: 023 988 027 Peaceful coffee shop with different locations in town (BKK1, Phnom Penh Tower, Vattanac Tower & Aeon Mall) provides you good quality products and excellent service.

Cupcake Rush 23A Street 57/306 Tel: 087 696 988 Sweet treats galore at this cute, specialist cupcake shop. Open daily from 8am-8pm.

Daughters of Cambodia 65E0 Street 178 / 130A Street 430 Tel: 077 657 678 www.daughtersofcambodia.org The café serve light lunches, a few main courses, home baked goods, desserts, coffee and some original smoothies. Provides vocational training, where trainees have the opportunity to graduate to top end restaurants and hotels. There’s also a shop selling clothing, accessories and jewellery made on site, or relax in the spa which offers head, shoulder, face and foot treatments. The Street 430 venue also has a children’s play area.

Gloria Jean’s Corner of Street 51 & Street 310 Tel: 092 404 365 Sisowath Quay along Phnom Penh Port Tel: 092 555 973 Canadia Tower Monivong Blvd.

Tel: 092 555 937 Popular coffee shop that serves hot and cold drinks and snacks. A great place to chill and relax, or to catch up with all those lost emails.

Java Café & Gallery 56 Sihanouk Blvd.

Tel: 023 987 420 Great coffees, salads, mix-and-match sandwiches and juices served in an elegant setting. The upstairs terrace, overlooking the Independence Monument, is a good place to watch the chaos below, while the downstairs space is a great place for coffee and catching up on your emails. Has exhibitions both upstairs and down. Open 7am-10pm.

Kiriya Café 174, St.51, Cnr St.370 Tel: 016 363 730.

This Japanese café chain offers good locally sourced coffee, delicious desserts and a relaxing atmosphere. Open daily 6am-2am.

The Deli 13 Street 178.Tel: 012 851 234 The Deli is a simple Bistro Gourmet where the chef changes half the menu every few weeks and the wines per glass are selected to sit alongside the dishes to help customers make the perfect pairing.

The Shop 39 Street 240, Tel: 0 92 955 963 023 986 964 Stylish café, with a wide range of fresh bread, tempting patisseries and juices, excellent salads and sandwiches. Crowded at lunchtime, but the small, cool courtyard at the back creates a perfect haven from the sun.

Has a Chocolate Shop three doors along, and a second outlet in Tuol Kork. Open 7am-7pm Mon to Sat, 7am-3pm Sun.

Cambodian

Dot Grill 8 Street 144 Tel: 023 996 402 Dot serves delicious Cambodian grill specialties, prepared and served on large skewers made to order on an open grill in the restaurant’s centre. The menu includes the best of local cuisine as well as international all-time favourites. Open daily from 7.30am–10pm.

Garuda Khmer Restaurant 21 Street 466 Tel: 092 877 345 / 092 710 097 Authentic homemade Khmer cuisine served at International standard and a museum where you can eat. Open daily from 11.30pm– 2:30pm and 5pm-10pm.

Khmer Surin 9 Street 57 Tel: 012 887 320 Elegant restaurant featuring wood and silk décor with a tropical garden that serves Cambodian and Thai favourites. Dishes are well prepared and large enough to share.

La Table Khmère 11E Street 278 Tel: 012 238 068 www.la-table-khmere.com Taste the flavour of traditional Khmer specialities and fusion cuisine in a stylish ambience and atmosphere on Street 278.

Also serving Western dishes. Open daily from 11am-11pm.

Malis 136 Norodom Bvd Tel: 023 221 022 www.malis-restaurant.com Beautiful modern Khmer restaurant with a courtyard set around narrow water channels and decorated with terracotta floor tiles. Has air-con rooms inside for those who find the midday sun too much. The cuisine is modern Khmer, with no MSG. Open 6am-10pm.

Restaurant Le Royal Raffles Hotel Le Royal Tel: 023 981 888 (see also restaurants, French) Romdeng 74 Street 174 Tel: 092 219 565 Romdeng serves Cambodian food that ranges from almost forgotten recipes from the provinces to contemporary creative Cambodian cuisine. It is set in a beautiful colonial building featuring wooden carvings, tables, chairs and unique lights all hand-made in Cambodia. Open daily from 11am-10.30pm (kitchen closes at 9.30pm).

Chinese Emperors of China 19 Street 163 Tel: 097 929 2699 Up-market Chinese restaurant, popular with the capital’s large Chinese community, private dining rooms, specialises in Peking duck and dim sum.

Fortune Palace NagaWorld, Hun Sen Park Chinese restaurant with authentic Greater Chinese cuisine and all-you-can-eat Dim Sum buffet on Sundays. Open from 11am-3pm and 5pm-10pm.

Fu Lu Zu Sofitel Phnom Penh Phokeethra 26 Old August Site, Sothearos Blvd Tel: 023 999 200 x 6613 Elegant Chinese restaurant specialising in contemporary Cantonese delicacies and dim sum with private rooms for intimate ambience. Open from 11.30am- 2.30pm and 6.30pm-10.30pm. Dim Sum weekend from 8am-2.30pm.

Hua Nam 753 Monivong Bvd. Tel: 023 364 005 Large Chinese restaurant that specialises in

seafood and duck and has a good selection of wines, with VIP rooms.

Open 11am-2pm and 5pm-10pm Sam Doo 56-58 Kampuchea Krom Tel: 023 218 773 The place for dim sum in Phnom Penh, baskets of steamed prawn dumplings, pork buns and more go for a pittance. The wonton soup and other tasty meals are a steal. Open 7am-2am.

Tsui Wah 157 Street 63 Tel: 023 986 133 Offers a variety of roasted meats, including duck, pork and goose. Open 21 hours, serving Hong-Kong-influenced food. Open daily from 6am-3am.

World Dining 2/F Aeon Mall, 132 Samdach Sothearos Blvd, Tel: 023 90 17 77 Food Court that brings streetfood to the sanctuary of the Mall with 12 booths serving food from Cambodia and around the World. The Cambodian cuisine includes some fantastic, fresh and cheap bahn chhev pancakes, while there are steaks, Indian, Italian, Singapore chicken and rice, pho and chinese food from Yi Sang as cosmopolitan alternatives. Open 9am to 10pm.

Xiang Palace InterContinental Phnom Penh 2/F, 296 Mao Tse Toung Blvd Tel: 023 424 888 x 3562 Xiang Palace is locally acclaimed for its authentic Cantonese cuisine and delicious dim sum, all prepared with the finest ingredients.

Open daily for lunch and dinner.

Yi Sang Chinese Restaurant 128F Sothearos Blvd Tel: 023 220 922 www.almondhotel.com.kh Set on the ground floor of the Almond Hotel, this stylish restaurant specialises in Cantonese food that fuses the traditional with the contemporary, including excellent dim sum.

Open from 6.30am-10am, 11.30am-2pm and 5.30pm-10pm. Dim Sum not served in the evening.

French Armand’s The Bistro 33 Street 108 Tel: 015 548 966 A true bistro experience in a cosy woodpanelled space, despite the informal and relaxed ambience it has the menu to even satisfy high-rollers. Open Tuesday to Sunday from 5pm-11.45pm.

Comme à la Maison 13 Street 57 Tel: 012 951 869 www.commealamaison-delicatessen.com Sophisticated French restaurant with a beautiful outdoor terrace area at the front, yet secluded from the street. One of the best French kitchens in town. Small delicatessen at the back of the restaurant. Open daily from 6am-10.30pm.

The D22 Dining & Bar Phnom Penh Tower 22nd Floor – Inside Tama Hotel Phnom Penh Tel: 023 964 021 http://tamahomecambodia.jp/tamahotel/ The dining offers French bistro cuisine where you get to enjoy the dishes that go well with wines. The bar has a great selection of wines and also offers cigars that can add spice to your night. Dining 6.30pm-10pm, bar 4.30pm-midnight.

K West 1 Street 154, cnr. Sisowath Quay Tel: 023 214 747 Stylish aircon bar and restaurant below the Amanjaya with an excellent steak menu and good value happy hour from 6pm-8pm Fridays.

Now has a brasserie menu with daily specials.

Also has free WiFi. Open 6.30am until midnight.

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La Marmite Cnr Streets 108 & 51 Tel: 012 391 746 This small, reasonably priced French bistro has two adjoining rooms (one non-smoking) creating a relaxed, cosy atmosphere. Serves excellent fish, steaks and offal as well as daily specials, for a taste of real home-cooked French cuisine.

Open 11am-2.30pm, 6pm-10.30pm.

La Residence Restaurant 22/24 Street 214 Tel: 023 224 582 Fine dining on an international scale in this sophisticated restaurant, where French classics meet gourmet, modern cuisine. Open from 11.30am-2pm and 6.30pm-10.30pm.

Le Bistrot 218 Street 184 Tel: 012 495 841 information@institutfrançais-cambodge.com.

Nestled inside the entirely renovated spaces of the Institut Français, Le Bistrot offers great coffee break, lunches and dinner. Le Bistrot is between the media library, cinema, exhibition gallery and garden of the Institut Français. Open Monday to Saturday from 8am-10pm.

Le Gourmet NagaWorld Hotel and Casino, Hun Sen Park.

Tel: 023 228 822 Quality ingredients come together in beautiful presentation on the plate, with the luxury of the surroundings complemented by professional and attentive service. Open daily from 12pm-3pm and 6pm-10pm.

Restaurant Le Royal Raffles Hotel Le Royal Tel: 023 981 888 www.raffles.com Treat yourself to the finest French & Khmer cuisine in one of Indochina’s most elegant restaurants. The Chef’s Degustation menu allows you to try a myriad of dishes in a single meal in a refined atmosphere. Private rooms are available on request. Open from 6.30pm10.30pm.

The Wine Restaurant 219 Street 19 Tel: 023 223 527 Excellent fine dining restaurant in the same grounds as Open Wine deli. The fresh food and extensive selection of wines make this one of the exclusive places to dine in town. The set lunch is one of the most attractive packages on offer.

Topaz 182 Norodom Blvd.

Tel: 012 346 555 / 023 221 622 Sophisticated, air-con restaurant with outside dining, upstairs bar, wine shop, cigar room and private rooms. One of Phnom Penh’s finest restaurants. Has a popular piano bar, night club upstairs. Open 11am-2pm, 6pm-11pm.

Van’s Restaurant 5 Street 102 Tel: 023 722 067 French fine-dining in a grand setting awaits at Van’s, located on the second floor of a well preserved colonial-era building near the Post Office. Has an excellent value set lunch. Open daily 11.30am-2.30pm, 5pm-10.30pm.

Indian Sub-Continent Dosa Corner 15 Street 51 Tel: 012 673 276 This small South Indian restaurant has a wide range of very good value dosa as well as thali and biryani dishes. Air-conditioned. Open 7am-10pm.

Flavours of India 158 Street 63 Tel: 012 886 374 Relaxing Indian and Nepalese restaurant with friendly staff and a good range of dishes including good value vegetarian and meat thalis.

Open 10am-11pm.

L’Instant Champagne, with Vitalie Taittinger.

Indian Delight 115Eo Sisowath Quay Tel: 023 724 885 / 098 776 543 Delicious North Indian tastes served at a modest Phnom Penh

Siem Reap

023 986 350

063 964 409

Sihanoukville Kep & Kampot 034 934 155

033 930 000

Battambang 053 953 855

yet clean and bright spot on the riverside.

Opposite Titanic restaurant.

Open daily 11am–11pm.

Sher e Punjab 16 Street 130, Phnom Penh.

Tel: 092 992 901 Phnom Penh is blessed with a vast array of Indian kitchens, but many expats put this small place at the top of their list. Top Indian food, with an authentic Tandoori oven producing fine breads and grilled meats, also excellent for veggies. Open daily, 10am-10pm.

Indochine / Pan-Asian Indochine NagaWorld, Hun Sen Park With a focus on Southeast Asian cuisine, Indochine offers traditional dishes from Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand in a sophisticated space.

Open 11am-11pm.

Lan Pin 281 Norodom Boulevard, Phnom Penh.

Tel: 077 221 195 Located in Tai Ming Hotel, this restaurant serves up sumptuous Asian fusion cuisine.

Lemongrass 14 Street 130 Tel: 023 222 705 A boutique Asian-themed restaurant with an intimate, casual ambiance featuring classical Thai and Khmer cuisine with affordable price.

Known for authentic flavours and attractive presentation, only the best local produce and choice seafood and meats are prepared fresh daily. Open daily 10am-10pm.

Ngon 60 Sihanouk Blvd Tel: 023 987 151 www.ngonpnh.com Open air restaurant that features a vast range of Vietnamese food in a garden environment.

Pangea Fusion Restaurant NagaWorld Hotel and Casino, Hun Sen Park Tel: 023 228 822 Pan-Asian fusion restaurant with a western flair that specialises in all-you-can-eat dinner buffets.

Open daily 6am-10.30pm.

International Aussie XL Café 205A Street 51 Tel: 023 301 301 Aussie style bistro food with quick lunch menu and a good selection of house wines and retail wines. Open 7am-11pm.

Black Bambu 29 Street 228, Phnom Penh.

Tel: 023 966 895 A not-for-profit training restaurant set up by Cambodian’s Children’s Fun, focusing on fine dining in the form of tapas-style food. With Al Schaaf in the kitchen you can be assured of the quality of the food on offer. Open Tuesday to Sunday, 8.30am to 11pm.

Brooklyn Pizza + Bistro 20 Street 123 Tel: 089 925 926 A slice of Brooklyn right here in Phnom Penh.

In addition to authentic pizza, Brooklyn serves pastas, burgers, ribs, chicken wings and more.

Cabaret 159 Street 154 (near Central Market) Tel: 092 650 980 Email: info@cabaret-restaurant.com Restaurant and lounge bar with live music.

Enjoy trendy food, tapas, cocktails and wine in a modern setting encompassing two elegant areas, bar and patio. Fine and casual dining available. Live music four to five times a week, sumptuous variety of wine and cigars.

Café Monivong Raffles Hotel Le Royal Tel: 023 981 888 Wicker armchairs and marble tables covered with crisp white tablecloths create the perfect place to relax and linger over a delightful alfresco breakfast, lunch or dinner. Western and

REGIONAL EATS

Asian cuisines are available buffet-style or a la carte. Private rooms are available on request.

Buffet from 6am-10am, 12pm-2.30pm, 6pm10pm. A la carte from 11am-11pm.

Russian restaurant of iconic Phnom Penh status.

If you can walk out of the restaurant after hitting the vodkas then you are doing well. Open daily from 11am until the vodka runs out.

The Chinese House 45 Sisowath Quay, Phnom Penh.

Tel: 092 553 330 Under new management and having undergone a radical revamp, Chinese House has a fine dining restaurant upstairs serving fusion food, and a bar space downstairs, serving tapas. Still has the uber-cool vibe created by the previous management.

Java Café & Gallery 56 Sihanouk Blvd Tel: 023 987 420 www.javaarts.org (See cafés)

Doors Restaurant 18, Street 47 & 84.

Tel: 023 986 114 www.doorspp.com A hub for music, art, nightlife and food.

Experience world class Spanish cuisine and mouthwatering Tapas cooked by our resident chef. Open 11am until late.

Mi Quang (Quang Style Noddle)

Tristan Ngo

Mi quang or Quang style noodle literally sound like Chinese but it is a Vietnamese dish originated from Quang Nam Province in the South Central region of Vietnam. If you’re wondering where, Quang Nam borders Laos and the South China Sea. Think Hue and Danang.

Cooked in a combination of chicken, pork, shrimps and seasoned with cu nen (chives) to create a rich unique and quite intense broth.

Perhaps that is why only about one third of the luke warm broth are served with the rice noodles.

The thick broad rice noodles are quite chewy and are infused with turmeric to get that special yellow earthy tone.

Mi quang are literally like a buffet in a bowl normally served with shrimp, pork and chicken over noodles. Topped with banana blossoms, fried shallots, sprouts, roasted peanuts, rau ram (mint), perilla, roasted sesame rice cracker, lemon and green chili for that added rich finish.

1. Quan Mi Quang My Son

38 Dinh Tien Hoang // District 1, HCMC Mi quang of all sort and their specialties are mi quang. They have mi quang ga rut xuong (local chicken without the bones), mi quang tom thit (shrimps and meat), mi quang xuong heo non (grilled young suckling pig) and mi quang long ga trung non (chicken inerts and young eggs). If you’re not sure, I would recommend the mi quang dat biet My Son.

2. Mi Quang 3 Anh Em (3 siblings)

117 D2 Street // Binh Thanh District, HCMC 304 Le Van Sy Street // Tan Binh District, HCMC 193 Cach Mang Thang Tam // District 3, HCMC Three siblings, three locations. They are very well known in the city.

Besides the many standards of mi quang, try their quail eggs, or their catfish.

3. Bun Bo Hue Nam Giao

248 Bui Vien Street // District 1, HCMC Known for their bun bo hue and banh canh cua but their mi quang is worth a visit. They always have attentive and friendly staff. Nam Giao’s specialty are from the central region.

Tristan Ngo is chef, patron, and owner of Skewers Restaurant and The Elbow Room in Ho Chi Minh.

Duplex 3 Street 278 www.duplex.com.kh A Belgian beer tavern in the heart of Phnom Penh. A destination that fuses the elements of a lounge with high energy ambiance.

Est Bar 19z, Street 214 Tel: 023 998 227 Email: indulge@estbar.com www.estbar.com (See bars) FCC Phnom Penh 363 Sisowath Quay Tel: 023 724 014 The first stop for newcomers and it’s easy to see why. Set in a beautiful colonial house with sumptuous views across the river on one side and the National Museum to the other, it’s best to come at sunset when the streets below are most crowded, and enjoy the happy hour. Open daily from 7am-midnight.

Fish Sisowath Quay (cnr of Street 108) Tel: 023 222 685 www.fishphnompenh.com Contemporary, modern restaurant specialising in all things oceanic. Menu includes everything from lobster through sushi to gourmet fish and chips for upmarket, but reasonable prices. Open 7am-late.

Fox Wine Bistro 104 Sothearos Blvd & St. 266.

Tel: 098 78 99 61 Casual wine-dining. For passionate food and wine lovers who want an unforgettable dining experience or even just a place to hang-out that’s unlike elsewhere in Phnom Penh. Serving simple yet thoughtful dishes and drinks in a comfortable, hip and trendy atmosphere.

Friends the Restaurant 215 Street 13 Tel: 012 802 072 Friends the Restaurant is a training restaurant run by Mith Samlanh, which has worked to build the futures of former street children and marginalised young people in Phnom Penh since 1994. Located near the National Museum, it is famous for its legendary frozen shakes and daiquiris and its delicious blend of Asian and Western-style tapas. Free WiFi available and a dog-friendly restaurant. Open daily from 11am–10.30pm (kitchen closes at 9.30pm).

Hummus House 95 Sisowath Quay Tel: 092 483 759 Authentic Lebanese halal cuisine, offering Middle East flavours including mezze tapas – hummus, shish kebab, baba ganouj, falafel, vegetarian and non-vegetarian kebab wraps. Delivery, takeaway, catering. Open daily from 10am until late.

Irina Russian Restaurant 22 Street 29 Tel: 012 833 524 092 833 524 www.irinacambodia.com

La Coupole Sofitel Phnom Penh Phokeethra 26 Old August Site, Sothearos Blvd.

Tel: 023 999 200 www.sofitel.com Casual and authentic Indochinese and French cuisine with live cooking by chefs in an open kitchen concept. Offers breakfast, lunch, dinner and the Sunday brunch, all set in a stunning restaurant with high ceilings and natural light.

La Croisette 241 Sisowath Quay Tel: 023 220 554 Riverfront restaurant with an ample outside dining area screened off by trees that serves good, reasonably-priced food, also has a cool, air-con restaurant inside. Often arranges special events. Open 7am-late.

La Plaza Spanish Tapas Bar 22b Street 278 Tel: 012 825 443 Recreates to perfection the best known and most delicious Spanish tapas, making of seafood Paella its signature dish. Tapas are the result of hundreds of years of Spanish culinary history and evolution. Simple, tasty and healthy dishes have become a standard to be enjoyed with friends while drinking large amounts of sangría. Open 11am-2pm, 5pm-10pm. All day at weekends.

LA Rose Restaurant 164b Norodom Blvd Tel: 023 211 130 080 900 900 Revive your strength and restore your health with La Rose Restaurant’s healthy option menu. Cozy ground floor restaurant with experienced chefs serving both Asian and Western cuisine, served in a delightful setting.

Lime Restaurant + Bar 79F Street 128 Tel: 023 998 608/610 Email: info@lebizhotel.com, www.lebizhotel.com Located in Lebiz Hotel Lime serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner, offering a stylish mix of Asian and Western favourites with a focus on fresh, healthy and local ingredients, with regular changes to the menu.

Lone Pine Café 14 Street 282 Tel: 078 949 39 095 949 398 Colossal burgers, Memphis hunk ribs, Cajun gumbo, spicy chili, root beer barbecue pulled pork, po boys, wings, big salads, best beer list, great bourbons and fantastic margaritas. Open daily from 11.30am-2pm, 6pm-10pm (evenings only on Sunday).

Lotus Blanc 152 Street 51 Tel: 017 602 251 Run by local NGO Pour un Sourire d’Enfant, this centrally located training restaurant has a monthly changing lunch menu as well as a la carte Khmer dishes. Serves both Asian and continental breakfast. Open Monday to Saturday, 7am-10pm.

Meat & Drink Street 308 alleyway Bar and grill. A casual setting for drinks and a bite to eat. No reservations. Open Tuesday to Sunday, 5pm-11pm.

Metro Café Cnr Sisowath Quay & Street 148 Tel: 023 222 275 Cool east-meets-west decor and a chic menu offering tapas, starters and mains,

AsiaLIFE Cambodia 61

comprehensive cocktail menu, favourite among which is the Espresso Martini, Metro also offers a range of classic breakfasts and an elegant lunch spot with free wifi in an air-con and smoke-free (until 10pm) atmosphere. Open daily 9.30am-1am.

imbibe

Mike’s Burger House Russian Blvd. Tel: 012 633 971 Hugely popular burger bar that serves food with plastic knives and forks and equally plastic French fries with cheese sauce. Ideal for those who believe that American culture starts with a Mc. New York Steakhouse 264 Street 63 (cnr Mao Tse Tung Blvd.)

Tel: 023 987 500 Indulge in a seductive dining experience in the famed Phnom Penh Steak restaurant. The innovative menu features New-York Steakhouse signature prime cuts of beef charred to perfection accompanied by decadent sides and desserts.

Open Daily from 11am-2pm and 3pm-midnight.

Rioja Tinto Darren Gall The red wines of the Rioja region are perhaps the most famous Spanish wines throughout the world, medium bodied, fruit driven reds full of bucolic charm and bold expressions of flavour.

The harvesting of grapes for winemaking in La Rioja dates back to ancient times, the first evidence is through a public notary dated 873 AD, when monks were the main producers of wines in the area.

The region is split into three sub-regions, (Rioja) Baja, (Rioja) Alta and (Rioja) Alavesa, with good wines produced in all three. However, Alta and Alavesa have better overall reputations as regions.

The main variety for the production of Rioja Tinto is Tempranillo with the inclusion of Garnacha Tinto and occasionally small additions of Graciano and Mazuelo, (Carignan or Carinena).

Tempranillo grapes produce wines that are complex, juicy, medium bodied, with long firm, persistent tannin chains.

Grenache gives body and depth whilst the other varieties add length and complexity.

The Rioja Alta is higher and therefore cooler with red, iron oxide heavy soils, the terroir produces wines that are concentrated and elegant. Rioja Alavesa with its rolling hills and ancient monasteries is closer in style to Alta than to Baja, whilst the flatlands along the

Ebro River that make up the Baja country produce rich, fruity wines that are lush and rich.

The main thing to look for is the classification, wine which is labeled as Rioja alone, are young wines made with low tannins, minimal to no oak and lovely fruity, early drinking appeal.

Wines labeled Crianza have spent a minimum of one year in oak cask and three months in bottle prior to release.

They are often approachable wines with a hint of oak and complexity and are good with food even when young. They are also some of the best value for money in the region.

Reserva wines represent the best vintages and have wonderful ageing potential, they have spent at least three years ageing before release and at least one year has to be in oak casks. These are some of the very best wines the region has to offer.

Wines labeled Gran Reserva have spent at least two years in oak casks and three years in bottle before they can be released. The wines can have powerful tannins and oak characters and often need a minimum of a decade in the cellar before they are even approachable.

So next time you’re enjoying a bit of barbecued Cambodian buffalo or village pig on the spit, grab a rustic red from Rioja and enjoy.

Darren Gall has spent a quarter of a century involved in virtually every aspect of the wine industry and the passionate pursuit of the next great bottle continues. gall.darren@yahoo.com.

62 AsiaLIFE Cambodia

Ocean 11 Street 288.

Tel: 017 766 690 European managed Mediterranean restaurant that dishes up some of the best fish and seafood in town. Try the red snapper or the squid with rocket. Often has exhibitions around the understated walls.

One More Pub 16E Street 294 Tel: 017 327 378. (see bars) Oscar Bistro 159 Sisowath Quay Tel: 023 215 179 The popular Bangkok Soi 11 bistro has made its way to the Cambodian capital with its familiar formula of great pizzas, classy cocktails and good wine. Expect the DJs to pump out the beats as you consider where to carry on the evening.

Ozone Poolside Restaurant & Bar Floor 5b, Rose Condo, Bassac Gardens Tel: 092 673 303 Ozone is the new restaurant and bar next to the pool and gym at Rose Condo. New York style pizza, steaks, premium burgers and more.

Enjoy Al Fresco dining or have food delivered to your door.

Paddy Rice 213-217 Sisowath Quay Tel: 023 990 321 www.paddyrice.net (See bars) Petra 8 Street 288 (between St 51 & St 57) Tel: 023 666 3222 089 990 150 Authentic Arabic cuisine, ambiance and chef with rooftop shisha lounge. Located in the heart of BKK1. Special dining experiences with great costumes. Open daily from 10am–11pm.

Public House Street 240 1/2 Tel: 017 770 754 Offering fresh, simple and delicious cuisine set in a modern take on a pub. Open daily, from 11.30am-late (Saturdays from 10.30am and Sunday brunch).

Regency Cafe InterContinental Phnom Penh 296 Mao Tse Tung Blvd.

Tel: 023 424 888 ext. 3603 Regency Cafe features sumptuous international and Asian buffets as well as a la carte dining for the most discerning palates. Open daily from 6am-10.30pm Restaurant Tell 13 Street 90 Tel: 023 430 650 Up-market eatery that re-creates the genuine feel of an Alpine chalet, has a spacious indoor

restaurant and outdoor terrace with rotisserie and bar. European menu with imported steaks, fondue, raclette and an extensive wine list.

Open 11.30am-2pm, 5pm-11pm.

Rising Sun 20 Street 178.

Tel: 012 970 718 (see bars) Riverside Bistro Cnr. Sisowath Quay & Street 148 Tel: 012 277 882 023 213 898 Popular restaurant with expats and tourists alike mainly due to its large outdoor terrace area to view the river. Serves a mixture of Asian and western food with an emphasis on German cuisine. Has rock music videos and a pool table in the music bar at the back. Open from 7am-2am.

Riverhouse Asian Bistro 157 Sisowath Quay Tel: 023 212 302 www.riverhousecambodia.com Well known as one of the oldest French colonial buildings on the riverfront with breezy views along the Tonle Sap & Mekong River.

The elegant restaurant and bar offers a special beverage menu, featuring delectable cocktails, quality wines, single malts and freshly squeezed juices. Open daily from 10am-2am Samba Brazilian Steakhouse 64 Sihanouk Blvd.

Tel: 023 222 599 Experience the unique Brazilian Churrasco way of cooking with a large variety of meats skewered and roasted to perfection and served piping hot direct from the skewers to your plate! Open daily 11am-3pm, 5pm10.30pm.

Stella Restaurant 55 Street 75 Tel: 099 574 188 012 735 002 A cozy restaurant located near Wat Phnom, Stella serves pizzas, grilled food and Asian cuisine in a peaceful garden atmosphere.

Steve’s Steakhouse 8 Street 240 Tel: 023 987 320 Longstanding restaurant specialising in local grain-fed beef as well as a large variety of imported steaks, hamburgers, ribs and Greek cuisine. Has a terraced lounge with pool tables upstairs as well as a sports bar with large screen TV and happy hour from 12pm-7pm.

Open daily from 11am-10.30pm.

Stockholm European Restaurant 45 Street 288 (between Streets 63 & Monivong Blvd) Tel: 081 845 957 A warm welcome to everyone who wants to try a home-made Swedish and other European meals. It is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Closed on Sunday.

Stonegrill 649 Sisovath Quay Tel: 023 999 950 www.stonegrill.com.kh Stonegrill offers a unique interactive dining experience where diners meals are served cooking at the table on natural volcanic stones heated to 400C (752F). Open daily 11am-midnight.

Sunset Blvd Cnr. Sisowath Quay & Street 148 Tel: 012 277 882 012 887 702 River crossing sets off from Riverside Bistro every 30 minutes to this 50s style retro bistro, near Sokha Hotel, Tickets $4.

The Exchange/The Vault 28 Street 47 Tel: 078 886 889 Large colonial mansion contains The Vault, Phnom Penh’s first private member’s club for those who have $1000 to burn. Underneath, the Exchange has elegant exposed brickwork

and low lighting as well as an impressive fusion menu. Open daily, 10am-midnight.

The Tiger’s Eye 49 Sothearos Boulevard After Common Tiger closed its doors in October, chef Timothy Bruyns’ latest venture comes in the form of The Tiger’s Eye, serving up his innovative dishes from the former home of Duck.

The Quay 277 Sisowath Quay Tel: 023 224 894 Food is a mix of tapas and more substantial offerings, and excellent malbec. Roof-top bar closed for refurbishment. Open daily from 7am-11pm.

The Lost Room 43 Street 21 Tel: 078 700 001 A hidden gem, with eclectic food in an urbane environment. This small restaurant and bar offers small plates of food for sharing.

Using imported and local foods, the menu encompasses global foods and unique cocktail and wine listings at reasonable prices. Caring and experienced staff makes for a pleasant evening. Open from 5pm, Monday to Saturday.

Kitchen closes at 10pm. Lunch by appointment only.

The Shop 102 1B Street 102 (Inside Central Mansion) Tel: 077 666 115 The Shop restaurant proposes a large range of fresh bread, pastries, chocolates, Western and Asian food. At night time, the atmosphere becomes cozier and offers a selection of fine wines and cocktails to accompany the dinner menu. Customers have access to the nearby swimming pool, making it the perfect place for families.

World Dining 2/F Aeon Mall, 132 Samdach Sothearos Blvd, Tel: 023 90 17 77 (See restaurants Cambodia) Zino Wine Bar and Restaurant 12 Street 294 Tel: 023 998 519 Zino offers a comprehensive wine list by the glass and bottle, professionally made cocktails and a constantly evolving Mediterranean and Asian menu. Open daily for lunch and dinner.

Kitchen closes at 11pm.

Italian Aria D’Italia 41EO Street 310 Tel: 012 840 705 Cute little Italian pizzeria tucked away between Street 57 and Street 63. Well-priced lunch set menu and homemade ravioli. Home delivery available. Open 10.30am-2pm, 5.30pm-10pm.

Bistro Romano NagaWorld Hotel and Casino, Hun Sen Park Tel: 023 228 822 Best known for its sumptuous Sunday Prosecco Brunch, this stylised Italian restaurant in the NagaWorld complex specialises in Italian cuisine.

Open daily 11am-11pm.

Café Monivong Raffles Hotel Le Royal.

Tel: 023 981 888 Indulge in homemade antipasti, fresh prepared pasta and risotto as well as oven-baked, crispy pizzas and pair it all with the finest selection of Italian wines, every Saturday night 6pm-10pm.

Do Forni Sofitel Phnom Penh Phokeethra 26 Sothearos Blvd.

Tel: 023 999 200 Sophisticated Italian diner set in the grounds of the Sofitel hotel, dishes up much more than your basic pizza and pasta. Excellent range of wines, dimmed lighting and plush surroundings make this an excellent romantic meal for two option.

Open daily 6.30pm-10pm.

Genova Italian Restaurant 20 Street 118. Tel: 012 390 039 This small restaurant has the feel of an Italian trattoria with food just like mamma made. The spaghetti al pesto Genovese is its signature dish.

Good range of meat and fish dishes as well as some Khmer dishes. Open daily 10am-midnight.

endorsed

Il Forno Restaurant Phnom Penh 11 Street 302 Tel: 081 660 515 Traditional imported ingredients from Italy to keep all of recipes 100 percent Italian. Wine bar for nice aperitivo, lunch special menus and weekly specials for dinner.

Italian House 2 Street 312 (end of Street 9) Tel: 092 230 207 Italian chef. Wooden fire oven. Pizzeria, antipasti, pasta, salads, desserts, offering delivery and catering around BKK I area. Open daily from 5.30pm-10.30pm.

La Volpaia 20–22 Street 13 Tel: 023 992 739 Part of a global pizzeria chain that includes Florence, Tokyo, Seoul and Phnom Penh, the cuisine is excellent with pizza and pasta cooked fresh in front of your eyes.

Luna 6C Street 29 Tel: 023 220 895 Stunning garden courtyard with day beds and couches as well as outdoor tables and chairs or air-conditioned interior. Excellent homemade pasta, wood fired pizza and contemporary Italian cuisine. Great selection of wines from climate controlled cellar. Now also offering brunch on weekends.

Pop Café da Giorgio 371 Sisowath Quay Tel: 012 562 892 Sophisticated, small Italian restaurant located next to the FCC that serves light, contemporary Italian cuisine including fresh pasta and pizzas.

Delivery service available – last orders 9.30pm.

Open daily 11.30am-2.30pm, 6pm-10pm.

Terrazza 1c Street 282.

Tel: 023 214 660 www.terrazza.asia Experience Italy in Phnom Penh.

Fine Italian restaurant and Deli shop.

Open daily from noon-10pm, deli shop, 9am-9pm.

Japanese & Korean Fusion Sushi Cnr. Streets 47 & 84 Tel: 023 986 114 Located inside Cara Hotel this beautifully decorated restaurant dishes up excellent Japanese and Korean food.

Hachi Sofitel Phnom Penh Phokeethra 26 Sothearos Blvd Tel: 023 999 200 ext: 6612 A taste of Japan in a Zen atmosphere with tatami rooms and sushi bar. Open daily, 11.30am-2.30pm, 6.30pm-10.30pm.

Kan Ji Japanese Restaurant 128f Sothearos Blvd.

Tel: 016 318 383 016 312 828.

Kan Ji is three floors of Japanese culinary delight in a bright and modern setting.

Open for lunch and dinner, it features a stylish mix of ancient and modern creative cuisine.

Open daily, 11.30am–2.30pm, 5.30pm– 10.30pm.

Cafe Sushi 6HEo Sothearos Boulevard Tel: 023 900 185 Following in the footsteps of the success of its Sihanoukville sushi joinT, Cafe Sushi is a relaxed sushi bar serving fresh food cooked by a Japanese chef. Open Monday to Saturday, from 11am to 2pm and 5pm to 10pm.

The Life Aquatic Kate Burbridge The rains are abating. We are entering silly season, between Water Festival and the Khmer and Chinese New Years, encompassing Christmas, Western New Year and probably Easter. The weather is fine and temperate, perfect to get away from the city. Unfortunately this is not an original idea. Citizens, residents, tourists, everybody’s friends and relations; between them all it seems as though there is hardly a square metre of this increasingly popular and accessible country where one can really get far from the madding crowd.

The best solution is to board a boat, head out into the wide blue yonder and submerge yourself in the cool, peaceful, weightless and endlessly fascinating underwater world.

Accompanied only by the somewhat amplified sound of your own breathing, a select handful of fellow sub-aquatic fanatics and a range of wildlife that is impossible to document in just one, two or even five or six trips, you can truly relax and quite literally leave all the cares of the world behind, or rather, above you.

The feeling of weightlessness is one of the most relaxing, mentally and physically, sensations to be found, unparallelled anywhere it is liberating.

Some days it is worth diving for that feeling alone.

If you’re not experienced, a complete novice, or concerned about safety, which is only right and proper, there

are conscientious companies here with a great deal of experience, patience and safety records. If spare time is at a premium it is possible to start learning in the heart of Phnom Penh, although you will have to head south to finish the course and see some fish.

Be responsible. Do some research, canvas opinion from friends, from the internet, check out the websites or the various diving associations – PADI, BSAC, CMAS, SSI. Be your own mystery shopper, ask questions, awkward questions, examine equipment, talk to the people who will be in charge of your safety and enjoyment.

Of course, you are never alone (diving alone would be insane and against regulations and all well informed advice) you have your buddy or buddies, your guide and hundreds and hundreds of darting, drifting, shiny, rainbow-hued creatures at which to marvel. The myriad life in the waters off Cambodia can surprise even the most experienced diver. Ok, there isn’t anything huge or wildly rare but what there is is there in glorious technicolor abundance. All of it accessible in relatively shallow (max.

18m), warm, friendly waters with no thermocline and very little current between you and blissing out with the sea life.

When it all comes together you will thank me, you will relax with the fishes. And you will do it again. And again.

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real taste of Japan. Noodles and accompanying soups and sauces are prepared from scratch using traditional methods and fresh ingredients.

Open from 11am-2.30pm and 5.30pm-9pm.

Closed every second Wednesday.

Yuzu 1 Street 360 Tel: 095 600 400.

Specialising in ramen, tempura and makisushi in chic surroundings. Open daily from 11am-10pm

Mexican & Tex-Mex Alley Cat Café Off Street 19 (side street behind Royal Art School) Tel: 012 306 845 Small, friendly patio café serving good Mexican food and claiming to have the biggest burgers in town. Weekly specials and live music on Sundays.

Freebird 69 Street 240 Tel: 023 224 712 Aircon American bar with neon lighting, a variety of memorabilia, comfortable seats and rock music. International menu with good lunch offers, an excellent range of bottled sauces, excellent International, Mexican food and burgers. Open 7am-midnight.

Taqueria Corona 14E Street 51 Tel: 089 281 626 012 629 986 Enjoy our Mexican specialties, barbacoa, al pastor, Texas chile, carnitas, pollo and carne asoda in our festive dining room. Open daily from 11.30am-2pm, 6pm-10pm (Sunday evenings only).

Ninja Dining & Bar Ninja 1 BBK1, 14b, Street 278 Tel: 097 772 1556 Japanese dining establishment that is open from 11.30am to midnight Ninja 2 Toul Tom Pong 54, Street 454 Tel: 096 390 6091 Sister establishment to the Ninja Dining & Bar that has slightly different dining hours; open 11am-11pm.

Noodle Bar Osan 27b, Street 294, BKK1 Tel: 097 932 7067 The best Japanese ramen noodle restaurant in Phnom Penh offering you food prepared by a master ramen Chef from Japan who was featured in various TV shows in Japan as one of the leading Ramen chefs. Lunch 11.30am-2pm

and dinner 5.30pm-11pm.

Origami 88 Sothearos Bvd. Tel: 012 968 095 Up-market, contemporary Japanese restaurant with a spacious air-con area downstairs and four private rooms upstairs. Specialises in sushi and tempura, and has Asahi, Kirin and Sapporo beers. Open daily 11.30am-2pm, 5.30pm9.30pm.

Pepper Lunch AEON Mall, Phnom Penh.

Tel: 015 888 178 www.pepperlunch.com.kh Tasty sound on the hot plate. Well-known beef pepper rice, curry with meat, combo menu of meat and fish. Open daily from 9am-10pm Udon Café Green Bowl 29B Street 288 Tel: 086 426 530 Freshly made Sanuki-style udon noodles offer a

Salsa Cabana Buena 46 Street 288 (between St. 57 & St. 63) Tel: 097 697 8810 Home-made Mexican and Latin food nachos, quesadillas, tacos chili, enchiladas, tapas and vegetarian food. $3 Corona, margaritas and mojitos. Open 11am-2pm, 5pm-11pm. Closed Tuesdays.

Sunrise Taco 171 Street 63 (corner St 282) Tel: 077 85 45 45 Daily from 5pm-7pm buy 1 get 1 free margaritas. Open daily from 11am-10pm.

Vegetarian The Vegetarian 158 Street 19 Tel: 077 900 210 012 905 766 With a lush garden space in the heart of Phnom Penh, The Vegetarian provides a relaxing dining experience. Whether it be amok, curry or tom yam, the restaurtant creates vegetarian versions of popular Cambodian, Indian and Thai dishes.

Open 10.30am-8.30pm, closed Sundays.

Vego’s 3E0 Street 51

Tel: 012 984 596 Salad bar offering bagels, salads and wraps with a wide array of super fresh toppings.

Choose from ready-made or DIY options. Also on offer are a vegetarian soup of the day as well as fresh-squeezed juices, yogurt and granola.

Bars The Alley Bar Street 240½, Phnom Penh.

Tel: 095 222 405 A big bar in a small alley. Spacious inside and with seating on the quaint alley in the open, this lounge bar and eatery is also home to live entertainment in the evenings.

Aristocrat Cigar Bar NagaWorld Hotel and Casino, Hun Sen Park.

Tel: 023 228 822 Club aimed at attracting wealthy expats and Khmers who like a good cigar and glass of wine. Not as stuffy as you might imagine with cigars from $10. Open daily from noonmidnight.

Bar.sito Street 240½ Tel: 077 960 413 Cocktail bar, serving especially designed cocktails, ice-cold beers, red and white wines, champagnes and spirits. Open daily, 5pm-late.

Cadillac Bar and Grill 219 E0 Sisowath Quay.

Tel: 011 713 567 Riverfront air-con bar and restaurant.

Has good American cuisine as well as a riverfront vantage.

Chez Rina Cocktail Lounge 6 Street 98 Round the corner of Brown’s Riverside Tel: 017 259 955 Phnom Penh’s coolest lounge in a beautifully restored 1890s space in the historic old French Quarter around the Post Office. The focus is on cocktails and conversation. Open 5pm-12pm. Closed Sunday.

The Chinese House 45 Sisowath Quay, Phnom Penh.

Tel: 092 553 330 (See Restaurants international) Elephant Bar Raffles Hotel Le Royal Street 92 Tel: 023 981 888 The wicker chairs and carpet may have gone, but the newly re-styled Elephant Bar still exudes the character of a time gone by – you can imagine Jackie Kennedy drinking here. Its many signature cocktails, including the former First Lady-inspired femme fatale, make this a popular place with expats especially during the two-for-one happy hours (4pm-8pm).

Open 2pm-midnight from Monday to Friday.

Living

ICHING Decor

INTERIOR DESIGN & FURNITURE

we heave a new address! #31 maotsetoung blvd tel: 023214285 / 092660746 64 AsiaLIFE Cambodia

Saturday and Sunday from noon to midnight.

Eluvium Lounge 205a Street 19 Tel: 023 986 221 Nestled on the rooftop of Aura Hostel, this elegant lounge bar pairs great views with specialty cocktails and wine, daily from 5pm to midnight. Live music once a week.

(see Restaurants, French) The Library Bassac Lane, off Street 308 Tel: 095 366 243 Stocked with books, this intimate corner bar serves daiquiris, cocktails, beers and wines.

The ideal place to bring out the bookworm in you. Open Tuesday to Sunday, 5pm-11pm.

Est Bar 19z, Street 214 Tel: 023 998 227 Email: indulge@estbar.com www.estbar.com Cocktail bar/ supper club offering sophisticated indoor and outdoor drinking and dining (tapas and charcuterie) from 6pm-2am Mon-Sat, ideally located for those who want to take in a premium vodka or excellent light snack before hitting one of the nearby clubs.

FCC 363 Sisowath Quay Tel: 023 724 014 (See Restaurants international)

Le Bar Sofitel Phnom Penh Phokeethra, 26 Sothearos Blvd.

Tel: 023 999 200 A modern colonial style lobby bar with a fine selection of comfort food, tapas, champagnes, wines, premium spirits and large selection of coffees and teas.

Freebird 69 Street 240 Tel: 023 224 712 (See Restaurants, Mexican & Tex-Mex) Grand River Restaurant Corner of Street 178 Tel: 023 220 244 012 962 616 012 248 694 Khmer and Western Food. Variety of wines and cocktails. Happy hour 4.30pm-7.30pm. Open daily from 7am-midnight.

Hangar 44 Bassac Lane, off Street 308 Tel: 077 555 447 Not just a bar but also home to Moto Cambodge’s showroom, this venue is full of vintage and classic motorbikes and accessories.

Open Tuesday to Sunday, 5pm-11pm.

Harry’s Bassac Lane, off Street 308 Tel: 077 555 447 As well as being a rooftop martini bar, the downstairs of this vintage outlet doubles up as an antique shop flogging everything from pocket watches and boots to aviator sunglasses and cufflinks. Just ask the owners if you have anything valuable you wish them to pawn for you. Open Tuesday to Sunday, 5pm-11pm.

Howie’s Bar 32 Street 51 Long-standing mainstay of the expat scene and popular late night hang-out, especially around the ‘mini’ pool table, where Howie’s rules apply. Great rock tunes and a timeless atmosphere, that is until it’s time to go to bed.

Open 7pm-6am.

K West 1 Street 154 (Cnr. Sisowath Quay), Tel: 023 214 747

Le Moon Cnr of Sisowath Quay & Street 154 Tel: 023 214 747 Rooftop terrace bar at Amanjaya Hotel has arguably the best view of the river of any of the city’s rooftop bars. Full bar and small food menu, while the service is slow enough to afford you sufficient time to soak up the view.

Liquid 3B Street 278 Tel: 023 720 157 Welcoming open air bar and has one of the best pool tables in town with happy hour from 5pm-8pm.

Princeton School Taking Admissions NOW for Term 4 (Starting Monday, 18th of April) Princeton School 2016 Special Offers Join us now with NO CAPITAL FEE until August 2016!

Princeton Program We offer both half and full day programs for 4 age groups Toddler (2-3 years old) Pre-Nursery (3-4 years old) Nursery (4-5 years old) Pre-School (5-6 years old) Summer and winter camp programs Kids Clubs Open for children of all ages. Sign up now - 3pm to 4pm weekdays.

Mandarin Chinese Club Spanish Club Hip Hop Dance Club Arts & Crafts Club

Lobby Lounge 296 Mao Tse Tung Blvd, (InterContinental Hotel) Tel: 023 424 888 An elegant lounge situated in the l obby of the Intercontinental Hotel.

Reasonable prices and excellent service.

Open daily from 10am-11.30pm.

CALL 017 373 376 for more information OR visit us at No. 4A, Street 75, Sangkat Sraschark Phnom Penh.

LIKE us on Facebook: Princeton School Phnom Penh VISIT our website: www.princeton-school.com

Meta House 37 Sothearos Blvd. canta.pdf 1 1/12/2016 (opposite Phnom Penh Centre) Tel: 023 218 987 010 312 333 www.meta-house.com Multi-media arts centre established by German film-maker Nico Mesterham has a very cool bar. Open from 2pm-midnight. Princeton School Ad AsiaLIFE 27.03.2016.indd 1 Closed Mondays.

8:54:51 AM

3/28/16 3:55 PM

Metro Café Sisowath Quay & Street 148 Tel: 023 222 275 (see Restaurants, international) One More Pub 16E Street 294 Tel: 017 327 378 English-style bar with comfortable wooden bar stools. No hip hop or techno, only great classic 60s and 70s music. Has terracottatiled terrace and 3 guest rooms upstairs.

C Open from 5pm to late, happy hour from 5pm-7pm.

Closed Sundays.

M Oscar Bistro 159 Sisowath Quay Tel: 023 215 179

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(see Restaurants, international) Red Bar 15 Street 308 Unassuming in appearance, Red Bar becomes rammed at weekends with the expat crowd clamouring for the cheap drinks. Popular with the journalist crowd. Open daily.

inspiring arts

Rising Sun 20 Street 178 Tel: 012 970 718 English-style pub with reliable breakfast, meat pies and hamburgers. Has a regular following around the bar at night especially on Fridays. Great posters of British films and TV classics adorn the walls. Ideal for that touch of nostalgia and good fish and chips – though not wrapped in a newspaper. Open daily from 7am until late.

Sovannaphum Arts Association Cambodian Living Arts (CLA) works with artists, troupes, and organisations from across Cambodia. Each month, we will tell one of their stories.

Founded in 1994, Sovannaphum Arts Association is only theatre in Phnom Penh where traditional shadow puppet shows are performed. We spoke with founder and artistic director Man Kosal, and artist Hang Phumara.

Shadow Puppet Theatre, or Lakhon Sbaek in Khmer, is rarely performed in Phnom Penh because performances require about 20 skilled artists and a set of large and intricate puppets.

These figures are often more than one metre in diameter, and are made of cow or goat hide (sbaek).

The story typically performed is the Reamker, the Cambodian version of the epic poem the Ramayana.

“Most of the time, non-local audiences come to the show. And the number of local audience increased just last year,” says Kosal.

Sovannaphum also stage small shadow puppet performances, the traditional masked theatre Lakhon Khaol, and recently some contemporary pieces. Music played by different and unique instruments accompanies the regular shows.

Kosal told us how happy

and proud he is to give audiences the opportunity to see these unique art forms.

The arts space is a theatre by dusk, but also a workshop at dawn. Visitors can watch the process of making puppets from start to finish. They can even experience making puppets themselves, and take home a unique souvenir.

Kosal says that some visitors spend three to seven days at the workshop learning how to make puppets.

Visitors are also welcome to walk around the workshop and see the gallery of puppets on display – the unique collection includes some pieces that are more than 20-years-old.

Kosal and his assistant, Phumara, are highly committed to providing the best shadow puppet show in the capital, but they still want to give more and more people the chance to experience these performances.

“What we are doing is for the sake of Cambodian arts and we will continue our work until our last minute,” says Phumara.

To find out about upcoming performances at Sovannaphum’s theatre, visit sovannaphumtheatre.com or call 010 816 040 / 011 754 142. Their stage is just 20 minutes from the Royal Palace, and there are shows every Friday and Saturday.

To learn more about Cambodian Living Arts, find CLA on Facebook, @CamboLivingArts on Twitter, CambodianLivingArts on Instagram, or visit cambodianlivingarts.org.

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Riverside Bistro Cnr. Sisowath Quay & Street 148, Tel: 012 277 882 / 023 213 898 (See Restaurants International) Samai Distillery 9b Street 830.

Tel: 023 224 143 A rum distillery by day and bar every Thursday night, this spot is popular with the cool crowd, serving up potently strong cocktails to upbeat sounds every Thursday evening. Has taken over the Elsewhere mantle of the place to be seen.

Seibur Street 308 Tel: 092 839 440 Aperitif room.

Open seven days, from 5pm-11pm.

Sharky Bar 126 Street 130 Tel: 012 228 045 www.sharkybar.blogspot.com A place where anything can happen, and a popular live music venue. Serves good Mexican food, with daily specials. Plenty of pool tables and competitions. Open 4pm-2am.

The Tap Room Kingdom Breweries 1748, National Road 5.

Tel: 023 430 180 www.kingdombreweries.com State of the art European brewery specialising in premium pilsner. Tours of the facility are organised on a regular basis, culminating in frothy cold ones at the brewery’s bar

overlooking the Tonle Sap. Touk Restaurant and Bar 357 Sisowath Quay, corner of Street 178 Tel: 023 219 059 012 248 694 017 486 786 Live bands, buffet salad and BBQ every Saturday and Friday night at this lofty riverside venue. Happy hour from 4.30pm-7.30pm Zeppelin Bar 109C Street 51 Tel: 012 881 181 More than 1,000 vinyl albums played by well-known DJ owner in small bar. Remarkably good food (dumping’s are great) especially late at night. Open daily 5pm-4am.

Clubs Club Love 3 Street 278 Tel: 0973 131 947 As one of the newest kids on the block, Club Love is aimed at the backbacker and spillover expat crowd looking for somewhere to dance with cheap drinks well into the early hours.

Open Monday to Saturday, 11pm-4pm.

Darlin Darlin NagaWorld Hotel and Casino Tel: 023 228 822 Top-end nightclub with live music popular among the high-flyers of the city. Semi-private booths in a chic environment make for an unrivalled experience. Open daily from 7pm-late.

Epic Sothearos Blvd. (near Russian Embassy) Tel: 010 600 608 As the latest luxury nightspot to hit the capital, Epic is taking elite clubbing to the next level.

The spacious venue serves up a range of top-shelf liquors, cocktails and Champagne to the sounds of international DJs. Open daily from 9pm to 5am.

Heart of Darkness 38 Street 51 Tel: 023 222 415 One of the most famous of the city’s nightspots with a good-sized dance floor make this the in-place in town. Has well priced spirits and mixers.

Nova 19 Street 214

Tel: 097 716 5000 Popular with the upmarket Khmer crowd, Nova features DJs from across the region. VIP areas cater to those who want to escape the crowded dance floor. Open daily from 9pm to 4am.

Pontoon 80 Street 172 Tel: 010 300 400 As a stalwart on the capital’s clubbing scene, a mix of international and local DJs can be found pumping out the tunes seven nights a week until the early hours. Different themed nights run throughout the week. Open Sunday to Thursday, 9pm-4am, Friday and Saturday, 9pm-5am.

Pontoon Pulse 80 Street 172 Tel: 010 300 400 As a sister club to Pontoon, and located beside the main club, Pontoon Pulse brings some of the capital’s finest electronic music to dedicated clubbers. A cool place to chill if the main venue is getting to pumping for your tastes.

Pontoon Pulse 80 Street 172 Tel: 010 300 400 As a sister club to Pontoon, and located beside The latest addition to Pontoon and the capital’s first official after hour’s club, closing its doors at 7am, this chic space is also located adjacent to Pontoon’s main room.

Vito 8 Street 214, Tel: 010 421 421 Pumping out all the memorable classics from the 70s to the 90s, Vito’s dancefloor gets packed at weekends with the nostalgia crowd - both young and old. Open daily from 9pm-3am.

LISTINGS

Gay-Friendly Arthur & Paul Males Bar and Spa 27 Street 71 Tel: 023 212 814 077 892 256 www.arthurand paul.com The first gay (men-only) venue in Phnom Penh.

Features steam baths and sensual showers, spa and hotel. Ease muscle tension, chat, have a Jacuzzi or relax in one of the private rooms. After using our facilities or swimming, enjoy a drink in the bar or relax in the restaurant and lounge or around the pool.

Blue Chilli 36 Street 178 Tel: 012 566 353 www.bluechillibar.com This welcoming bar run by Thai national Oak is currently the number one gay bar in town.

The drag shows on Friday and Saturday are an additional draw. Open 5pm-late.

The Rainbow Bar 73 Street 172 Tel: 097 741 4187 Intimate bar designed to get to know people better has a range of well-designed cocktails to make the night go with a swing.

Wine Bars Bouchon Wine Bar 3-4 Street 246 Tel: 077 881 103 Classy wine bar with a wide selection of wines from across the globe, plus a selection of handcrafted cocktails and eats. Open Tuesday to Sunday, 4pm-midnight.

Open Wine 219 Street 19 Tel: 023 233 527 Large wine shop and deli with well-priced wines from around the world. Has outside dining area.

Open daily 7am-11pm.

Zino Wine Bar and Restaurant 12 Street 294 Tel: 023 998 519 Zino offers a comprehensive wine list by the glass and bottle, professionally made cocktails and a constantly evolving Mediterranean and Asian menu. Open for lunch and dinner 7 days a

culture Cinemas Le Cinema 218 Street 184 (French Institute) Tel: 023 213 124 100-seat cinema shows International art house and mainstream movies with occasional films in English. Children’s cinema on Saturday mornings at 10am.

Major Cineplex Aeon Mall Tel: 023 90 1111 Major Cineplex is located on the second floor of the Aeon Mall Phnom Penh and is the biggest cinema complex in Cambodia with multiple screens, 3D and 4D theatres, showing the latest blockbusters from Asia and Hollywood. Open daily 9am-midnight Meta House 37 Sothearos Blvd (opp. Phnom Penh centre) Tel: 012 607 465 Movie shorts and documentaries from Cambodia and the rest of Asia.

Movies normally start at 7pm, closed Mondays.

Platinum Cineplex 5th Floor Sorya Shopping Centre Tel: 081 666 210 www.platinumcineplex.com.kh International-standard three-screen cineplex featuring the latest Digital 3D technology and the most recent Hollywood and international releases, located in the heart of downtown with ample parking, shopping and eating options. Open 9am-11pm.

The Empire Movie House 34 Street 130 Tel: 077 468 243 As an independent art-house, Empire screens documentaries, indie films, cult classics and

regional films. Also features a bar and eating area. Open daily from 4pm to 11pm.

The Flicks 1. 39b Street 95 (BKK3) 2. 85 Street 136 (Daun Penh) 3. 8 Street 252 (Chaktomuk) Local expat oriented movie houses with revolving schedule of international films and art house films, screened in comfy air conditioned movie rooms. Option to hire the movie room for a private session (max 30 people). Minimum two screenings per day.

Cover charge $3.50.

Galleries Bophana Audiovisual Resource Centre 64 Street 200 Tel: 023 992 174 Preserving much of Cambodia’s audiovisual material, has regular exhibitions.

Open 8am-6pm Mon-Fri, 2pm-6pm Sat. Dori Thy Gallery 12R Street 256 Tel: 012 661 552 Features the black and white photographs of German photographer, Doris Boettcher. Open Saturday and Sunday 10am-6pm.

FCC Phnom Penh 363 Sisowath Quay Tel 023 724 014 This riverfront restaurant has a permanent, rotating exhibition devoted to to some of the finest reportage and photography.

French Institute 218 Street 184 Tel: 023 213 124 Offers cultural activities including exhibitions, festivals, and film screenings to promote French and Khmer culture. Onsite shop Carnets d’Asie offers a selection of French books.

Java Café & Gallery 56 Sihanouk Blvd Tel: 023 987 420 www.javaarts.org Contemporary art gallery with regular exhibitions of Cambodian and international artists, as well as performing artists. Has second gallery on the ground floor. Website has details about Cambodia’s contemporary art scene.

Meta House 37 Sothearos Blvd.

Tel: 010 312 333

Short films, documentaries and art films from Asia and the rest of the world screened daily. International food also served, regular DJs perform throughout the week.

Open Tuesday to Sunday, 4pm-11pm – open late at weekends with DJs and parties.

Reyum Institute of Arts & Culture 47 Street 178 Tel: 023 217 149 Gallery with regular exhibitions of Cambodian artists. Part of an NGO established to preserve traditional and contemporary Cambodian art.

Sa Sa Bassac 18 Sothearos Boulevard, Upstairs.

An expansion of the Sa Sa Art Gallery and a merger with Bassac Art Projects, Sa Sa Bassac is an artist-run gallery for contemporary art. Includes a library, reading and workshop room, and a 60-metre gallery space. Ongoing visual literacy programmes.

Performing Arts Amrita Performing Arts 128-G9 Sothearos Blvd.

Tel: 023 220 424 www.amritaperformingarts.org Performance art company that puts on contemporary and classical music and theatre.

Apsara Arts Association 71 Street 598 Tel: 011 550 302 Organisation that promotes Cambodian arts and culture.

Open from 7.30am-10.30am Cambodian Living Arts 128-G9 Sothearos Blvd.

Tel: 023 986 032 www.cambodianlivingarts.org A non-profit arts organisation devoted to the revival and transmission of traditional Khmer performing arts that puts on performances and provides tours.

Chaktomuk Conference Hall Sisowath Quay Tel: 023 725 119 Designed by master Cambodian architect Vann Molyvann, this under-utilised building is worth a visit. Open Monday to Friday, 7am-11.30am and 2pm-5pm.

Chenla Theatre Cnr. Mao Tse Tung & Monireth Blvds.

Tel: 023 883 050 www.culturalcenter-cambodia.com

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One of the capital’s major theatres, it has regular performances of theatre, dance and music.

wellness

Epic Arts 1DE0 Sothearos Blvd.

Tel: 023 998 474 www.epicarts.org.uk Organisation that uses art to empower people with disabilities.

Sovanna Phum Khmer Art Association 166 Street 99, corner of 484 Tel: 023 987 564 Theatre with performances of shadow puppetry, classical and masked dances every Friday and Saturday at 7.30pm.

Pelvic Floor Therapy

For this month’s Wellness Column, SÂMATA Health & Wellness Studio’s Véronique Ngo looks at pelvic floor therapy and its benefits.

Q. Why are the muscles of the pelvic floor important?

A. Muscles of the pelvic area are important because they are like a hammock, or a floor, that support our bladder and rectum, and also the uterus in women.

Strong pelvic floor muscles are key to preventing urinary and anal continence.

During pregnancy and after childbirth, women can have urinary leaks because of damage to muscles in the pelvic floor muscles. This can result in pelvic muscles that have less tone, and don’t contract as much as they should or as much as is needed to prevent leakage.

Q. Who can help with pelvic floor therapy and what is involved?

A. Pelvic floor therapy is usually provided by either a midwife or a physiotherapist. Pelvic floor therapy is primarily used to treat: -urinary or anal leak/ incontinence among infants and adults -pelvic organic prolapses among women Pelvic floor therapy should begin either during pregnancy (if urinary leaks already appeared), or two to three months after childbirth to reap the benefits.

Q. How do I know if I need pelvic floor therapy?

A. One of the aims of pelvic floor therapy is to reinforce pelvic

LISTINGS muscles. Other aims of pelvic floor therapy are to: -educate people about the anatomy of this region to better understand this part of the body -explain muscle functions and how they work together -assess the level of incontinence or pelvic organic prolapse and how this is inconvenient in daily life -make a point concerning urinary and defecation habits Q. What are the different kinds of pelvic floor therapy?

A. Concerning pelvic muscles reinforcement, the treatment methods available are: - “manual” method: an expert practitioner will guide you how and where to contract muscles -“electrotherapy” method: a light electric stimulation, probe will contract your muscles, and show you, when you contract by yourself, how your contraction is efficient.

These methods can be done in isolation or can be combined.

The approach taken depends on an initial incontinence assessment.

The Best Outcome In addition to treatment at the clinic, personal exercises at home are compulsory and should be done regularly, to have the best effectiveness of pelvic floor.

Pelvic floor therapy is most successful in providing both education and improved pelvic floor muscles when there is a personal commitment of the patient to work well alongside the therapist.

Véronique Ngo is a French certified midwife who works at SÂMATA Health & Wellness Studio on 54 Street 306, Phnom Penh. Tel: 095 201 898. Email: info@samatahealthwellness.com.

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leisure & wellness Amusement Cambodian Country Club Street 2004, Group 6 Toeuk Thla Tel: 012 231 755 A peaceful heaven providing tennis, swimming, badminton, fitness centre and horse riding, 15 minutes away from the city. Open from 6.30am-late.

Living Arts Experiences 128-G9 Sothearos Blvd.

Tel: 018 998 570 Email: events@cambodianlivingarts.org Visit local dance, theatre and musical rehearsals of the traditional Khmer arts through Cambodian Living Arts’ Observation Tours. Available in Siem Ream, Phnom Penh & Kampong Speu - call for times and to book in advance.

Phnom Tamao Wildlife Park Phnom Tamao, 44 kilometres out of the capital along Highway 2.

Cambodia’s top wildlife centre. All animals are either rescued from traders or bred at the centre. Many of the animals are critically endangered. Open daily 8am - 4pm.

Boat Cruises The Butterfly Cambodia Tel: 012 602 955 thebutterflycambodia@gmail.com Cambodian river adventures, sunset cruises, birthdays and events to floating villages, Silk Island. Plan your trip, per hour, half-day and full-day rates available.

Classes Equestrian Centre CCC, Street 2004, Group 6 Toeuk Thla Tel: 015 231 755 012 704 759 With 31 ponies and horses, an internationalsized arena and spacious stables, the only horse-riding centre in Phnom Penh Tuesdays to Sundays, 9am-11am and 2pm-5.30pm.

Global Art 1 Street 181 & Street 475 (nr Chinese Embassy) Tel: 023 222 084 087 222 084 World renowned art and creativity programme for young children. Franchisee of Global Art Group. Available in 17 countries with more than 400 centres. worldwide.

Himawari FitnessOne 313 Sisowath Quay (Himawari Hotel Apartments) Tel: 023 214 555 ext 881 www.himawarihotel.com Fully equipped modern gym, international pool, tennis court, steam room, outdoor jacuzzi, full locker room facilities and fitness trainer available for personalised sessions. No matter your age or goals, our fitness centre has something for everyone. Membership or one-day passes available, free for children 10 years old and below.

Open from 6am-10pm.

La Table Khmère Cooking Class 11E Street 278 Tel: 012 238 068 www.phnompenh-cooking-class.com For all those wanting to learn how to prepare traditional Khmer specialties from scratch in a clean and air-conditioned setting. Morning classes include a visit to the local market. Open daily, classes at 9am-3pm.

Music Arts School 14 Street 360 Tel: 023 997 290 www.music-arts-school.org A NGO school providing music training for Cambodians and expats - of all ages and levels - at affordable tuition fees. Learn guitar, piano, violin, vocals, and traditional Khmer instruments.

Also has a scholarship fund to provide music education to the less fortunate.

NataRaj Yoga Studio 52 Street 302 Tel: 012 250 817 / 090 311 341 Welcome everyone to the peaceful yoga studio.

Wide variety of daily drop-in yoga classes and monthly workshops in many styles with internationally qualified teachers. Also runs an NGO yoga programmes for local kids.

Nathan Horton Photography 126 Street 136 Tel: 092 526 706 www.nathanhortonphotography.com Photography tuition and guided tours to Kampong Chnang and Udong, covering technical and creative considerations in the context of travel photography.

Ocarina French Music and Art School 56 Street 350, BKK3 (near Toul Sleng) Tel: 089 257 430 www.ecole-ocarina.com The only French Music and Art school offering a wide range of high-standard after-school activities/Holiday camps/French playgroups by experienced and qualified teachers in a warm and cosy environment. Age: 3 to 17. Based on the renowned French Conservatories’ music curriculum.

Scuba Nation PADI 5* IDC Diving Centre 18 Sothearos Blvd (near FCC) Tel: 012 715 785 www.divecambodia.com Learn to scuba dive in Phnom Penh. The academic and pool part of the course can be done in Phnom Penh and you finish with two days in Sihanoukville on the boat. Offers refresher courses, try dives and kids’ pool parties as well as the full range of courses. Open 9am-6pm, Sat and Sun 9am-5pm.

Simphony Music School 243, Street 51 Tel: 023 727 345 / 097 888 8787 www.simphony.com.kh Simphony Music School is the first official music school in Cambodia recognised by the Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts, Royal Government of Cambodia. The faculty is composed of experienced and qualified music teachers from overseas, speaking fluent English, Chinese, and French. Based on USA curriculum following Orff and Kodály music teaching methods.

The Tennis Club CCC, Street 2004, Group 6 Toeuk Thla Tel: 017 847 802 The two courts are equipped with specially adapted flooring unique in Cambodia, and with quality lightning allowing play past sunset. Skilled English and Cambodian speaking teachers available for private or group lessons. Open daily.

Yoga Phnom Penh 39 Street 21 www.yogaphnompenh.com Daily drop-in classes for all levels with experienced, qualified international teachers.

Classes include Ashtanga yoga, Vinyasa Flow Yoga, Fly Yoga, Fly Fit and Classical yoga. Regular workshops and Bliss weekend also offered.

Chemists U-Care Pharmacy 26-28 Sothearos Blvd. Tel: 023 222 499 39 Sihanouk Blvd. Tel: 023 224 099 41-43 Norodom Blvd. Tel: 023 224 299 844 Kampuchea krom Blvd. Tel: 023 884 004 / 023 207 209 Sisowath Quay Tel: 023 223 499 194 Tro Sork P’em Tel: 023 224 399 www.ucarepharma.com Provide international cosmetic brands, leading imported health & beauty products, only certified medication. Professional advice and convenient and strategic locations. Open daily from 8am10pm.

Counselling Services Alcoholics Anonymous 11 Street 420 Tel: 012 813 731 www.aacambodia.com Meets on Friday, Wednesday and Sunday.

Indigo International Tel: 092 95 44 87 www.indigo-international.org info@indigo-international.org Professional counselling services in English, French or Khmer for adults, adolescents, children, couples, and families. Assessment and intervention services for children and adolescents with learning and developmental difficulties.

Narcotics Anonymous 11 Street 420 Tel: 012 813 731 NA meets on Monday, Thursday at 8pm and Saturday at 7pm.

Dental European Dental Clinic 160A, Norodom Blvd. Tel: 023 211 363 www.europeandentalclinic-asia.com Total dental care, Implant, Orthodontist Treatment by expat dentists. Open Mon - Fri 8am-12pm, 2pm-7pm. Sat, 8am-1pm Malis Dental Clinic 445 Monivong Blvd.

Tel: 012 513 222 / 023 964 142 info@malis-dental.com A Japanese dentist provides professional and high-quality service.

Roomchang 4 Street 184 www.roomchang.com Tel: 023 211 338 Emergency: 011 811 338 World leader in clinical implant dentistry.

Complete state of the art dental hospital. In depth consultations on all procedures. True precision with digital and robotic technology for an optimum clinical result. Excellent customer service.

Shigeta Dental Clinic 25 Street 294 cnr Street 21 Tel: 023 223 225 / 010705083 Email: info@shigetadental.com www.shigedental.com High-end Japanese Dental Clinic that caters for your dental needs. Open from Monday to Sunday 8am-8pm.

Gyms The InterContinental Fitness Centre 3/F Mao Tse Tung Blvd.

Tel: 023 424 888 ext. 5000 A sophisticated retreat from the crowds, The InterContinental Fitness Centre is the place to attain peak performance and wellbeing. Pump up with a full body workout on state-of-the-art equipment, benefit from the experience and guidance of qualified trainers, and relax all year round in the open-air swimming pool.

Fitness Centre CCC, Street 2004, Group 6 Toeuk Thla Tel: 015 704 759 Achieve individual targets whether sports specific or to tone, lose weight, build strength or improve cardiovascular fitness for a healthier and fitter lifestyle. Open daily 6.30am-late.

Raffles Amrita Spa Raffles Le Royal Hotel Tel: 023 981 888 Modern gym and pool in Phnom Penh’s most elegant hotel. Use of gym, pool, sauna and Jacuzzi is available to non-guests. Open 6am10pm.

Phokeethra Sports Club Sofitel Phnom Penh Phokeetra Tel: 023 999 200 Enjoy socialising and friendly interaction. The complex features a fitness centre including an outdoor pool with a children’s area, an activities studio (yoga, steps, Pilates, kick boxing), two squash courts and four floodlit tennis courts.

Open 6am-10pm.

rambutan hotels&resorts

www.rambutans.info - bookings@rambutansr.com +855(0)12 654 638 +855(0)63 766 655

DIM

The Gym at The Place 90 Sihanouk Blvd.

Tel: 023 999 699 Modern establishment featuring a fully equipped gym and weekly classes in dance, yoga and aerobics. Open 6am-10pm Mon-Fri, 8am-10pm Sat-Sun.

All-You-Can-Eat Dim Sum, Asian delights & Peking Duck station $19.80 or $28 with unlimited

Hairdressers

Tsingtao beer, wines & chilled juices

De Gran Japan 52 Street 306 near Monivong Blvd. www.degranjapan.com Tel: 011 354 700 (Reservation only) Set in a nice villa with highly skilled and experienced experts from Japan, focusing on haircuts, nails, eyelash extensions, reflexology and acupuncture. Open Wednesday to Monday from 10am-7pm.

The Dollhouse 46AE0 Street 322 Tel: 010 329 999 / 016 620 907 www.dollhousecambodia.com Salon offers cutting, colouring and various treatments, including the Brazilian Keratin Treatment with Collagen to replenish the condition of your hair. Western hairdresser with international experience. Open Tues-Sat 9am-7pm, Sun 11am7pm, closed Monday.

SUM

BRUNCH

10.30AM TO 2.30PM Every Saturday at Fu Lu Zu restaurant H6526@SOFITEL.COM | 023 999 200 Prices are exclusive of all applicable taxes

AW - SPP - AsiaLife - Dim Sum Brunch.indd 1

6/21/2016 9:54:31 AM

The French Element Himawari Hotel Unit D, 313 Sisowath Quay Tel: 077 283 332 www.thefrenchelement.com Over-looking the Tonle Sap, wonderful spot to relax and pamper yourself. Offering all hair services such as highlights, colour, cut, Brazilian Keratin Treatment and more. International hairdresser. OpenMonday to Saturday, 10am8pm, Grow Tokyo 1st Floor St. 63 corner Street 322 Tel: 023 987 330 Look good and feel good with a team of top professionals. Grow is an expanding hair salon that started life in Japan and spread to Australia and now Cambodia. The creative team is waiting to make clients feel great.

Kate Korpi Salon 6 Floor inside Sun City corner of Street 51 & Street 370 Tel: 023 988 166 www.katekorpisalon.com Kate Korpi Salon is Phnom Penh’s newest premier salon. Stylists from around the globe provide a full range of services including hairstyles, skin care and Dermalogica Microzone treatments. Open Tuesday 11am-8pm. Wed-Sat 10am-6pm.

Toni & Guy 1/F Aeon Mall Tel: 023 901 190 Toni & Guy Cambodia will bring 50 years of hair fashion heritage to Phnom Penh. Originally from UK, there are now over 400 salons worldwide.

Specialist stylists for cuts and colourists to give the colour you want from the UK and Japan.

Uses Label M products. Open every day from 10am-8pm.

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Medical American Medical Centre Ground Floor Cambodiana Hotel 313 Sisowath Quay Tel: 023 991 863 Led by American surgeon, team of international and Khmer doctors provide general practice services to clients. Can arrange emergency evacuation. 24/7 service.

International Chiropractic Clinic 67 Bis Street 240, (100m from Monivong Blvd.)

Tel: 023 223 101 www.cambodiachiropractic.com First and only Chiropractic clinic licensed in Cambodia. Our chiropractors are US trained and we provide modern Chiropractic care, physiotherapy and custom made medical grade orthotics.

Open Mon-Fri 8.30am-6pm, Sat 8.30am-1pm.

International SOS Medical Clinic 161 Street 51 Tel: 023 216 911 Global provider of medical assistance and international healthcare. Expat and Khmer doctors offer general practice, specialist and emergency medical services. Appointments 8am-5.30pm Mon–Fri, 8am-12pm, Sat open 24-7 for emergencies.

pets’ corner

Physiotherapy Phnom Penh I & II 45C Street 456, Toul Thom Poung II Office 311, 3/F 60 Monivong Blvd Tel: 023 996345 Tel: 092 485 593 Tel: 012 722 104 Tel: 012 979 354 International Physiotherapy and Acupuncture (T.C.M.) Centre Specialising in Manual Therapy, Rehabilitation and (sports) Physiotherapy, Neurological (Paediatric) Physical Therapy, Acupuncture, Personal Training and Clinical Pilates.

Heart Disease in Dogs & Cats: Part 2

By Donabelle Zuzart Heart diseases can be effectively corrected or managed through a variety of medical, interventional or surgical therapies.

Cardiomyopathy is the name given to any disease affecting the heart muscle itself.

Your pet’s treatment will depend on what heart problem it has and what may be causing it and how severe it is.

The goal of treating congestive heart failure are to reduce its build of fluid and increase the amount of blood being pumped by the heart to the lungs and the rest of the body.

The aim is to improve the quality and length of the pet’s life. A variety of medications, supplements and diets are available to help reach these goals.

Your vet may recommend one or more of the following.

Medication to help the heart work or to slow fluid-build up in the lungs, surgery to correct a torn valve or to insert a pacemaker to correct the heart beat, a commercial prescription low-salt diet to decrease fluid build-up in your pet’s body, for many pets with congestive heart failure, limited activity or exercise restriction is a crucial aspect and to manage weight without putting too much strain on your pet’s heart as this risk the pets condition or even death.

Dogs with congestive heart failure may benefit from vitamin B supplements, taurine (an

amino that support brain development), or carnitine (an amino acid that helps fat turn into energy).

A group of drugs called positive inotropes may also be administered in certain cases to increase the force, which the heart muscle beats (increased vigor of contraction), allowing it to pump more blood forward to the lungs and the rest of the body. Another group of drugs, called vasodilators, relax (or dilate) blood vessels in the body and decrease the amount of pressure on the heart, and allow it to pump blood forward with greater ease.

Unfortunately, the true effectiveness of many drugs in treating heart disease in cats is unknown, and more clinical trails are needed.

Different drugs also act in different ways, and so may be helpful in different situations.

In general, diuretics are the most useful in managing signs, these are extremely valuable once signs of congestive heart failure develop, to help remove the fluid build up in or around the lungs.

Early detection, treatment may help to slow or delay its progression and help maintain a good quality life. Make sure to take your pet for regular vet visits and stick to the treatment and plan. Unchecked heart problems can make things harder on your pet and even shorten their lifespan.

Pet Spa/ Salon/ Grooming/ Pet Sitting/ Pet day care centre. 4 Street 604, Tuol Kork, Phnom Penh. Tel: 089491039.

Web: petgroomingcambodia.com. Email: petgroomingcambodia@gmail.com.

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Samata Health & Wellness Studio 54 Street 306 Tel: 023 726 267 Phnom Penh’s first holistic studio providing Acupuncture, Massage, Physiotherapy, Pilates, Podiatry, Yoga and Wellness Coaching in one convenient location.

Tel: 023 996 921 aziadee1@yahoo.fr French-run spa offering a good choice of treatments, a range of massages, scrubs, facials, floral baths, manicures, pedicures and waxing in relaxing and tranquil surroundings. Open 9am-9pm.

Younger Cosmetic Acupuncture Himawari Hotel Tel: 023 21 45 55 (Ext 880)/ 017 983 409 www.cambodiaacupuncture.com Helping people to feel and look better with a holistic approach to health and beauty. Treatments include cosmetic acupuncture, face lift, weight loss. Pain Management (Back Pain, Neck Pain…) and Emotional Disorder (Stress, Insomnia) $25 all treatments. Open Monday to -Friday 8.30am- 11.30am and 12.30pm-7pm, Saturday 9am-noon.

Bi Nail Salon 213a E0 Stret 310 Tel: 023 6324 524 / 097 798 1122 Bi Nail is a full service nail salon, for women and men. Japanese-trained nail artists have years of experience and provide expert personal care in a quiet and relaxing atmosphere. Full set care (manicure and pedicure), more than 250 nail lacquers, more than 350 nail design samples.

Acrylic and gel nails are available. Open daily 8am–7pm.

Optics Grand Optics 11 Norodom Bvd. 337 Monivong Blvd.

150 Sihanouk Blvd.

Tel: 023 213 585 Modern opticians with the latest equipment including free computerised eye test. Makes prescription glasses and lenses.

Pet Services Agrovet Veterinary Clinic 40 Street 111 Tel: 023 216 323 Tel emergency 24/7: 012 779 673 (French-Eng) Tel emergency 24/7: 012 779 674 (Khmer) www.agrovet-cambodia.com Managed by a French team and following European standard. Experienced French surgeon performing orthopaedic and abdominal surgeries.

Used to organise documents for pets travelling overseas. Mon-Fri: 9am-12noon & 3pm-7pm.

Sat: 9am-12pm.

Only Dogs Shop 5A2 Street Veng Sreng (Chom Choa) Phnom Penh Tel: 092 206 547 Tel: 012 870 280 www.onlydogsshopcambodia.com Open daily from 9am-6pm.

Pet Grooming Cambodia 4 Street 604, Bengkak 2 Toul Kork Tel: 089 491 039 Email: petgroomingcambodia@gmail.com Open Mon-Sat from 9am–6pm Pet Resort Tel: 0 12 679 164 012 916 512 www.petresort-cambodia.com All the staff are very friendly with animals and your cats and dogs will feel at home in our Pet Resort. Cats and dogs are fed by Royal Canin dry feed or can be fed by fresh food according to owner’s desires or recommendations; staff can cook specific feed for your companions.

Spas Amara Spa Cnr Sisowath Quay & St.110 Tel: 023 998 730 www.amaraspa.hotelcara.com Day spa providing a wide selection of facials, body massages and treatments, arranged in a four-storey modern facility at riverfront. Open 11am-11pm.

Aura Spa 21 Mao Tse Toung Blvd. (near corner of St. 63) 23 Street 294 (between St. 21 and St. 9) Tel: 023 555 3209 Mobile: 015 991 688 www.auracambodia.com Aura Spa creates its own signature massage therapy with well-trained therapists to enhance a traditional blend of ancient health and beauty practices which have been passed down from generation to generation. Open every day from 9am–11pm.

Aziadee Spa 16 a/b Street 282

Bliss 29 Street 240 Tel: 023 215 754 Health spa at back and upstairs in this beautiful French colonial building.

Open 9am -9pm, closed Monday.

Bodia Spa 26-28 Sothearos Blvd.

Tel: 023 226 199 www.bodia-spa.com Using natural, own-brand products Bodia spa offers body wraps, floral baths, scrubs, facials, aromatherapy, massages and mani-pedies, alongdside Jacuzzi and steam. The peaceful atmosphere is enhanced by scented oils and soft music. Open daily 9am–9pm.

Derma-Care Skin Clinic 161B Norodom Tel: 023 720 042 / 012 415 552 Two qualified dermatologists, this professional skin clinic offers a range of beauty treatments using American Derma-Rx products, minor dermatologic surgery, antioxidant boosters, chemical peeling, and lipolysis. Open 9am-9pm.

topten Top 10 US Grossing Films 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them Dr Strange Trolls Arrival Almost Christmas Hacksaw Ridge The Edge of Seventeen Bleed for This The Accountant Shut In

Kindle Top 10 Reads

Derma-MK Skin Center 183 Street 63 Tel: 023 219 105 Focused on Dermalogica products, this care facility offers facial treatments, including antiaging and brightening, as well as body treatments such as body scrubs and massage. Open daily from 10am–7pm.

01 02 03 04

La Rose Spa 164b Norodom Blvd.

Tel: 023 211 130 / 080 900 900 www.larose.com.kh Professional, experienced, qualified therapists offer a tailor-made range of remedial, relaxation and nutritional advice. High-end natural products and a wide range of homeopathic remedies, creams, flower essences and signature organic massage oils.

05 06 07 08 09 10

Walk into Silence by Susan McBride Before You Leap by Keith Houghton It Is Well: A Novel by James D. Shipman The Woman Who Breathed Two Worlds by Selina Siak Chin Yoke A Bend in the Road by Nicholas Sparks Venom and Vanilla by Shannon Mayer Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J.K. Rowling And Then She Was Gone by Christopher Greyson Escape Clause (A Virgil Flowers Novel) by John Sandford The Girl on the Train: A Novel by Paula Hawkins

Ms Chhuon 182, St 63, junction St 294 Tel: 016 992 199 Ms Chhuon is a full service beauty salon with massage therapy. From nail art, to hairstyles, we will take care of your health and beauty in a very relaxing environment with great service. O.P.I products are available on demand.

Open daily from 8am-12am Nail Holic Street 592, Tuol Kork (Next to Indrak Tevy High School) Tel: 012 357 887 / 097 4123 337 Nail polish and pedicure services using products from Korea. Comfortable chairs in relaxing surroundings with professional, hospitable and friendly staff speaking Khmer, Korean and English.

Open daily from 8am-6pm.

Nata Spa 29 Street 57 Nata Spa has been designed in traditional Khmer style to calm and pamper. The spa operates as a centre for healing and relaxation, offering stress reducing and facial treatment, which blow everyone into an unforgettable experience. Open 9am-10pm.

Raffles Amrita Spa Tel: 023 981 888 Raffles Amrita Spa offers relaxation and

Top 10 iTunes Downloads 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10

24k Magic by Bruno Mars Don’t Wanna Know by Maroon 5 Closer by The Chainsmokers This Town by Niall Horan Let Me Love You by DJ Snake Mercy by Sean Mendes Love on the Weekend by John Mayer Heathens by twenty one pilots Let Me Love You by DJ snake Starving by Hailee Steinfeld & Grey

AsiaLIFE Cambodia 71

Tattoos and Piercing Black Star 5A Street 90 Tel: 070 200 900 / 078 753 697 www.blackstarcambodia.com Welcome to Black Star Tattoo’s Cambodia’s finest whether you’re just passing through the Penh, or you’re a resident, this is the place to come for the highest quality tattooing. Open daily from 10am–10pm.

Sports General Ball Hockey Played every Thursday night at City Villa, corner of Streets 360 and 71 at 7pm.

To play, contact Mike: michaelwarford@ispp.edu.kh

Sun Heang

Phnom Penh Social Rugby Club BKK Field, street 380.

Email: phnompenhrugby@gmail.com Touch rugby on Tuesday nights 7:30-9pm, Saturdays 3-5pm. Contact Rugby Wednesday nights 7:30-9pm, Saturday 2-3pm.

Phnom Penh Water Park 50 Street 110 Tel: 023 881 008 Traditional mix of slides and wave pools is open daily from 9.30am to 5.30pm.

Yoga For Life 126 Street 19 Tel: 077589458 Learn to release stress and tension, find peace and live a healthy life with yoga classes taught by yoga and massage virtuoso, Azmi Samdjaga from Singapore. Classes every Wednesday from 7:30pm witht more classes starting late June 2012. Healthy food and Wifi are also available.

rejuvenation through a wide selection of services and facilities including treatment rooms, outdoor lap and fun pool, Jacuzzi, fitness centre, sauna and steam room. Open daily 6am-10pm.

So SPA Sofitel Phnom Penh Phokeethra.

Tel: 023 999 200 Be pampered with the best and most effective health and beauty treatments for outstanding deep rejuvenation. Explore a new kind of spa experience with a wide range of poetic and surprising treatments. Open daily from 10am10pm.

The Spa at NagaWorld Hun Sen Park Tel: 023 228 822 This luxurious spa promises to bring the ancient Cambodian spa therapy to the world, and claims to be the only all-suite unisex spa in Cambodia. Therapy rooms with sauna, steam and flower bath are inviting, and the spa uses

72 AsiaLIFE Cambodia

Tomichik flowers as part of its treatment. Open 10am-3am.

Villa Spa 456 Monivong Blvd. (cnr. Street 466) Tel: 0 23 721 765 012 357 561 www.asiagarden.com.kh Aromatherapy massage in private boutique VIP rooms (villa and bungalow style) from professional Chinese and Khmer therapists from Master Kang; female customers only.

Waterlily Spa 42 Spean Anthernou (near Koh Pich) Tel: 012 632 329 spawaterlilty.com Indulge yourself with our spa services that pamper guests from head to toe. Waterlily Spa offers skincare/facials, body treatments, massages, waxing and nail care. Open daily 10am-11pm.

LISTINGS

family Cafés & Restaurants Farm to Table 16 Street 360 Tel: 078 899 722 Bring the coutryside to Phnom Penh at this healthy café that sources produce from Discovery Farms. Organic grub is served in a farm setting with free-range hens running around the courtyard and a static tractor for kids to play on.

Java Café 56 Sihanouk Blvd.Tel: 023 987 420 Kid’s menu includes chicken nuggets and pizza bagels. Colouring pages and crayons to keep the kids amused. High-chair is available on request and baby-changing facilities are in the toilet.

Open daily 7am-10pm The Shop Too 38 Street 337 Tel: 012 952 839 Little haven of calm with a wide range of fresh bread, patisseries, chocolates, juices and excellent salads, sandwiches. All products such as croissants, cakes etc. are baked on the spot.

With a big garden in front and nice courtyard at the back, it makes it a perfect place for family as well. Open daily 7am–9pm.

Entertainment Arey Ksat Equestrian Trail Arey Ksat, Phnom Penh. Tel: 077 35 77 74 Join experienced instructor Guillaume Larivain on a series of pony trails through the Cambodian countryside.

BluO Bowling AEON Mall, Sothearos Blvd.

Tel: 023 901 000 The country’s latest bowling alley with private lanes available for parties. Open daily from 9am to midnight.

Cambodian Country Club Street 2004, Group 6 Toeuk Thla Tel: 012 231 755 Sports centre and a peaceful heaven providing tennis, swimming, badminton, fitness centre and horse riding in an amazing landscape 15 minutes away from the city.

Dedicated to leisure, rest and entertainment,

kids’ corner

tourism tales

Raising a Healthy Child: The Battlefield of the Modern Parent – Sleep Anna Glazkova

What Tourism Growth means to Cambodia Kanika Tan

As a parent and school founder, I know first-hand the real challenges of modern parents. Parents today find it difficult to raise physically and mentally healthy children.

It has become normal for children to have a poor diet and sedentary lifestyle.

Overexposure to television and video games are now part of the daily routine of children.

School has become a source of stress, and mental and emotional problems because of competition, long academic hours and endless homework.

Together with the problem of diet, sleep plays a crucial part in children’s physical, mental and cognitive development. According to the US National Sleep Foundation School, children need at least nine to 11 hours sleep per day in order to keep up with their physiological and mental needs. However, the sleep hours for children keep on decreasing worldwide according to studies.

The sleep duration of children and adolescents has declined by nearly one hour a night during the past century, especially in countries in Asia and North America. Insufficient sleep is linked to impaired mental health and school performance, obesity and health risk, behaviour studies show, and thus the issue should not be neglected.

The reasons for decreased sleep hours vary in different countries. Shorter daily sleep duration was associated with difficulty falling asleep, struggling at bedtime and

Not long ago, in the mid1990s, the streets of downtown Phnom Penh had minimal traffic - some bicycles, motorbikes, cyclos and few cars. The nicest hotel was Hotel Cambodiana and a Toyota Camary was considered luxury. Since Cambodia has reached a certain level of peace and stability, things have changed.

Growth has manifested itself across multiple sectors; among them, tourism and hospitality is a front runner.

Data from the Ministry of Tourism (MOT) shows tourism has played a major role in Cambodia’s economy. Yes, it is due to direct income from tickets sale to Angkor Wat and tourists’ expense on products and services, but it goes beyond that. The country has attracted significant foreign direct investment into different sectors, many of which are hotels, restaurants and tour companies.

This has fuelled Cambodia’s economy to be more open, meet demand for better products and services, leading to market expansion, more businesses, more income for locals. Understanding its major significance, the Royal Government of Cambodia (RGC), established a Working Group on Tourism (Working Group B), as part of the publicprivate dialogue mechanism.

Working Group B is dedicated to seeking solutions, making improvements and expanding

trouble sleeping away for the US children, and with going to bed at different times and having a fear of sleeping alone for Asian children.

Some studies proved a relationship between television viewing before bedtime and the anxiety and poor sleep quality related to it. On average, sixth graders have more than two technologyrelated items in their bedrooms, while 12th graders have about four such items.

The situation in Cambodia does not involve long commuting hours. As far as I am aware the international schools are comprehensive on what concerns the homework load. From my observation, children from expat families benefit from this advantageous situation.

There is always space for improvement. In a case of screen-related activities, if separating spaces from working/entertainment and sleeping quarters is not possible, parents should negotiate with their offspring appropriate timeframes for such activities and night rest.

Additionally, caregivers should be able to put in place enjoyable pre-bedtime routines that will gradually allow the child to calm down and get ready for a night time sleep. Even though transitions are crucial times in a child’s schedule, parents often neglect them for the cost of the child’s health.

Always remember that even very small things matter.

Anna Glazkova is a mother of two children aged three and seven. She is interested in child psychology, especially early years development. Founder of The Giving Tree Preschool and Primary, Anna also teaches parental, regular and radiant child yoga programmes.

the sector to benefit both parties, and the country.

Currently, Working Group B is exploring initiatives to encourage Cambodia as a tourism destination and contribute to the greater success of the private sector, making it more convenient to develop more standardised and sustainable business.

Regulatory developments and incentives being implemented govern and encourage the sector to prosper at a sustainable pace – streamlining licensing with the MOT and Ministry of Commerce. Upscale hotels attain Qualified Investment Project status, for import duties exemption on all materials used for construction and for profit tax exemption at initial operation stage.

Tourism also contributes to human resource development.

Although a number of Cambodian workers have lower-income jobs requiring minimal education, those who work hard can expand their skills, and achieve notable positions.

Today, our capital is vibrant and expanding, our coastal areas are being developed and Siem Reap welcomed more than two million tourists in 2015. Cambodia is, more than ever before, exposed to more demand, more choice in products and services, diversity and cultures, taking its place in the integrated ASEAN region.

Kanika Tan is head of Sciaroni & Associate’s Tourism & Hospitality Practice Group. She also chairs the Tourism Investment Task Force of the G-PSF Tourism Working Group B. Kanika’s practice areas include corporate and commercial, tourism, corporate finance, foreign direct investment, NGOs, joint ventures and M&A. AsiaLIFE Cambodia 73

family

CCC is suitable for children.

Open daily 6.30am until late.

Kids City 162A Sihanouk Blvd. www.kidscityasia.com Indoor entertainment centre with climbing walls, ice skating, laser tag. toddler town and other attractions.

Monkey Business 2/F, Paragon Department Store Tel: 023 319 319 Kids can rejoice now that this indoor children’s play centre offers clean, safe facilities. Available for private parties. Open daily 9am-8pm.

Phnom Tamao Wildlife Park Phnom Tamao Cambodia’s best wildlife centre.

All the animals are either rescued from traders or bred at the centre. Many of the animals are critically endangered.

Open 8am-4pm.

International Schools Canadian International School of Phnom Penh Bassac Garden, Norodom Blvd.

Tel: 023 727 788 077 503 778 www.cisp.edu.kh Offers a Canadian curriculum in English, certified through the Canadian province of Alberta.

Eton House International School 16 Mao Tse Tung Blvd.

Tel: 023 22 8818 www.ehis.co Eton House is committed to the pursuit of excellence in education. Eton House is represented in 10 countries with over 56 pre-schools and schools around the world.

The early years programme offers play-based, ‘Inquire, Think, Learn” pedagogy inspired by the I.B programme and the Reggio Emilia schools of Northern Italy.

Footprints School 220 Street 430, Tumnub Teuk Tel: 077 222 084 Established in 2007 Footprints School offers nursery (age 2) through Secondary and has four campuses. The curriculum is designed for the dynamic needs and interests of students and staff are hired for their experience and love of children.

Giving Tree Pre-school Main Branch: 17, Street 71 Tel: 017 997 112 Secondary Branch: 50 Street 322 Tel: 017 997 112 Tuol Kork Branch: 5 Street 325 Tel: 077 993 073 Baby Playgroup 6-12 months; Main Programme 12 months to 6 years old.

Languages: English, French, Japanese, Khmer.

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The Giving Tree Primary Secondary Branch: 50 Street 322 Tel: 017 997 112 Email: registrar@thegivingtreeschool.com Grades 1, 2 and 3; 6 to 9 years old. We follow the International Primary Curriculum (IPC) - a worldwide recognised curriculum. iCAN British International School 85 Sothearos Blvd.

Tel: 023 222 416 www.ican.edu.kh iCAN offers affordable, high quality education, using the IPC, IMYC and English National Curriculum. Learners are encouraged to be thoughtful, creative, think critically, collaborate and achieve their best. iCAN is the learning environment of choice for parents who value the development of their children.

International Learning Jungle School 104 Street 315, Boeung Kak II, Toul Kork Tel: 095 222 557 095 222 558 095 222 559 www.learningjungle.com, www.facebook.com/ LearningJungleCambodia The only Franchise School from Canada. A proud provider of education for children in Canada, Cambodia, USA and Philippines.

International School of Phnom Penh Hun Neang Blvd.

Tel: 023 425 088 www.ispp.edu.kh Founded in 1989, this non-profit, non-sectarian international school currently has students from Pre-K to Grade 12. The largest international school and a fully-authorized IB programme the new campus has large grass playing fields, canteen, library, theatre, swimming pool and basketball courts.

Lycée Français René Descartes Street 96 Tel: 023 722 044 French school offering primary and secondary level education, extra-curricular activities include basketball, football, rugby.

Nira International School 17B Street 105 Tel: 023 454 5006 023 454 5007 Pre-school delivers affordable, high-quality, early childhood education. With new technology, using the IPC curriculum, classes are taught in an international environment. Its spacious central garden favours creativity, development and enables students to express themselves.

Northbridge International School 1km off National Road 4 Tel: 023 886 000 www.nisc.edu.kh Founded in 1997, NISC is a fully-authorised IB World School with a growing enrollment of students aged 3 to Grade 12. Purpose built campus unlike any in Cambodia.

Raffles Montessori International School of Phnom Penh 18 Street 294, corner of Street 57 Tel: 023 993 999 International standard school from Singapore lets children experience independent education with a team of Montessori-trained teachers.

Offering Kindergarten from ages 1.5 to 6 years old in a loving and encouraging environment.

Zaman International School 2843 Street 3 Tel: 023 214 040 www.zamanisc.org International school that teaches a full curriculum to children from four to 18. Facilities include basketball and volleyball courts, a football field and a science lab.

Pre-Schools

Gecko & Garden Pre-school 3 Street 21 Tel: 092 575 431 www.geckogarden-preschool.org Not-for-profit pre-school emphasises learning through creative play in a supportive environment for children aged 18 months to 5 years. Open daily 7.30am-12pm. After school programme offering a range of fun activities is available 2.30pm-5pm daily.

Sambo’s Tots www.sambostots.com

Playhouse and playschool provides fun edutainment experience for babies and toddlers from 3 months to 5 years where imagination comes to life.

Ocarina French Day Nursery 56 Street 350, BKK3 (near Toul Sleng) Tel: 089 257 430 www.ecole-ocarina.com The first French “Micro-crèche” welcoming max 10 toddlers in a warm and encouraging place, under the supervision of a qualified French early childhood educator.

Shops Little Phnom Penh 194eoz Street 306 Tel: 017 877 471 French and Italian designers for kids fashion brand produce children’s wear from new born to 16 years, using local fabrics and mixing it with their taste of European fashion. The collection includes printed T-shirts with graphic designs that recall beautiful Cambodian icons. Open daily from 9.30am-6.30pm.

Monument Toys 111 Norodom Bvd. Tel: 023 217 617 To the rear of Monument Books is a well-stocked toy section. It features an excellent range of well-known board games and toys including Barbie dolls, Transformers, Magic 8 balls and more. It has to be the best place in the city for brand named toys and games. Open daily 7.30am-8pm.

Pitchoun 25DE0 Street 294 Tel: 017 555 325 Selling stylish baby clothes and shoes, cute dresses and skirts, and trendy shirts at reasonable prices, to please both children and parents. Open daily, 9am-7.30pm.

Shade 7 Outdoor Living Co Ltd Showroon; Borey Chamkarmon Tel: 077 962 467 Email: david@shade7.com www.shade7.com www.springfreetrampoline.com Supplier of Shade7 premium aluminium umbrellas and exclusive distributor of original Springfree range. World class products now available in Cambodia! Stock in country for immediate supply.

Toys & Me 159A Mao Tse Toung Blvd.

Tel: 023 212 081 016 808 676 www.toysnme.net Established in 2007, Toys & Me is a leading toys shop in Cambodia. A one-stop shop you can trust when it comes to educational needs for your children.

Willi Shop 769 Monivong Blvd Tel: 023 211 652 All products are imported from France, including bébé brand baby products, the range includes prams, baby care, cots and toys. Open 8am-8pm.

business & services

Lorenzo Martini Interiors Tel: 012 773 514 www.lorenzo-martini.com The studio provides services ranging from interior design to property development concept.

Looking at interiors as living experiences, Lorenzo Martini ensure their designs are tailor made to clients.

The Room Design Studio 9AB Street 288 Tel: 023 992 620 Interior design and architectural company that has 12 years’ experience of designing flats, villas, offices, shops, homes and offices in Asia.

Bikes & Mechanics Advertising APlus Asia Network 104 Street 273 Tel: 023 864 438 Fully-fledged advertising agency with a diverse portfolio of clients, offering a wide array of creative solutions to drive your brand message across all media.

River Orchid 25 Street 566, Phnom Penh. pick@riverorchid.com Offers a range of advertising, media, digital, PR and research services across the region.

Architecture, Interior Design & Construction Beyond Interiors 14e Street 306 Tel: 023 987 840 012 930 332 ww.beyondinteriors.biz Managed by Australian designer Bronwyn Blue, this interior design showroom can provide the ultimate solution. All products from Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia and Cambodia have been treated to withstand any climate. Open 9am-6pm Bill Grant Landscape Design Tel: 012 932 225 012 738 134 The city’s most talented landscape designer.

Green Goal Ltd 10 Street 296. Tel: 023 223 861 Consultancy offers sustainable and creative architectural and construction services to clients taking into account environmental considerations.

Hemisphere Design & Interiors Tel: 012 602 955 william@norbert-munns.com Western managed renovation company specialising in swimming pools and Jacuzzi construction in fibreglass and concrete.

I Ching Decor 31 Mao Tse Toung, Phnom Penh Tel:023 214 285 092 660 746 Boutique interior design shop offering custom made furniture and accessories as well as imported furniture and rugs. Also offers a full interior design service. Open Monday to Saturday, 9am-6pm.

Dara Motorbike 43 Street 136 Tel: 012 335 499 Off-road specialist offers repairs, parts and accessories. Tours arranged by appointment.

Emerald Garage 11 Street 456 Mechanics specialising in maintenance and repair of vehicles, including oil changing and body painting.

Expat Motorbike Cambodia 38Eo, Street 322 Tel: 089 491 436 / 089 518 867 emcjapeng@gmail.com Offers motorbike rental services for expats living in Phnom Penh including well-maintained motors, reliable & responsive service.

The Bike Shop 31 Street 302 Tel: 012 851 776 Repairs trusty steeds as well as renting them out in the first place. Also provides dirt bike tours.

Western Service Centre 24 Street 420 Tel: 012 477 831 www.wmg-cambodia.com A garage with Western and Khmer staff that emphasises communication and trained, attentive skills. Motto is “We don’t know all, we find out all, then we fix.”

Malaysian Business Council of Cambodia Unit G21, Ground Floor, Parkway Square 113, Mao Tse Tung Blvd. mbcc.secretariat@gmail.com

Multi-branch network universal commercial bank offering a full range of products and services through nationwide network. Voted Best Bank in Cambodia 2014 and 2015 by Euromoney.

Car Rental

Acleda Bank 61 Monivong Blvd.

Tel: 023 998 777 www.acledabank.com.kh Specialises in micro, small and medium loans to people throughout the country.

ACC Car Rental Services 43 Street 160z Toul Kork Tel: 012 456 003 / 015 456 003.

Professional, prompt and organized rental service that provides vehicles for rent with or without a driver. ACC also rents a range of buses that seat from 12 to 45 people.

Avis Cambodia 62 Street 217 Tel: 078 666 557 www.avrcambodia.com Avis Rent a car license within brand new vehicles and comprehensive insurance. Along with self-drive and chauffeur-drive throughout the country depend on your choice.

Larryta Trading & Travel Co. Ltd. 9 Street 310 Tel: 023 994 748 www.larrytacarrental.com.kh Vehicle rental for all types of cars, vans and mini-buses with flexible packages in Cambodia and neighbouring countries by the day, week or month.

Royal Limousine Services Attwood Business Center, Russian Confederation Blvd.

Tel: 023 218 808 www.royallimousine.com.kh Fleet of late model Mercedes that provides transport for hotels, embassies and luxury tour operators as well as foreign delegates.

Commercial Banks ABA Bank 148 Sihanouk Bouelvard.

Tel: 023 225 333 www.ababank.com

services

LISTINGS

ANZ Royal Bank Main Branch, 20 Street 114 www.anzroyal.com Cambodia’s major commercial bank has brought international standards of banking to Cambodia, with a large number of ATM machines around Phnom Penh. Can arrange money transfers.

CIMB Bank PLC 20AB Norodom Blvd Tel: 023 988 388 www.cimbbank.com.kh Full range of commercial and consumer banking products and services for both Cambodian and foreign businesses and individuals. The first Japanese bank in Cambodia.

Maybank (Cambodia) PLC 4B, Street 114 (Kramoun Sar) Tel: 023 210 123 maybank2u.com.kh The only bank operating in Cambodia ranked

by Bloomberg Markets as among the World’s Top 20 Strongest Banks. Maybank humanises financial services by helping customers and employees grow, bridging them to new opportunities.

Maruhan Japan Bank 83 Norodom Blvd. Tel: 023 999 010 First Japanese bank in Phnom Penh.

IT & Software Cresittel Co., Ltd. Office 705, KT Tower 23 Street 112

Business Groups AmCham 1st Floor LBL International Building, 34 Sothearos Boulevard, Phnom Penh.

Tel: 015 333 715.

BritCham British Embassy, 27-29 Street 75, Phnom Penh.

Tel: 012 323 121.

Chambre de Commerce FrancoCambodgienne Office 2nd floor, 33 Street 178 Tel: 023 221 453 www.ccfcambodge.org International Business Chamber H7 Russian Boulevard, Phnom Penh.

Tel: 023 964 455.

EuroCham Preah Ang Makhak Vann, Phnom Penh.

Tel: 023 964 141.

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services

money matters

Tel: 098 518 888 Provides software solutions and systems, point of sales systems for bars and restaurants, website designing and telecoms consulting. Has showroom at 385 Street 215.

KTOP 4/F Sorya Shopping Centre Tel: 023 6666 763 www.ktop.com.kh Broad range of quality and up-to-date smartphones, tablets, computers and accessories. Special services for OS upgrade, maintenance, applications, games, music and movies for mobile devices and computers. Open daily from 9am- 8.30pm

Eight Years in the Kingdom of Wonder Paul Dodd This month, I am celebrating the eighth anniversary of my arrival into the Kingdom of Wonder.

And sometimes I do wonder – how on earth did I end up here?

It was never on my radar. Not that I regret it. It has been an enthralling journey during which I have met some wonderful people, without many of whom I would have left long ago.

Some of you reading this know me well, some will be clients, some both.

I would like to say thank you for your support and friendship, and to my clients for putting your trust in me.

I did not plan in my early years to be live in Cambodia and certainly couldn’t have predicted some of the ups and downs the world has seen during the eight years.

We were finally rid of Osama bin Laden, a financial crisis rocked the planet, ISIS carried out terrorist attacks on three continents, war has all but destroyed Syria, feeding a refugee crisis in Europe, and Europe is witnessing seismic changes as Britain prepares to leave the EU. When I arrived, George W. Bush was in the White House.

Eight years on, Obama is coming to the end of his two presidential terms and, as I write, the world is waiting to see if Hilary or Donald will triumph in the US elections.

The possibility of Trump becoming arguably the most powerful man in the world would have been unthinkable back then.

The point is that life is full of surprises with ups and downs on both a global and a personal level. The only certainty about the bumpy ride along the way is that at some point it comes to an end.

You might not know what path life is going to take but navigating the bumps can be made a lot easier with good financial planning.

You might have $200,000 in the bank but if you have no health insurance and one drunk Lexus driver careers into you, your savings could soon be drained to zero.

You might spend your 30s and 40s indulging your every financial whim in denial that one day you will stop work and cease to earn anything but if you fail to save and are counting on working beyond 65, what happens if you are not fit or you hate your job?

The solutions to these problems lie in having a sound financial plan to protect you and your family (not just health insurance but also life insurance) and disciplined savings to achieve your financial goals.

That means making saving a priority each month.

So as I enter my ninth year in Cambodia and 2016 draws to a close, I would like to wish everyone reading this, a wonderful festive season.

May all your wishes for 2017 come true, and if getting your finances in order is one of them, email me and find out how I can help with free and impartial advice.

Infinity Financial Solutions provides impartial, tailor-made, personal financial advice to clients in Cambodia and Southeast Asia. Should you wish to contact Paul, please send an email to info@infinitysolutions.com or visit infinitysolutions.com.

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Netpro Cambodia 11 Street 422 Tel: 023 215 141 www.netpro-cambodia.com IT supports company that delivers high quality and reliable services to home and small to medium size organisations in Cambodia.

Ocean Technology T-20 St Topaz, Sovanna Shopping Centre Tel: 023 211 700 010 624 001 www.ocean-tech.biz Technology company that offers GPS navigation systems, an online map directory and vehicle tracking system.

Insurance AG Cambodia Hotel Cambodiana, 313 Sovanna Sisowath Quay Tel: 017 360 333 Email: nfo@agcambodia.com Professional insurance agent offering health, home, car, factory, employee and hotel insurance packages.

Forte Insurance 325, Mao Tse Toung Blvd.

Tel: 023 885 077 www.forteinsurance.com Forte Insurance is dedicated to providing exceptionally comprehensive and efficient insurance services (Corporate Insurance & Personal Insurance) to all our clients.

Infinity Insurance 126 Norodom Blvd Tel: 023 999 888 Professional insurance company offers motor, property, home, marine cargo, personal accident, healthcare, construction and engineering insurance. Group policies can be customised.

Legal

BNG Legal 64 Street 111 Tel: 023 212 67 023 212 740 www.bnglegal.com BNG Legal is a leading Cambodian law firm providing comprehensive legal services to foreign and local clients.

DFDL Legal and Tax Advisors 33 Street 294 Tel: 023 210 400 www.dfdlmekong.com Law firm providing international standard legal

and tax solutions with local and cross-border experience with offices in neighbouring countries.

Gordon and Associates Asia 21 Street 214 Tel: 023 218 257 US lawyer works with local Cambodian lawyers to provide international quality advice. Specialises in foreign investment, joint ventures and advising entrepreneurs.

Sciaroni & Associates 24 Street 462 Tel: 023 210225 www.sa-asia.com Leading professional and investment advisory firm based in Cambodia with legal offices in Laos and Myanmar, provides skilled counsel, knowledgeable business insight and experienced guidance to leading companies, governments, think tanks and global investment funds.

Media & Design Anon Creative Energy Tel: 089 812 123 Email: anoncambodia@gmail.com Internationally trained advertising talent at your service. Strong, strategic ideas. Available for freelance art and copy writing projects.

Asia Media Lab Tel: 012 818 917 asiamedialab.com Full service video production company specialises in the creation of dynamic visual content to help bring NGO stories to life for fundraising and advocacy.

Miscellaneous Sunbird Angkor Co. Ltd. 78 Monireth Blvd.

Tel: 023 98 3333 023 99 1010 Email: sunbirdangkor@yahoo.co.kr Worldwide hotel reservations, car rentals,medical services, conventions and marketing. Open Mon-Fri 8am-5.30pm and Sat 8am-1pm.

Post Office Main Post Office Cnr. Streets 102 & 13 Open 6.30am-9pm.

Photography AsiaMotion Tel: 092 806 117 www.asiamotion.net Photographic agency established in November 2008 as a cooperation between local and international photographers. i3 Studio Tel: 017 728 895 095 666 817 092 709 596 Photography services: event, pre-wedding, wedding coverage and videography service.

Nathan Horton Photography Tel: 092 526 706 www.nathanhortonphotography.com Full service professional photographer. Hotels, bars, restaurants, spas and location work. Call for Travel Photography workshops and tours.

Real Estate and Property Services Avebury Asia Partners The Emerald Building 63 Norodom Boulevard www.aveburyasia.com Avebury Asia Partners is a boutique real estate firm specializing in Brokerage, Commercial Leasing Services, Research and Consulting and Owner’s Representation services for the rapidly growing Southeast Asian market. We provide clients with transparent solutions held to international standards.

CB Richard Ellis (Cambodia) Co., Ltd. 9/F , Hyundai Phnom Penh Tower 445 Monivong Blvd. Tel: 023 964 099 www.cbre.com.kh The world’s largest commercial real estate services company offering premier quality real estate, valuations, consultancy, investment and property services.

Independent Property Services (IPS) 182 Street 63 Tel: 077 959 861 www.ips-cambodia.com Property and real estate agent offering apartments, houses and villas for sale and rent in Phnom Penh and Siem Reap.

Emaxx Corner St 214 / Norodom Blvd.

Tel: 023 999 818 Provides a national, high-quality, 4G network service for Internet and multi-media services.

Ezecom 7D Russian Blvd. Tel: 023 888 181 www.ezecom.com.kh Internet service provider that promises boundless packages suited to everyone’s needs.

Good for those looking for unlimited downloads.

Mobitel 33 Sihanouk Blvd.

Tel: 012 801 801 Largest ISP in the country. Major mobile phone company which issues the 012 SIM card.

Smart 464a Monivong Blvd.

Tel: 010 201 000 One of Cambodia’s leading mobile operator, offering super-fast 4G LTE. Provides a range of phones, tablets and selection of call plans.

Relocation, Shipping Asian Tigers Beton Street, Mol Village, Sangkat Dongkor Tel: 023 212 014 www.asiantigers-mobility.com/cambodia Leading provider of international relocation solutions with over 30 offices in 14 countries.

Crown 115-116 Street 335 Tel: 023 881 004 www.crownrelo.com Global transportation and relocation company with over 150 offices in 50 countries, specialising in expat support and household shipment. Open 8.30am-5.30pm (Mon-Fri), 8.30am-12pm (Sat).

Taxi Services Choice Taxi Tel: 023 888 023 090 882 882 Metered taxi service with rates from US$1 for first 2km.

Giant Ibis Transport Phnom Penh Phnom Penh: 3 Street 106 Siem Reap: 64 Sivatha Street Tel: 023 999 333 www.giantibis.com Travel in “Affordable Luxury” to Siem Reap and other destinations in brand new 2012 buses with reclining seats, spacious leg room, AC, WiFi, complementary snacks and pick-up service.

Telecoms Cellcard 33 Sihanouk Blvd Tel: 012 800 800 A leading mobile phone operator providing a comprehensive range of voice, data and SMS services to individual and corporate users, both pre-paid and post-paid.

shopping Art

Eileen’s Ceramic Painting 40B Street 310 (between St.57 & St.63) Tel: 012 267 784 Book a party for a Housewarming, Birthday, Anniversary or Reunion.

We offer workshops during school and after school.

Estampe 197A Street 19, Phnom Penh Tel: 012 826 186, A wide collection of vintage items can be found at Estampe. There are originals and reproductions of old photos, books, maps from late 19th and early 20th century.

Documents on specific themes or periods for unique tailor-made collections for hotels, restaurants or house decoration can be made. Open Mon- Sat from 11am-7pm.

Hanuman Fine Arts 13B Street 334, Phnom Penh Tel: 023 211 916 Email: tradition@hanumanfinearts.com High quality, beautiful antiques and art from all over the Kingdom. Furniture, ornaments, silverware, jewelry and more are well

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displayed in a treasure trove of a store. Very helpful and friendly staff. Open 8am–5pm.

Happy Painting Gallery 363 Sisowath Quay (nr. FCC) Tel: 023 221 732 www.happypainting.net Established in 1995 this art gallery is dedicated to Stef, a local icon artist with a very personal and positive insight into everyday life in Cambodia. Open 8am-10pm

Beauty Products Raffles Amrita Spa Raffles Hotel Le Royal.

Tel: 023 981 888 www.raffles.com/phnompenh Email: spa.phnompenh@raffles.com Distinctive collection of Raffles Amrita spa private label and international spa products are available for purchase. Open 6am-10pm.

Books & CDS Carnets d’Asie French Cultural Centre, 218 Street 184.

Tel: 012 799 959 French-language bookshop has sections on Cambodia and Asia as well as general fiction, with a good range of French magazines and newspapers. Open 8am-8pm D’s Books 79 Street 240 / 12E Street 178 Tel: 012 726 355 New and used bookshops with over 20,000 original books and some copies, with a great range of best sellers. Coffee, smoothies and more available all day at Street 240. Open 9am-9pm.

Le Phnom Shop Raffles Hotel Le Royal.

Tel: 023 981 888 Small shop offering books and souvenirs including recipes from the hotel’s pastry chef.

Open 7am-9pm.

Monument Books 111 Norodom Blvd.

Tel: 023 217 617 Extensive range of new English-language books in town including recent releases and sections on Asia, Cambodia, travel, cuisine, design and management. Good children’s section as well as a wide choice of magazines and newspapers.

Also has outlets at the airport and in Aeon Mall.

Open 7am-8.30pm.

Crafts & Furniture Artisans D’Angkor 12AEo Street 13 (in front of Post Office) Tel: 023 992 409 www.artisansdangkor.com Boutique with a wide range of traditional and contemporary handmade pieces produced at Artisans Angkor’s workshops in Siem Reap province: silk scarves, clothing and accessories, home furnishings, lacquer paintings and

tableware, stone and wooden sculptures, silverplated ornaments and silk paintings. Special commissions and custom orders welcome. Open daily from 9am-6pm Artwood 33 Street 302 Tel: 016 934 999 www.artwood.asia Drop in to our showroom to experience modern wooden furniture designed and manufactured in Cambodia. Offers free consultations for both commercial and residential custom-made needs.

Ashley Gallery 705Eo Monivong Blvd Tel: 023 211 116 Browse our selection of quality furnishings at amazing value. Bring your home’s interior design to the next level with well-made products with the help of our friendly and knowledgeable designers. Open daily from 8am-6pm.

DeCosy 219 Street 19 Tel: 023 219 276 Stocking charming knick-knacks and furniture, DeCosy is the place to find the things to make your house a home. Open daily from 9am-7pm.

Indulgence Interiors 23A Street 302 Tel: 023 637 3666 / 012 586 688 Email: Indulgenceinteriors@gmail.com Sells sofas, dining sets, bed linen, curtain & lights.

Oppein 705Eo Monivong Blvd. Tel: 012 228 868 www.oppein-camodia.com Oppein is the leading cabinetry brand in AsiaPacific, we offer high quality and affordable kitchen cabinet, wardrobe, home furniture, wooden doors, bathroom cabinets. Open daily from 8am-6pm.

Pavillon d’Asie 24, 26 Sihanouk Blvd. Tel: 012 497 217 Antique lovers dream, a large array of wellrestored furniture and decorative objects.

Wooden cabinets jostle for space with Buddha statues and old wooden boxes. Upstairs are pieces from the French colonial era. Open 10am-7pm, closed Sunday.

PhalyCraft 37 Street 113 Tel: 016 485 857 www.phalycraft.com Located near Tuol Sleng Museum, PhalyCraft makes scarves, bags, gifts and accessories.

Custom orders available.

Sinh Hak Hout Home Mart Branch I: 353ABC Mao Tse Tong Blvd. Tel: 023 723 588 Branch II: 88, St. 598, Near TV Station 3. Tel: 096 833 9999 Branch III: 65-67, Mao Tse Tong Blvd. Tel: 095 699 994 A one-stop solution for home interior furnishing offering a variety of tiles, stylistic bathroom furniture & sanitary ware, modern home and office furniture.

Fashion Ambre 37 Street 178 Tel: 023 217 935 The high-end fashion designs created by Cambodian designer Romyda Keth are popular all over the world, this beautiful colonial building makes the perfect setting for the city’s most glamorous design shop. Also has men’s fashion.

Open 10am-6pm, closed Sunday.

Back to the Future 193A Street 63 near the corner Street 294 Tel: 078 991 232 Old fashion is always becoming new fashion.

What was fashionable before, will be fashionable again. At Back to the Future, we have an amazing selection of hand-picked, vintage items ranging from cloths, bags, shoes, and accessories. Open daily from 8am-8pm.

Bambou Indochine 7 Street 178 Tel: 023 214 720 High-quality T-shirts, Polo shirts and comfortable clothes in original designs. A full-range of sizes for men, women and children. Open daily 8am-10pm.

Beautiful Shoes 138 Street 143 Tel: 012 848 438 Family-run business measures your feet and designs the shoe exactly as you wish. The shop also caters for men. Open from 7am-6.30pm.

Bliss 29 Street 240 Tel: 023 215 754 A beautiful colonial building houses this exquisite shop with funky patterned cushions, quilts and an excellent clothing line. The health spa at the back of the shop also sells Spana beauty products. Open from 9am-9pm (closed Mondays).

Central Mall Phnom Penh 10 Street 67 Tel: 023 966 300 centralmallphnompenh.com A modern and stylish multi-brand department store concept in the heart of Phnom Penh, bringing authentic and premium international names right to your doorstep.

Couleurs D’Asie 33 Street 240 Tel: 023 221 075/ 099 499 478 Email: info@couleursdasie.net www.couleursdasie.net Established in Cambodia for more than 15 years, Couleurs d´Asie has developed a full range of textile products for home decoration, clothing and fashion accessories. Jewellery, essential oils, soaps and more are on offer. A custom service for existing products is also available.

Dara Shoes 10 Street 166 (near corner Street 107) Tel: 012 855 173 / 097 809 743 Good quality shoes, boots, bags, belts and leather products made to order.

D.Hindley Jewellery 9 Street 184 Tel: 012 327 107 Discover a range of beautiful Cambodian gemstones. From affordable to extravagant, we sell top quality 18k gold and sterling silver jewelry, plus loose gemstones. New Zealand/ Khmer ownership. All manufacturing done in Cambodia. Open 9am-7pm.

Jasmine Boutique 73 Street 240 Tel: 023 223 103 www.jasmineboutique.net Established in 2001 by Kellianne Karatau and Cassandra McMillan, this boutique creates its own collection of designs twice a year using hand-woven Cambodian silk. Open 8am-6pm.

Khmer Attitude Raffles Hotel Le Royal. Tel: 023 981 888 Fashion boutique that offers the finest Khmer silk clothing for men, women and children, including designs by Romyda Keth, and exclusive jewellery that complement the limited edition outfits.

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Kool As U 141 Street 19 (north of Street 172) Tel: 012 735 991 www.koolasu.com Specialises in men’s fashion with all clothes designed and made by Khmers. The clothing is casual, but designed for partying or work.

Business Hours: Tuesday-Sunday from 9am7pm.

La Clef de Sol 10 Street 208 Tel: 012 394 915 A design boutique offering home decor, women’s fashion, kids clothes, bags, accessories and continually updated design surprises. Near KFC on Norodom Blvd. Open 9am-6pm Mon–Sat. Lim Keo 9 Street 222 Tel: 012 941 643 Pret a porter by Lim Keo, son of Sylvain Lim, the master of Cambodian fashion.

Lola’s Intimates 1st Shop: 175 Street 155 (corner Street 460) 2nd Shop: 6E0, Street 5 (btw Street 110 and Street 118) Tel: 092 876 223 Offer all kinds of stylish underwear and night dresses with beautiful patterns. Price range from $1 to $12 per item. Opens daily from 9am-6.30pm Luna Boutique 8E1 Street 278 Tel: 023 220 176 Original and stylish fashion designs for men and women. The tailor-made creations, designed by modern Cambodian stylist Mengchou Kit, are fit for any occasion. Luna Boutique is located in the heart of Phnom Penh, while its sister shop Luna Shoes - is next door. Open daily 8am-9pm.

Promesses and Kaprices 20 Street 282. Tel: 023 993 527 Lingerie shop stocked with exclusive French and Thai undergarments. Chic, new prêt-àporter shop Kaprices is located upstairs. Open 9am-7pm.

Sentosa Silk Uniform 33 Sothearos Blvd, cnr Street 178 Tel: 012 962 911 023 222 974 Email: info@couleursdasie.net sentosa@online. com.kh Well known for its professional management ability, SentosaSilk gives clients efficient and reliable service through quality systems and procedures that consistently enhance product quality and reliability.

Sobbhana Boutique 23-24 Street 144/49 Tel: 023 219 455 023 219 452 www.sobbhana.org A not for profit organisation founded by Princess Norodom Marie, offering a range of colourful, handwoven silk products. Profits fund training, medical care and education of weavers.

Smateria 8Eo Street 5. Tel: 023 211 701 7 Street 178. Tel: 023 214 720 www.smateria.com Boutique specializing in accessories made from recycled materials including a range of bags and wallets made from old fruit juice cartons, plastic bags and mosquito nets.

Subtyl 43 Street 240.

Tel: 023 992 710 www.subtyl.com Up-market boutique selling Cambodian handmade women’s clothes, scarves, shoes, bags and other accessories in contemporary and interesting designs, the Subtyl collection combines class with colour. ChilliKids children’s clothing is also stocked at the shop. Open 9am-7pm.

Food & Wine AusKhmer Import Export 521 Street Angtamin Pagoda, Sang Kat Kar Karp Tel: 012 698 100 023 880 110 www.auskhmer.com

Importer of quality wines and fine food from Australia and further afield.

gardening tools to dining materials. The 100yen shop is famous in Japan and has now arrives in Phnom Penh and Siem Reap. Open daily at AEON Mall 1F 9am-10pm, Dream Land on Sisowath Quay 9am-11pm, Street 271 8am-9pm & Siem Reap 9am-10pm.

Camory – Premium Cookie Boutique 167 Sisowath Quay Tel: 023 224 937 Makes cookies using produce from the provinces such as cashews from Kampong Cham and Mondulkiri honey. A portion of the profits fund education for a local orphanage. Open 9am8.30pm.

Malls AEON Mall 132 Sothearos Blvd.

As Cambodia’s first Western-style shopping mall, AEON is home to a host of local and international brands, a sprawling food hall, department store and entertainment floor featuring a cinema, bowling alley and arcade section. Close your eyes and you could be in Bangkok

Celliers d’Asie 62B & 98 Street 432 Tel: 023 986 350 Wine supplier with the largest quantity of retail stock in town, has been providing wine to most of the top hotels and restaurants for over ten years.

Open 8am-12pm, 2pm-6pm, closed Sunday.

Comme a la Maison 13 Street 57 Tel: 012 951 869 Decidedly sophisticated French restaurant has a small delicatessen and bakery at the back of the restaurant ideal for that morning baguette or croissant with your coffee. Open from 6am10.30pm.

Dan Meats 51A Street 214 Tel: 012 906 072 Phnom Penh’s man of meat, Lanzi, supplies his strictly non-vegetarian products to many restaurants around town. Open 7.30am-6.30pm, closed Sun. Kurata Pepper 5 Street 322 Tel: 023 726 480 Selling organic Koh Kong pepper and associated products, Kurata is a specialist shop in town. Open daily 8am-7pm.

Le Marché 10 Street 456 Tel: 011 51 07 31 Le Marché is the first one-stop shop in Toul Tom Poung. From basic grocery products, international

Silks & Accessories food and beverage items to various and trendy homeware articles, find everything you need for your daily life at very affordable prices. Open daily from 7am-9am Red Apron 15-17 Eo Street 240 Tel: 023 990 951 Home of wine enthusiasts in Phnom Penh is both a wine boutique and tasting gallery. With around 300 wines, the boutique has more range than the supermarkets. Open 9am-9pm.

The Chocolate Shop 240 35 Street 240 Tel: 077 666 402 Premium Chocolate shop with a large range of Cambodian-made Belgian chocolates including some classics such as pralines, truffles and bars. Open 9am - 7pm Monday-Saturday and 9am-4pm on Sunday. Second outlet in BKKI Street 63. Third outlet in Aeon Mall, Ground floor - Sweet Island.

The Deli 13 Street 178 Tel: 012 851 234 Café and bakery with take away breads, sandwiches and pastries. Now has a second outlet on Street 51. Open 6.30am-6.30pm, delivery service (within 30 minutes) 7am-11pm.

Household Goods Japan Home Centre 48A Street 294 Tel: 089 266 851 101A Street 432 (cnr Street 167) Tel: 078 850 320. www.japanhomecentre.com A place where you can find all of your household needs. Open daily from 10am-8pm Mi-a Japan Street 271 (100m after Stung Meanchey bridge) Tel: 023 6444 531 The store provides a variety of products from

Friends ‘n’ Stuff 215 Street 13 Friends ‘n’ Stuff shop sells products made by the parents of children in need, from various Friends projects, as well as other consignment items. After some serious shopping, you can relax here with a manicure and massage

by Mith Samlanh’s beauty training students at The Nailbar. Friends ‘n’ Stuff has a small shop at the Russian Market and Romdeng restaurant as well. Open daily from 11am9pm.

Hummingbird 137 Street 19 Tel: 092 504 604 www.facebook.com/hummingbird. cambodia Modern women’s clothing boutique with all the latest styles. Opened in 2014 offering a unique, high-quality range of dresses, playsuits, shirts and blouses, skirts, tops and t-shirts, shorts, bags, flats and sandals, jewellery, beauty and wellbeing products and more. Open daily from 9am to 9pm.

our stores PHNOM PENH 023 211701 Downtown: #08E0, Str. 57 Phnom Penh International Airport SIEM REAP 063 964343 Downtown: The Alley West (near Pub Street) Siem Reap International Airport www.smateria.com AsiaLIFE Cambodia 79

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Mark Bibby Jackson is the publisher of AsiaLIFE Cambodia and a freelance journalist. Follow him through the season at @ BibbyJackson or www.markbibbyjackson.co.uk.

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is more impressive than that Recent times have seen the away from the King Power most recent (false?) coming stadium. of Liverpool, followed by the Arsenal face three daunting swift renaissance of Chelsea – trips to West Ham, Everton were you one of those baying St. 97 and City, while North London for Conte’s blood earlier in the season? – the inevitable St. 99 neighbours’ Spurs have three St. 101 relatively promising home Arsenal falter and Utd’s implosion. What was perhaps St. 103 games to Swansea, Hull and Burnley interspersed with trips more difficult to foresee was to Chelsea and Man United. the second coming of Yaya In comparison, Liverpool’s Toure, although bagging two fixtures look full of promise goals upon his return was with trips to Middlesborough a script in tradition with the and Bournemouth juxtaposed Ivorian’s glorious Manchester with home ties against West career. Perhaps he’ll receive Ham and Sunderland. some Christmas rather than As for Manchester Utd? birthday cake this year.

St. 145 Well, I did say prime suspects, More twists than an St. 147 and the current performances anaconda suffering from 430 St. St. 155 does not place them in that indigestion. Or will it? History category. Having given my suggests that by the end of St. 163 month the Premier League 71) crystal ball. (aSt. 2polish, I’m the lvd in B Liverpool and predicting race will be over. m u ho kP ara Chelsea will be running neck The team lying top on em l Kh apo h t Christmas Day has gone on toYo and neck come the final game before Christmas – the win the Premier League on six Merseyside derby on Dec. 19. out of the last seven seasons.

Should Liverpool avoid defeat Even 5-000/1 outsiders they could well be top, at least Leicester City were top on until their home clash with City Dec. 25. on New Year’s Eve. Which team is likely to top However, should anyone the tree come Christmas Day? A swift look at the upcoming start to think the season is over come Christmas Day fixtures of the prime suspects they would best recall the one would suggest Liverpool might exception to the festive rule. have the easiest of run ups.

In the 2013-14 season, While Chelsea have tricky Liverpool led as family’s across trips to Manchester City, and England were carving their Crystal Palace, as well as the turkey, but slipped up in the home derby against Spurs, final run to Manchester City.

City entertain Arsenal and And with Steven Gerrard back Conte’s table toppers along on the market could lightning with facing a trip to champions strike twice?

Leicester, whose home record

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AsiaLIFE Cambodia 81

Spotlight 82 AsiaLIFE Cambodia

AsiaLIFE’s 10th Birthday Bash And Peppered Justice Book Launch Photography by Enric Català

Anjali House With Angkor Photo Festival taking place this month, AsiaLIFE looks at its sister NGO, Anjali House, which supports underprivileged children in Siem Reap.

“W

e believe that no child should be forced to beg or work. We believe that they have the right to enjoy their childhood – to learn, play, make friends and grow in a safe and happy environment. These are basic rights that no child should be denied.”

This is the philosophy of Siem Reapbased NGO Anjali House, which provides children with free healthcare, food, clean drinking water and an education.

The Sanskrit word anjali means “offerings” in English, and that’s exactly what Anjali House does. Acting as a house of support and offerings, it ensures youngsters are healthy and happy by providing them with both education and avenues for creative expression.

One of the key factors in the development of Cambodia, as in any country, is the education of the young.

Education encourages independent and analytical thought, fosters self-confidence, and provides new opportunities. Anjali House hopes that by providing this education, these children will be able to fully contribute to, and participate in, the future of their country.

It also firmly believes in the value of providing children with the opportunity to access various forms of expression.

Whether through art, sport, creative writing, dance or music, it aims to foster each child’s creativity. This creativity can be an important tool to encourage social 84 AsiaLIFE Cambodia

interaction and educational development, as well as being a proven form of therapy for mental and physical disabilities.

The ultimate goal for the children of Anjali House is to help them develop into healthy, well-adjusted young adults, equipped with the skills and support they need to enter the workforce and be successful in their future endeavors.

Anjali House is a sustainable and locally run organisation, with a Khmer director as well as all of the teachers and most of the key staff.

Anjali House began life as a project of the Angkor Photo Association (APA) and Angkor Photography Festival Association.

In 2005, a group of photographers got together to promote photography and highlight humanitarian issues in Southeast Asia. APA wanted to produce a regional photo festival but, in an area of so much deprivation, they also wanted to include some of the people who live in Cambodia.

Anjali began with a one-off dance troupe, lead by Sangeeta Isvaran, and a photography workshop initiated by Magnum photographer Antoine d’Agata.

The children were encouraged away from the streets, and at the end of the week performed their dance routine and exhibited their photographs to an international audience. With rapt applause they found a incredible sense of empowerment, and personal achievement.

Galvanised by the difference that first week made, APA was inspired to extend

its help, and began to provide education and practical support to street children and engage with their parents.

The seeds of those efforts grew into the Anjali House of today. While close ties remain with Angkor Photo Festival, which provides annual photography workshops for the kids, Anjali House is now its organisation with its own leadership.

There are several ways readers can help Anjali House. For as little as $25, a child is well-fed and can attend school without the fear of going hungry for one month.

The NGO accepts donations and runs an adopt a child scheme. There are also several volunteer opportunities at the organisation.

For more information on Anjali House, visit anjali-house.com.

t h e p l a c e t o e at

OYSTERS

oyster lovers be tempted one dollar each everyday 6 to 8 First Floor, maline apartment building, street 214, between norodom & street 51 tel: 092 776 552

AsiaLIFE Cambodia 85

This month, AsiaLIFE is focusing on vegetarian and vegan applications. There are a wide variety of apps that help users find great vegetable-based recipes, provide valuable information on which products are animal-additive free, and promote education of why a vegetarian or vegan diet might be a better diet for you to finally take on.

Animal-Free (Free) | Animal-Free is a full-featured, pocket reference guide for many common and hidden animal ingredients, as well as commonly misunderstood vegan ingredients.

Whether you’re vegan, vegetarian, part-time veggie, or simply trying to shop veg-friendly, Animal-Free helps users make conscientious shopping decisions.

Scan a barcode to look up products in an online database and find out what users think. Add new products and share findings to help others, or voice your opinion by voting on existing products.

Ingredients listed in Animal-Free can be viewed by those that are always animal derived and those that are sometimes animal derived. Additionally, AnimalFree features a list of commonly misunderstood or unfamiliar vegan ingredients to help aspiring or new vegans expand their dietary horizons.

Cron-O-Meter (Free) | Cron-O-Meter track nutrition and health and fitness data. Not only does it keep a record of the big ones when it comes to dietary logs, it also goes deeper and tracks more than 60 micronutrients. It is much more than a simple calorie counter. The app has a colourful and understandable graphical interface, which allows users to get a quick overview of their diet during the last week. Daily calorie intake and macronutrient ratios, as well as weight and other statistics are all specific input points that are available to help keep track of what’s going on in your body. Not only does it tell you how much fat, protein and carbohydrates you’ve eaten on any given day, it also shows your omega-6 to omega-3 ratio, zinc-to-copper ratio, potassium-tosodium ratio and your calcium-to-magnesium ratio. All of these are important to maintain a balance of your total nutritional intake.

86 AsiaLIFE Cambodia

Is It Vegan? (Free) | Is It Vegan is a tool for those interested in eliminating animal products from their diet. Simply scan the UPC bar code on packaging, and find out whether the product is vegan, vegetarian, or neither. The app provides a summary that classifies the list of ingredients and detailed lists showing which ingredients are derived from non-vegetarian, vegan, or vegetarian bases. Most products have the actual ingredient listings, and after putting each ingredient into a specific category, the app then decides whether the product is suitable for a vegan or vegetarian. Users are now able to upload new products, so finding good, vegan or vegetarian product lists has never been easier. Although the app has ads, apparently 25 percent of the revenue goes toward charitable organisations, so you can feel good about that.

I’m Hungry: Vegetarian Recipes (Free) | Everybody loves a good recipe, and this application gets you eating healthy and delicious dishes with curated recipes from around the world. Flip through mouthwatering vegetarian-focused images of dishes from across the globe, including America, Vietnam, France, India, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Middle East and Spain. Then pick the one that stands out most and get cooking. I’m Hungry offers a great variation of styles in their recipes. Grilled mangoes dressed in jalapeño vinaigrette, a vegetarian pad Thai and a bunch of creative vegetarian and vegan fare. Everything is searchable by course and type of cuisine. You can save recipes you have tried to whip out later, and the app makes sharing your creations seamless across different social media platforms. I’m Hungry makes creating vegetarian meals a breeze, so food bloggers take note.

boxoffice

ROGUE ONE: A STAR WAR STORY

OFFICE CHRISTMAS PARTY

ASSASSIN’S CREED

ALLIED

Star Wars fever has gripped the world ahead of the release of the first stand-alone film in the anthology. Set in the Star Wars universe sometime after the events of Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith and shortly before tthe original Star Wars, the story is set during a time of conflict and centres on a group of Rebel spies. They have been sent on a mission to steal the design schematics for the Galactic Empire’s new weapon of destruction, the Death Star. This key event in the Star Wars timeline brings together ordinary people who choose to do extraordinary things, and in doing so, become part of something greater than themselves.

No festive season is complete without the release of a Christmas comedy, and this year it comes in the form of Office Christmas Party. Serving up the laughs are Jennifer Aniston and Jason Bateman, who have reunited for the outing that centres round every employee’s worst nightmare: the office Christmas party. When Zenotek CEO, uptight Carol Vanstone (Aniston), tries to close the branch of her hard-partying brother Clay (T. J. Miller), he and his Chief Technical Officer (Bateman) must rally their co-workers and host an office Christmas party in an effort to impress a potential client that will save their jobs. However, the party gets way out of hand.

Gamers will be delighted to know that the latest video game to make it onto the big screen hails from the Assassin’s Creed franchise. Set in the same universe as the video games it features an original story that expands the series’ mythology.

Through revolutionary technology that unlocks his genetic memories, Callum Lynch (Michael Fassbender) experiences the adventures of his ancestor, Aguilar, in 15th-century Spain. Callum discovers he is a descendant from a mysterious secret society, the Assassins, and amasses incredible knowledge and skills to take on the oppressive and powerful Templar organisation in the present day.

Reportedly based on a true story, Allied sees Brad Pitt take the lead in this romantic thriller about two assassins who fall in love during a mission to kill a German official. In 1942 North Africa, Canadian intelligence officer Max Vatan (Pitt) meets French Resistance fighter Marianne Beausejour (Marion Cotillard) on a secret mission behind enemy lines. The couple reunite in London and wed.

However, their relationship is threatened by the brink of war, as Vatan is presented with the possibility that Beausejour is a sleeper spy working for the Germans. Is their relationship and love strong enough to survive the battle of hearts and minds that ensues?

COMING SOON MOVIE RELEASES Platinum See platinumcineplex.com/kh for screening schedule Allied Dec. 01 Hacker Dec. 11 Rogue One: A Star War Story Dec. 15 Railroad Tigers Dec. 22 Office Christmas Party Dec. 23

Legend Cinemas See legend-cinemas.com for screening schedule The Warrior’s Gate Dec. 06 Rogue One: A Star War Story Dec. 15 Passenger Dec. 22 Assassin’s Creed Dec. 22 Why Him? Dec. 29

AsiaLIFE Cambodia 87

1. Although used as far back as the 1930s when it was called The Buzz, which dance move was popularised by Michael Jackson in his performance of Billie Jean?

2. The RMS Titanic was operated by which company?

3. At 3,915 miles, what is the longest river in China.

4. Who was Popeye the Sailor Man’s love interest?

5. What was the name of the family that the comedy series Bread was set around?

6. In the periodic table of elements, which of the Noble Gases has the lowest Atomic number?

7. Which team came runner-up in the Women’s Hockey Olympic Final in 2016?

8. Which British Prime Minister from 1830 to 1834 is better known as a beverage than he is as a politician?

9. What is the name for mashed chickpeas or other beans, blended with olive oil, lemon juice, salt and garlic?

10. In horse racing which is the longest of the Triple Crown races?

6 3

11. Golf - In 2014 who won both the Open Championship and PGA Championship?

12. Which city was the location of the infamous St Valentine’s Day Massacre in 1929?

13. New York State has what city as its capital?

14. With whom did Elton John collaborate on the UK chart hit ‘Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me’?

15. Who is the prolific English artist from the early 20th century many of whose paintings depict a stylised view of the urban areas around Manchester?

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1

1. Moonwalk 2. The White Star Line 3. Yangtze 4. Olive Oyl 5. Boswell 6. Helium 7. Netherlands 8. Charles Grey (2nd Earl Grey) - Earl Grey tea is named after him 9. Hummus 10. St. Leger Stakes 11. Rory McIlroy 12. Chicago 13. Albany 14. George Michael 15. LS Lowry.

Pub Quiz Answers

88 AsiaLIFE Cambodia

SINH HAK HOUT TILE I BATH I KITCHEN I FURNITURE

Ho! Ho! Ho! Less paper, More green, More Christmas to come .....

STARTING AT

$824

Available Only At Sinh Hak Hout Home Mart BRANCH I

#353ABC, Mao Tse Tong Blvd Phnom Penh, Cambodia Near Santhormuk Primary School Tel: 016 787 832 / 012 928 685 www.sinhhakhouts.com

BRANCH II

#88, St. 598, Phnom Penh, Cambodia Near Excellency Chea Sophara’s House Tel: 096 833 9999 / 017 837 999 www.facebook.com/SHHhomemart

BRANCH III

#65-67 St. Mao Tse Tong Blvd.

Songkat Boeng Keng Kang 3 Khan Chomkarmon Phnom Penh, Cambodia Tel : 095 699 994 / 096 858 9999 info@sinhhakhouts.com