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Happy Ranch is a great riding centre just outside of Siem Reap town, costing around a 120Baht return journey in a tuk-tuk from the centre.
It’s the only one of its kind in Cambodia so don’t be fooled if your hostel owner tries to persuade you to go somewhere else or that it’s closed down.
Rides can last from an hour to half a day, starting from around 30USD.
The owner used to work in the US and England so speaks fluent English and on the whole it’s a very professionally run place. He also employs English speaking guides.
The horses are all very healthy and well looked after, and rides can cater for any ability. It is important to call in advance to book and so they know your level of ability.
Most importantly, the rides are a unique and unforgettable way to see the surrounding villages, rice paddies and isolated temples.
In the NE of Cambodia, in the Ratanakiri province, just outside of Banlung, is Yaklom Hill Lodge. There are 10 bunglalows, on stilts (like all Cambodian houses), set in beautiful jungle. The bunglalows are basic, but clean, with electricity only in the evening and hammocks outside for relaxing surrounded by the noise of the jungle, huge butterflies and birdsong. The lodge can arrange treks into the jungle or to nearby hill tribe villages. The lodge is also only 2km from Yeak Laom lake, an exquisite crater lake set in protected forest, perfect for swimming and chilling out!
www.yaklom.com/wiki/doku.php
Yaklom Hill Lodge, National Route#78, Phume Phnom, Yaklom Commune, Ban Lung District, Ratanakiri Province
yaklom@gmail.com
Tel: (855-11) 790510
Travel services with a difference - Andrew Booth, the founder, aims to bring education to the rural areas via profits from providing great travel services. Very warm local and foreign staff who understand luxury travel well. Great itineraries - well-researched routes allow you to view the temples unhurriedly and without the usual tourist crowds. My friend travelled alone with three kids and they provided a nanny! Thumbs up for making a real difference to travellers and the local communities.
www.asiatravel-cambodia.com
(Best to write to Andrew Booth, andy@asiatravel-cambodia.com)
+855 92 121 059
This hotel is located a short walk away from the clamour and frivolity of Pub Street and the Old Market. The rooms are wonderfully clean and spacious, while the decor is tasteful and elegant. The staff are wonderful. There is also the additional perks of free internet and unlimited use of wifi as well as use of the rooftop gym
Group 10, Psar Kroung Street, Vahear Cham Village, Svaydankum Commune, Siem Reap www.mandalayinn.com
Wonderful little hidden bar, filled with expats, locals and NGO volunteers. There is a lovely little vibe here and they have live music on most nights from an endearing French singer. On Saturdays there is a $20 all you can drink and eat offer. Lots of fun and not the generic bar that you'd encounter in this bustling city.
Just off Street 178, near the FCC by the Riverside
Arising out of the shocking statistic that in Cambodia, 1 in 7 children die before the age of 5, an organisation (Friends Without A Border) was set up enabling a hospital to be built & opened in 1999.
A number of local restuarants / bars / hotels support the hospital. We found pamplets / collection boxes at the Khmer Kitchen restaurant and resolved to make a donation to the hospital when we got back from Cambodia. Our small way of trying to help.
The Friends without a Border has a centre which people can visit to learn about the work of the hospital.
Friends Centre, Acha Mean Road, Svay Dangkum Commune, Siem Reap [between Sivutha Boulevard & PPokambor Avenue].
www.fwab.org [for online donations]
One of better buses going from Phnom Pehn to Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam is Mekong Express. Bus takes about seven hours and costs $12.
www.mekongexpress.com/
Bus Office is on corner of street #102 and Sisowath Quay on riverfront. No central bus station in the city - Mekong Express buses to Ho Chi Minh city leave from Orussey Market.
The riverfront area is one of the best places to have a drink as you watch people pass by.
Particularly recommend is the area of Sisowath Quay by Mekong River pub/restaurant at the corner of Sisowath Quay and Street #118.
Sisowath Quay, Phnom Penh.
Google map: tinyurl.com/yfdqs27
Very nice restaurant.
Traditional Cambodian food, salads, crepes, BBQ and very good fish amok.
Also has some international dishes such as steak and guinness pie.
Situated on a nice street (street 240) with bars, cafes and boutiques.
Also do Cambodian cooking classes.
#67, Street 240, Phnom Penh, Cambodia
Tel: 023 - 22 09 53
www.frizz-restaurant.com
Google map: tinyurl.com/yjl7t5a
Look out for local free guides such as 'The Phnom Penh Visitors Guide' from Canby publications and 'Out and About (O&A)' and 'Drinking Dining (DD)' from Cambodiapocket guides.
You'll pick these up in bars and restaurants such as the Foreign Correspondent's Club. Huge amount of info on pubs, restaurants and things to see as well as invaluable maps.
Look out for local free guides such as 'The Siem Reap Angkor Visitors Guide' from Canby publications and 'Out and About (O&A)' and 'Drinking Dining (DD)' from Cambodiapocket guides.
You'll pick these up in bars and restaurants. Huge amount of info on pubs, restaurants & things to see as well as invaluable maps.
Night market with over 200 units open between 4pm and midnight every day.
Plenty of goods worth purchasing in a relatively hassle free environment.
Off Sivatha Boulevard, one of main roads in Siem Reap.
www.angkornightmarket.com/
Tok Vanna is a Cambodian in his 40s supporting a wife and two children by selling books from a stall on the street in Siem Reap.
He lost both his hands as a result of a landmine after which he became a beggar in Phnom Penh.
However through the help of an aid worker he got back on his feet.
We got some interesting books on Pol Pot from him for $5- $6 each which will help towards his medical expenses and his children's education.
Pokambor Avenue which runs parallel to the river. Near Old Market Bridge outside Shadow of Angkor guesthouse.
Google map: tinyurl.com/yg9ewkw
ki-media.blogspot.com/2009/01/starting-new-chapter.html
This is the hotel we stayed in while we were in Siem Reap.
Very central with a nice pool. Staff were friendly.
In addition an hour long reflexology session in the hotel only cost $10.
Suggest using one of hotel booking websites to get best deal.
www.royalbayinnangkor.com/
Oum Khun Str, Module 1, Svay Dangkum, Siem Reap District, Siem Reap, Cambodia.
(855-63) 760 500
Google map: tinyurl.com/ykc3yl2
Our visit to Cambodia was made the moment we walked into Mom's Guesthouse in Siem Reap because of Chhay, who runs Mom's with good humoured professionalism and is interested in ensuring his guests see and experience Cambodia from multiple perspectives.
Mom's GuestHouse
Siem Reap Cambodia
www.momguesthouse.com/
email info@momguesthouse.com
Phone (+855) 63 964 037 (English)
Phone (+855) 630 170 (French)
FAX (+855) 63 966 037
A two hour boat trip from the crowded, tout-troubled beaches of Sihanoukville is the paradise of Lazy Beach. Facing the sunset on the coral sands of the west bay are twelve beach huts serviced by the bar and restaurant. Chris and Richard's residents only policy means no day visitors and your paradise is shared with a maximum of 30 other guests.
It's a world of hammocks, snorkelling, jungle walks, delicious fresh-cooked food, and total relaxation.
Book on-line at www.lazybeachcambodia.com or at the Seahore restaurant on Serendipity beach Road in Sihanoukville.
vMaD is an NGO Charity in Siem Reap offering cheap and short-term volunteer opportunities. Their minimum placement is only one week, and they were the cheapest I could find.
They pay for all your accommodation and transport and the profits go to charity. There are projects available teaching in orphanages or doing building and farming work. Probably worth checking out if this sort of thing appeals.
My friends and I decided to stay at Frangipani Villa for five nights in early December and we had an enjoyable stay.
The small garden was a beautiful, peaceful and relaxing place to sit, chat, eat, or read.
My room had air conditioning, cable tv, internet connection, coffee and tea.
The restaurant served us bread and scrambled eggs, and we could also ask for fried noodles in the morning with no cost at all.
All staff were so polite to guests.
Frangipani Villa is located in the centre and is very convenient to go to the supermarket or other places such as Russian Market, Royal Place etc.
Overall I found this a great stay and would certainly recommend it to other tourists who would like to stay in Phnom Penh.
www.frangipanihotel.com
#20R, Street 252, Sangkat Chaktomuk, Khan Daun Penh, Phnom Penh 12306, Cambodia
Tel: (855)12 687717 / (855) 23 212 100,
E-mail: frangipani60s@gmail.com
Fantastic bar and restaurant: whether it's the fabulous food, chatting with the great owners and bar staff, having a beer in the treehouse or a swing in the hammocks - you won't want to leave!
right on Sihanoukville Beach
A sanctuary of calm behind the royal palace, this is a great part of the city to while away a few hours or spend a relaxed evening. Nice artsy shops, a handful of cafes that wouldn't feel out of place in Marylebone and a couple of good restaurants, notably Tamarind with its charming roof terrace.
There's also a Seeing Hands blind massage place nearby which is recommended after an afternoon tramping round the Royal Palace.
Street 240, Phnom Penh
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