Asia Adventures Cambodia Blog

A running race of foods on carts, wheels or trays occurs every minute in this country, and they offer some of the most delicious local foods that anyone could find!

There is one treasure in every city of the world. New York has the hot dog stands, Philadelphia the cheese steak, London the fish and chips sellers and Moscow the dumplings and assorted fried foods that are sold on corners. I am of course talking about street food.

Here in Cambodia, food is a constant part of the average Khmer day. Much like surrounding Asia, Cambodia is rich in edible things to be had at any moment virtually twenty four hours of the day. The chattering wooden percussion instrument heard at three and four in the moring will, at one point, roam through every street rhythmically announcing, ‘fried noodles!’ for sale. On solitary streets where easily seen is the smoke of one man, customers come and enjoy a very early morning snack throughout the entire city. These fried noodles mixed with green vegetables are served piping hot in a dish that will be washed when given and washed when received back, and all for just 2000 riel (50c).

For those of you for whom midnight munching holds little appeal, there’s an extraordinary variety of food and drink to be had during daylight. There are pastries, cakes, ice creams, corn, pâté sandwiches, deep fried meats, fried rice, lemonade, fresh soy milk and countless Asian desserts. By far the most commonly available roving food is in the shape of sweet orange slices of papaya, perfectly cut green mangoes (to be eaten with salt and chili of course), and pineapple so dripping in fructose that you would think it was soaked in honey. All of these earth grown goodies come from a simple push cart, sealed with glass compartments to keep the fruit out of the hands of pollution and flies. The seller will take your 500 riel with a big grin and off you are back to the day with a quarter of a pineapple skewered on a tiny wooden stake.

There is however one moving eatery which is most dangerous, due to the desirable looking foods pickled in jars and hanging from the peaked roof. The reason for the danger lies in small jelly-looking pink bits wrapped in banana leaf. These snacks are raw pork that has been beaten into a pulp, blended someone might say, and mixed with spices. This delicacy is then stuffed with one whole green chili and wrapped in banana leaf. For those seeking adventure it would be best to go with the ice-cream sandwich, seeing as how Cambodia has no dairy market and makes none of their own ice-creams! Thus begging the question of ‘is this ice-cream bread truly a dairy substance?’

Everywhere you look food is sold on the streets of Cambodia, the vast majority of which is delicious and clean, yet still not frequented by strangers or foreigners. The sheer variety of food available can be overwhelming, and 2000R should always purchase something and make them happy about your business!

Edited from the Cambodia Pocket Guide (Jan 08)

Eerie yet strangely soothing, a high pitched lullaby floats through the dark night. It is the sound of Khleng Ek, kites with deep religious significance which have soared above Cambodia for millennia.

The manager of Phnom Penh’s Kite Museum says kite flying as a religious ceremony has had a long history in Cambodia, from before the 4th century BC. Today kite flying is still common in rural Cambodia, though city dwellers fly them only at the end of the rainy season and during full moon ceremonies. Farmers fly kites to celebrate a successful harvest, praying for good weather.

Traditionally they are made from inexpensive materials such as bamboo and bee’s wax, with a simple instrument which produces melodic tones as the kite flies.

The Khmer Kite Museum opened in 2003 and has examples of all styles. ‘We establish the Kite Museum because we want to keep tradition of Khmer Kites safe for the younger generation, it is part of our national identity’. The museum explains construction techniques, religious significance, and the history, ‘We want to teach people how to make and fly kites, sometimes we go outside to teach people if they ask’.

If you wish to visit the Kite Museum in Phnom Penh please contact Asia Adventures: info@asia-adventures.com

Edited from Cambodia Life Magazine (Aug 07)

From dawn to dusk Phnom Penh is a bustling melting pot of audio, visual and fragrant delights that excite your senses and imagination.

Cambodia offers experiences that will engage your sensory receptors and create memories that will leave a lasting impression. Perhaps the most visually stimulating icon of Cambodia is Angkor Wat. However, Phnom Penh offers sights through its art galleries and cultural centres.

Hungry for art and a tasty salad? Head to Java gallery / restaurant on Sihanouk Boulevard near the Independence Monument. It has ongoing art showcases that display the work of many local and expat artists. Other art galleries worth checking out are Reyum on Street 178 and Scan near Wat Langka. To see traditional, quirky shop sign art visit Bojangles at 269 Sisowath Quay, the riverside next to ANZ Bank, fantastic, cheap food is also on offer.

If you are into moving arts, Meta House on Street 264 offers a weekly round of Indie films. Additionally the Bopha Audio Visual Centre of Street 66 is building a store house of antique Khmer films that can be viewed on computers on the second floor. The French Cultural Centre is also at the forefront of cinematic venture.

The sounds of Phnom Penh begin at dawn, with clucking chickens and alarm clock roosters. This progresses to the chant and step of early morning shiatsu practitioners and jogging health fanatics along the riverside. Later the soft hum of early office and flight-time motos mix with the muffled clip-clopping of ox-drawn pottery wagons. By 7am the city is awake, alive with the sound of kids riding their bikes to school, while cars respond with obnoxiously loud honking horns.

These sounds reach a crescendo as the day goes on; as night falls they become muted and merge with the faint, melancholy chants of monks. But don’t mistake the quiet ambience as the sign of a sleeping city, because Phnom Penh is rockin’.

One venue keeping the music alive is Talking to a Stranger on Street 294, which is a great place to hear live music. Other venues offering live music are the FCC and Sharky’s…

Edited from the Cambodia Pocket Guide (May 08)

Recently a 4 year restoration plan has been put into action at Banteay Chhmar Angkorian era temple in the remote north west of Cambodia.

The plan is a co-operation between the Ministry of Culture and Global Heritage Fund (GHF), a US based NGO that preserves archaeological and cultural sites in developing countries.

A Culture Minister representative emphasized that it will take about 20 years to fully restore the 12th century sandstone temple and its surrounding wall of bas-reliefs, much of which currently lie in piles of jumbled ruins.

During the 1990s the temple became a favourite target of looters, and according to GHF more than 50 square metres of bas-releifs and countless pieces of statuary have been stolen, assisted by the temples close proximity to the border of Thailand. Under the project there are plans to add more guards to prevent looting.

Edited from The Cambodia Daily.

Banteay Chhmar is a remote not so often visited Angkorian temple and the poor villagers have established a community based tourism project including a traditional homestay. To learn about traditional village life and have a fine Angkorian temple to yourself for both sunset and sunrise contact Asia Adventures who can arrange a unique overnight stay: info@asia-adventures.com

A rescue team made up of Wildlife Alliance staff, military police, and forestry administration officers confiscated nearly half a ton of live pythons and turtles from a pickup truck in Battambang town recently.

The haul included 13 Burmese Pythons, 11 Reticulated Pythons, as well as more than 250 turtles – including 12 endangered Yellow Headed Temple Turtles, which are depicted on the walls of Angkorian temples.

It appears the truck was from Thailand and was crossing Cambodia on its way to Vietnam, a Cambodian Army Lieutenant is being questioned in connection with the smuggling.

The animals were later released into their natural habitats in the Tonle Sap lake and the Cardamom mountains.

Edited from The Cambodia Daily (1-5-08)