Chi Pat is a remote riverside village in the little explored Cardamom Mountains, with no running water and electricity is by generator only. It is an incredibly bucolic place, and being almost surrounded by rivers it is a playground of waterfalls and swimming holes carved out of the clean black rock. It is certainly laidback and has a distinct feel quite unlike any other place in Cambodia. With very limited land access the village is reached after a 2 hour long-tail boat journey up the Preak Piphot river. Sailing through mangrove forests, the relaxing journey passes occasional river edge villages and homes, and it is possible to spot birds and mammals coming to the waters edge to drink and feed.

Chi Pat is nestled in the southern valleys of the Cardamom Mountains which are South East Asia’s last true and most important wilderness area. With hidden valleys and lofty peaks that reach over 1,500m it is a landscape consisting of large expanses of intact lowland rainforest, where contiguous forest connects mountaintop to ocean, where pristine rivers cascade to the sea, and wildlife is still in relative abundance. The mountains and forests are home to many globally endangered species such as, Asian elephants, tigers, sun bears, monkeys, hornbills, flying squirrels, and the last remaining Siamese crocodiles.

On arrival in Chi Pat as you disembark from the boat you will notice a single dirt road through the village heading off into the forested hills, and a cluster of wooden shop-houses with a couple of small restaurants. As you walk along the road towards the village’s Community Eco-tourism Office you will pass cows, dogs and chickens wandering around, and receive a chorus of ‘Hellos’ from the inquisitive children. The Chi Pat Community Eco-tourism Project was set-up in early 2008 with assistance from Wildlife Alliance (formerly WildAid). The villagers traditionally made a living from logging and hunting. However, as these activities have now been outlawed the community is taking advantage of the wonderful natural resource on its doorstep to earn an alternative income from ecotourism. It is hoped this will enhance the long term conservation of the forest and pressure those who continue illegally logging and hunting the endangered wildlife.

Using Chi Pat as a base, single and multi-day trekking and mountain bike adventures into the pristine, forested Cardamom Mountains can be experienced. As well as the forests there are various other natural and cultural sites such as refreshing waterfalls, recently discovered mysterious ancient burial jars, bat caves, and wildlife. Taking row-boats along the surrounding rivers in the early morning stillness is ideal for bird watching. Staying overnight in Chi Pat, in basic guesthouses or homestays allows you to enjoy the wonderful hospitality of the villagers, and witness the rural Cambodian way of life. Whereas the multi-day tours go deep into the forest and include sleeping under the stars and eating camp food. This is a unique adventure in Cambodia!

A visit to the Chi Pat Community Eco-tourism project can last from 3 days up to a week or more. Round trips can be arranged from Phnom Penh, or as a stopover if you are traveling between Phnom Penh and Sihanoukville, or onto to Koh Kong and the border crossing with Thailand.

To arrange wonderful tours to and around Chi Pat contact: info@asia-adventutres.com

As a result of the world financial crisis and the Bangkok aiport blockade Cambodia has set up at Tourism Task Force to address falling visitor numbers.

Ho Vandy, president of the Cambodian Association of Travel Agents, said the task force would consist of 10 institutions, including airlines, travel agencies, hotels, restaurants and government departments, and would develop a national strategy to attract foreign tourists.

The Thai crisis has hit Cambodia’s tourism industry hard, as about a third of the Kingdom’s visitors arrive via Thailand. Tourism is one of the country’s few economic engines, with 1.7 million people visiting the Kingdom in the first 10 months of this year. At the end of 2007, the government predicted international visitor arrivals to reach 2.2 million in 2008 and 2.7 million in 2009. It has since curbed its expectations following the global financial crisis, border disputes with Thailand and the current turmoil in Bangkok.

But Ho Vandy said the task force hopes to shift Cambodia’s tourist arrivals away from Thailand and make use of other gateways such as Malaysia, Singapore, China, South Korea and Vietnam.

Edited from the Phnom Penh Post (Dec 4 08)

Marine Conservation Cambodia is an independent project that is entirely devoted to protect and conserve Cambodia’s marine environment. They strive for clean seas and beaches, sustainable fisheries, and protection of marine life throughout Cambodia.

Cambodia is a country with rich marine resources that are fundamental to many livelihoods and simultaneously vital to coastal protection, tourism and biodiversity. However, these natural marine resources are in jeopardy, threatened by an increasing array of impacts from recent and upcoming development, and increased population and tourism.

Due to Cambodia’s unfortunate recent history, its government has very limited human resources, infrastructure and finance to regularly and permanently conduct scientific research and monitoring of their marine environment. As a result, further decline of Cambodia’s marine resources is expected. Worryingly, Cambodia’s seas are home to rare and endangered species, an example being the diversity of seahorses, Dugong, green turtles, and horseshoe crabs which remain on the IUCN Red List of Threatened species. In addition intensive fishing through unsustainable means and encroachment by fisherman on coastal reefs and susceptible breeding grounds are threatening the biodiversity and health of species and habitats. Anecdotal data collection continues to show the rapid loss of species rich sites.

To address these issues and offer comprehensive protection for biodiversity, site protection is imperative. Marine Conservation Cambodia, in conjunction with Cambodia’s Fisheries Administration, aims to conserve these natural marine resources for the benefit of all.

For diving trips in Cambodia contact: info@asia-adventures.com

For more information see: http://marineconservationcambodia.org

Thailand’s Thongchai Jaidee made it two straight wins in a row when he claimed victory at the Johnnie Walker Cambodian Open, last weekend at the Phokeethra Country Club in Siem Reap.

Thongchai produced another superb round of six-under-par 66 for a 24-under-par 264 total to end his Cambodian campaign six shots ahead of closest rival, Lam Chih Bing of Singapore. Lam produced his best finish of his career so far when he signed off with a 65 for a 270 total to take second place ahead of Thailand’s Chawalit Plaphol, who was two shots back on 272. Wales’s rookie Rhys Davies and Anthony Kang of the United States took a share of fourth place when they returned with matching 274s.

The Cambodian Open was hosted by Siem Reap’s Phokeethra Country Club, which is ranked among the top five of the Best New Courses in Asia by Asian Golf Monthly.

To arrange golfing tours to Cambodia please contact: info@asia-adventures.com

Edited from the Phnom Penh Post (15-12-08)

Kratie, a sleepy colonial town on the banks of the Mekong River, is located in north-eastern Cambodia. The town was developed by the French colonialists in the late 19th century as a port for various goods being transported along the Mekong River. With its remaining French colonial buildings and traditional Cambodian wooden houses Kratie retains an atmospheric charm. Add in the shady riverside boulevard, the smiling locals with their laid back nature, the stunning sunsets, and it’s easy to understand why Kratie has a compulsive charm which causes many visitors to linger.

The main attraction in Kratie is undoubtedly the Irrawaddy dolphins. Despite facing extinction, there are less than 100 left in this part of the Mekong, they are surprisingly easy to spot in a stretch of river north of the town. These dolphins are not as playful as their seawater cousins, however being out on the Mekong with these delightful creatures spotting them breaking the water as the sun begins to set is a magical experience…

Further north is the remote pagoda of Sasar Moy Roy, so called as it is claimed 100 pillars hold up its roof. In the grounds of the pagoda is a stupa containing the ashes of a Princess who, according to legend, was killed by a crocodile more than 500 years ago. Spending a night at the pagoda can be arranged as can traditional blessings and musical performances. Closer to town is Phnom Sambok where after climbing several flights of steps, snuggled between two hilltops, you will find another pagoda which affords beautiful views over the Mekong river and lush countryside beyond.

Kratie town itself is a delight to wander around, discovering its early morning bustling market where fish and fruit vendors line the surrounding pavements creating a dynamic atmosphere, and taking in the variety of building styles. Buy some Krolan, sticky rice mixed with coconut and beans and cooked in bamboo tubes, Kratie is renowned for this snack. Horse carts are a traditional from of transport in the town, and you can take one to visit nearby Wat Roka Kandal, a beautifully restored 18th century pagoda, the only one of its type in Cambodia. Take a trip along the banks of the mighty Mekong river and you will see many small fishing boats plying their trade as well as a number of floating villages. Then as the sun begins to set why not join the locals and sit out near the river with a refreshing fruit shake whilst savouring the atmosphere…

This stretch of the Mekong contains many islands and the one visible from the town is Koh Trong, catch the ferry and take a bicycle ride to sample traditional rural Cambodian village life. Further upstream is the large island of Kho Pdao, where a community based tourism project has been established, stay overnight and join in with village life.

In addition Kratie offers bird watching opportunities and the surrounding countryside is a cyclist’s dream. It is also the southern ‘gateway’ to the Mekong Discovery Trail where you can experience a range of transport modes as you choose between a variety of trips that take you along the river through spectacular scenery and unhurried villages, staying in a variety of accommodation, as you make your way north to the town of Stung Treng.

For delightful tours of Kratie contact: info@asia-adventures.com

A series of meetings of academics, ambassador, and government members in Siem Reap this week focussed on to best preserve the ancient site of Angkor in the face of rising tourism.

Georgina Lloyd of UNESCO lectured on how intangible cultural heritage, or the knowledge, beliefs, rituals and traditional practices of a culture, are often ignored when a site is planned, restored, and presented to tourists. She gave examples of tourists who, completely oblivious to the contemporary spiritual significance of Angkor, fail to remove their shoes and hats, and who step over Cambodians making offerings.

She explained that there is a perceived conflict between tourism and the activities of the local community. As a result, certain cultural practices have been banned, such as monks being told not to disturb tourist by entering the temple to pray and study. Other Cambodian’s have reported that they feel they are in the way of tourists when they pray and burn incense at the temples.

Edited from the Phnom Penh Post (4 Dec 08)

Currently there are two international standard golf courses in Siem Reap, Cambodia. The Phokkethra Country Club course and the Nick Faldo designed Angkor Golf Resort. However, later this month the Siem Reap Lake Resort Golf Club is set to open. Initially it will have a soft opening launching its opening nine holes with the second nine following early next year.

If you want to play golf in Siem Reap contact: info@asia-adventures.com

Located on Sivatha Street diagonally opposite Hotel de la Paix, Phsar Kandal (also known as Center Market) is geared almost exclusively to tourists.

Unlike the Old Market (Phsar Chas), or any of the others in town, you won’t find much in the way of house wares, electrical goods or automobile parts, nor will you find a bustling food market with the usual array of oddities. So if you are looking for some great photographic opportunities this may disappoint. However if you are after some souvenirs or gifts for friends and family back home, this may make a pleasant alternative to the heat and stuffiness of Phsar Chas. Its high ceilings and relatively wide aisles lends an airy atmosphere uncommon in most Cambodian markets.

You will find a huge array of silks in pretty much any colour you can imagine, gold and silver jewellery, various locally produced handicrafts, Buddha figures and so forth… There are several stalls selling t-shirts, traditionally styled Cambodian clothing, watches, glasses and footwear. And if you are finding yourself short of luggage space there are backpacks in all sorts of styles, sizes and colours. This being Asia, be prepared to haggle and compare prices from different vendors before committing to a purchase.

For interesting tours of Siem Reap contact: info@asia-adventures.com

Edited from the Cambodia Pocket Guide (Nov 08)

The Mekong riverside towns of Kratie and Stung Treng have retained their sleepy charm and receive only limited numbers of foreign visitors, but the Cambodian government has hopes that all this will change with the recent renovation of Highway 7 which connects them to the Laos border and the country’s capital, Phnom Penh.

Recent visitor numbers indicate both towns are set for a sharp increase now the road has been improved and a major bridge over the Sekong River completed. During the first 5 months of 2008 Stung Treng alone received more than 80% more visitors than it did in the same period in 2007. Local officials say with the increasing numbers comes an increase in better quality facilities for the visitors, with new accommodation already being constructed.

To organise a tour to visit these charming towns contact: info@asia-adventures.com

In a land of paddy fields and seasonal flooding frogs are familiar creatures to most Cambodians. Few people, however, realise just how varied and abundant Cambodia’s amphibian fauna is, numbering over 60 species – some of which occur nowhere else.

Recently Flora & Fauna International has published the first guide book to the amphibians of Cambodia, in an effort to raise the awareness of the current plight of amphibians which are in terminal decline across the world. During research for the guide some species new to science were discovered including one tiny species which has been named after Samkos Mountain in the Cardamom Mountains where it was found. The frog is unique in having green blood and turquoise coloured bones.

Koh Tonsay (Rabbit Island) lies 5km off the south coast of Cambodia, just off the tourist destination of Kep. It is a popular destination for those who visit Kep either for a day on the beach or an overnight stay.

The boat trip from the Kep pier takes a leisurely 25 mins and anchors at the main beach facing Kep, here you will find a number of thatched huts selling cold drinks / beers and Khmer food. The water is warm and great fro swimming, and if you want to snorkel around the rocky areas, there are many colourful tropical fish.

Tree covered hills run from one end of the island to the other, there are several secluded beaches and an interesting 6km trail that leads around the island, along the way you’ll probably meet friendly fishermen and local islanders harvesting seaweed. The trail starts at the end of the main beach past the small boat pier and is generally easy to follow. However, after about 4km you may have to paddle about 200m around a stretch of mangrove forest, a fun diversion. Another trail leads to the top of one of the islands hills where you will find the remains of a US Vietnam War era anti-aircraft gun bunker, but you may need a local islander to show you the way.

There is no motorised traffic on the island so a trip to Koh Tonsay truly makes for relaxing get-a-way…

To arrange a trip to Kep & Koh Tonsay contact: info@asia-adventures.com

Edited from: The Kep Revival (Nov 08)

In the West we see it everywhere, pay over the odds for it and call it organic. So what about Cambodia? Are there organic farms, do restaurants use their produce and can you buy it in the markets? The answer to all three questions is yes, yes and yes.

There are organic farms near Phnom Penh and several organisations that promote it. The Peri-Urban Agricultural centre and the Khmer Farmer Garden were established to promote safe farming in Cambodia. The latter grows a variety of organic fruit and vegetables and provides seeds to about 80 farmers. The farmers produce approximately 1,200kg of vegetables a month, 300kg of which is sold in Phnom Penh each week. In Cambodia the market for organic goods cannot keep up with demand. A lot of fruit and vegetables are bought through distributors and grown in Vietnam, Thailand or Taiwan where pesticides and chemical fertilisers are used. ‘These products may look better, but as far as taste goes the organic products are superior’, says Tom O’Connor former manager/owner of Café Metro on the riverfront, ‘Some farms even raise free-range chicken and duck’. he adds.

According to the Cambodia centre for the study and development of agriculture (CEDEC), Cambodia has the potential to become the region’s foremost organic rice-producing country in the next two decades. It teaches farmers how to irrigate their soil, use compost as fertiliser and make organic pesticides. When the organisation was founded in 2003 it was able to help farmers from 200 families produce more than 10 tons of organic rice a year. It has extended its activities to 4,000 families producing 1,430 tons. So the good news is supply is growing. Farmers are also being encouraged to switch to multi-purpose farming and the financial gains are a huge incentive. This not only benefits local growers but also increases the availability of organic products in the local market and throughout the country.

Edited from: Cambodia Pocket Guide (Nov 08)

The Ree Hotel, a new 4 Star deluxe category hotel in Siem Reap-Angkor officially opened this month (Nov 08).

The Ree Hotel (formerly the Preah Khan Hotel) has been fully refurbished and is situated on the main road between Siem Reap town and Siem Reap / Angkor International Airport. The Ree Hotel represents the very best in contemporary Cambodian accommodation, blending unique Cambodian traditions of hospitality with the finest modern amenities. The hotel has 128 elegant and luxurious guest rooms and suites and is targeted towards today’s discerning international clientele’s expectations. Professional levels of service and a wide range of facilities make the Ree Hotel a good choice for travellers looking to explore the unforgettable ancient ruins of Angkor from a refined haven of international standard.

For very competitive rates at the Ree Hotel contact: info@asia-adventures.com

www.reehotel.com

Halal dining is relatively easy to find in Phnom Penh, and even easier if you know what you’re looking for. There are a number of Pakistani establishments in town as well as a smattering of Malaysian outlets, although not all are specifically halal. Some Nepalese and Indian restaurants get in on the game as well. Bites (St 107), Lumbini (St 214), Indian Curry Pot (lakeside) and Mount Everest (Sihanouk Bvd) all advertise halal menus, as do numerous others.

A brief explanation, Halal translates pretty much as ‘permitted’, while its opposite is haraam, ‘forbidden. It not only lists what you can eat, but also refers to the way in which animals are slaughtered – this must be done in the name of Allah.

With a well-established local Muslim population here in Cambodia (the Cham), halal markets are easily found if you know where to look. A a good place to start is Russey Keo, which is not too surprising, as a large number of Cham live in that part of the city.

For Halal torus of Cambodia contact: info@asia-adventures.com

Edited from: Cambodia Pocket Guide (May 08)

From Nov 23-28 08 Siem Reap’s night sky will be illuminated with world class photography at the fourth consecutive Angkor Photography Festival 2008.

The Angkor Photography Festival aims to create and develop artistic, educational and humanitarian photographic projects from South East Asian countries in 3 ways: i) the Angkor Photography Festival, ii) photo workshops and iii) an outreach program.

Free outdoor night screenings will project audiovisual presentations or celebrated regional and international photographers during the 6 day festival. Setting itself apart from other festivals, the Angkor Photography Festival focuses much of its energy on education, as famous photographers nurture the talent of emerging Asian snappers during a series of free workshops hosted by Gary Knight and Philip Blenkinsop. In addition, prints donated by some fo the world’s most famous photographers will be auctioned to help raise funds for a local education centre.

To arrange a tour of Cambodia during the Angkor Photography Festival contact: info@asia-adventures.com

Dengue Fever, the Cambodian rock band from Loa Angeles, have no time to rest after completing 30 gigs in Europe this summer.

In November they will make their British television debut on the influential music program, Later With Jools Holland, while headlining their first UK tour. The six member band take their inspiration and style from 1960s Cambodian pop, in particular Sinn Sisamouth and Ros Sereysothea, and mix it with psychedelic rock. Some songs are written in English and then translated into Khmer. Chhom Nimol is the band’s Cambodian songstress.

Edited from: The Globe (Nov 08)

This year’s Water Festival (Nov 10-13 2008) promises to be bigger and better than the last, with more boats, spectacles, spectators and facilities!

The Government is making every effort to attract more international visitors and make 2008 the most exuberant Water Festival yet. Phnom Penh’s main street’s and parks will be decorated with coloured lights and a larger spectator area is being provided for those wanting to watch the vibrant boat races.

To enjoy the Water Festival contact: info@asia-adventures.com

They travel from all over Cambodia in the hope that first world medical miracles can change a life and bring a smile to children’s faces.

Visiting one of the medical missions it is hard not to be stunned. First the location, the Khmer-Soviet Friendship hospital; it’s not exactly a five-star health centre. Second, the kids, It is said that cleft lips and palates occur in 1/500-1/750 births worldwide. Yet when one of these kids smiles, you see past the cleft lip or palate and into to their hearts. It is hard not to be moved. Third, the families. In some cases they make long and arduous journeys from all over Cambodia. Leaving everything they had ever known to go to the big city, families sleep in hallways, up to 15 of them sleeping in a small room. Hammocks are slung between beds and halls as parents watch over their children in the hope they would be given a chance at a better life.

The logistical, organisation and support behind Operation Smile is impressive: international and Cambodian medical, support staff and volunteers all working together to help these children. Operation Smile was founded by Dr William and Kathleen Magee in 1982 with a mission of medical volunteers to the Philippines. Since that time, more than 115,000 children have been treated and Operation Smile now supports medical missions in more than 26 countries. Its first mission in Cambodia took place in 2002 in Phnom Penh and a year later Operation Smile Cambodia (OSC) was formed. To date, about 1,000 children have received corrective surgery in Phnom Penh, Siem Reap and Battambang.

Last March the mission was held in Phnom Penh, where more than 200 patients were screened and approximately 130 treated over five days. This was only possible with the assistance of 49 international medical volunteers from nine countries, 29 Cambodian medical volunteers, international and local support volunteers, OSC staff, directors and donors, support from Operation Smile worldwide and the Cambodian families who trusted OSC with their children. OSC is beautiful in its simplicity and focus. It brings together local and international resources to provide a straightforward procedure that changes a child’s life. From a medical perspective, people with cleft lips and palates often have difficulty eating, talking, hearing and breathing. From a social perspective, repairing a cleft can lead to greater acceptance and confidence.

If you want to learn more about Operation Smile, its website is www.operationsmile.org.

Edited from: Cambodia Pocket Guide (July 08)

The people of Mondolkiri Province, Cambodia, rely on a number of non-timber forest products (NTFPs) for their livelihoods and daily routines, and the sweetest of all NTFPs, of course, is honey. A new practice of sustainable collection has been introduced, as well as education on forest protection.

The traditional way of collecting honey from the forest was to climb a tree and smoke the bees out of the hive. This drove the honeybees away and the entire hive would be collected and brought out of the forest. However, this method only allows for one-time collection.

“WWF facilitated a training on sustainable honey harvesting and proper honey handling. WWF also helped the honey hunters organize themselves into an association.” said Amy Maling, Community Extension Team Technical Advisor, WWF’s Eastern Plains Landscape Project. The honey hunters have learned to only collect a portion of the hive containing honey, leaving the queen to rebuild her fortress. This method allows hunters to harvest from one hive two or three times in the three-month honey season from March to May. This also allows the honeycombs to fully mature producing a higher quality product. When the hives stay, so do the bees. In the past, bees would leave the area after their hives had been completely collected, forcing the honey hunters further into the forest, and sometimes even causing the entire village to move. When the bees stay, the village is able to have a more stable location to develop.

The new buzz around the community is there is a market for sustainable honey. The honey association has started marketing their products. WWF, in partnership with other organizations, have assisted in developing the brand, label and packaging of the honey products. “Mondolkiri Wild Honey” is now being marketed in different shops in Mondulkiri Province and in Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia.

For tours to Mondolkiri contact: info@asia-adventures.com

Edited from: WWF The Mekong Messenger (22-9-08)

A fragrant and spicy dish, the delicate flavours of the prawns combine perfectly with the fresh lemongrass and chillies.

INGREDIENTS (serves 2 people)
- 10 fresh prawns (peeled)
- 4 stems of fresh lemongrass (finely chopped)
- 2 fresh red chillies (finely sliced)
- 5 cloves of garlic (finely sliced)
- 3 kaffir lime leaves (chopped)
- 1.5 tablespoon fish sauce
- 3 teaspoon sugar
- 0.5 teaspoon Knorr flavouring
- 1 tablespoon lime juice

GARNISH
- Fresh mint leaves
- 1 fresh red chilli (sliced lengthwise)
- Lettuce leaves

PREPARATION
- Mix together the fish sauce, sugar, Knorr flavouring and lime juice. Stir well and leave to sit for 5 minutes.
- Bring a pot of water to boil then remove from the heat and add the prawns. Let the prawns sit in the hot water for one minute.
- Add the garlic, chillies, lemongrass, kaffir leaves, the cooked prawns to the sauce. Mix well to ensure the prawns are evenly coated.
- Serve on a bed of lettuce and garnish with mint leaves and sliced red chillies.
NOTE: for a less spicy dish remove the seeds from the red chillies.

Brought to you courtesy of Bojangles Restaurant, 269 The Riverside (next to ANZ Royal Bank), Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

As the sun begins to set over Phnom Penh many traders set up their stalls to sell a variety of fresh and cooked food. If you want to try out some street food and are looking for something a bit more Cambodian than stir-fried noodles you could try Cambodia’s popular snack of ‘pong tea koun’ (fertilised duck egg with foetus!). Many believe the foetus eggs are a source of energy, and the reason why a lot of Khmers eat them after a hard day’s work. Pong tea koun are popularly believed to be an aphrodisiac and considered a high-protien, hearty snack. Usually pong tea koun are boiled in hot water or in oil and eaten with pepper, salt and slices of lime or sewwt-sour chilli sauce with garlic.

Edited from: Asia Life (Oct 08)

It seems like there’s a new spa opening every week in Phnom Penh. Well perhaps not quite that frequently, but the past twelve months has seen huge growth in the industry.

Just a few years ago, if you wanted anything more than a simple head or neck massage you would have to visit the spa at one of the city’s finer hotels, and pay a suitably luxurious price for the pleasure. The ongoing restoration of the city, coupled with an influx of more affluent residents and visitors, has brought an appetite for improving standards across the board. So it’s perhaps not surprising that the range of spa services available here in Phnom Penh has also grown dramatically, with prices starting at just $6 an hour for a basic massage up to $50 an hour and beyond for a more sophisticated experience. The list of available treatments seems as extensive here in Phnom Penh as anywhere, popular options ranging from aromatherapy and hot stone massages to esoteric therapies from many different countries including India, Sweden, Egypt, China and Indonesia.

Two popular treatments here are the traditional Thai massage, and its cousin the traditional Khmer massage. Thai massage (known as Nuad Bo’ran in Thai) has its roots in the Ayurvedic system originating from India, and was introduced by missionary monks over two thousand years ago, initially to help soothe the muscles of workers from the rice fields. The masseur uses his or her thumbs, palms, forearms, elbows, knees and feet to work along energy meridians called Sen lines, thereby increasing the flow of energy and helping the body to detoxify, balance and heal. The treatment is one of the four cornerstones of Thai medicine, the others being herbal remedies, nutritional medicines and spiritual practices.

Similarly, Khmer massage forms one of the five pillars of traditional Khmer medicine, the others consisting of: medication, treatment by magic, therapeutic burning and rubefaction. The latter two treatments are often referred to as “cupping” and “coining”, involving the use of coins and/or a flame under a glass to stimulate blood flow, draw toxins out from the skin and promote good health. They are traditionally used to help balance “khyol” or “wind illness” – coining is known as “khos khyol” or “rubbing the wind” whereas cupping is known as “choob khyol” or “sucking the wind.” A third variant, “chab khyol” involves using the first and second fingers to pull upward hard on the skin. These three treatments leave red welts and bruises on the skin, however, and while you often see such patterns on local people, the techniques have perhaps unsurprisingly found little popularity with Westerners. Khmer massages offered at spas around Phnom Penh rarely use these treatments, preferring an approach more akin to the Thai practice.

Whatever your requirements, you’ll find that Phnom Penh will have something to suit you. Many hotels also offer massage services so if you really want to relax you don’t even have to leave the comfort of your room.

Edited from Cambodia Pocket Guide (July 08)

Get ready for the Pursat River Run!

On Sunday October 26th 2008, Pursat Province is pleased to host its second annual 5k and 10k road races. The event follows last year’s inaugural run which attracted nearly 300 runners. This year more than 500 are expected

The event is organised by the Pursat Department of Education Youth and Sport. Because it’s locally organised in the province, don’t expect chip timing or a goody bag. We can however, promise you a warm welcome, a fun day out, and lots of community spirit in a beautiful but rarely visited part of Cambodia!

Entry for the race (either 5k or 10k) is $15 for expatriates and $1 for Cambodians. This includes a T-shirt for all runners. There will be cash prizes and trophies for the winners. All money raised will buy sports equipment for Pursat schools.

There will also be disabled athletes in the race, supported by a local NGO in Pursat, Disability Development Services Pursat (DDSP). If you’d like to sponsor one of them, or if you’d like more information about the race, please get in touch with Steve Harknett at sharknett@hotmail.com.

The National Museum in Phnom Penh, Cambodia is going through a major overhaul of its exhibition rooms.

Fewer than two years short of the museum’s 90th anniversary, walls are being repainted, sections rearranged by themes and periods, and sculptures repositioned to create viewpoints enhancing them. Moreover, display cases are being cleaned up, labels redesigned and information panels added in 2 or 3 languages, Khmer, English, French. The overhaul is being done so that visitors will better understand and appreciate the artefacts in the context of Cambodia’s historical period.

Edited from Cambodia Daily (13-10-08)

Traditional hand-painted signs live on in the Kingdom as one artist works against time and technology to preserve the beauty of the old ways.

The tradition once thrived and can still be spotted occasionally in the countryside and in some areas of Phnom Penh, but the humble hand-painted shop sign may soon be a thing of the past as Cambodia becomes increasingly accustomed to Western advertising techniques. Some may consider hand-painted signs, known in Khmer as chook tip (‘perfect painting’), unsophisticated, but they certainly do get the message across.

They still hang in back streets, alleys and lanes advertising a variety of wares and services, from long-lashed brides and freshly shaven young men to motorbike repair shops, photocopy facilities and pool halls. The retro-charm of these quintessentially Cambodian hand-painted signs may soon disappear-a victim of the digital age’s preference for detailed airbrush techniques and computer-generated graphics. Hand-painted signs are now more expensive than machine-painted signs, but some customers still the traditional hand-painted signs.

To see examples of this traditional art form, and maybe take one home as a unique souvenir, when in Phnom Penh visit Bojangles Restaurant on the riverside (next to ANZ Bank) where you will find not only a great display of traditional shop signs, but also tasty, cheap Khmer and Western food.

Edited from: Phnom Penh Post (26-9-08)

This government designated wildlife reserve is the largest of its kind in South East Asia, and Prek Toal is a unique haven for birds from all over the region. Wild birds like kingfishers, the Indian cormorant, spot-billed pelican and the stately adjutant can be spotted fishing and resting on open waters. Apart from the birds, there are also the fascinating traditional floating villages. The villages have been on the lake for generations and have changed little in this time. Watch floating market boats go from house to house selling their wares, and see fisherman hauling in the day’s catch. The best time to visit is from October to March, when the water level of the Tonle Sap is at its highest and when wild birds return to the area to mate. To see the birds in their natural habitat a visit to one of the ranger spotting towers is a must. These simple but sturdy towers are well hidden in tress and provide uninterrupted views of the birds.

To arrange a visit to Prek Toal email: info@asia-adventures.com

Edited from: Sarika (Oct - Dec 08)

Phnom Tamao Wildlife Rescue Centre. Cambodia is home to a huge variety of animals, but unfortunately many species are endangered due ti illegal wildlife trade and loss of habitat. Phnom Tamao was established to provide care for sick creatures including Sambor deer, macaques, and tigers. The centre is set in 2,500 hectares of protected forest, and houses over 80 species and 1,200 animals. A visit makes for a fascinating and highly informative day – a must for anyone looking to discover the natural beauty of Cambodia. You’ll also get to watch the elephants taking their daily bath amid plenty of trumpeting and boisterous play. Phnom Tamao is located 40km south of Phnom Penh.

To arrange a visit to Phnom Tamao email: info@asia-adventures.com

Edited From: Sarika Oct - Dec 08

The Knai Bang Chatt Sailing Club in Kep is having a New Season opening party on October 11th 2008. As well as a delicious seafood barbeque a DJ will be spinning tunes as the sun sets. All welcome!

For relaxing times in Kep email: info@asia-adventures.com

Knai Bang Chatt Sailing Club

To read a recent Phnom Penh Post article about ecotourism in Cambodia featuring an interview with Asia Adventures Managing Director follow this link:

Ecotourism Cambodia link

To arrange a ecotourism holiday in Cambodia email info@asia-adventures.com

Facing competition from its regional neighbours in the advertising stakes, such as ‘Malaysia Truly Asia;, ‘Incredible India’, ‘Amazing Thailand’, The Cambodian Ministry of Tourism has launched its first ever large scale international advertising campaign, ‘Cambodia, Kingdom of Wonder’. Adverts have started appearing on CNN International highlighting Cambodia’s beaches, natural environment, and historic temples. The advert features Angkor Wat alongside images of ecotourism sites, Apsara dancers, beaches and shadow puppets. The aim is expand Cambodia’s appeal beyond just the Angkor temples, and to show that Cambodia has a lot more to offer.

The Cambodian government has signed a direct-flight agreement with Qatar that will allow planes leaving Qatar to fly direct to Cambodia without having to go via Thailand, Singapore or Malaysia as they do at present. This will reduce flying time and inconvenience. A similar agreement is expected to be signed with Kuwait soon. However, the date for the commencement fo direct flights from these countries has not yet been announced.

For the past few months Phnom Penh has had its own night market located close to the riverside (between streets 106 & 108), where you can shop to your heart’s content.

The market is open from Friday to Sunday, 6pm to midnight, and features about 130 stalls. Products on offer include silk and silk products, clothing and footwear, paintings, stone carvings and wooden handcrafts, jewellery, food and drink, furniture, and a range of curios and souvenirs to remind you of your time in Cambodia.

In keeping with the market’s slogan, ‘One Village One Product’, the majority of items are made by craftsmen and women from various far-flung Cambodian provinces, However, there are also mass produced Vietnamese and Thai goods masquerading as local fare.

As with any Khmer market be prepared to haggle over the price of everything, its surprising how quickly the cost can tumble…

Edited from: Cambodia Pocket Guide After Dark (Aug – Oct 08)

On November 28, 2008, history will be made as the World Premiere of Where Elephants Weep takes centre stage at Phnom Penh’s Chenla Theatre. It will be the first time in the Kingdom’s history that a contemporary opera of this scale and calibre has been staged, and promises to be the most inspiring event in Cambodia’s cultural calendar this year.

Where Elephants Weep is a modern take on a traditional Khmer love story, and fuses ancient melodies with elements of hip-hop and rock, performed by professional musicians and actors from around the world. Commissioned by Cambodian Living Arts (generating arts renewal since 1998), a project of World Education, Where Elephants Weep is a creative collaboration between acclaimed Cambodian composer Him Sophy, story writer Catherine Filloux, and executive producer, John Burt.

If you would like to include a visit to the groundbreaking opera when visiting Phnom Penh from 28 Nov 08 to 7 Dec 08 please contact: info@asia-adventures.com

For more information visit: www.whereelephantsweep.net

Biodiversity is the name of the game along what has been called the Mekong Trail on the Laos border with Cambodia. Rare dolphins and fine cuisine make this a red-letter must for every explorer’s itinerary if you want to take in the sights along the border. With the opening of the new immigration post at Trapaing Krial on the Laos border, travelling overland from the 4,000 islands region of southern Laos to Kratie has become a lot easier. Cambodian visas are now available at the border (reportedly Laos visas will be available soon) and the opening of the last stretch of highway has transformed the journey from a body-punishing run to a smooth and easy ride.

Although the trip can now be made in under three hours, what’s the rush? There are numerous sites and adventures to be found along this striking stretch of the Mekong River. Dubbed a ‘biodiversity hot spot’ due to the wealth of unique plant and animal life it supports, 36 threatened species can be found in this stretch of the river, many unique to the area.

Longtail boats for up to four passengers can be arranged from Ou Svay and en-route there are also some interesting islands, some of which are deserted so you can relax and enjoy a picnic or a quick dip. On the larger islands you’ll be welcomed by villagers who are always excited to see a western face.

Plans to develop eco-tourism in the area include houseboat stays, home stays, horse-drawn cart rides and kayaking. It is also possible to cycle all the way from the border to Kratie. Following a track that will take you along the river and into some great villages. From Kratie, a short boat ride will take you to Koh Trong, one of the largest islands in the region. It has a cool, tree-lined 14km bicycle track, but to date you’ll need to bring your own bicycle or hire one from Kratie.

Home stays are available in Ou Svay, which is a great little town to meet the people, practice your Khmer and enjoy the local nightlife. For groups, some local pagodas can organise mattresses and mosquito nets. Between Stung Treng and Kratie in Sambor, the 100-pillar pagoda is a truly great place to spend the night. They also cook up an excellent Khmer feast, so be sure to hang around for dinner.

Kratie has a wider range of accommodation with the Oudom Sambath hotel popular among visitors for its balcony overlooking the Mekong. Sunsets in Kratie are always stunning, so if you book a room here take a few beers up to the balcony and enjoy the view. There are also some great local and western bars and restaurants in town. So if you’re heading through to Stung Treng, be sure to get off the highway and experience life along the Mekong.

For more information on tours along the northern Mekong to the Laos border contact: info@asia-adventures.com

Edited from: Cambodia Pocket Guide (June – Aug 08)

Cambodia is an impoverished country in search of a future, and the volunteers from the first world have a vital role to play. Volunteering in Siem Reap is a worthwhile way to spend your time in Cambodia that will definitely make this your trip of a lifetime. The tourist draw for Siem Reap has long been the Angkor Wat complex of temples. But travellers seeking an alternative have also taken to volunteer work in an effort to improve the lives of rural Cambodians.

Make A Difference For Good (MAD) is a not-for-profit foundation that gives tourists a chance to experience volunteering, even if it’s only for a few days. On the outskirts of Siem Reap, volunteers pay for accommodation and an administration fee for the opportunity to work in remote and semi-remote communities digging water bore holes, farming and building lavatories. There are also small Khmer-run schools looking for teachers.

Most nights students at Jay’s School pore over their notes with Jay Lim Chea, its director and teacher. By day he works for an NGO and is constantly looking for volunteers who’ll stay longer than a couple of weeks and teach English four nights a week.

Several pagodas around town also take on English speakers to assist the monks in teaching adults and children. The Life and Hope Association at the Wat Damnak commune on Wat Bo Road has a sewing centre and a food education project for orphans in nearby communities. The Angkor Hospital for Children takes about 200 volunteers a year from the more than 1,000 applicants. People are taken on to fill specific jobs, whether that is building a shed or working in the biotechnology lab.

There are several environmental NGOs keen to hear from volunteers, though several prefer people with expertise.

For more information on volunteering in Cambodia contact: info@asia-adventures.com

Edited from: Cambodia Pocket Guide (June – Aug 08)

On 10 Sept 08 the Cambodian Sokha Hotel Group broke ground on a 500 room five star resort on Sihanoukville’s Ochheuteal beach. No date has yet been given for its completion, and it is rumoured the development will also include an 18 hole international standard links golf course. The Sokha Hotel has previously come in for criticism from its current Sihanoukville Sokha Beach hotel for ‘privatising’ the beach, a claim which it denies. For the new development, despite being awarded a government concession granting the hotel rights over the beach, a hotel spokesperson states that Ochheuteal beach will remain open to the public.

Although numerous Khmer temples built before the 13th Century can be found throughout Cambodia, no vestige of a Royal Palace had ever been found outside the walled city of Angkor Thom. None that is, until now. After 5 years of excavation at Roluos on the outskirts of Siem Reap, an archaeological team has discovered traces of large and lavish wooden buildings as well as fragments of Chinese and Middle Eastern ceramics. The team believe it has discovered the Royal palace of Jayavarman II.

‘The quality of construction of those buildings is truly exceptional .. far above the quality of ordinary houses found elsewhere’, says one of the archaeologists. The ceramic fragments found at the site show that the building was occupied by social elites with the means to own ceramics from either Iran or Iraq., and researchers believe these could only have been the king and his court at that time.

Located about 15km south-east of Abgkor, Roluos was the capital of Jayavarman II who is considered the first king of the Angkorian era.

To explore the Roluos temples email: info@asia-adventures.com

Edited from: The Cambodia Daily Weekend (6-7 Sept 08)

Born in Cambodia in 1933, it would be difficult to even summarize all the events Svay Ken has lived through, but fortunately the prolific painter is busily creating an extensive visual autobiography on a daily basis. Unlike most artists, he began painting at the age of 60, with no formal training. His prior roles included work as a simple laborer, a farmer and a long stint at Raffles Le Royal Hotel beginning in the 1980s.

In those days the hotel was a central meeting point for the small overseas aid community. After being told he was of retirement age, Svay Ken looked for a new way to support his family, and settled on painting. ‘It was difficult at the beginning’, he recollects. ‘I didn’t know how to mix the colors’. Foreign friends encouraged his new works that didn’t depict the standard images of Angkor Wat or apsara dancers. He soon opened up a small gallery near Wat Phnom on ‘French Street’ that remains to this day - his family running a pharmacy from one part of the shop, and Svay Ken selling paintings from the other.

Svay Ken’s subject matter is the raw fabric of daily Cambodian life, almost always drawn from memory: objects, people, events. Untrained artists are often considered creators of ‘naïve art’, but these works are painted by a man fully grounded in the world, who has survived years of war, and raised a family.

His working-class work ethic produced numerous paintings, which found a growing market for his efforts. With the help of Reyum Gallery, he began to gain national and international recognition, eventually representing Cambodia in the 1999 Fukuoka Art Trienniale. After his wife Tith Yun passed away, he spent a year creating 128 images depicting their years together from 1941 to 2000.

The resulting exhibition ‘Painted Stories’, was highly praised and also collected as a book. Numerous group and solo exhibitions have showcased his work, including a feature role in 2005s ground-breaking Visual Arts Open. Another memorial collection followed with ‘A Good Friend Is Hard To Find’, a tribute to Reyum’s Ingrid Muan.

No stranger to storytelling, the artist has years of history to draw upon, and recounted serving in the nationalist ‘Chivapol’ troops when then Prince Sihanouk (now King Father) was working to secure Cambodia’s independence from the French. An exhibition recounting this time ‘Memories - 1938 to 1954′ was featured in 2006 at The Royal, bringing the creator full circle from staff worker to honored guest.

As prolific as ever, the septuagenarian artist shows no signs of slowing down and is working on a new series of paintings reflecting his opinions regarding modern-day Cambodia.

When visiting Phnom Penh call into his ‘Khmer Art Gallery’ to see his work for yourself, 17Eo, Street 47 (Rue de France), near Wat Phnom – 016 818034 / 092 549089

Edited from; Expat Advisory (4-9-08)

Greens and blues abound in Ratanakiri, which offers forests and lakes that are home to a rural lifestyle that delights the eye. The scenery here differs greatly from the rest of Cambodia. Red dirt, lush forests and blue lakes make it a beautiful and colourful province to visit and numerous hilltribes add cultural diversity.

The banks of Kansaing Lake within the provincial capital of Banlung is a great place to watch local fishermen. In town you can wander through the market and see the many products from the forest on sale, but if you plan to buy, please be aware that many of the plant and animal species hunted in the area are endangered, so don’t support the hunter/scavengers by buying skins or herbal medicines. Among the photogenic sights on the street are the mounds of sorted and drying produce. Cashew nuts and rubber are two of the biggest industries in the province but, unfortunately for the environment and local hilltribes, so are logging and mining.

Out of town, nature’s bounty is on show. Yeak Loam is a circular volcanic lake 5km from Banlung. The water is crystal clear, deep and beautiful to swim in. There is also a 2.5km track around the lake and en route you will find local crafts on offer, some great swimming spots and amazing views. Waterfalls are plentiful and many can be explored on a half-day trip. The highest in the area is Ou’Sensranoh at 18 metres. Cha Ung is not only a great place for a dip but also offers a vantage point behind the falls to see the world from a different angle.

Forty five kilometres from the capital is Virachay National Park, a great place for trekking and birdwatching. Along the way you are likely to see people from various hilltribes, often with baskets strapped to their backs as they collect produce from the forest. Many of them still wear traditional costumes. Brau women often have tattooed faces and Krung women generally wear only a sarong and nothing on their upper bodies. It is also common to see men and women smoking pipes. The men will often be seen along the roadside carrying crossbows and arrows they use for hunting. They gather poison from colourful forest frogs that excrete the liquid from their skins; the hunter simply wipes the arrow tip across the frog’s back.

If you get the chance, be sure to try the local wine. Brewed in a large clay jug, the concoction comprises rice husks and herbs. The mix is packed down tight and bamboo straws are pushed to the bottom. Water is added and the mix is then left to ferment; the longer you leave it, the stronger it gets. Add too much water, though, and the alcohol loses its strength. Traditionally the jugs are large and the wine is drunk through bamboo pipes, but this is not for the faint-hearted.

For more information on tours to Ratanakiri email: info@asia-adventures.com

Edited from: Cambodia Pocket Guide (Aug-Oct 08)

Chi Pat is a remote village in the Cardamom Protected Forest, with no running water and electricity is by generator only. But this is not stopping Wildlife Alliance (formerly Wild Aid) from bringing ecologically conscious tourists to the village as part of a new eco-tourism program.

The ecotourism project is in its infancy, but the Wildlife Alliance has been in the area for some time, involved in law enforcement in the Cardamom Mountains, working directly with the park rangers who patrol the region busting poachers and illegal loggers.

So in terms of protecting the forest the rangers are the stick and eco-tourism the carrot. Wildlife Alliance believes that if they want locals to stop logging and hunting they must be given an alternative income, and ecotourism can provide that alternative income as well as being a tool for long-term conservation to reduce pressure on the forest.

So what is there to do? For starters Chi Pat is remote, after a 4 hour road journey from Phnom Penh (Cambodia’s Capital) you reach a river where you have to board a traditional wooden boat and take a 3 hour journey upstream. On arrival in the small village of Chi Pat in the foothills of the Cardamom Mountains you will see a dirt road, a couple of restaurants, lots of cows, dogs and chickens wandering around, and a chorus of ‘Hellos’ from the inquisitive children. In terms of accommodation there are currently 4 guesthouses as well as a few homestay options.

There are various natural and cultural sites in the surrounding forest such as waterfalls, ancient burial jars, bat caves, and wildlife such as elephants, hornbills, flying squirrels etc. To explore there are a series of treks or mountain bike tours you can take, or more leisurely explore the rivers tributaries by boat. The tours vary from day trips to multi-overnight trips camping out in the forest.

The project does not officially begin until early 2009, however if you would like to be one of the areas eco-tourist pioneers contact Asia Adventures who can arrange a tour for you: info@asia-adventures.com

Edited from: The Cambodia Daily Weekend (Aug 30-31-08)

The performing arts NGO, Phare Ponleu Selpak, recently erected Cambodia’s first proper circus tent / big top.

Phare Ponleu Selpak, which is based in Battambang, focuses on the poor / disenfranchised youth in the area and offers them a normal education as well as training in the performing arts.

The new Big Top consists of a ring with spectators on three sides and a metal cupola sturdy enough to support trapezes and ropes, and it replaces a 23 year old tent that the circus school had been donated 5 years ago.

Throughout the year public circus events are performed at the school in Battambang. If you would like to attend a circus performance please email: info@asia-adventures.com

On the night of 28 Aug 08 a fight night billed as kickboxing coming home exceeded the wildest of expectations as two Cambodian kickboxers landed the first-ever world titles for Cambodia!

Thailand is often considered as the home of kickboxing, however from carvings on the mighty Angkor temples it can be seen that kickboxing was alive and, well ‘kicking’, before the Siam (former name of Thailand) dynasty came to power.

Both Cambodia fighters were regarded as underdogs as they fought international opposition. However, Meas (The Dragon) Chantha (67kg category) cruised to victory over British fighter Frankie Hudders, while Battambang’s Vorn Viva (75kg category) had a tougher time of it, before eventually coming out on top against his German opponent, Alban Ahmedi.

Although their future earnings potentials are unknown, some decent paydays could await Meas Chantha and Vorn Viva as reward for taking the world titles.

Edited from: The Cambodia Daily (29-8-08)

Helping yourself to a sumptuous meal and good wine is a very satisfying way to lift young people out of the poverty trap.

Skills training is one of the platforms offered to young Cambodians to give them the ability to find and hold down a job in the outside world. It is impossible for anyone visiting this country to ignore the obvious: street children hawking photocopied books, pkar malis (scented flower wristbands), a shoeshine or daily paper; children as young as five years old scavenging for saleable waste on the city rubbish dump at Stung Meanchey.

Pourire un Sourire d’Enfant (PSE) has been making a difference in the lives of disadvantaged Cambodian children for more than 40 years. In that time it has more than fulfilled its ambition to bring a smile to a child’s face where a tear was more common. It has also established itself as a mainstay for the children and families who have endured a life scratching a living from the noxious, vermin-ridden moonscape that is the Stung Meanchey city dump. High-end eating at soup kitchen prices, that’s the basic idea of the Lotus Blanc project set up and run by PSE at its residential school near the dump. That’s where children wait table, work in the kitchen and learn skills that will see them into the service industry and adulthood. At its inception the restaurant’s menus were created by European chefs who flew in once a month to teach the children how to re-create their culinary masterpieces. Today the chefs are Cambodian, the menu is changed every fortnight and the imaginative gastronomic treats are a tasty revelation.

To book a meal at the Lotus Blanc email: info@asia-adventures.com

Edited from: Pocket Guide Cambodia (Aug 08)

As you step from the vibrant riverfront of Phnom Penh along the banks of the Tonle Sap river, prepare yourself for a fusion of innovation and tranquillity. As you enter the calming ethereal design of The Quay’se lobby, you immerse yourself in form and comfort. From the start, your stay at this minimalist 16-room hideaway is urbane and relaxed. Consider yourself at home at The Quay.

After pausing a moment to take in your surroundings, you are pleased to see that every area is inviting. Curvaceous Swan chairs, original art works and historic photographs all grace your presence. As you ascend to your suite, you find The Quay’s spaces infused with aromatherapy and accented with lustrous Cambodian silk textiles. Rooms are intention designed, as you soon discover; they are spacious yet intimate. As you settle into yours, enjoy the ease of accessibility with WiFi, laptops and flat screen TV all at your disposal. Or perhaps choose to release the cares of your day with natural spa products while soaking in the undulating bath – the option is yours.
Its design reflects the integration of the elegant and the organic, limestone floors exude a marked timelessness and harmonize with natural handmade carpets. Individually crafted silk panels illuminate serene interiors. The Quay is laidback refinement at its best.

The Quay’s restaurant, Chow, presents you with a menu of delectable Asian-fusion dishes to suit your tastes and desires.

The Quay has an earnest commitment to carbon neutrality. By monitoring and reducing their carbon emissions as well as investing in carbon offsets, The Quay is setting a precedent as one of the first businesses in Cambodia to completely offset its emissions. At The Quay guests have the opportunity to calculate their own carbon footprint and learn more about the system of carbon offsets.

Asia Adventures has very competitive rates at The Quay, for more info email: info@asia-adventures.com

The Mekong Tourism Office has published The Guide to Responsible Tourism in Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam to facilitate travel in Indochina.

The book is designed for tourists who want to pick up a copy and go, and for tour operators and travel agents who would like to add responsible travel experiences to their Mekong sub-region itineraries, said Peter Semone, senior advisor to the Mekong Tourism Office based in Bangkok. The 148-page guide is penned by Guy Marris, Nick Ray and Bernie Rosenbloom and edited by Ken Scott, all of them seasoned travellers in the region. It has full contact and booking information for all the recommended activities in the three countries, practical information for travellers, and a list of useful resources and organisations involved with heritage, conservation and responsible tourism.

The book costs US$15 (inclusive of postage) and can be ordered through the Pacific Asia Travel Association. For more information, visit the web site http://mekongtourism.org.

For responsible tourism trips throughout Cambodia email: info@asia-adventures.com

The last stronghold of the Khmer Rouge; mystical auras, folk tales of riches and legends, a land filled with precious stones and a magical mountain. Welcome to Pailin.

Isolated in the hills of western Cambodian and nestled against the Thai border. Pailin was known as the gem city of Cambodia. Pailin was a prosperous town, rich from the extensive gem deposits in the countryside and the extensive logging opportunities. The vast resources made it one of the first cities the Khmer Rouge (KR) attacked. The City of Gems and its precious stones then funded the Khmer Rouge war machine and later it became a stronghold retreat in the face of the marauding Vietnamese and post Pol Pot era forces.

Pailin has always had magical connotations in Khmer culture. There are folktales surrounding Phnom Yat (Yat Mountain) and many Cambodians wish to possess a legendary gemstone from the area. Carefully placing a gem into a band of gold, Mr. Nareth reflects that many believe digging for gems is easy and makes a man rich. ‘It is’, he remarks, ‘as difficult [to find gems] as finding a sewing needle in the sea’. ‘We used to dig by hand’, he continues, ‘and it was very difficult. Sometimes we went down to 2-4 meters, using just our hands’.

The nearby mountain, Phnom Yat , figures strongly in Cambodian folklore. A magical old lady, named Yeah Yat, lived as a hermit in the mountains. She strongly disapproved of the people hunting animals in the forests around Pailin and promised the villagers great rewards if they would stop butchering the animals. At a stream on Phnom Yat, an otter played. When the people arrived, the otter swam up and opened his mouth. Inside was a stunning bounty of gems. It is now a superstition to go to the shrine of Yiey Yat and ask her for prosperity and good fortune. The shrine is near the top of the hill, along with a statue of the magical otter.

To visit Pailin please email: info@asia-adventures.com

Edited from: Cambodia Life (Aug 08)

Escaping a terrible fate, a beautiful woman plunges into a swirling river and a myth is born. But the reducing number of dolphins is threatening the time honoured special relationship between the locals and the animals.

The youth turns off the motor and maneuvers deftly with a wooden oar. Locals mingle on the riverside, playing volleyball and sipping fresh coconut. It’s a peaceful scene, interrupted now and again by the distinctive puff of spray as an intriguing bluish brown Irrawaddy dolphin surfaces for air. In North Eastern Cambodia, on the edge of the magnificent Mekong, lies the town of Kratie. It is known for its attractive scenery, lush green villages and the rare Irrawaddy dolphin. The Mekong flows slowly through 148 km of Kratie province and life surrounding it echoes its pace. The locals are laidback to the point of inertia, providing a gentle charm to the tourists who come to and from Lao. Visitors often stop at Kratie for a chance to glimpse the unique Irrawaddy dolphins only found in SE Asia.

The best place to see the Irrawaddy dolphin’s is15 km from Kratie town centre, in the riverside fishing village of Kampi. They used to be numerous but numbers diminished during the brutal years of Cambodia’s involvement in the Indochina. The number of dolphins is estimated to be at under a 100 when older locals can recall a time of thousands. The Khmers have a reverence and respect for the Irrawaddy dolphin, which they believe to be half human reincarnations of their ancestors. According to traditional Cambodian folktales, a fair and beautiful maiden cast herself into the Mekong to avoid a marriage to a giant magical serpent. The spirits, moved by her pure heart and exquisiteness, took pity and transformed her into the world’s first dolphin. The SE Asian Irrawaddy dolphins are different looking to their salt water cousins. They have the maiden’s human sized eyes and a wide upwards curved mouth. It gives them a look of perpetual amusement, a look much in common with the villagers of Kratie.

A local organisation, the Cambodian Rural Development Team (CRDT), is trying to work out ways to preserve the dwindling population. For many people in Kratie, it is an issue of culture and heritage. CRDT is trying to educate the local population so everything is done to try and preserve the dolphins and ensure they aren’t accidentally caught by fishermen. CRDT also is helping locals reduce their reliance on fishing by offering alternatives such as poultry farming.

The locals are happy that the Irrawaddy dolphins have put the town on the tourist map. Their beloved sacred creatures are still playing and swimming in the Mekong, helping to support the people who have always revered them.

To arrange a trip to Kratie to view the Irrawaddy dolphins please email: info@asia-adventures.com

Edited from Cambodia Life (Aug 08)

A new metered taxi firm has now arrived in Phnom Penh. Global Taxi has agreed a 20 year contract that will eventually see up to 300 taxis serving Phnom Penh.

Initial charges are set at 4000 Riel (approx USD 1) for the first kilometre, and every additional 200 meters will cost 400R (approx. 10 cents). The same amount will be charged for every 3 minutes of waiting. The metered taxis are seen as a blessing by many, rather than the persistent haggling over a journeys price with unlicensed and uninsured motor bike taxis and tuk-tuks.

Battambang is a city steeped in spirituality and superstition. Home to numerous temples, sacred sites, and shrines, visitors may find it difficult to choose which of these places to visit.

One of the holiest, and most scenic temples around Battambang town is Wat Phnom Sampeau, located on top of a mountain, about 20km from the city. Like any hilltop temple in Cambodia, the climb to the top is steep, hot, and lined with beggars of all ages, genders, and physical constitutions. After a long climb up, temple goers can relax at the small Buddhist temple, or the adjacent Chinese temple, decorated with eclectic statues of gods, tigers and dragons. Close by is the gruesome cave-site where the Khmer Rouge demonstrated the worst of their abilities. For a small donation a resident nun will give you some incense sticks to burn in memory of the victims. As you stroll down the winding pathway down the mountain, you can take in the commanding views of the countryside and the distant mountains.

As the saying goes, the journey can be as just as pleasing as the destination, and this is certainly true of Wat Ek Phnom, about 12km from Battambang. The ride to Wat Ek Phnom takes you along the western bank of the Sangker River. Along the banks are many small wooden houses set amidst lush, flowering bushes, cactuses, and coconut trees. After a pleasant 30 minute drive through the peaceful shady, riverside villages, you reach Wat Ek Phnom, which is situated in the midst of a clearing in the jungle-like foliage. The temple itself is an 11th century ruin built in the Angkorian style, which contains intricately carved lintels above the crumbling doorways. Beside the ruins is a modern temple of the same name, embellished with vivid depictions of Buddha’s life story.

At both Wat Phnom ampeau, and Wat Ek Phnom, you can take the opportunity to speak to the friendly monks, nuns, and locals who will no doubt give you some valuable insight into the deeply spiritual and superstitious nature of Battambang, and the people who live there.

If you would like to have a tour of Battambang please email: info@asia-adventures.com

Edited from The Advisor (17-23 July 08)

Years ago Phi Phi Island in Thailand was a secret that travellers kept to themselves, and it was a real expedition to reach. It took many years before the island was heavily developed. If you want to visit a tropical island like Phi Phi or Boracay in the Philippines before they became known by all and sundry, then head to Cambodia and check out Koh Rong Saloem.

Koh Rong Saloem is the largest of 22 islands off the coast of Sihanoukville, Cambodia. It offers a fantastic stretch of beach on its southwest, stretching about 5 km. It has fresh water resources on the island and a bustling fishing community on the southeast with basic supplies including fresh water, fish and crab. Currently it remains little visited and provides perfect secluded beaches and exclusive diving.

The island is much larger, and far more beautiful than the most of the famous Thai islands, and as yet there is almost no development on Koh Rong Saloem. However, that is about to dramatically change, as a Cambodian / Hong Kong partnership is looking to raise as much as $2 billion to develop a luxury resort. Koh Rong Saloem’s 10,000 hectares of white sand beaches, coconut trees, waterfalls, and forested hills will soon be the site of resorts, apartments, casinos, golf courses, polo fields and a new airport on the island. The developers claim that they are developing 4,500 hectares of beachfront land, and 5,000 hectares of urban development, making the island on a parallel with Koh Samui in Thailand.

If you want to see the island before it is developed, and be able to say “I was there before …” there are a few basic accommodation huts available. For more information please email: info@asia-adventures.com.

Edited from: Expat Advisory (19-8-08)

Anyone who has ever set foot within Cambodia’s capital of Phnom Penh will be familiar with the words ‘Russian Market’. It has its own little box to tick on the city’s must-see list. I’m even reminded of it when I’m shopping in London. All I need to do is pick up a t-shirt at H&M and read the Made In Cambodia label to be instantly transported to the smells and sounds that make up the tourists favourite market in Phnom Penh.

The popularity of this market does not rest solely at the feet of the strappy-sandaled tourists though. Its reputation as being the best place for clothes shopping rings true also for those who have decided to adopt this city as a hometown for an extended period of time. Phnom Penhhers drop in on a regular basis, as finding clothes that fit foreigners is no small feat around here. Yet size is not the only catnip-like powers this market wields over shoppers. The prices keep buyers shuffling past the stalls like some big garment-factory clothing safari.

Track the latest online discussions, more…Not a large market by any stretch of the word, it is worth knowing which bits not to miss when passing through. Saving time and ensuring the omissible are not missed is a clever approach when entering this labyrinth of garments. It quickly becomes apparent that the picking pool is no ocean and there is a limit to what is on offer when one sees the same designs in different stalls throughout. However, in the same way not all wines are alike, not all stalls are alike and it is worth knowing which ones are consistently good at receiving the best that the local garment factories have to offer. The tags on the items read like a roster in a classroom of labels: Tommy Hilfiger? ‘Here miss’ J.Crew? ‘Present’ Abercrombie? ‘Here’…H&M, GAP, Old Navy, they all available…

Stall 1118-1119 ‘PINK’ is always busy and shouldn’t be missed. They have a few knee length cotton dresses that are not widely available and denim hot pants- should one be that way inclined. Among the many known fashion tags that dangle off hangers in this stall, Apostrophe is a name to look out for as it has simple and chic designs that won’t leave one feeling like a human billboard for big name brands, something that can be tricky to avoid when shopping at the market. Gigantic polo players on horses don’t seduce their way into the wardrobes of all.

There is a row of stalls that runs from 1258 and ends up on a corner with an accumulated pile of stripes that is stall number 1245. The booths are small but form a great alley of t-shirts in cool shapes and colours. Another favourite market brand is Xhilaration, which I was never familiar with until moving to Cambodia. From blouses to t-shirts, they have great pieces. Always subject to change, the latest corner pile was an avalanche of striped long sleeved cotton cardigans that resembled a laundry pile in cartoon-land.

If long sleeved button-up shirts from The Gap tickle your fancy then head to stall 1319. There, on a shelf neatly folded one can find these shirts in every pattern imaginable. This place also has many trousers from big name brands, but in my experience the sizes go from tiny to gigantic with no option in the middle. However, they are all neatly displayed and the staff are both knowledgeable and helpful, so don’t hesitate to ask for assistance. Also worth mentioning are the dresses by label d’BY, their bold prints and wearable lengths may just be the answer to someone’s dress prayers out there…and as with all good shopping trips, the final stop is an iced-coffee. Head to the food section and seat yourself at Phnom Penh’s best iced coffee and indulge in bottomless glasses of caffeine delight.

For tours of Phnom Penh please email: info@asia-adventures.com

Edited from: Expat Advisory (23-7-08)

Tran Van Thanh removes fish from a net on a small boat in Tonle Sap, also known as the Great Lake, in Cambodia. He says he followed his father there from the southern province of An Giang in Vietnam when he was 10. Now almost 70 years old, he says he misses his hometown.

“Other people leave their home country and come back rich, but as for me, I don’t have the money to return just once to worship my ancestors,” Thanh said. “I don’t even know whether my children can afford to bury me when I die, maybe my body will be left to rot and feed the fish in the lake,” the old man said. Thanh is one of 7,000 living at a floating village on Tonle Sap in Pursat Province, the largest freshwater lake in Southeast Asia.

There were about a thousand houses built from bamboo and most of the residents were Vietnamese, president of the Pursat Province’s Overseas Vietnamese Association, Huynh Luy, said. Luy said 95 percent of the population made their living fishing while the rest ran small food or clothing businesses on boats.

Although Tonle Sap is one of the most productive fisheries in the world, it is not easy for poor people to earn money there. Resident, Ly Minh Doi, said lives of fishermen like him rose and fell like the tides on Tonle Sap. In the last few months, many families had sold their houses and moved in search for work, only to return in the rainy season, which is good for fishing, he said. “That is our fate and we can’t change it no matter how hard we try,” said Doi. Nguyen Thi An, who has spent almost all of her life on the lake, said her family had returned home to An Giang Province only once. They decided, however, to return to Tonle Sap because fishing was the only job they could do, she said. Now an old woman, An couldn’t remember how many grandchildren she had, although she was certain that they were living somewhere on the lake. She said she never blamed her children for leaving her alone because they were all too poor to take care of her. Many fishermen can’t afford their own boat so they work for other fisherman. Ghet, for instance, works for the owner of a trawler and his main job is to dive into the lake to check the nets. The water is cold and he said he knew of two divers who had drowned, but he only earns about 10,000 riels (US$2.40) a night to buy food for his family. He doesn’t have a stable income because his boss doesn’t always need him.

He would rather work for himself but fishing permits cost 1 million riels ($240), which is beyond his reach. At sunrise fishermen start sailing their small boats back to the floating village, with dark circles under their eyes after a night on the lake. Le Minh Trung, a young man who comes from the southern Tay Ninh Province, said, “The lake was calm last night and I was able to catch more than 20 kilograms of tiny shrimps.” He would go to the local market and sell those shrimps for 12,000 riels ($2.90), enough to feed his family for two days, he said. Many times when the family had nothing to eat, Trung has wanted to take his wife and small child and move somewhere else. But with no money, he said he didn’t know where they could go. So it is that thousands of Vietnamese fishermen like Trung live day to day at the floating village in Cambodia.

For a trip to teh Tonle Sap floating villages email: info@asia-adventures.com

Edited from: Expat Advisory (23-7-08)

Golfing great Arnold Palmer recently confirmed his company will build a 36-hole golf course in Cambodia. Arnold Palmer Design Company had been retained to build the course at the new 1-billion-dollar resort development by the Sokha group at the former French colonial Bokor Hill Station Resort.

The Sokha Group’s Project Manager said, ‘He is the best in the US and we want the best golf course in Cambodia. The plan is for the course to cover 200 hectares with 36 holes, but we will start by opening an 18-hole course so we can assess and observe the conditions. Construction is due to begin in 2009′

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen is perhaps the only world leader to list his golf scores on his personal website, and the Cambodian elite, as in most of Asia, is golf crazy. There is even a Korean-managed public putting range in the centre of the Cambodian Senate’s grounds.

Cambodia is also aggressively chasing the high-end tourist dollar, and golf courses have mushroomed across the country in the past five years as the country enjoys peace and economic stability.

Palmer, 78, is among the great golfers of all time, winning seven major championships during his career, which began in the 1950s, and being inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1974. His successful design company has designed 300 golf courses to date, according to his website, and prides itself on being in tune with the environment - an attractive trait for Bokor, which lies in a national park, around 200 kilometres from the capital.

Want to play golf in Cambodia? Email: info@asia-adventures.com

Not one hundred meters from the popular backpacker scene of Phnom Penh’s Lakeside district guesthouses, poor Khmer families live in an impoverished and extremely polluted environment. Lining the shores of the Boeng Kak lake are stilted houses perched overtop the water; the water itself covered with a layer of garbage and waste thick enough for a chicken to walk across without falling through. Bare-chested and barefoot children playfully crowd the streets while the adults gamble good-heartedly on a neighbors front stoop and women barbeque fish in aluminum troughs. Homes and shop fronts along the paved path that runs through the community are well kept and clean, but those further from the shore are not as easily maintained.

Access to these homes is possible only via bridges connecting them to land. Most of these bridges are in passable condition, despite being built and maintained with scrap wood and used nails, but some are in a state of constant and dangerous decrepit neglect. The small home of a family of seven is an unfortunate example of one of these.

Two weeks ago the bridge to their home was an obstacle course of loose planks, missing planks, gaping holes where some poor soul’s foot pushed through the rotten wood, and an entire three meter section that had completely collapsed into the water. In order to get to the door of the house, the family had to shuffle flush against the wall, gripping it for dear life and hoping the deceptively solid looking water surface could support more weight than that of a chicken.

A difficult task, especially after dark when the kids usually get home from selling books and which, needless to say, has caused more than a few accidents. Accidents which, given the blanket of trash on the surface and the fact that no one in the family can swim, could prove fatal. This bridge was crossed everyday without complaint and though consequences occurred, and not infrequently, they were bothered not to prevent.

But who is there to prevent?

New wood is expensive and at twenty-five dollars a month, the price they pay for seven people to live in a room not much larger than the one at my guesthouse, there isn’t much left over, and a new bridge is hardly seen as a necessity.

Some however, do see it as a necessity. Upon my arrival in Phnom Penh a friend and I became involved with a volunteer run school operating on the Lakeside called Gimme Shelter. Gimme Shelter is a school dedicated to education in the community for children and adults who want it and are willing to work in a co-operation. The aims of this organization are geared towards English language teaching, Aids education and prevention and general community development. It was through them that we met the kids and the family of the aforementioned home, and there that we decided to spearhead a project to repair or rebuild their bridge.

Funds were raised solely by the generosity of tourists in the Lakeside area and in the end, new supports, used wood, nails, labour and much appreciated celebratory beer cost no less than fifty dollars. For this we thank all those who made donations, you have helped to make a difference. We were equally ecstatic at the response of the people living in the slums to our arrival. Many were willing to contribute what they could toward our efforts, and though donations of money were essentially impossible for them, offers of their time, energy and expertise were very much welcomed.

In the two weeks time I’ve spent here, I’ve gathered that the Lakeside district holds a fairly ugly reputation in Phnom Penh; drugs, robberies, crime etc. I spent everyday of my stay here getting to know the people and families of the slums and have concluded that I’ve yet to encounter a friendlier and more grateful people in my travels. Many people don’t even realize this community exists (I didn’t), even though it is but a stone’s throw away from their guesthouse. I encourage all those passing through this city to make a stop by the Gimme Shelter School to see what’s being done or to view for themselves the conditions of life of the people we assist.

If you would like to assist the ‘Gimme Shelter’ project please email: info@asia-adventures.com

Edited from: Expat Advisory 11-6-08

Visitors to Cambodia are often amazed at the lack of clothing worn by the local children. Shirts, t-shirts and vests seem to be held in high disregard and as a result are deemed surplus to requirements. Such indifference towards fashion taboos gives an insight into the children’s carefree and uninhibited nature, but also exposes an ancient Khmer superstition.

The more observant will notice that some of those topless children sport rather bland, dirty looking, string necklaces. They are tattered and ragged and do little to improve the aesthetic appearance of the wearer, but that is not there purpose.

These necklaces are called ‘ksai gaw granat’ and in essence act as good luck charms. They are given to children to prevent them from crying at night and to act as forms of protection against illness and disease. Rural Khmers relate some sicknesses directly to the presence of evil spirits, if a child is prone to illness then it is thought that evil spirits will constantly follow them and look to cause them harm. To keep these spirits away and prevent further sickness, traditional chains are placed around the necks of some children.

Edited from The Advisor (10 July 08)

For centuries the ‘keeper’ of Cambodian classical dance was the Royal Ballet - which the French sculptor Auguste Rodin saw in Paris in 1906, observing: ‘These Cambodian women have given us everything antiquity could have contained… There is only this and the Greeks.’

The ballet is about a trying game of fate being played out upon a royal family. So, too, is the story of its long-awaited production. Choreographing the ballet began in 1955 by King Sihanouk’s mother, Queen Kossomak - who trained her granddaughter, Princess Buppha Devi, to perform the lead. Cambodia’s turbulent modern history helped ensure the work was never completed.

But that history has now come full circle - with Princess Buppha Devi herself, now 65, staging the first production of ‘Sovannahong’ half a century on. That Cambodian classical dance survived at all was a close-run thing. Proeung Chhieng, a distinguished advisor to the Princess (and in the Royal Ballet’s golden age, one of its most important ‘monkey dancers’) painfully outlines how the two-millennia-old form reached the brink of extinction: ‘The Royal Ballet had 300 masters, dancers and musicians before the Khmer Rouge,’ he says. ‘After them, we had around 30 dancers and musicians left, and 10 or 12 masters. Only around ten percent survived.’ The Khmer Rouge also destroyed the Royal Ballet’s costumes and musical instruments.

‘After 1979 we had to revive everything step by step,’ Proeung Chhieng says. ‘Some dancers started this in the Thai refugee camps. Others regrouped in France. Here in Cambodia, we found a few old instruments and costumes. In 1980 we re-opened the Fine Arts School, near the Royal Palace.’ For centuries the ‘keeper’ of Cambodian classical dance was the Royal Ballet - which the French sculptor Auguste Rodin saw in Paris in 1906, observing: ‘These Cambodian women have given us everything antiquity could have contained… There is only this and the Greeks.’

Frenchman Alain Daniel, who saw performances of the Royal Ballet in the 1960s, said: ‘You could see how happy the dancers were to be recognised for doing something important. And it is important - the ballet is one of the highest expressions of Khmer civilisation, comparable to Angkor. Only Angkor is static. No-one is building more temples there. This ballet is present and alive.’ ‘Sovannahong’ tells of a princess who mutates into a man, in a desperate quest to bring her slain princely lover back to life. Princess Buppha Devi and her cast - students and teachers from Phnom Penh’s Secondary School of Fine Arts - spared little effort to bring the production up to international standard. The performance was produced by the Phnom Penh-based international NGO, Amrita Performing Arts, with financial backing from the Rockefeller Foundation.

‘Our participation,’ says Amrita’s Fred Frumberg, ‘allowed for extensive research, supported artists through a full rehearsal process, built new costumes, and presented last Friday’s one public showing.’ Why only one performance? ‘It’s all we had budget for!’ Frumberg says. ‘This was only ever intended as a project geared towards creating new repertory. It was a collaborative effort between the Princess, a group of elder masters, and young performers.’

So what is the future of this ancient form? Frumberg believes Amrita’s usefulness to classical dance will lie in ‘building more repertory, thus strengthening the form itself. And now that this work exists, it is up to us to find other donors to help present future public performances, unless the Ministry of Culture is able to do that, which is rare. ‘Since the war,’ Frumberg adds, ‘the emphasis was more on revival and preservation of previously lost repertory. The Princess was not concerned with creating new repertory until she felt a healthy momentum had been achieved in reviving the old. This is the first time we have created a work that had only been started, but never actually finished.’

Proeung Chhieng, Princess Buppha Devi’s dance advisor, says that the Princess is now looking to reconstitute another work, ‘Inav Busba’ - like ‘Sovannahong’ a legend concerning a prince and a princess. ‘Our teachers are dying,’ he says. ‘We have to recreate everything before they leave us. So we are gathering that story together now. We have 22 or 23 of the 55 parts so far. In addition, each year we train about 60 students.’

‘Few people understand the importance of this tradition to Cambodian civilisation,’ says Alain Daniel. ‘The girls work very hard. This classical dance takes six years to learn. But right now classical dance here doesn’t even have its own stage, or any resources.
‘The Cambodian people should realise they have a very good chance here to create a truly great company. These dancers are so good because they become the characters. They are not dancing for spectators - for tourists. They are dancing for the gods.’

Edited from The Advisor (10 July 08)

Visiting Phnom Penh but want to escape the city and see village life and relax on a ‘beach’? Then a delicious day trip to Mekong Island (also know as Silk Weaving Island) could be the answer.

Want a last afternoon indulging in food and beer with friends, with someone else doing the cooking. Basking in the shade of a thatched hut while watching the sunlight dance on the Mekong River can prove to be the key ingredients to a truly relaxing day out.

Mekong Island is close to Phnom Penh but not yet overrun with tourists, 4x4s, or rampant development. You can either drive and take a short ferry crossing or take a 45 minute boat trip from Phnom Penh.

As you step foot on Mekong Island you are transported to a completely different world from the one you left in Phnom Penh. Tall, leafy trees form an archway over the dirt road, and chickens run amok under the stilted houses, pursued by small naked children. Wherever you look you can catch sight of women weaving raw silk on the looms built directly under their houses. After wandering past these sights of rural domesticity, as well as temples, rice fields and banana trees you come to the end of the road where lies the entrance gate to the ‘beach’.

Here you will find a sandy area with a dozen or so wooden huts built on stilts above the shallow shores of the Mekong river. The huts shade you from the sun whilst giving idyllic views of the Mekong. Everything you could possibly want is brought to you, with wandering vendors selling mangos, eggs, crisps, cold soft drinks and beer, amongst other delicacies. If you want lunch, no problem, choices include barbecue fish, chicken, pork, river shellfish, water greens, rice etc…

Only the freshest ingredients are used as the island hosts few electric freezers or refrigerators. Island goers can enjoy fish that was freshly caught that day, chickens that could have been chased by naked children minutes before, and steaming plates of aromatic Cambodian rice.

After your meal, there’s not much else to do but relax and watch the boast glide by, the children splash and play in the water, and float around in black rubber inner tubes. The river is an ideal place to take a dip if you get too hot.

Perhaps the best thing about spending time on Mekong Island is that nothing is rushed. You are free to spend as little or as long as you like, and after the initial vendors do their rounds on you, they tend to leave you alone to enjoy the sunlight, water and freshly caught food…

For a relaxing day trip to Mekong Island email: info@asia-adventures.com

Edited from The Advisor 10-16 July 2008

Phnom Penh is mostly know by visitors for its National Museum, Royal Palace, Silver Pagoda, Toul Sleng Genocide Museum, the Killing Fields, and various pagodas. However there is more to do such as:

Go-karting: At Kambol F1 you can challenge your friends on a 900-metre long track driving recently updated 200cc carts up to speeds of 60kph. The speedy karts will zoom you around the eleven bends, a small hill and a 150m straight way up to 8 times before you cross the finishing line. Once the results are in the first, second and third place winners can jump on the podium for a prize-winning photograph before heading to the bar for a much needed beverage to cool the adrenaline rush.

Golf: Phnom Penh has two full-scale 18-hole golf courses which lie on the western outskirts of the city. The Royal Cambodia Golf Club, situated 10km west of the capital, opened in 1996 and was responsible for bringing golf back to Cambodia as its predecessor reverted to land grazing during decades of war. While the course is considered a bit flat, it is lined with paddy fields and coconut palms, which make for an attractive game. The other Phnom Penh golfing alternative is the Cambodia Golf & Country Club located 35km west of the city. Opened in 1996, this course is relatively challenging with plenty of bunkers to keep you on your toes. Dwarfed by superior courses in Siem Reap, these two golf clubs offer a pleasant escape from the bustling city.

Horse Riding: The Cambodian Equestrian Center is an international standard riding school that offers riding lessons for adults and children, pony lead rides and jumping shows.

Running: If your definition of exercise involves copious amounts of beer, then why not meet up with the Hash House Harriers? The group is an enthused assembly of walkers/runners/drinkers who meet every Sunday at the Train Station, 2:45PM opposite the pharmacy. Following trails that will lead them to beer, these outdoor enthusiasts run through parts of the city and countryside little explored by the average foreigner. Everyone is welcome.

Elephant Ride: Head to Wat Phnom for a ride on Sambo, the resident elephant, who’ll take you around the striking monument or down by the river for a mere ten dollars.

For more information on the above activities email: info@asia-adventures.com

Edited from the Expat Advisory website (9-7-08)

Unlike many of its neighbouring countries, until early 2007 Cambodia did not have any true night markets. This changed with the opening of the first market of its kind in Siem Reap.

Drawing on their own experience as visitors, the founders were careful not to create a huge ‘tourist park’ as is so often the case. There’s no warehouse like setting and no mass stalls all offering the same souvenirs. Instead you will find smoothly laid-out huts, over 100, built from natural materials (wood, bamboo and straw), and designed in a beautiful Khmer style. Traditional Cambodian homemade products feature strongly, including clothing, silks, art, jewellery and handicrafts – often produced by orphans and handicapped people who are allocated stalls at a discount. Part of the profit is also donated to the Cambodian Red Cross.

Well worth strolling around for a couple of hours in the evening looking for those souvenirs…

Edited from Cambodia Pocket Guide June – August 2008

Who says pajamas are only for bed? In Cambodia, the comfortable garments have evolved into an all purpose wear, perfect for any time of the day or night. Walking around the streets of any Cambodian town and you are sure to see woman going about their day-to-day chores wearing pajamas…

Available in a cornucopia of colours, designs and styles, pajamas are probably the most comfortable pieces of clothing a girl could own, but they have taken on a whole new direction in Cambodia.

Pajamas are worn by Khmer women at all times of the day – to markets, on the streets and even to some restaurants. Most foreigners assume Cambodian women don’t know what pajamas are. We know they were designed to be worn to sleep in and possibly laze around din on the weekends, but under no circumstances would we wear them in public!

So why do Khmer women use then as all-purpose wear? ‘It’s comfortable’ they all reply, plainly and unanimously. Another motive is cultural sensitivity – the need to be modest whilst working in bust streets and markets. Many ladies admit to owning many sets of pajamas and say there is a difference between daywear and nightwear. Some say that wearing the pajamas and being fully covered also protects them from the sun.

Edited from The Advisor 10-16 July 2008

On 8 July 2008 UNESCO approved the inscription of the Preah Vihear Temple as a World Heritage Site, which allows Cambodia to tap into $4 million in World Heritage Fund money set aside for preserving and promoting this years new heritage sites.

According to UNESCO the temple was inscribed for three reasons: its location atop sheer cliffs overlooking a vast plain and mountain range; its architecture adapted to the natural environment and religious function of the temple; and the quality of its carved stone ornamentation.

Preah Vihear has had a contentious recent history. As it sits very close to the Thai border both Cambodia and Thailand have claimed ownership, with the International Court ruling in the 1960s that it belonged to Cambodia. However, due to the difficulties of accessing the temple from Cambodia most tourists visit from Thailand on day border passes. Yet, recently the Thai border crossing was closed and as yet no date has been given for when it will reopen.

To access Preah Vihear from the Cambodian side involves an arduous 6 hour journey along dirt roads and then a final adventurous 4 wheel vehicle drive up the steep escarpment. However, the well preserved temple and dramatic location makes it all worth while…

If you would like a tour that includes a visit to Preah Vihear please contact: info@asia-adventures.com

Phsar Chas or the Old Market is one of Siem Reap’s busiest markets, catering to locals and visitors alike. Open from dawn till dusk, here you will find a wide array of souvenirs and more to remember your visit to Cambodia.

Silks, the ubiquitous karma (chequered scarf) in a hundred different colours, Buddha statues, silver jewellery, handicrafts, home furnishings, T-shirts and much more. Its certainly worth setting aside an hour or so to explore the narrow alleyways, but it can get very hot in the middle of the day so early morning or late afternoon is the best time to go (and you won’t have to wake the vendors from their afternoon siestas). The main market closes at around 6pm, but many of the stalls on the southern side of the market, alongside the river, stay open well into the evening.

There are numerous food stalls, catering mainly to the local populous, but they can provide an inexpensive alternative to the myriad nearby restaurants if you’re feeling adventurous, and if your stomach isn’t too sensitive. These are located on the northern side of the market away from the river.

The market has become one of the town’s main landmarks, not surprisingly given the proliferation of bars, restaurants, boutiques, and massage salons in the adjoining streets. And given that few of the streets seem to have names that anyone can remember, just ask for Phsar Chas when trying to find the centre of the action. Most of the nearby bars and eateries are within easy walking distance, including the popular ‘Pub Street’ just a couple of hundred metres away. There are also a few ATMs nearby if you find yourself short of cash (none of the stallholders accepts credit cards yet).

Edited from The Cambodia Pocket Guide (June 08)

Kikuo Morimoto is one of the longest established expat residents of Siem Reap. He has been living in Cambodia for more than 25 years mastering his passion, knowledge and technique with silk. In Japan he painted and dyed kimonos for 11 years.

Having moved to Cambodia in 1996 he started the Institute for Khmer Traditional Textiles (IKTT) in Siem Reap. It is located in a traditional Khmer house on the way to Phnom Krom and it preserves Cambodian national heritage by encouraging the younger generation to follow the traditional skills of their forefathers. It is open from 8am – 6pm Monday to Friday, and 9am – 5pm Saturdays.

While visiting IKTT have a good look around the shop, which is filled with natural products from Cambodia. You can also take a day tour to the ‘Wisdom from the Forest’ project 35k north of Siem Reap. Here IKTT focuses on the restoration of the natural environment for producing materials to make traditional textiles, and a vegetable garden that has been lovingly cultivated to feed 30-40 families working on its 22 hectares. Here you will see all the trees that are needed to produce the natural dyes for the silk, as well as the Mulberry trees that are vital in the production of silk. You can see the silk worms munching on the Mulberry leaves, and forming the all important cocoons. As you wander around the site you will discover the entire silk process from boiling the cocoons, to pulling out the silk thread, to dying the silk, and finally weaving it into beautiful designs.

As well as looking around you can also take part in a workshop where you get to take your own silk handkerchief home.

For more information on visiting the ‘Wisdom from the Forest’ project and taking part in a workshop please email: info@asia-adventures.com

Edited from The Cambodia Pocket Guide (June 2008)

On 22 June 2008 the Cambodian Government closed the border crossing to Thailand at the Preah Vihear temple after 150 Thai demonstrators claiming the ruins belong to Thailand rallied Sunday within 300m of the border-hugging temple.

The demonstrations come as a Cambodian Government delegation is scheduled to lobby UNESCO for the temple’s inscription as a World Heritage site. The demonstrators held banners denouncing the Thai Government’s recent endorsement of Cambodia’s bid to list the temple as a World Heritage Site.

The Deputy National Police Commission explained ‘The Thai demonstrators have gathered near the temple. They are not normal tourists, so we closed the gate [border]. We do not know when it will open, it depends of the evolution of the situation’.

Thailand and Cambodia have long disputed the ownership of the temple and occasional border closures occur, despite the International Court ruling in the 1960s that the temple belongs to Cambodia.

Access is still possible from the Cambodian side however the roads leading to the temple are currently in a bad case of disrepair and very steep.

For Cambodia tours that include visiting Preah Vihear please email: info@asia-adventures.com

Edited from The Cambodia Daily (24-6-08)

Plans for a $250 million resort in Sihanoukville recently received verbal approval from the Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen.

Ream Resort and Development Co. Managing Director Thierry Loustau-Khao said that he visited the Prime Minister’s home to present tentative plans for the resort, which is to have about 200 villa and condo units, a PGA-rated golf course, marina, village and five-star hotel.

It is claimed that ground will break in November 08 on the 140-hectare resort, 5km from Ream National Park and 10km from Sihanoukville International Airport.

Ream Resort and Development Co also has the rights to the 43-hectare Koh Sranoach island, 400 meters from the shore, which is slated to be developed with villas.

Edited from The Cambodia Daily (16-6-08)

Compared with its high profile neighbors, wartorn Vietnam and the idyllic paradise of Thailand, Cambodia tends to fly under the radar. But that does not mean this fascinating country has any less to offer.

Angkor Wat provides a stunning sight with its detail and beauty. After three decades of war, Cambodia is now at peace and attracting more and more tourists with the promise of Indiana Jones or Tomb Raider-type adventures. Undoubtedly Cambodia is a beautiful country, quite different from its neighbors.

For starters there are vast expanses of bright red earth house communities where the homes are built on stilts to protect residents from floods in the rainy season and the odd rogue snake, while at the same time providing shelter for livestock below. The view feels more like something out of Africa than Asia with mango trees nestled along the sides of bumpy roads where smiling locals sell juicy slices of pineapples to weary passers-by.

Cambodia was ravaged during the war years and still has the highest number of unexploded land mines in the world. But with a vast expanse of magnificent horizons and some of the world’s most breathtaking man-made structures, the horrific past is being replaced by the wonder of the country’s rich cultural heritage. The biggest attractions on the tourist trail are the temples of Angkor which are among the most incredible structures on Earth in spite of thousands of years of wear and tear and, more recently, clumsy tourist feet.

Situated near the sleepy town of Siem Reap, the temples were only rediscovered by the Western world in the 1860s although they still housed a wealthy working monastery. The discovery generated a great deal of international interest in Cambodia, with well-known explorers swooping on the country to document their travels throughout the area. But in the last part of the last century, visiting Cambodia became difficult as the country was forced into conflict with neighbors.
With Cambodia and its relics now safe to visit following its recent past, tourism is becoming a booming industry. And most are heading straight for Angkor. The temples of Angkor, capital of Cambodia’s ancient Khmer empire, rival each other in size, detail and beauty, but Angkor Wat, the largest religious structure in the world, stands proud near the center of them all.

Angkor Wat is the best example today of man’s devotions to the gods through its sheer size and intricate carvings. More than 3,000 individually carved “heavenly nymphs” adorn the structure while the high turrets of the temple all point west leading many to believe the monument was built as a tomb - the west symbolically points towards death.

But in spite of Angkor Wat’s size, it is by no means the best of the many monuments spreading throughout a thick forest. Heading north from Siem Reap, you first come across Angkor Wat, then the walled city of Angkor Thom where stone faces of tranquil Buddhas stare serenely into the thick jungle. To the east of the city is the mesmerizing temple of Ta Prohm intertwined in a jungle wilderness and Banteay Kdei that offers intricate stone carvings.

Restorations are underway in many of the structures, but the beauty of Ta Prohm is embellished by the way nature has reclaimed the temple with massive trees winding around the structure, breaking up walls as if they were made of sand. Like a giant octopus enveloping the temple, the tree trunks and roots - often more than 30 centimeters wide - wind through the crevices while birds chatter noisily in the tree tops above.

With temperatures often exceeding 30 degrees Celsius, young local children run to tourists touting cold refreshments as well as a myriad of craft items such as flutes, bags, postcards and books. While many parents have been lost in conflicts, maimed by land mines or even killed by poisonous snakes, the children still welcome visitors with wide smiles and fluent English greetings.

After the architecture, the hospitality in Cambodia is the most notable aspect of a visit there, as locals are quick to wave happily at foreign faces - making it a top destination for anyone seeking culture, beauty, kindness and an incredible adventure.

For adventurous tours of Angkorian temples contact Asia Adventures: info@asia-adventures.com

Edited from Expat-Advisory.com (21-6-08)

Dara, the world’s only known hairy-nosed otter in captivity, got a new home this week at Phnom Tamao Zoological Garden and Rescue Centre just outside Phnom Penh. Conservation International explained that hairy-nosed otters were thought to be extinct in the 1990s, and even now researchers believe they only exist in the wild in a few pockets in Cambodia, Thailand, Vietnam, and Sumatra.

Edited from the Cambodia Daily (19-6-08)

From sleepy, down-at-heel beachfront town to a modern resort destination, Kep is on the move and, hopefully, in the right direction.

Once a playground for the well-heeled citizens of pre-war Cambodia, the seaside resort of Kep sur Mer is experiencing a development boom that will either confirm its place as Cambodia’s premier holiday destination or turn it into a naff holiday camp to be avoided at all costs.

Back in the 1930s and up to the 1960s, it must have been the place to visit. Drive into town along its coastal, tree-lined boulevards and you can imagine what a fine time everyone must have been having. In hose days its stunning French villas and Vann Molyvann art-deco concrete houses looked out over amazing views of the Gulf of Vietnam and beyond. Famous for its crab, Kep is surrounded by gloriously lush hills that funnel soothing ocean breezes into your face. In Cambodia’s heyday, life was easy and weekends were for relaxing with the family.

The onset of the Khmer Rouge reign of terror, however, undid it all in a flash, destroying the town and razing most of its beautiful architecture. Few houses survived and those that did are pockmarked with bullet holes. Almost overnight Kep became a Khmer Rouge stronghold and a forgotten backwater. Fast forward to a couple of years ago and it was recommended in the Lonely Planet guide as a quiet, if somewhat boring diversion from many of the other Cambodian destinations.

In 2006 there were only a few places to stay and only a handful of travellers. I ate glorious crab, took a boat to Koh Tonsay, and explored the dirt tracks at the base of the hills that are the backdrop to the town. My gorgeous bungalow overlooking the bay cost $8 and beer was 50c.

Kep 2008: you can now spend up to several hundred dollars for a night at the glorious Knai Bang Chatt resort or as little as $20 at places such as Vanna Bungalows or Kep Lodge. Even though the once rustic crab shacks are being renovated, thankfully the tasty crawler is still cheap, plus power blackouts are almost a thing of the past.

The sleepy Kep of old is pretty well gone forever, however during the week it is still very quiet and a delightful place to relax.

To enjoy a few days exploring Kep email Asia Adventures: info@asia-adventures.com

Edited from the Cambodia Pocket Guide (May – July 08)

Tmatboey is a remote Khmer village in the centre of the Northern Plains of Cambodia, about a 3 hour drive from Siem Reap past the wonderful temple of Koh Ker. The name Tmatboey is a combination of Khmer and minority Kui words: Tmat means vulture in Khmer, and Boey means ‘washing place’, in Kui.

Until recently, access was extremely limited due to almost three decades of conflict and a severe lack of information and easily accessible sites. Visits were restricted to a small number of intrepid bird watchers. In response to this demand the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) established a bird watching tourist project at Tmatboey in the Kulen Prontep Wildlife Sanctuary.

Tmatboey is one of the few sites where the critically endangered Giant Ibis Pseudibis Gigantea and White-shouldered Ibis Pseudibis Davisonii are resident.

Asia Adventures in partnership with the project developers organises trips to Tmatboey intended to promote conservation efforts by linking community development to maintenance of wildlife populations. Tourism activities provide community members with an alternative source of income that is not dependent on forest products or forest clearance and encourages protection of wildlife populations.

These conservation agreements help gain consensus within communities to conserve wildlife. The Ibises are used as a flagship to promote the site, although the conservation agreement is much broader and refers to all key species found in the area, such as Sarus Crane Grus Antigone and Adjutants, which have a much greater value for food and trade. The same conservation agreement is also used to tackle indirect threats, by limiting land clearance and wetland conversion for agriculture.

At a separate location large numbers of White-rumped and Slender-billed Vultures can be seen at a semi-permanent ‘vulture restaurant’. White-winged Ducks Cairina Scutulata are also found on the remote river stretches to the north. The area is one of the last remaining extensive areas of deciduous dipterocarp forest in South East Asia, making it of the highest priority for conservation.

If you are interested in visiting the village of Tmatboey for bird watching please contact us: info@asia-adventures.com

Edited from Touchstone Magazine (May – June 08)

Travelling along the dirt roads of the delightful Cambodian countryside vibrant green paddy fields stretch off into the distance. Then a group of trees will appear on the horizon and before you know it you are in the middle of a traditional village, with pigs snorting, chickens scratching, dogs lazing, kids laughing, and the elders resting in the shade beneath the stilted wooden homes. But you may also see a plethora of curious looking red liquid filled bottles hanging on gateposts…

It’s no great revelation that Cambodians are a superstitious people, and it may not surprise you to hear that Cambodians have a fascination with evil spirits, it is not too uncommon to witness a ghost exorcism ceremony somewhere…

As such any inquiry about these hanging bottles will cause the usual Khmer smile to fall from local faces as they explain the odd custom.

They worryingly explain that at night vampires walk along the quiet country roads. Sometimes, these vampires enter villagers’ houses and suck the blood of those unfortunate enough to be sleeping inside. To prevent these evil creatures from going into their houses, the villagers hang these bottles of red-dyed water from their gates. Confusing the red-dyed water for fresh blood, the vampires gulp it down. This quenches their thirst for blood and, instead of entering the house, they return home…

Edited from The Advisor (12-6-08)

Famous for its seafood, pepper, countryside and garden of islands, Kep has continually proven itself to be a popular tourist destination for everyone from the King to the average city dweller looking to bathe on the beach. For those staying more than one night, Kep has a lot more to offer that a trip to Rabbit Island (Koh Tonsay) and a place to get your seafood on.

Unless you have your own wheels, sooner or later you will find yourself travelling Cambodian style. The tuk-tuk and motodop drivers of Kep are the original storytellers. If you’re lucky enough to meet a driver who is Kep born and bred, you’re almost guaranteed a fascinating tale from someone whose life has witnessed Kep play host to Khmer royalty in the 1960s, Khmer Rouge fighters in the 1970 and, more recently, high end tourism developers who are rebuilding Kep as a must visit destination.

In the area you can visit Kampot, caves, and the pepper farms where you can literally buy bags of the glorious hot stuff. On foot the Kep Mountain Trail involves a 2 – 3 hour wander through lush greenery with views of Kep that would make a bird jealous. Kind Sihanouk’s now crumbling palace can also be found along the palm fringed, ocean-edged main road.

A short ride stroll along the esplanade reveals Kep’s notorious crab market, which invites you to indulge in a veritable crustacean feeding frenzy.

Nothing is better than ending each day of exploration by watching the sunset over Bokor Mountain with a cocktail or three at the Sailing Club. However, for those wanting to work for their sunset, the view from Sunset Rock following a hike can’t be beaten.

Land in Kep is being sold like crabs at the market, and soon this gentle town may once again become a destination for the rich and well-known. If you are neither of these, now is the time to experience the area’s wild beauty in as many ways as you can.

For a relaxing few days in Kep email: info@asia-adventures.com

Edited from The Advisor (12-6-08)

During the 1990s meetings of the International Coordinating Committee of Angkor focused purely on monument restoration. However, in the past decade Angkor has proven itself one of Cambodia’s biggest money making enterprises; hotels have multiplied in Siem Reap town, and 2 million tourist are expected to visit Angkor this year.

As a result the meetings of the ICC are now longer and the topics discussed going beyond the Angkor Conservation Area’s boundaries. Economic development issues, pollution and water problems that are exacerbated by the influx of visitors to Angkor and Siem Reap all get a hearing.

It is agreed that water is one of Angkor’s and Siem Reap’s major problems, from the town’s growing waste water problem, the disposal of which remains to be resolved, to rain damage to the temples. The large number of tourists is also introducing air quality problems with people arriving in all manner of vehicles, with the more popular temples suffering the most.

There are a large number of organisations from many differing countries undertaking extensive research into all areas of management yet there is not a great deal of liaison between them or information exchange. For the future of Angkor the ICC is calling on all researchers in the area have a more cooperative approach and share findings.

Edited from The Cambodia Daily (9-6-08)

As the world becomes more aware of climate change, eco-tourism in Cambodia’s a growing market and eco-tourists need eco-accommodation.

Cambodian accommodation providers are going green as the country’s fledgling industry takes off. According to owners and travel agents, it has been both an economic and a moral decision. As global warming continues to heat up global headlines, the public is beginning to demand greener alternatives for their tourist dollars. Throw into the mix soaring energy costs and hoteliers can’t afford not to go green.

‘Carbon friendly products pay for themselves’, says the French environmental aid organisation GERES, which is planning to introduce a carbon emissions rating system for hotels and guesthouses in the near future.

The new Quay Hotel on Phnom Penh’s riverside aims to make the hotel carbon neutral, but admits this is hard to achieve in Cambodia. For instance the best environmental choice would have been a natural gas generator, but natural gas is not yet available in Cambodia.

There are other environmentally friendly guesthouses springing up around the country. In Kep, the Veranda Natural Resort has used as many natural materials in its construction as possible, while Yaklom Hill Lodge in Ratanakiri has made it onto responsibletravel.com, a web-based environmentally aware booking service. Shinta Mani is a socially responsible hotel in Siem Reap and in 2006 won a Responsible Tourism Award. Last month the Victoria Angkor Hotel, also in Siem Reap, won a prestigious environmental award at the ASEAN Tourism Forum, and it holds an annual ‘Green Day’ clean-up of the nearby Angkor Wat temples. The nature Lodge in Mondolkiri has received rave reviews from tourists and bills itself as a place built by travellers, for travellers. Plus the solar powered Rainbow Lodge, a secluded nature-friendly hideaway only accessible by boat just outside Koh Kong.

The Tourism Minister explains that there are natural features across the country, especially in the north-east and south-west. Stating that it is very important for the government to develop these areas for eco-tourism but preserve them at the same time. We welcome environmentally caring investment.

For more information on eco-tourism and community based tourism in Cambodia email: info@asia-adventures.com

Edited from The Advisor (5-6-08)

Recently our intrepid MD spent a week in the remote forests of Mondokliri in north east Cambodia with the WWF (World Wildlife Fund) and National Geographic exploring eco-tourism possibilities, particularly mountain biking. It was certainly an adventure with the group getting lost, running very low on water in 35 degree heat and eventually being ‘rescued’ by a passing elephant & mahout. Whilst there is certainly mountain biking potential some development work needs to be done – watch this space! Currently the WWF are working on a homestay in the area. To read the full story follow this link…

There is a striking new hotel in Siem Reap located close to the gates of Angkor and Siem Reap’s city centre and other cultural attractions such as the city’s brand new museum. The Tara Angkor Hotel boasts 213 well appointed rooms yet it by no means has the appearance or feel of such a large hotel. The rooms and suites are decorated in a contemporary style which successfully blends Khmer culture with understated elegance and fashion. The Tara Angkor also boasts a full complement of services and amenities such as a swimming pool with waterfall, fitness centre, free bicycles for guests, a business centre, gift shop and attentive staff. The buffet breakfast is sumptuous offering a mix of Asian and Western food. Drinks after a long day of sight seeing may be taken in the Lobby Bar or poolside with its stylish and relaxed atmosphere. www.taraangkorhotel.com

If you would like to stay at the Tara Angkor Hotel, Asia Adventures has very competitive rates: info@asia-adventures.com

This week the management of Phnom Penh International Airport unveiled Cambodia’s first airport Muslim prayer rooms in both the domestic and international terminals. The Muslim faith requires that followers pray 5 times a day and the prayer rooms will make this much easier for Muslim travelers. Phnom Penh airport is seeing an increase in Muslims, both from within Cambodia (including the ethnic Cham) and from surrounding countries such as Malaysia and Indonesia. There are plans to add prayer rooms at Siem Reap International Airport in the near future.

The annual Royal Ploughing Ceremony, where holy cows are used to predict the fortunes of the upcoming crop takes place outside the National Museum in Phnom Penh today (23 May 08).

The Royal Ploughing Ceremony is traditionally held in May, at the start of the rainy season when local farmers begin preparing the soil for sowing.

The ceremony is a very colourful event with all participants wearing traditional silk costumes, and many dignitaries are present and it is presided over by the King. The ceremony is based around a procession of 3 royal which walk around the ‘Royal Rice Fields’ (outside the National Museum) 3 times. The second plough in the procession is traditionally controlled by the King, and the third plough sows the seeds.

After this the 3 holy cows are walked to the centre of the field where a group of Brahmans (holy men) offer them 7 bowls containing one each of the following: water, rice, soybeans, sesame, corn, grass and wine. Depending on the quantities of each that the holy cows consume the Brahmans will consult and announce a prediction of the coming years farming season.

Generally the predictions are based on the following:
Water: if the holy cows drink water it means there will be good rainfall
Rice: if the holy cows eat the rice it means a good harvest for farmers in the year ahead
Soybeans: if the holy cows eat soybeans it means there will a bountiful harvest of soybeans
Sesame: if the holy cows eat sesame it means there will a bountiful harvest of sesame
Corn: if the holy cows eat corn it means there will a bountiful harvest of corn
Grass: Soybeans: if the holy cows eat grass it means disease will prevail over the nation
Wine: if the holy cows drink wine it means the nation will suffer at the hands of gangsters, robbers, or drunkards!

If you wish to experience the Royal Ploughing Ceremony in 2009 please contact Asia Adventures who can organized an exciting tour based around the Ceremony: info@asia-adventures.com

As of 1 June 08 the 3 star Preah Khan Hotel in Siem Reap is closing…

The hotel has been purchased by a development company which will close the Preah Khan Hotel, undertake a 3 month refurbishment period and reopen the hotel in September. The new hotel will be named Ree Hotel and is expected to be an international standard 5 star hotel.

As of 20 May 08 Prasat Thom, the impressive seven level towering pyramid temple at the Koh Ker temple complex has been closed to the public.

The Apsara Authority, the Government department which manages many of the temple sites in Cambodia stated the wooden staircase which leads to the top of the 37m high structure and the temple itself were both now in a serious state of disrepair, suffering damage from rain and the collapse of a large stone which rolled off the temples third level. The Authority is unsure for how long the temple will be closed, explaining that in the meantime tourists can appreciate its beauty from a distance rather than climbing it.

Edited from The Cambodia Daily (22-5-08)

He had been meditating for 49 days, sitting crossed-legged under a Bodhi tree at Buddha Gaya in Northern India. Siddhartha Gautama’s mind suddenly became clear, and understanding began to emerge. He could see his past lives, slowly at first, and then they began to multiply, until he could see them in the thousands.

As Siddhartha Gautama continued meditating he saw the cycle of life and death, how beings change from one form to another, across different levels of consciousness. And finally, he was able to grasp the concept of infinity, as well as the origins and causes of human suffering. With his mind completely purified he was transformed, he was something beyond human. He had reached Enlightment, or nirvana, an unearthly state of mind between physical existence and death.

Prince Siddhartha Gautama was now Gautama Buddha.

Today, 19 May, is when Buddhists in Cambodia celebrate the Visak Bochea, informally called Buddha’s birthday, and it is a national public holiday. The event is one of the most important in the Buddhist calendar, and falls on the first day of the full moon in the fifth month of the year.

To celebrate monks and other Buddhist’s come together in pagodas to pray and make offerings to the Buddha. Monks will also gather fruit and alms and chant certain sutras. Many Buddhists will attend a mass celebration at Wat Oudong, perched on a hilltop 40km north of the capital Phnom Penh, and one of the most historically relevant and architecturally complex temples in Cambodia.

Edited from The Cambodia Daily (19-5-08)

If you didn’t know that Asiatic Black bears are primarily nocturnal, or that the Sun bear’s unusually long tongue comes in handy for slurping up termites, then a trip to the new Bear Discovery Centre at Phnom Tamao Wildlife Rescue Centre, about 40km outside of Phnom Penh, might be for you.

The recently opened centre was funded in part by the Australian Government and Free the Bears Fund, an Australian NGO working on bear preservation in South East Asia. ‘The hope is to inspire Cambodians to learn more about bears in the wild for future generations’, said Matt Hunt, FTB South East Asia program manager.

The centre complements an existing bear sanctuary at Phnom Tamao currently home to 88 bears rescused from the illegal wildlife trade, which is largely driven by overseas bile farms in Vietnam and China.

If you would like to arrange a visit to the Phnom Tamao Wildlife Rescue Centre please contact Asia Adventures: info@asia-adventures.com

Edited from The Cambodia Daily (21-3-08)

The US Fish and Wildlife Service has listed Cambodia’s national bird, the giant ibis, among its most ‘endangered’ species. The listing will further restrict sales of the roughly one meter tall, slender-billed waterbirds, which should help curb one of the main threats to its existence. In Cambodia the approx. 250 birds that live in Preah Vihear, Stung Treng, Kratie, Mondolkiri, and Ratanakiri provinces represent 95% of the world’s population.

For information of bird watching tours in Cambodia contact Asia Adventures for more details: info@asia-adventures.com

Edited from The Cambodia Daily (18-1-08)

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)

Keen marathon runner, or just enjoy fun-running through inspiring scenery for a good cause? If yes to either of these then the Angkor Wat International Half Marathon, around the fascinating, impressive, Angkor Wat temples is a must!

Asia Adventures has put together an exciting 6 day package which will allow you to fully appreciate the wonderful temples, take a cruise on South East Asia’s largest freshwater lake, and discover the charming capital city of Phnom Penh – as well as running the Marathon of course! To see a more detailed itinerary click here.

We fully understand that before and after such a run a certain amount of pampering is required. As such we have negotiated excellent rates with various hotels in Siem Reap which are quiet, comfortable, air conditioned, have a refreshing pool, and in-house massage services.

And don’t forget, the Angkor Wat Marathon is both a serious and a fun event, so the whole family can take part. There are various categories: the Half Marathon (21km) for men and women 16+; the 10km Fun Run for men and women 16+; the 5km Fun Run for women only (any age); and the 4km Family Fun Run. As for the good cause, part of your Marathon entrance fee goes towards helping Cambodian land-mine victims. Our Angkor Wat Half Marathon package offers an excellent choice for marathon runners to experience a small slice of wonderful Cambodia.

For more information please email: info@asia-adventures.com

Adam Fitzgerald shares his experience of the recent 2008 Cambodia Cyclo Rally. A cyclo being a traditional form of transport in Cambodia comprising of three wheels with a passenger seat out front and the cyclo driver sitting behind pedalling away. Cyclo drivers are amongst the poorest of Phnom Penh’s urban poor.

The ‘semi’ annual Cyclo Rally was held over the past weekend from the 2nd-4th May. 10 foreigners and 20 cyclo drivers, who took one hour shifts on 10 cyclos, cycled the 320km round trip from Phnom Penh through Prey Veng and Kampong Cham to raise awareness for the Cyclo Centre Phnom Penh and to support ‘World No Tobacco Day’ on 31st May.

With sponsorship from such organisations as Population Services International, the Taiwan International Medical Alliance, the World Health Organisation, NHCP, Handicap International Belgium and Intrepid we set out from the cyclo centre at 6.30 am.

The heat did not stop us as we headed the 90km south east to Prey Veng Town, though, thankfully, lunch did. Refuelled, we continued to our destination crossing the Mekong at Neak Loug by ferry, and to the delight of our legs and stomachs we arrived in Prey Veng in the late afternoon. After eating, we were tucked into bed by a very late 8 o’clock.

Day two started with a quick trip to the local market for some fruit and a bag of coffee before heading off at 7am with the goal of reaching Kampong Cham, a further 80km north. After stopping for lunch, we headed up to a local school to give our bodies and bottoms a break from the road by playing a game of volleyball, in the sweltering heat. After replenishing our fluids we were off once again. Waving to families who had come to cheer us on, we passed through rubber plantations before joining National Route 7. The views coming into Kampong Cham were worth the physical exertion required to climb the Kizuna Bridge into town. Once again, for our road worn bodies it was an early night as we prepared for the final day, which was to be the longest distance yet.

At the ungodly hour of 5.30am we headed off for our final day to cycle 120km back into Phnom Penh. We stopped for lunch at the rather unorthodox hour of 10am just outside Skuon as there would be no opportunity to stop for food after this. So, after more rice and more fruit and more water, we were on the long, straight, flat, unshaded stretch back to Phnom Penh.
And it just kept on going. My aching behind ensured the final 30kms into Phnom Penh were the longest, and climbing the Japanese Friendship Bridge made sure the last leg to be the most ‘rewarding’. We arrived at Wat Phnom 17.20, safe and sound, if not a little sore!

A great weekend for a great cause.

Most cyclo drivers come from the provinces to Phnom Penh to find work. The Cyclo Centre helps drivers find regular work, educates them about STDs and the dangers of smoking, and provides facilities such as showers for the drivers to use.

To support the great work the Cyclo Centre is doing why not enjoy a relaxing cyclo city tour of Phnom Penh. For more information email: info@asia-adventures.com

Edited from Expat Advisory (7-5-08)

Ingredients:
Fish - 20g
Squid - 20g
Prawns - 20g
Curry Paste - 2 tablespoons
Tom Yum Paste - 1 teaspoon
Shallots - 2 cloves
Lemon Leaves - 2
Coconut Milk - 2 tablespoons
White Sugar - 1 teaspoon
Salt - 1 pinch
Pepper - 1 pinch
Fish Sauce – 1 pinch
Chicken Powder – 1 pinch

Method:
1. Thinly slice the fish, cut the squid into small pieces, and de-shell the prawns.
2. Heat a pot and pour in a little oil and garlic, wait until there is a good smell and then add the curry paste, tom yum paste, salt, pepper, chicken powder, sugar, coconut milk and fish, squid, and prawns.
3. Cook together until done.

Courtesy of Cambodia Life (March 08)

Beneath the remains of a ruined house in the middle of the forest there is a silent underground house with the loud, sweet sound of bats as well as the sound of a waterfall. The house now in ruins, is that of the now dead Cambodian Democratic leader, Ta Mok.

Hidden in the Dangrek Mountains in the middle of a forest 20km north of Anlong Veng town abutting the Thai border is a row of derelict houses of former Pol Pot regime leaders such as; Pol Pot himself, Ieng Sary, Kieu Samphan, Ta Mok, and Noun Chea

At dawn, with mist all around in the woods, we can hardly see each other as we follow our guide, a dark, curly-haired man who is an ex-Khmer Rouge soldier serving since he was 12. He used to be close to Ta Mok and say, ‘The tourists always visit here. Most of them want to visit Ta Mok’s house at Kbal Tansoung and want to see the dark underground chamber and swimming place’. In the past Ta Mok’s underground house was a meeting hall for high leaders and was also a safe place for money. Nowadays the house is in ruins as the villagers, despite warnings, devastated the property after the Khmer Rouge collapsed.

Close by is a cottage which can be accessed from the underground rooms by travelling about 100m, then follow a path past the waterfall which was an escape route to Thailand. During the Pol Pot era Khmer Rouge soldiers could freely enter nearby Thailand.

We see a large field and a lot of old stables and our guide tells us that Ta Mok had hundreds of cattle which he gave away to poorer families. To those that did not get cows he offered 5,000 Thai Baht to open a business.

The Provincial Head of Tourism explains there are 15 sites of the former leaders of Democratic Kampuchea which will be renovated for foreign and local tourists alike, ‘We want to show the younger generation what Pol Pot did in the past’. He goes on, ‘we will protect this original area… which will be reconstructed in the original style. It is the last killing field of the Khmer Rouge regime and we want to keep it so the younger generations don’t forget about the sufferings of their parents and relatives’.

For information of tours to Anlong Veng and the surrounding area please email info@asia-adventures.com

Adapted from Cambodia Life (March 08)

Koh Ker was the capital of the Angkorian Kingdom during the 10th century, immediately prior to king Jayavarman IV moving to the Angkor Wat location, and it is a fascinating group of over 30 ancient structures. Koh Ker’s fame was short lived as it was only the capital for 16 years, yet the site was home to some fantastic sculptural artifacts, many of which are now on display at the National Museum in Phnom Penh.

Since the 1990s parts of the temple complex have been ravaged by looters who bring crude tools and attempt to hack away at the beautiful Apsara carvings and other stone treasures, leaving them headless or badly cracked. Generally the looters are not locals, however some locals were so poor that they had no choice but to steal from the gentle stone giants to earn a bit of money.

However, with the assistance of Heritage Watch (a preservation organisation) the locals are being educated about the cultural and historic significance of the temples and being given the opportunity to learn new skills which enable them to financially benefit from the increase in tourists visiting the area. Visitors can purchase local handicrafts they have made, enjoy a traditional ox-cart ride around the temples, and sample locally sourced food and drink. In return the locals provide a daily patrol roster reporting any suspicious behavior to the local police. Since the patrols began in 2006 there has been a significant drop in looting.

Prasat Thom is Koh Ker’s showcase temple, a 45m high pyramid with spectacular views across the surrounding countryside. Nearby Prasat Krahom is covered in jungle and highly atmospheric. Other important temples in the area include Prasat Ling with the best preserved in situ lingas in Cambodia, and Prasat Pram with several smothering trees cloaking the brick towers.

There is now a good road from Siem Reap to Koh Ker with the 120km journey taking about 2 - 3 hours. Whilst Koh Ker is becoming more popular it is still much quieter than the Angkor temples and you still have the opportunity of having some temples to yourself. A trip to Koh Ker and visiting the jungle clad Beng Mealea on-route makes for a great days escape from the crowds of Angkor and a great introduction to Cambodia’s countryside. Or why not take a couple of days and continue further north to explore the stunningly located cliff top remains of the beautiful Preah Vihear temple.

For more information please email Asia Adventures: info@asia-adventures.com

The argument on the best diving in Cambodia is between three areas - Condor Reef, Virgin Reef and the Corner Bar. It really comes down to a matter of personal Scuba diving preferences.

In other words, do you like to see small stuff, big stuff or lots of stuff? Condor gets visited by whale sharks, Virgin Reef lives up to its name as being totally unsoiled and the Corner Bar is where all the cool fish hang out.

Condor Reef is the real deal adventure and can only be done when the conditions are perfect, hence the best bet is between April and May, as there’s absolutely no cover if a storm comes. The nearest sanctuary is Koh Rong and that’s a three hour ride or more if the seas are against you. The rewards can be spectacular though, as large pelagics including ‘walk-on-water sharks’ are seen there on almost every trip. A few centuries ago a Chinese Junk hit the reef and spewed Ming vases onto the sea floor - the complete vases have all since been recovered but shards of vase can still be found. At least Advanced Open Water (with good navigation skills) is advised as this site can have ripping currents.

Koh Tang, the home of Virgin Reef, will most likely be the future of diving in Cambodia as the coastal islands get more tourism. The trend will be to go further out to get that Robinson Crusoe end-of-the-world feel, and here you have two beautiful, deserted tropical islands surrounded by nothing but clear water reefs and blue ocean. The reefs here are productive with larger fish and the schools seem to be getting bigger. Turtles, dolphins, sail fish, tuna, large cobias and other pelagics are still seen today on a somewhat regular basis and if Cambodia ever assigns a real Marine Protected Area (MPA) it is hoped this is where it will be rather than at Koh Rong.

Today the vast majority of diving and dive courses takes place in the Koh Rong group of islands, 14 miles off the coast of Sihanoukville, with the main dive sites being on Koh Krong and Koh Rong Samleom. The Corner Bar sees by far the most divers in a season, featuring plentiful anemones, huge schools of blue-lined snapper plus great and yellowtail barracudas. You’ll also find large elephant ear corals and massive bommies covered with multicoloured Christmas tree worms to look under for interesting things like blue spotted rays, puffer fish and, for macro lovers, dart like pipe fish, as well as several species of colourful nudibranchs. This spot was named after a popular Sihanoukville drinking establishment that has seen a lot of fish stories, on-gassing and re-hydration by the local dive professionals over the years.

So the question still remains, given the choice which is the best? As a notorious dive junkie I’m forced to say, all of them of course!

For more information on diving in Cambodia email: info@asia-adventures.com

Edited from the Cambodia Pocket Guide Feb 08

A quirky village in Cambodia learns how to make
the most of its resources…

A 90-minute drive from Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia, will bring you to an unassuming village sitting on the road to Siem Reap and Kratie. Unbeknownst to many, this little village is known for its furry and leggy produce - tarantulas. At the ‘Spider Village’, the creatures provide the main source of revenue for villagers.

Vuen, a 26 year-old married mother of three has been catching, cooking and eating tarantulas - a Cambodian delicacy - for the past 10 years. She learnt how to catch a tarantula from her parents. The process requires patience and lightening quick speed. She starts by hunting the spiders in abandoned mounds or similar spaces, as a burrowing spider, these creatures are at home in such places and live on small insects, reptiles and even mammals that share the same space. With a small steel shovel she starts digging at the entrance of a hole, when the noise and activity brings the spider to the entrance, Vuen uses a small stick to pin it down and grab it from behind so its head cannot move (much like catching a crab). Then the spider is turned over and in the blink of an eye, Vuen gets hold of the fangs and tears them out. Once the fangs come off, the spiders become docile. Although she made it look easy, Vuen admits she has been bitten a few times. She was sick for a few days after her first bite, but says the more a person is bitten, the less effect the poison has.

Vuen says she can catch around 10 spiders a day in her backyard. Others are starting to do the same. However, the villagers are aware of the dangers of ‘over hunting’ the spiders. Vuen says she and other spider ladies only catch large females, so that the population will not be affected. The smaller females are then able to continue laying thousands of eggs at a time, generally between November and March. It takes around six to seven weeks for the eggs to hatch and two to five years, and sometimes up to 10, for the tarantulas to reach maturity.

To visit Skoun or ‘Spiderville’ contact Asia Adventures: info@asia-adventures.com

Edited from the Stay Another Day Newsletter (Dec 07)

The Sokha Angkor Resort in Siem Reap and the Sokha Beach Resort in Sihanoukville have been granted the WORLDHOTELS accreditation.

With no official hotel rating system in Cambodia receiving an independent, international rating is a sign of the quality that can be assured at both Resorts. The Sokha Angkor Resort has been included in the WORLDHOTELS Deluxe Collection, and the Sokha Beach Resort in the First Class Collection.

WORLDHOTELS is one of the largest and most established independent hotel rating organisations, and has a strong emphasis on quality properties with character and distinction. WORLDHOTELS offers travellers a wide choice of about 500 individual accommodation options in more than 300 destinations worldwide in three distinct Collections – Deluxe, First Class and Comfort. For more information see www.worldhotels.com

The Angkor Palace Resort & Spa, Siem Reap is the only other accommodation provider in Cambodia to receive WORLDHOTELS accreditation, being in the Deluxe category.

Asia Adventures has very competitive rates at all of the above hotels, with special offers now that we are entering the low season. Please contact us for more information: info@asia-adventures.com

Asia Adventures in partnership with Pedal2Empower has launched its 2008 charity cycle challenge!

This 14 day Pedal2Empower Cambodia Charity Cycle Challenge is fully supported and fully guided. Your challenge begins with 2 delightful days tracing the wonderful coastline and beaches of south eastern Thailand, before heading inland to a remote Cambodian border crossing. Once in Cambodia you will cycle and cruise your way to Siem Reap the home of the magnificent Angkor Wat temples, via arguably the most fascinating river trip in the country. After a couple of days discovering the marvelous temples by pedal power you will cycle east to the town of Kompong Cham, sitting on the banks of the mighty Mekong river, passing rubber plantations on route. You will follow the Mekong through picturesque villages to charming Phnom Penh. After exploring the capital city you pedal south to often forgotten Takeo, where you will visit a local orphanage and vocational training centre. Your final full day will be spent learning more about the excellent work that is being achieved, getting to know the children, and personally donating a bicycle to a needy child or teenager – a rewarding end to your 2 week cycle challenge!

The more participants the more kids helped…

For more information take a look at: Pedal2Empower Cambodia Charity Cycle Challenge.

Asia Adventures offers a range of other exciting cycle tours throughout the year for more information take a look at: www.cycle-cambodia.com.

The Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) in Cambodia says that efforts to preserve the endangered Bengal Florican and other threatened bird species around the Tonle Sap Lake (the largest lake in South East Asia) were largely successful last year.

WCS says that in early 2007 there were approx 1,300 of the black and white Bengal Floricans in existence worldwide, now they put that number at less than 1,000 with about 650 of those being in Cambodia, the remainder in India and Nepal.

Since 2006 WCS has been working with provincial authorities to set aside a total of 350 sq km as ‘integrated farming and biodiversity area’ where small scale farmers can continue with their livelihoods undisturbed. Farmers are integral to maintaining the balance of the grasslands as the land would revert to scrub if not cultivated, rendering uninhabitable for the birds. Less intensive farming systems have a lot of biodiversity associated with them that could be lost with high input production farming systems that use a lot of construction, fertilizers and pesticides.

In addition to the Bengal Florican, which is probably the most threatened species in Cambodia, the Sarus Crane, White-shouldered Ibis, and Greater Spotted Owl have also benefited from the conservation project.

For information of bird watching tours in Cambodia contact Asia Adventures for more details: info@asia-adventures.com

Adapted from The Cambodia Daily 23-4-08

The Koh Ru bungalows of Bamboo Island (Koh Russei), have always seemed to be something of an enigma. While the nearby beaches of Sihanoukville are rammed with tourists and hawking vendors, this particular island has managed to preserve its quietness and exclusivity.

The boat trip from Occheutel Beach takes just an hour to deliver you away from swarming beach chaos and into the arms of a peaceful retreat up there with the best kept secrets in the world. What’s more extraordinary is that it’s actually cheaper to take a bungalow on the Island than a good deal of the noisy claustrophobic guesthouse rooms on the beach.

Facilities however are ‘non-ensuite’, but are comprehensive with western toilets and showers, more than enough to ensure that you are comfortable and power is provided from 17:30 to midnight.

The boat can drift you over both ways in a day if you are on a tight schedule. But to really soak up this heavenly relaxing atmosphere, a private sea view bungalow within a step of the sea is the connoisseurs’ choice. There’s little to compete with the gentle lullaby of the waves easing you to sleep as the cool ocean breeze slips through your cabin.

For the energetic, snorkels are available from the bar or a short walk to the other side of the island reveals more bars, music, and ensuite bungalows for the younger at heart.

The real reason for visiting though and the island’s greatest secret lies in the water at night. The natural phosphor which occurs at this time of year is simply awesome. There really is nothing better on a thick starry night than gliding about in the dark water illuminated by a million tiny sparkling lights. If at first you don’t find a patch, persevere and you will succeed.

Edited from Expat Advisory (22-4-08)

Salt workers are accustomed to braving the burning rays of the sun. While it is their job that makes them slaves to the heat, it is the job’s locale that offers relief. Toasty toes may be dipped in the salt fields’ cool water whenever the sun becomes too hot to bear.

Salt producers in Kampot know and often practice this technique in order to gather the country’s salt store. Once the dry season hits the Chum Kreal village of Kampot district’s Chum Kreal commune, salt producers gather their gear and head to the fields of salt, which will be dried and piled into tall, white mounds resembling the Alps’ snow-capped mountain peaks.

Kampot province is also famous for its seafood and fruit, and is the only place in Cambodia with salt fields. Even seaside Sihanoukville lacks this critical element needed to support the human body. A daily salt intake is required to prevent side effects including uncomfortable swelling.

Kampot’s salt is of a more natural quality than salts produced in foreign countries, since no factories are used in its developmental process.

Three of Kampot’s four districts - Kampongbai district, Kampong Trach district and Kep city- actively produce salt from a total of 3,333,741 hectares of land, according to Long Im, Deputy Director of Kampot’s Salt Field Organization of Mines and Power Department.

One hectare of salt fields can produce an average of 20 tons of salt per year, producing a total of 80,000 tons of salt for the entire country, Long Im said. This is possible only if the weather conditions are perfect. The rainy season is never productive, salt field owners have said.

Salt experts claim that the best season to gather their goods lasts from October until April. But even if the weather is good, making salt is not easy, complained Mean Sophear, a salt producer in Skove village, Koh Snar commune, and Kampong Trach district.

“We need to have five fields. And we must flow seawater in and out of these five fields. First, we flow water to the first field and keep it there for one day. Then we channel the water from the first field to the second field and keep it there for two days. We keep the flow of seawater to other fields like this (until all five fields have been irrigated). When the seawater is finished, we need to keep it there for two or three more days until then seawater becomes useful salt,” Mean Sophear said.

To get water from the sea, salt producers must keep one field by the ocean. Seawater flow continually through this field for approximately one month until the stored seawater reaches a temperature of 25° C. To build the field, farmers must dig deep into the earth and line the hole with sand. It is believed that clean sand makes the best salt. And it is always important to clear the hole of moss and other plant life. Seawater then is poured into the hole.

Noav Sokha is a salt worker in Ompeng village, Nak An Aea commune, Kep city. She agrees that producing salt is not easy, and said that only the most patient people can stand to work under the hot sun in the salty water.

This hard work yields just enough money to keep Noav Sokha’s alive, she said. Approximately 4,000 to 5,000 riel may be earned each day. She admitted that more money could be earned if her family owned its owned field. Noav Sokha said that three kinds of salt are produced in Kampot: Numbers 1, 2 and 3. Number 1 is a more expensive white salt. One sack (95kg) of No.1 salt can sell for about 2,000 to 2,500 riel. A 95kg sack of the darker salt costs between 1,400 and 1,500 riel.

Despite the high quality of Kampot’s salt, there still is no market for the element outside Cambodia. The goods are here, but not the buyer. Koav Yit Ing, a farmer in Skove village, Koh Snar commune, Kampong Trach district, grumbled about the stalled nature of Kampot’s salt market.

If the salt had an international market, the workers here may get a better life. But as long as the government tries to develop the country’s economy, Khmer salt producers have a chance of exporting their goods to foreign countries,” he said.

This article first appeared on www.leisurecambodia.com

By: May Titthara - April 17, 2008

Asia Adventures is proud to announce that we have been awarded the Heritage Friendly Business Accreditation – Gold Status for 2008.

This award is in recognition of Asia Adventures involvement in contributing towards education about heritage issues and preservation, support for non-profit development organisations, and the promotion of best practice in tourism.

Asia Adventures is one of only 6 Cambodia tour operators to receive this prestigious accreditation.

The accreditation is organised by Heritage Watch and more information about the work they carry out can be found on their website www.heritagewatch.org.

Welcome to Asia Adventures’ Cambodia Blog. Asia Adventures is a Cambodian based tour operator which specialises in tailor made, customised trips for single travellers, couples and small-groups. We design a tour to your specifications, making all arrangements such as: accommodation; sightseeing; activities; transportation; excellent guides; and regional flights etc. Our high level of service and experience leaves you to have a hassle free, high-quality and unforgettable vacation.

Aside from highlights and must-see sites, we are constantly researching new ideas and strive to provide deep and real cultural contact. This may include pre-arranged and spontaneous activities such as home visits, language lessons, cooking classes, school visits, and visiting the many good cause organisations in the region - things we feel are the real rewards of experiencing fascinating Cambodia. Such activities support our guiding principle of Responsible Tourism - we believe in an approach to tourism that involves grass roots local participation - utilising tourism to facilitate poverty alleviation.

The aim of this blog is to keep you updated on all things new that are happening in Cambodia which we feel are relevant for those wishing to visit, or have already visited and just want to be kept updated…

We hope you enjoy our blog and please come back to check for updates on a regular basis!

All the best

The Asia Adventures team…

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