Images
|
|
|
|
|
Food and Drink
Restaurants and other businesses abound in Phnom Penh, Siem Reap and Sihanoukville. Food stalls are also common in all towns and cities. Khmer cuisine is very similar to Thai, but with fewer spices involved.
National specialities:
• There is a plethora of sweet dishes, such as sticky rice cakes.
• Succulent fruits include banana, coconut, the durian fruit (known for its distinctive odour), jackfruit, longan fruit, lychee, pineapple and rambutan fruit (which has translucent white flesh), to name just a few.
• Grilled fish, rolled in lettuce or spinach and dipped into fish sauce.
• Like Vietnam, a must-have accompaniment to every meal is fermented fish paste.
• Rice noodles proliferate and can be bought covered in curry sauce from street vendors.
National drinks:
• Fresh coconut juice.
• Green tea.
• Rice wine.
• The local beer is called Angkor.
• The most popular, and refreshing, Khmer drink is soda water with a squeeze of lemon.
Legal drinking age: There are no age restrictions.
Tipping: Tips are appreciated in hotels and restaurants where no service charge has been added, and by tour guides.
National specialities:
• There is a plethora of sweet dishes, such as sticky rice cakes.
• Succulent fruits include banana, coconut, the durian fruit (known for its distinctive odour), jackfruit, longan fruit, lychee, pineapple and rambutan fruit (which has translucent white flesh), to name just a few.
• Grilled fish, rolled in lettuce or spinach and dipped into fish sauce.
• Like Vietnam, a must-have accompaniment to every meal is fermented fish paste.
• Rice noodles proliferate and can be bought covered in curry sauce from street vendors.
National drinks:
• Fresh coconut juice.
• Green tea.
• Rice wine.
• The local beer is called Angkor.
• The most popular, and refreshing, Khmer drink is soda water with a squeeze of lemon.
Legal drinking age: There are no age restrictions.
Tipping: Tips are appreciated in hotels and restaurants where no service charge has been added, and by tour guides.
Nightlife
The nightlife in Phnom Penh and Siem Reap, and to a lesser extent in Sihanoukville, is pretty vibrant, mainly because of the large number of visitors and expat residents. There are bars and restaurants but very few clubs and live music venues. Bars and restaurants range from dingy, smoky bars to upmarket cocktail bars and elegant restaurants.
The major hotels offer entertainment, and weekly Apsara dance performances are often held from November to March in some hotel gardens, mainly in Siem Reap. The Holiday International Hotel in Phnom Penh has a popular nightclub, the Manhattan Club. Gambling is legal in Cambodia and there are several casinos in Sihanoukville and on the border with Thailand.
The major hotels offer entertainment, and weekly Apsara dance performances are often held from November to March in some hotel gardens, mainly in Siem Reap. The Holiday International Hotel in Phnom Penh has a popular nightclub, the Manhattan Club. Gambling is legal in Cambodia and there are several casinos in Sihanoukville and on the border with Thailand.
Shopping
Cambodian artisans are very skilled and there is no shortage of articles to buy. Unique to Cambodia is the krama, a checked scarf made of cotton or silk. Silk is still handwoven in Cambodia and is a ‘must buy' either as lengths of material or in the form of scarves, bags or purses. Silver boxes are traditional souvenirs, many in the shape of animals, which were either used in ceremonies or to hold betel leaves. Visitors are advised that there are strict controls on the export of antiques - and stone carvings in particular.
The markets in Cambodia are always a great source of souvenirs. Try the Central Market, in Phnom Penh, which is well worth a visit as it sells clothes, gifts and gems. Gems are a particularly good buy for small stones, but only spend large amounts if you know what you are buying. The Russian Market (Psar Toul Tom Poung) is crammed with stalls holding a vast selection of bargain souvenirs including clothing, silverware, jewellery, silk, bags, DVDs, CDs and ceramics, as is the Old Market in Siem Reap. Bargaining is expected in the markets, which are open daily from around 0700 to 1700 hours. Look out for shops selling handicrafts to raise money for disadvantaged Cambodians.
Shopping hours: Daily 0800-2000.
The markets in Cambodia are always a great source of souvenirs. Try the Central Market, in Phnom Penh, which is well worth a visit as it sells clothes, gifts and gems. Gems are a particularly good buy for small stones, but only spend large amounts if you know what you are buying. The Russian Market (Psar Toul Tom Poung) is crammed with stalls holding a vast selection of bargain souvenirs including clothing, silverware, jewellery, silk, bags, DVDs, CDs and ceramics, as is the Old Market in Siem Reap. Bargaining is expected in the markets, which are open daily from around 0700 to 1700 hours. Look out for shops selling handicrafts to raise money for disadvantaged Cambodians.
Shopping hours: Daily 0800-2000.
