Can't afford a European vacation this summer? Do what our contributor Claire Duffett did: Explore Southeast Asia instead.
After travels through Thailand and Vietnam, we visited Cambodia. Though all three countries can claim their share of strife, Cambodia is still reeling from its trauma. The country struggles to recover from the 1970s genocide of millions of its citizens.
Though Cambodia's capital is known more for its wats and colonial architecture, work has started on three new mega-projects that will--their South Korean developers no doubt hope--transform the city. The latest is the International Finance Complex, a 52-story, multi-tower development that should be completed by 2012.
Also underway is Gold Tower 42, an accurately named skyscraper on Norodom Boulevard. It's also slated to be finished by 2012.
Meanwhile, a new suburb is being built from scratch three kilometers from downtown. Camko City, above, promises tree-lined canals, swimming pools, residential towers and leafy plazas. How long till "Desperate Housewives: Cambodia" comes out?
Australian blogger Phil Lees has whiled away his exile in Phnom Penh by taking the fight for Cambodian food online. Since 2005, he's been educating internerds on all things Cambodian and edible (some, questionably edible) over at Phnomenon.com. Since its launch, Phnomenon has managed to get banned in China, one-up the New York Times, publish the world's greatest collection of alcoholic beverage reviews, and in general build an excellent stash of advice for potential visitors. But a bad meal isn't all that can set your trip awry in Cambodia's capital. Here, Phnomenon saves you from five of the biggest mistakes tourists make in Phnom Penh.
· Don't (just) eat fish amok, eat Cambodian soups. Soups ("samlor") are
central to Cambodian food. The lemongrass and galangal of samlor
machou kroueng, the unripe tropical fruits in samlor karko, and the
tamarind sour, Vietnamese-inspired samlor machou yuon should not be
missed by any traveler. Sadly, most tourists skip the soups and tend
to eat Chinese- or Thai-style stirfries and curries and thus overlook
the dishes that tie together a brilliant Cambodian meal. Fish amok,
while delicious, is not as fundamental to familiarising yourself with
Khmer cuisine. It is still worth the effort to chase a good amok (I
recommend Sweet Café on St.294); as is trying some multitude
variations on fish preparation: steamed or deep-fried whole,
fermented, dried, or barbecued.
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