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.
Low cost carrier Jetstar Asia has always been the little sister of Australia-based Jetstar--itself the child of Qantas. But now Jetstar Asia is preparing to cut the apron strings and step out into the budget airline world a little more independently.
At the same time, Jetstar Asia is ramping up its offerings. First up will be a route between Singapore and the newly vertical Cambodian capital Phnom Penh. There'll be daily flights, some of them also heading to Siem Reap, the stop for sightseeing target Angkor Wat.
Seems right that the slightly rebel child will head off to such a typical backpackers' destination.
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.
Phnom Penh gets the New York Times Gold Star this week for being Southeast Asia's up-and-coming must-visit city. (And here we thought Bangladesh was the new hotness.) A quick flight from Bangkok, Phnom Penh has all the requisite bits that any backpacker Mecca needs: heaps of Internet cafes, cheap hotels and great happy hours.
Of course, you can't talk about Cambodia without making a mention of the Khmer Rouge and the nation's history. Author Stuart Emmrich does a good job of profiling Phnom Penh's genocide museum and considering the progress the country has made in overcoming its tragic past. But then he get's all Let's Go on us:
In fact, after a few days in this city, you notice that Phnom Penh has something of a "next Prague" vibe about it -- a place where many young people from around the world, heady with excitement and the thrill of the unknown, are coming to reinvent themselves.
Ah, Cambodia: land of tragedy, history and hippies.
Sihanoukville Airport, the gateway to the Cambodian coastal town of Sihanoukville, has reopened after renovations. It's currently set up to only handle small planes flying domestic routes, but there are plans to expand the runway by the end of the year. The town is just 115 miles from Phnom Penh, but you can expect a route between those cities on Siem Reap Airways, as well as one between Siem Reap and Sihanoukville, also presumably on Siem Reap Airways (although the airline's website has yet to post information on the latter route.)
Sihanoukville's tourist facilities are still developing; it's not Phuket. But the comparably so-so beach is perhaps trendier for that fact alone. It takes a real thinking man to love it. And the crap squid helps its cause.
Cambodian foodblogger Phnomenon has tipped us off to the genius Engrish recipe page on the Cambodian Ministry of Tourism's website. As Phnomenon puts it, "in this instance, a Cambodian ministry's heart is in the right place, but their translator's mind isn't." Particularly awesome are the Ministry's directions for making fish amok (one of Phnomenon's "Five (Cambodian) foods you should eat before you die"):
· Break the coconut fruit, squeeze the nut to get its milk by making the phase-one milk and phase-two milk · Cut the ripe bell pepper into two · Pour half of the phase-one coconut milk into a frying pan to cook until it turns a litter brown · Then, put into the pan the spices and the mash mixture, and stir it up · Add the phase-two milk and turn off the cooking gas after the solution becomes cooked and dry enough
Like all the other great culinary innovations of the world draw tourists from far and wide, foodies should be flocking to Cambodia for "phase-two milk" and "mash mixture" in no time. Actually, in New York, you can already get phase-two milk in a gold leaf-lined martini glass for $98. It's the new mojito.
Development is coming! Development is coming! Which tropical Southeast Asian paradise is soon to be overrun with fatties and luxury travelers? Why, it's Sihanoukville, Cambodia's own sleepy beach town.
Jeff Koyen files his dispatch for the Times, showing amazing restraint by mentioning the dearth of hookers but a single time. Perhaps the "happy" pizzas and "happy" pancakes--seasoned with oregano and/or pot--make up for the lack of "happy" endings in town.
Truth be told, it's not clear whether Sihanoukville was all that unspoiled in the first place. Last year, a Sokha Beach Hotel opened--complete with their own private stretch of beach--so it's not just cheap bungalows on the water. Plus, Sihanoukville is Cambodia's only deep water port. That's right: there's just as much Newark as Phuket in the city's DNA.
Now, excuse us while we go cook up a batch of happy pancakes.
0 Comments - Add Yours
by ced138
by amandak
by pbb
by djk
by AVB
