5 Mistakes Tourists Make in Phnom Penh

March 22, 2007 at 12:30 PM | by djk | Comments (6)

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 Caf� 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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· Don't drink Anchor, drink Angkor. Actually, have one of each. You've made it to Cambodia's beguiling capital city and you deserve it. Apart from the occasional palm or rice wine enthusiast, the locals love their beer and there are about 10 different local brews with which they get their booze on. The two most popular beers, Anchor (pronounced to rhyme with "ranch err") and Angkor (coincidentally, rhymes with "anchor") are both watery pilseners and so I'd urge the beer aficionado to try one of the local stouts � the mass-market ABC Stout, the hard-to-find-but-worth-the-effort Angkor Extra Stout, or the fiendishly alcoholic and elephantine Extra Klang. Cambodians have a predilection for drinking their beer with ice, possibly to show their pride at having a clean and safe ice supply, possibly because many of the beers are only distinguishable from water by their colour. It is certainly acceptable to ask for no ice.

· Don't stay at The Lake, stay anywhere else in Phnom Penh. The Lake backpacker area in the northern part of Phnom Penh manages to exude an odour worse than your average backpacker and if the city council's plans don't fall apart then it will soon be bulldozed into Boueng Kak (along with the plots of thousands of Phnom Penh's citizens who hold land title but that is another corruption-filled tale). Smaller almost-boutique hotels are opening up around Phnom Penh at great speed; and cater to a range of budgets. My picks in no particular order: Amanjaya (classy and pricy), The Pavilion (new, has a pool), any of the three Bodhi Trees (cheapish) or The Billabong (has a pool/billabong). One to watch is Manor House, who will soon be moving from their current venue into the ex-Japanese ambassador's residence.

· Don't visit the Killing Fields, visit Khmer architecture. Disillusioned poststructuralists looking to snort some lines of Modernism to set your senses in order, look no further than Phnom Penh. The New Khmer Architecture built from 1953 through to 1970 offers crystalline insight into the growing boldness, dynamism and confidence of the modern Cambodian culture that was subsequently obliterated by the Khmer Rouge. The Central Market, National Stadium, Royal University, Chaktomuk Theatre offer elegant examples, as well as many villas you'll catch a glimpse of behind the 9 foot high fences. Many architectural masterpieces are now succumbing to the new pressures of high-rise development and the dubious tastes of Phnom Penh's nouveau riche. Khmer Architecture Tours (www.ka-tours.org) organizes tours guided by budding (and sometimes established) Cambodian architects and also has self-guided tour map on their website.

As for The Killing Fields, its concession was sold to a Japanese company and apart from the government officials receiving the perquisite bribes for its sale, no Cambodian is benefiting. The government continues to refuse to cremate the remains of the formerly interred Khmer Rouge victims in an acceptable Buddhist ceremony - the bones are currently on display for your tourism pleasure. Certainly visit Tuol Sleng, one of the Khmer Rouge's Phnom Penh jails and torture site, as a shattering reminder of the indiscriminate horror perpetrated upon and by the Cambodian people. If after that, you're keen to visit an exhumed mass grave, visit Phnom Oudong, the erstwhile capital of Cambodia. There is a small memorial to the graves there as well as an excellent view from the hilltop stupas. The weekend market at the base of the hill also sells a few esoteric Cambodian street foods.

· Don't expect motorcycle taxis to know where you are going despite their assurances to the contrary, expect bedlam. Informal motorcycle taxi drivers ("motodops") are the easiest way from A to B around Phnom Penh but it is incredibly rare for them to either be able to read a map or be acquainted with even the most popular tourist sites in Phnom Penh. The motodops who haunt the end of my street are all from surrounding provinces and work as in Phnom Penh between harvesting and planting rice. None of them can read and for a few of them, it is their first time in Phnom Penh as well. Bring a map from one of the free local guides (or your guidebook) with you to plot your journey and tap the driver on the shoulder then point which direction to go. If you get completely lost, there is a good chance that your motodop will know the name of the pagoda (wat) nearest your hotel, so it is worth memorizing the wat's name.

[Photo: Phnomenon]

Related Stories:
· Phnomenon [Official Site]
· Mmm, Phase-Two Milk From Cambodia [Jaunted]

Comments (6)

Return to » 5 Mistakes Tourists Make in Phnom Penh

Don't be arrogant enough to tell people what they should or shouldn't do. They've paid their hard earned cash to get there and probably only have minimal traveling time.
Don't tell people what they can or can't eat. Being pedantic over which food is the most cultural or traditional is beside the point. Let them eat Big Macs and think that they're a local delicacy if they want. If they want to find out more they will.
Don't use phrases like: "Disillusioned poststructuralists looking to snort some lines of Modernism to set your senses in order..."
Don't use the word "don't" - unless we're talking about pedophilia, eating endangered wildlife, or generally criminal activity - anything that isn't harming anybody and pleases the tourist is fair game. People want tips, advice, suggestions etc - not orders. And they all have their dollars to spend that helps the local economy.
Don't get too angry with my grumpy response. It's all good but maaaan...there is a real issue of tone with your post.

...the format was our idea, not Phil's, though he obviously filled it out for us. In my opinion, truly independent travelers know how to weigh advice: from the "don'ts" to the "do's" and whatever comes from guidebooks, blogs, and friends. I prefer to make what I want of strong, informed opinions rather than have someone tell me that I may, well kinda, might possibly find something interesting. And whether or not we want to believe it, the tourist trap is alive and well in the universe.

Also, any thorough reader of Phnomenon would know that the site's take on what is and isn't "authentic" is the healthiest that's been expressed anywhere:

"Somewhere in the early- to mid-1990s, a food meme surfaced that conflates poverty and authenticity. In Cambodia, this is revealed in the strange backpacker myth that street food is the best food because it is somehow a more "authentic experience" for the traveller than rocking up to BB World and stuffing their grimy, recently-bearded face with a BB Cambodia Burger. If you want to see what Cambodians love to eat, go to Pizza Company in Sorya Mall on a weekend. Trust me, they're authentic Cambodians. Expecting that the food that the abject poor eat is going to be better or more "real" than the food that the slightly-less poor eat is insanity. Some street food here is excellent, but most of it is not. It is definitely worth shelling out an extra dollar to eat your meals somewhere better - even if it is a local, bones-and-napkins-on-floor joint - if you don't have the time to dig for decent street vendors."

...and I like the take on the whole streetfood thing.

But the format sucks. Sorry.

If I met a friend at the airport in my home town and took him out for the day to show him around and every ten minutes leaned over his shoulder and said: "don't eat that", "don't go there"...he'd probably justifiably punch me.

I'd rather just tell him all the good stuff, warn him about the bad and let him get on with it.

A respectful rebuttal, if I may. Warning about the bad and suggesting "good stuff" alternatives--beer, hotels--is exactly what we are doing. Any personal fears of the word "don't" aside, if taken with a sense of humor, the above will direct a traveler to great experiences in Phnom Penh. Sorry you don't see that.

Well, I really enjoyed it. Wish I'd known about the architecture tours when I was there, they sound like good stuff. I reckon the Cambodian soups at Friends/Mith Samlanh are an excellent way for the slightly nervous to introduce themselves to Khmer food. Thanks for the post, and for Phnomenon.

travelskerricks
travelskerricks.blogspot.com

The guy may have lived here for a while, but he clearly still doesn't know when someone is pulling his leg! "Vietnamese-inspired samlor machou yuon" The word "yuon" is a derogatory name word for "vietnamese" in Khmer language. It seems that when he asked them what the vietnamese soup is called, they put their own little spin on the name. Hint to the author; if you want to come across as being "culturally aware" then do a little research. I'd also add that the author's recommendation of Pavilion Hotel goes against everything that many people stand for; they don't allow mixed race couples to stay at their hotel! You might as well go to a German Hotel in the 1930's.

Jaunted

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