Once, Phnom Popay, or Goat Mountain, was a heartland of Cambodia's ethnic Muslim Cham people, who raised hundreds of the creatures in this secluded spot about 50 kilometers from the capital in Kampong Speu province.
The war changed all that, and by 1970, the area was a Khmer Rouge stronghold and all the Cham had fled or been killed. Today, this again a peaceful spot, a beautiful pagoda stands surrounded by forest at the peak of a hill. Down below a stream runs, making it a favorite picnic spot for Phnom Penh people and locals alike.
Congratulations to Pop Cafe, Green Vespa, Angkor Palm and Funky Munky, the four main winners of our 2006 Bar & Restaurant of the Year competition.
From a field of 60 contestants, and with over 5000 ballots cast, these four businesses were voted the winners by their customers. Congratulations also to the category winners: Pacharan, The shop, Freebird, Equinox, Talkin To A Stranger, Salt Lounge, Viroth's, La Residence d'Angkor, Curry Walla, Linga, Banana Leaf and The Warehouse.
It's difficult to miss; a big neon sign marks the spot of one of Siem Reap's most happening afternoon and evening hotspots. Shaded from the heat of the sun, the Angkor Night Market, located just a few blocks from Bar Street, offers an array of wares that could not fail to please any shopper, as well as small eateries selling cold drinks and snacks for time outs.
After a day wandering in the heat of the temples, most exhausted tourists head to the night market to be pampered by a cool night breeze and a relaxed atmosphere world's apart from the crowded Psar Chas or Old Market.
Last month was the observance of World Fair Trade Day and many of the groups working in this area got together at Phnom Penh's National Cultural Center to celebrate it. The crowd included craft producers and the general public, checking out information booths, playing games, watching some performances and sewing a giant kromar together. We posed a few questions to organizers Nina Howard (Artisans Association Cambodia) and Annie Perng (Village Focus International):
It is more than 30 years since the story was last told of the Bayon, the enigmatic state temple of Jayavarman VII, the greatest king of ancient Angkor. Recently, researchers from several disciplines have again been probing the mysteries of this extraordinary monument and its giant face towers. Under an eminent editorial team, Bayon: New Perspectives brings together for the first time leading scholars whose findings and insights challenge, not always in consensus, many of the earlier interpretations of the Bayon's art, architecture and inscriptions.
Cambodia's hoards of tourists marvel at its temples, but shudder after an encounter with its toilets, prompting a recent rescue mission by South Korean-based World Toilet Association (WTA), Tourism Minister Thong Khong said this week.
The minister said chairman of the WTA Assembly, legislator Sim Jae-Duck, had led a recent delegation to Cambodia and extended a warm invitation to the kingdom to join the WTAA meeting in South Korea in November and discuss accession to that body.
The WTA goes by the motto of 'Toilets for health! Toilets for life! Making it happen now'.
Madame Hieng at Shop 9 Central Market is a convincing seller. She has to be. Selling ice to Eskimos has to be easier than selling Christmas trees in predominantly Buddhist Cambodia.
"These trees come from Vietnam," she says. "After Christmas, you can put them in the garden. No need to buy one next year. I guarantee."
Many expatriates find the tacky plastic Christmas trees not only less than authentic or aesthetic but less than environmentally friendly. Now there is a living alternative.
If restaurants could talk, the FCC would tell some interesting tales. As one of Phnom Penh's most established restaurants, it has witnessed much of Cambodia's tumultuous history. Enviably positioned right on the riverfront, the FCC is the capital's pre-eminent meeting place for tourists and expatriates.
Melbourne Cup Day was celebrated with style and aplomb at Raffles Hotel on Tuesday 7th November. With the race starting at 11a.m Phnom Penh time, the complimentary champagne cocktails were being quaffed at 9a.m and by 10a.m, many punters had moved onto the main cocktail list, spurned on by a ½ price deal organised by The Australian Business Association of Cambodia. Women arrived in fabulous dresses and hats and the Australian Women's Connection had jockey style silks made for the Le Royal staff so all in all it was a very carnival like atmosphere.
For Cambodians, dengue fever is a serious childhood disease, although, if they survive, most will have been exposed to all four strains of the virus by adulthood and have developed some degree of immunity. For most foreigners the mosquito-borne disease remains a risk throughout life. Because there are so many strains, a previous infection with the virus does not guarantee immunity and in some cases a second infection with a different strain can prove more serious than the first.