Cambodia Going Out

Food and Drink

Eating out is big business Cambodia, with many good restaurants in Phnom Penh, Siem Reap and Sihanoukville. Food stalls are also common in all towns and cities, and are a great place to sample Cambodian food. Khmer cuisine is very similar to Thai, but with fewer spices involved and a preponderance for coconut milk.

National specialities:

• Prahok (fermented fish paste) is used to flavour most dishes.
• 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).
• Crispy fried spiders are a snack for the adventurous in Northern Cambodia.
• Amok trey (fish in a thick coconut curry sauce, wrapped in banana leaves and steamed).
• 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. Major tourist areas of Phnom Penh can be pretty seedy, with numerous strip clubs, so make sure you check out a venue before paying the cover charge.

Major hotels offer entertainment, and weekly Apsara (traditional Khmer dance) performances are often held from November to March in hotel gardens, mainly in Siem Reap. Gambling is a major past time 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 handicrafts 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 is another great buy in Cambodia. Khmer silversmiths craft delicate anklets and necklaces, which make fantastic souvenirs. You can also buy silver cutlery and dining-ware.

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 jewellery. Gems are a particularly good buy but only spend large amounts if you know a bit about 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.