Kampot is the capital city of Kampot Province in southern Cambodia. The city title doesn’t seem fitting for a place that is often described as sleepy. In Australia we would call it a big country town. It has a population of over 30,000 people, so it does earn its city status, and it feels more […]
Notes on Koh Rong – An island in transition
Koh Rong is an island off the coast of Sihanoukville in Cambodia. Its undeveloped beaches have been a backpacker favourite for years, offering an unvarnished island travel experience that is slowly disappearing in Southeast Asia. Despite a few previous visits to Sihanoukville, I had never been. I was in Sihanoukville at the start of 2022 […]
Notes on Sihanoukville – After the gold rush
Sihanoukville is a beach/port city on the coast of Cambodia. From an international tourism perspective, it was known as a backpacker haven and for retired expats drinking in girlie bars. In the space of about five years, Sihanoukville was transformed almost entirely into a Chinese casino resort destination. I was last in Sihanoukville in January […]
Notes on Phnom Penh – Revisiting after the reopening
Cambodia was one of the earliest countries to reopen without quarantine in Southeast Asia, and I just so happened to need to do a visa run from Thailand. That was enough reason to pay an overdue revisit to Phnom Penh. This trip to Phnom Penh was in December 2020, and I saw in the new […]
The lovely lazy river town of Kampot, Cambodia
I was last in Kampot in 2012 and I was pleased to see it was still the sleepy town I remembered it to be. Outside the old town area the city is being city-like with new construction projects here and there, but nothing compared to what’s going on in Phnom Penh and Sihanoukville. After travelling […]
Diamond Island – The fake Paris of Phnom Penh
I have a soft spot for Phnom Penh as it was the first city I visited in Southeast Asia. The combination of that good memory and it being a little rough around the edges has kept me coming back whenever I can. Every time I come back it’s a little less dustier and a little […]
Sihanoukville – The New Macau of Southeast Asia
“Guess how many casinos are in Sihanoukville”, my taxi driver asked as we drove from the train station. “20”, I said with confidence. I had read a news report about it recently and I felt certain with my answer, even though it seemed like a ridiculously high number. “55”, he said. I don’t know if […]
Phnom Penh to Sihanoukville by train
The railway line from Phnom Penh to Sihanoukville was reopened for passenger services in 2016 after 14 years of being out of action. I’ve been to Phnom Penh numerous times and I have always admired the old train station, hoping that one day that train services would resume. If you want to ride the only […]
Flight Review: VietJet Air – Phnom Penh to Ho Chi Minh City
Flight: VietJet Air VJ 835 From: Phnom Penh (PNH) To: Ho Chi Minh City (SGN) I flew with VietJet Air from Phnom Penh to Ho Chi Minh City. This was the return leg of my SGN-PNH flight. I knew that Vietjet would be the cheapest option but it’s always good to check other flights just […]
Guesthouse Review: Borey Vatanac Guesthouse, Kampot – Cambodia
Guesthouse Name: Borey Vatanac Guesthouse Address: No. 119-121, Old Market Street, Kampot, Cambodia I stayed at Borey Vatanac Guesthouse in Kampot, Cambodia. I booked it online for its price and location. It’s a couple of blocks away from the old town market, which is the central point of interest in Kampot. Anywhere within walking distance […]
