What's hot in Phnom Penh...

One month in and I feel as though I’ve been in Phnom Penh for years…that is, minus the fact that I still get lost when I’m not paying close attention to where I’m headed. It seems as though Cambodia has sucked me dry of any directional sense I may have had in the past. I never thought I would say this, but luckily I live right next to Tuol Sleng, the now genocide museum, that was used during the reign of the Khmer Rouge as a prison and mass killing site. Now, I only say this because every tuk tuk and moto driver knows exactly where it’s at. I’ve made it a point to not tour it until I’m getting ready to move.

I’m not sure if I mentioned this previously, but I’m happy to report that the American dollar is the form of currency used in Cambodia! It makes traveling from the US a little less stressful!

Here are a few places I frequent, just in case you’re ever in Phnom Penh and want to know where you should be spending those American dollars.  

1. Russian Market - Endless stalls of clothing, shoes, jewelry, décor, and other kinds of hand crafted goodies. Now, if you’ve just arrived from a Western country, you may want to hold off on searching for clothing at this market in particular until you’ve had at least your first bout of projectile vomit (no need to worry, happens to everyone and it’s just your body acclimating to the new kinds of bacteria…silver lining is that you lose weight without having to try!) Whether or not the tag says XL makes no difference. Just make sure you try clothes on before you buy them. Now the purchase…this is where the fun begins! If you have any previous bargaining skills, this is where they’ll come in handy. Standard rule is, whatever price they tell you the merchandise costs, cut it in half and subtract an additional dollar. Then you can work your way up from there, but not too much. Hold strong and walk away if you have to.
2. The Best Iced Coffee in Phnom Penh (actual name)  - The name says it all! Located within the Russian market, the best place to take a load off from all of the bargain shopping, when you’re feet have swollen to the point of being unrecognizable as a body part, which will inevitably happen if you’re coming from a cold, dry climate. Okay, okay…enough deviation from the topic at hand, really, this is the place to go. 75 cents gets you a delicious beverage and just when you’re nearing the bottom of the glass, an extra shot of espresso is delivered…free of charge and with a smile! A must drink…2 jazz hands! Click here to visit his facebook page!
3. The Coconut Lady (not actual name) - I call her the coconut lady for obvious reasons…she sells coconuts! Not just any coconuts, the tastiest ones I’ve found so far in the city. I’ve recently been told of the many health benefits of coconuts and thought well heck, why not give ‘em another shot. Now, I have had some coconut juice in the past, but I was desperately hoping that it would taste different (as in better) in Cambodia, seeing as coconuts are naturally grown here. And what do ya know?! It does! You can find people selling coconuts all over the place, but this coconut lady in particular has them chilled, which are more difficult to find. So, if you’re looking to enjoy your juice immediately upon procurement, she is located on Sihanouk Blvd near Monivong…unfortunately, that’s all I’ve got for you, in the way of directions…hope you can find her, heh.

As I become more familiar with the city, I’ll add to the places I’ve mentioned above.