Kien Svay, a resort for all

It’s almost the end of our school term, so my lecturer and classmates (all around 20 people) decided to go somewhere for a small lunch party together. It was hard to find a place to hang out for a lunch party in Phnom Penh. So we decided to go to Kean Svay Resort, around 17 km from Phnom Penh on the National Highway 1.

Kean Svay has been a very famous resort for Phnom Penh residents and it is usually very crowded at weekends and on national holidays. It’s a very good place for eating, drinking, relaxing, enjoying family time or hanging out with friends. It’s also a very well-known place for dates.

Kean Svay is located on a big reservoir with many small huts surrounding. Usually, people rent a small hut for their family or friends from lunch time until late afternoon – the rent is not expensive though. You can order food and drinks directly from the hut owners or you can go shopping for food and drinks in a small-established market nearby where they sell cooked food.

Food shopping at Kean Svay can be compared to fast-food in Western countries. You go to different small stores, look for your favorite food, and the sellers will cook the food in just minutes. While mostly you can find chicken and fresh water fish, you can also shop for cooked frogs, lopsters, local-made salad, local fruits and a variety of beverages. It’s very fun going food shopping – Yummmy!!!

So why do people like to hang out at Kean Svay? Well, beside eating and drinking, they chat with their friends, playing a guitar and guess what – playing cards among friends or family members is the most popular activity there. Perhaps, Kean Svay has a very nice view of the reservoir and small huts that make the area completely different from the environment in Phnom Penh. It's like a get-away place for most Phnom Penh residents. 

I’ve been there for a couple of times and it’s still a very attracting place for me. Today, we bought some grilled chicken, fish, frogs and lobsters, with some local salad and fruits as well as some Vodka Cruisers and cokes. We brought all the food and drinks to our rented hut and we chatted while having our lunch with friends and the lecturer. Then we began to play card – and I almost won though lol. We stayed there for around 3 hours and we had a great time together at Kean Svay.

Chaktomuk Theater

 Chaktomuk Theater is one of Phnom Penh's architectural landmark. Established in 1961, the theater was originally used as "La Salle de Conference Chaktomuk" in French or "Chaktomuk Conference Hall" in English. The theater locates on Sisowath Quay, near the Royal Palace.

The theater has been used as a stage for traditional and modern performances as well as business conferences. It has also been a popular place for high ranking officials to give a speech. While the theater is not open to tourists, you can go around the building to take some pictures of this architectural landmark. Oh behind the theater, there is a great view of the Chaktomuk River.

Traditional dances maybe the most popular performances to take place inside Chaktomuk Theater. Usually, the theater is hosted by the Ministry of Culture and Fine Art of many performances. They include circuses, concerts, operas and other shows of the modern days.

The theater was used as a stage for Hillary Clinton, during her visit to Phnom Penh in 2010, to address her audiences of university students.

4 Best Shopping Places in Phnom Penh

You may wonder where to shop in Phnom Penh. Of course there are many shopping places in the city, but if you don't go to the right place, you may not get the things you want and the price could be expensive. So where should you go? Well, below are the most popular shopping centers in Phnom Penh amongst tourists as well as local people.

1. Central Market

The Central Market is the most appealing market amongst tourists in Phnom Penh. It's also the biggest local and original market in term of size and architecture. Central Market is called "Phsar Thmey" in Cambodian language. So if you take a taxi, or tuk tuk, perhaps you should pronounce the market in local language because they know it better. 

Central Market is open during daytime, everyday. It's located in downtown phnom penh so it's maybe the nearest market to shop. So what can you find there? Well, loads - it's the best place to buy some flowers and souvenirs such as crafts, drawings, paintings etc. It's also a very good place if you want to buy some silk and other cambodian-made products. Beside you can check for some electronic devices, jewellery and  of course clothes.

2. Russian Market

If you want some souvenirs, Russian Market is the best place to go. Actually, it's not where you can see the Russians, it's just the name. It was built by the Russians so the name came afterward. In fact, the local word for the market is "Phsar Tuol Tom Pong" and local people understand the local word better. It's an old ordinary market but it's an amazing place to find local-made products, antiques and crafts. Since it's a very touristic market, the sellers can communicate english well, so don't worry about communication.

OH this is the best place to buy factory overruns branded clothes in a very cheap price!!!!!

3. Olympic Market

The best place to shop clothes!!!!! This is the best market local people like to do shopping. In Olympic Market, you can find all types of clothes - jeans, party dresses, trousers, blouses, shirts, t-shirts, children clothes etc. You can also find bags, shoes and other types of men and women's wears. Most of the products are imported mainly from China, Hong Kong and Thailand.

4. Night Market

Night Market or "Phsar Rea Trey" is becoming an attractive place for shopping at night amongst tourists. It's located in the River Side Area, near the Royal Palace. It's open only at night, from 5pm onward, 7days/week. So what can you shop there? Well mainly local-made products, souvenirs, and antiques. There are also many other interesting items to shop.

Eclipse Sky Bar

Last week I hanged out with some friends and we wanted to have some drinks and chats. There were many places we could go but we wanted to find somewhere unique, somewhere we could get the best drink and chat. So we decided to go to a sky bar - Eclipse Sky Bar. It was a very nice place where you could get the best view of the city.

Eclipse Sky Bar is on the 22-storey Phnom Penh Tower on Monivong Boulevard, central Phnom Penh. The sky bar is on an open-roof terrace, and it's a bar restaurant where you can have a variety of food, from snacks to main meal. You can also order just drinks and it's up to you whether you want to have some beers, cocktails or soft drinks have a chat with your friends, or you can have some red wine under little candle light with your partner. It's a very good place to meet some friends and also a very good place for your date.

The night view from the Eclipse sky bar is amazing. You can have almost the entire view of the city, and especially you can have a complete view of the busiest commercial street of Phnom Penh. If you come to Phnom Penh, experience Eclipse Sky Bar is a must. Imagine having some beers under the moon light, listening to some music, seeing the city view from the 22-storey building and at the same time have some chats with some friends - I think this is the best place in the city where you can spend your night. 

Suggestions

Make sure you check the weather forecast before you go there, and make sure there is no rain. Prior reservation is also strongly recommended, especially if you go there on weekends. 

USD 6 for a hollywood movie

Yesterday I went to a see 3D Wolverine with some friends at the Cineplex Cinema downtown Phnom Penh. It cost me around 18,000 Cambodian Riels or approximately USD 4.5. Actually, the price was USD 5 but since a friend had a discount card, we could have 10% off. That was cool.

the Grand opening at the Cineplex Cinema

There are only two cinemas in Phnom Penh that are equipped with high surround sound and licensed to commercialize Hollywood movies. One I have just mentioned is the Cineplex Cinema  on the top floor of Sorya Shopping Center, the biggest shopping mall in the city. About 15 minutes drive from the Cineplex Cinema is Legend Cinemas on the top floor of Citymall Shopping Center.

The Legend Cinema

Of course there are many local cinemas, but the Cineplex and Legend cinemas are perhaps the most famous ones in the city. The price is very reasonable depending on what type of movies you want to see. Generally, there are 2D and 3D movies, and no doubt, 2D movies are cheaper (usually USD 3 per ticket). The price of 3D movies range from USD 5 to USD 7. But if you have a discount card, you can save some cost.