Thailand, Laos, Cambodia

Great site for info on SE Asia is travelfish.com

Christmas and New Year in Thailand

Used Marriot miles to pay for the two of the three nights at the Courtyard by Marriott hotel in Bangkok. the third night was approx $125. GREAT location tucked in a Soi in the Lumpini neighborhood. safe as houses, friendly staff, CLEAN, spacious room (Room 306), rooftop pool and gym, and great buffet breakfast at the Momo cafe for BHT450 per person.

Dinner: Nahm restaurant, part of the Metropolitan hotel, beautifully prepared meal in gorgeously designed dining room-modern, refined but no awkwardly stiff. Good intro to Bangkok and eating in a new place for the newbie.  Spendy by Thai standards but worth it.

Chiang Mai

Being New Year, original plans to go to Chinag Rai inland through smaller villages were dashed as all the buses were sold out. our only option was an overnight bus to Chiang Mai.  buses in Thailand have come a long way since my first foray there in the mid-80s. they are double-decker, fast, clean, on board stewardess, blankest, drinks etc. The trip was about 8-9 hours if I recall. Note the bus station is way out of town.

Hotels were also sold out, so we were relegated to whatever Booking.com could muster so we stayed outside the walled gates north at the Mercure (previously Novotel at 183 Changpuak Road, Sri Poom, Muang District) about 10 minut walk to the north gate (by the elephant fountain for tuk tuk direction purposes). Hotel was amidst repairs and old rooms. Tatty and rundown at the time. Booked through Booking.com, I think BHT500 a night.

Chiang Rai

Plenty of buses between Chiang Mai and Chinag Rai. Cheap as chips and about 3-4 hours. Take note of which bus station they drop you off at. there's the new one outside of town and the old one right in the market area downtown.

Stayed a 10 minutes walk from center towards river at Baan Siam CR, 111/36 mu 19 santi Rd, Robvieng, Muang Chiang Rai. Must have scored a deal when they first opened as the nightly rate was $18 a night!  manger was miffed at check in so always bring paperwork to hotels if you pre-booked and have a rate-they must honor it.  Hard to find, so take a map and thai address with you. These guys own the swanky former palace hotel in Chiang mai. Regular rates are likely closer to $80-100.

Getting to Lao

Take bus to the river town where there are long boats that cross non-stop across the Mekong launch. Bus stop is a few km from this launch point, so lots of tuk tuks loiter to take folks to the river.  need to get exit visa, then at Loa border, get the entry visa.  Cant remember cost. We decided to keep going to Luang Namtha so headed to the bus station a few km out of town, so take a tuk tuk. They all loiter around the border house a d main road.

Buss not too frequent to Luang Namtha, so get across border as early as you can.  Its about 4 hours if I recall. Luang Namtha is lovely town on river and foothill of mountains. well worth the stop over on the way to Luang Prabang. Phou Lu II bungalows 10 minutes walk from main dirt road, QUIET, by river, super nice family runs it. Our own bungalow, with back porch, $20 a night for two including breakfast!  I'd go back there in a heartbeat.

i also noticed a Forest Retreat Laso place that had lodgings, good coffee and trips in the area. Run by Kiwis I thunk.

Eat dinner at the night market-som tam salad and chicken till your hearts content for a few dollars.  fabulous.
Make sure to check out the day market west of town. rats, beavers and all kinds of critters toasted, charred or peeled off the road for sale amongst the veggies. A lot of Chinese from Yunnan and beyond are heree, so lots of Mao posters and Chinese is spoken here.


Udomxi

A good 8-9 hours trough mountains to the trading crossroads town of udomxi. Not much going on here: market, temple on a hill, enough to keep an afternoon busy, stay the night and then carry on to Luang Prabang.  Be sure to take the 5 or 6 am bus-get there early to score your ticket as it gets jammed with other backpackers.

Hotel: Some basic place-large old mansion house converted to hotel on main drag towards bus station, just by the river and the temple hill path right next to it. not expensive, maybe $25-30?? basic but clean rooms, safe. stayed in back newer building.

Food-hard pickings. There is a bakery halfway between the hotel and the bus station, next to the roundabout. Assortment of baguettes, pizzas etc. open just in time for the first bus, so grab egg sandwiches to go.

Bus to Luang Prabang, winds over the mountains, so as the corw flies a few 100 km but takes 6 or so hours with a stop at a few strips off the road for pee breaks or buy form ladies selling food/veggies.

Luang Prabang

Bus station on other side of rive from main old town. tuks tuks easy.

Stayed at Apsara, Kingkitsarath Street, Ban Wat Sene, KingkitsarathLuang Prabang. Beautiful hotel, great room in building next door to main house. Room on end (#8?), own balcony overlooking river, watch the monks and locals amble by. $85 a night. Well worth it, breakfast included, sitting outside on their porch.

Luang Prabang is a walking city-wander explore EVERYWHERE on foot. See all the sites, wats and palaces, but also walk down any of the side streets. we went to market way out of town, across from that market is the Ock Pop Tok living crafts center with nice oevrlook of river-stop and have a coffee/drink/meal there, Chao Anouvuong Monument and the UXO,  took long boat across to other side and walked the trail that hugs river and passes more temples, took a massage at the red cross, and generally just left no laneway untrammeled.  Monk alms is a bit of disney zoo...heart sinking.

Cambodia
Flew to Siem Reap via Pakse on Lao Airlines, depsite the horror stories. Was nervous admittedly, but it was fine, good service and decent stop in Pakse before carrying on to Siem Reap.

Stayed 10 minutes to the heart of the night market at Villa Siem Reap, 153 Ta Phul Road. $45 a night, including breakfast. large rooms, sparse but clean, shower so-so.  Nice folks, hard working. Easy to get around on foot to spots. Hotel had a nice deal of tuk for the day to go to Angkor Wat, though DO NOT ask them to take you to a lunch spot as they will take you to mediocre but expensive (for Cambodia) place in Angkor..we learned the hard way.

Phnom Penh
Loads of mini-buses that transport between Siem Reap and PP. About $10-12 ad takes 4-5 hours.Many offer to pick up at your hotel for free.

PP fist stay to be w cousin Monica who was doing nurse work there. Stayed at Indonesia 2 at Street 130 and st 5 by river and near Wat Phnom 4th floor, about $25-30 a night. Super basic, noisy and i think a place where prostitutes go too.  Area is busy all night, but not dangerous.

2nd batch of stay was at MUCH nicer, gorgeous Kabiki, # 22, Street 264, Phnom Penh, $80 a night includes breakfast.  Former presidents wife's getaway villa. Huge room, Trees, garden, pool, extremely quiet place tucked on guarded road by lovely Street 240 and St 19.  Loads of restaurants, ships and easy location to get around on foot or tuk tuk.

Eat: any place-lots of fresh food to be had. We LOVED NGON Restaurant. 60 Preah Sihanouk Boulevard, Tonle Bassac Quarter, Chamkarmon District. Vietnamese & Khmer food. Huge room, outdoo areas, fresh, delicious. Branches in ho Chi Minh City and ha Noi. 

Whole area behind this restaurant had a lot of hotels, B&Bs, restuarnts, shops etc. lovely. noticed the Hotel Nine bouique hotel, #48, Street 9, Tonle Bassac. hotel-nine.com

Do: Phnom Penh mounatin in town, Tuol Sleng, Killing Fields, Russina Market, wal along river, palaca, walk walk walk all over. Great city to explore. posh area by Tuol Sleg had british school, Costa coffee and other calm, cool lane ways to amble.

Minibus to Kampot
leave from the park strip by the Phnom penh. Cheap air-conditioned buses, 3 hours-ish to Kampot river town. BRILLIANT sleepy, lazy river town. Pepper farms, watch the fisher men leave for the night and get to the quay at 4 am to see them all come in with their haul. its hopping this time of day, lovely sounds, sights. Note they are all Muslim. We got a tuk tuk guy for the day to take us to Kep for crab lunch via muslim areas all the way and in Kampot. Very interesting.  Take the time to walk over the bridge and wend to the temple on that side. 

lunched in Kep at Srey Phan overlooking water and watched women hawl in the crab nets etc. Smother sin te most delicious pepper sauce. Large Crab, plate of fried shrimp and 2 large beers=$13!!! View to die for. best lunch of the trip.

Soleil D'or: french owners. Lovely room, Bougainvillier top floor one with two beds, decent bathroom, roof windows. they also own Le java Bleu where the breakfast is served. $45 a night. French owner is passionate about cooking and insisted we eat dinner at his one night. Glad we did, we bumoed kinto him at ye fish market that morning and he set aside a lovely outside side table for us. prepared the fish steamed with clams, shrimps and ginger etc. one of most memorable meals of trip if ever. certainly in my Top 10 of all my travels. Whole fish, beer, side nibbles, i think dessert etc, wasn't more than $40, the most expensive dinner of the trip, but so worth it.

Round the corner from them is a bakery owned by a woman who was once in one of the many orphanages rn by Americans. he now owns her business and bakes chocolate chip cookies, brownies, coffees etc. lovely lady and place. 

Shhhh...Charlotte

Quick early August trip to the east coast of the South for a bit of fiddlers' convention and steamy heat temperatures.

Charlotte

Westin downtown, 601 South College Street, Charlotte,  NC 28202. Lovely hotel. Great rooms. Booked on Priceline for $113 (+ taxes). Stayed on high floor. Parking was $18 per night and had we known th area or came in during the day, we could have parked right on the side street of the hotel...

Dinner: Halcyon Flavors, http://www.halcyonflavors.com/, GREAT place located 2 blocks from hotel on Tryon street in the museum section of downtown. Beautiful space on second floor of building with massive outdoor patio with views. Fresh, local and well prepared food. Good wine list, cocktails and local beers. For two if us, $100.

Fancy Gap, VA

Drove up from Charlotte on back roads and via Mt Airy, Andy Griffith Show country. Nice back roads, and the town of Mt Airy made for a good stop to amble the two-3 block high street, chocka with wholesome small town USA. Dearth of restaurants if you want more than fried or diner style food in that part of town. I saw a wine cafe (closed by te time we got into town) and I read of good Mexican place but not in that localized section.

Mt Airy

Drove up Highway 52 to VA border. road dotted with small roadside fruit (peaches, apples) stands, and LOTS of flea markets, especially at the border between NC & VA. 52 Climbs up and up to the Blue Ridge Parkway at Fancy Gap, where we headed east about 4 miles to the Inn at Orchard Gap.

view from Angel Room

2 nights stay ($126-ish per night, inc great generous breakfast cooked by Sherry or Don Foster, the hosts.)  Our room was the Angel room on top right of second floor. Nice seating area on the porch from which to see over the hills and Blue Ridge parkway.

Saturday auction at cana

Great location from which to base yourself for taking the BRP east to places like Don's Meadow, the watermill, and Floyd to the east, or towards Galax up 52 then west on 221.  Lots of flea markets and good chance there's an auction happening somewhere.

who says we cant get along? 

August 5-10 is the Galax Fiddlers Convention; the reason for our trip. Amazing event. you haven't experienced America until you've gone to a mountain music or genuine bluegrass music event. this must be the grand dame of them. 

 Asheville, NC

Fourth and last night was in Asheville, the Berkeley of the South, I have been told. And it delivered, but probably nicer: people of all ages walked around, enjoying art galleries, the shops, old art-deco buildings restored to old arcades, street artisans, public fountain for swimming, loads of restaurants, outdoor eaing and breweries. Great town for exploring and ambling.

Drove from Galax direction on 221 mostly, stopping at towns like Sparta, West Jefferson, Boone through mountains and farmland and approached Ashevill from from 19E & 25.  Nice drive.

Stayed at Downtown Inn: Patton Ave at Ashland Street, cheapest place for a decent place and well located for a god price. AAA rate for our dates $72.  She put us on top floor and mountain view (room 517). Hotel has seen nicer days for sure and can do with an updating. but it was clean and the staff nice.  All rooms open to the motel walkway, so big window, while not private, gives you great views.

See: Grove Arcade, downtown, Walk Street, Pack Square park, and galelreis on Biltmore Ave.

Eat: Blackbird. Local fresh produce, clean nicely understated space on Biltmore Ave. Local brews. 

Drink: Asheville Brewing. large covered open driveway space to enjoy outisde temos, as well as indoors. Good beers; food more standar bar food (fried, pizza, burgers etc). Great vibe-all ages and colours.

Day 4: en route to Charlotte.

If we got up earleir, we would have had time to go hike you Chimney Rock on 74A. leave time for that-views must be fab.  74A wends past lake Lure that if you didnt know any better youd think you are in a mounain lake in Europe. 

Quest for BBQ lunch before flight took us into South carolina, Gaffney, Stephen Colbert hometown, outlets, cheapest gas ($3.09) and BBQ at Daddy Joes (1400 W Floyd baker Blvd), where they include in their vegetarian 'menu' grilled zucchini, the potatoe salad and the BBQ sauce. Not the best, but the sweetest hospitality makes up for the medoicre food.

Noted too the relief of knowing that the last exit before the adult store is well signposted by billboards for miles. Whew.

Pacific NW roadtrip

June 9-15 roadtrip- ideal time of year before schools are out and places, roads and hotels WILL get jammed. Good weather too.

Stopped in fave town Winters for a coffee at the only pure coffee shop in town(forgot name-some guys name. I reckon it is the only pure coffee shop in town, so you'll find it.) It's in the wood building that has a deck across from the gazebo and main town park.

Dunsmuir, old times railroad town. Quaint, cute Victorians, and Shasta as the playground in nature. Great spot for a weekend or vacation home. Pizza at Pizza Factory on Main Street. So-so but a locals spot so nice to eavesdrop on the gossip and see two kids no older than 12 ( one chubby one with thick spectacles. So Stand By Me) have lunch together in front of the baseball game. $7.75 for a mini pizza. Enjoyed it at the rest area overlooking the river at the Oregon border.

Ashville: Shakespeare tourist theatre town, but not overdone. Would make for a nice place to stay for a night. Good restaurants, Smithfields looked FAB.
Jacksonville OR nice preserved old western town. Twee shops etc. expensive B&Bs so best to stay in Medford 6 miles closer to I-5

Hotel: Homewood Suites in Medford. $129 on Booking.com. Great place- clean comfy and decent breakfast included. Nice staff. Top floor nice views.

Eat: elements on Main Street. Tapas. Well, their idea of it but even if not authentic Spanish, it was tasty and reasonably priced. Good wine list. Ribs and faves bean dishes, glass of wine $30 with tip.

Day 2

Lunch in Eugene's public market area on 5th. Marche Provisions. Excellent.  Charcuterie plate and glass of white, approx $22. Nice outdoor eating patio.

• Dinner Portland in Monte Villa neighborhood, Ya hala, 8005 SE Stark St

Portland, OR 97215, Neighborhoods: Southeast Portland, Montavilla. SW but close to Burnside at 79. Lebanese superb. Lamb shank, fish, foule, two wines $55 for 3 adults and 1 kid.

• Morning coffee: Case Study Coffee, 5347 NE Sandy Blvd, Portland, OR 97213, Neighborhoods: Northeast Portland, Rose City Parkgreat space. Lovely scone and coffee. $5

Monte villa is a cool diverse neighborhood, a gem in the making

Seattle

Olympic Spa in Lakewood. GREAT place to spend a ladies evening if soaking, sauna, hot rooms, and lounging in a robe. $35 for unfettered soaking in diff pools. I house restaurant healthy good food. No alcohol. Pork sizzle plate $13

Lunch. Ballard. Oaxaca Cart. Fab western neighborhood. Good Mexican food, space and hood. Asada tacos $7 for three. Unlimited salsa bar.

Dinner: Pairseattle north of university district on 55th. Super nice neighborhood bistro. Lots if plates to share and menu changes. Lamb, leek and potato gratin, chicken, lobster risotto, pot de creme, etc. 5 people $32 each.

Fremont: Uneedaburger. Bravo! Burger joint, fab.

Dinner: near symphony. Name:    Pizza, asparagus, two wines each, and some other dish. Vast open space, must've been a bank or large lobby of office building. $100 for two.

Lake City. Toyoda Japanese. Superb tiny family run place. Spinach salad with a sesame topping, fried tofu, pork Katsu, seared tune with onions amazing. Rolls, croquette, all good. For 5 of us $131.

• Javasti- NW 35 TG at 79. Coffee shop
• Grateful Bread- fresh bagels!!! NW 35 ave at 72-ish.
• Mama Melina... Lunch at Y Village, 5101 25th Ave NE  Seattle, WA 98105

Cle elum. off I90 Bakerty at top end of town. Lovely old brick building, old biddies working there. Homemade unrefined donuts and baked goods.  Brill. Donuts and latte $4

Madras. Mi Casa. Mexican restaurant where long distance buses between Tijuana, michoacan, and Phoenix stop! 24 hrs from there to Tijuana. For Mexicans by Mexicans. Great food. My two carnitas tacos were $3!!! Glad I stopped as down home as it was.

One road very well taking the extra 20 minutes to drive is Canyon Road from Ellenburg to Yakima. Hugs the river at the bottom of the canyon. Gorgeous.

Route to Klamath Falls from Seattle was uplifting. Snow capped mountains, alpine to high desert and driving past endless number of volcanoes: hood, ranier, Baxter, St. Helens, and others I don't know the names of.  Town if Shanklin looked cool and old west. Tiny.

Rocked up to Klamath at 5:30. Lots of nice stops at the bakery and lunch at Mi Casa. What a gem. I just missed the inbound bus of peeps too; she was prepping for 25 people to spill off the bus. I took a wee side road from ellenburg to Yakima, Canyon Road. 22 miles in the canyon along the river. Gorgeous. 

Enjoying a dinner at the Crramery brew Pub and 'Grill'- code for all typical TGI Fridays type of fried food, but managed to find a baked eggplant and tomatoe dish washed down with Crystal Springs IPA sitting at bar watching local lads and lasses do their small town flirting and banter. Nice to eavesdrop and grateful I'm not a blue-collar small town gal!

Carrizo plain-not so plain after all!

Did a two day one night road trip to Carrizoplain after reading about it in the Viaa magazine.  Tucked in a hard to get to valley from San Luis Obispo and Highway 5, it made for  a great two-day getaway on Easter Sunday.

Took off early and went down  5, cutting into Highway 46 west (Paso Robles Road) and then South again on Hwy 33 through miles and miles of almond orchards, which Moose duly noted for next Persian New Year when green almkinds are all the rage. Of course, for quality control purposes, he made me pull over while he picked a good few Monterey Market produce bags full of.

Directly south of these orchards were 26 miles of oil fields. never imagined this exited in california. the land was sparse, blighted and ugly.The 'town' of McKittrik was bleak and dead.

West on 58 from McKittrick the road rises then gently wends down to Carrizo Plain.

http://www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/fo/bakersfield/Programs/carrizo.html

Steinbeck country.  Nice to take picnic lunch on the overlook and walk the raised trail to the salt flats.

Wended west on 58 to 101 where we hopped north a bit to Atascadero for ou hotel stay at the Carlton (booking.com$119 + tax a night). Oldest hotel in the town, that once was an old persons home. Huge, brick and well renovated with a fab bistro next to the lobby that served solid and generous breakfasts as part of the hotel charge.

Morro Bay is only 20-30 minutes away and makes for a nice afternoon stroll, even when foggy and espite the touristy shops. it was quiet on Easter Sunday, so the full brunt of a tourism destination wasnt so bad. A few streets off the watefront are other locals shops and cafes, so worth checking out.

Passed in through Paso Robles just to see how they do 'wine town' in this part of California compared to Napa and Sonoma. Very low-key. A few posse of hippies hanging out at the Amsterdam coffee shop on 13th.  the central city park is green, tree-covered and with a band stand gazebo-so charmign and probably full of life in the summer vs. a Monday morning.

heading back north on 101, you pass lettuce country. miles and miles of massive farms and lettce fields. the salinas valleey & california feeds America.  Too bad they dont eat more salad.

Sao Paolo

Hear so many things of this place and despite having been here before for LP years ago, i don't really recall much of it, or really spent time to enjoy it.  Getting here earlier than work mates allowed for time to scope places and get a feel for the place.

Staying
George V casa Branca in Jardins. Apartment building turn hotel. Great service and location with blocks of shops, cafes, restaurants and safe walking.  booked through Expedia, I think $250 a night (inc breakfast). On a high floor, room 901, with balcony, one bedroom, two loos, kichenette. Couldn't ask for more.

Eats

• Santo Grao: Oscar Freire in jardins. great vibe, coffee place  but also full menu of praca do dia, salads and snacks. Filet and duchess potatoes (53R), glass of Argie pinot 18R, so not cheap either.
• Deleiite Gourmet: coffee/chocolate cake shop on Oscar Freire, 125. Small coffee 6R, nice front deck to sit on.
• Lebanese place in ground floor level of apartment building so set back from sidewalk on R Lorena (@ Rocha Azevedo). fouldammas and a kibe 21R. Very nice, did the trick for a take away eat in the room.
• Shintori, Alameda Campinas, just down from Ave paulista. Japanese 'house" with large garden. had the shabu shabu and it was good. Nice sake cocktails too. Spendy.
• Bar des arts-in Itaim Bibi neighborhood by the river. Gorgeous gardens and grounds with several buildings housing tables and a large green house annex where the generous and amazing lunch buffet is set up. Apparently it is being torn down to make way for a huge office building, so go there quick!
• Jardieneira Grill, ave dos bandeirantes, 1001, Vila Olimpia. The mecca to meat and all things grilled, buffet. Amazing spread, come hungry. Good caipirnhas, good meat, good cold buffet.
• Capim Santo, Roha Azevedo & Itu, outdoor garden and tables, rustic and beautfiully prpared Brazilian food from the other provinces and coast. 
• La Figuera, haddock Lobo & estados unidos, massive fig tree around which sit the tables as well as in surrounding buildings. Expensive, but lovely place and food is good.
• Chop Opcao-off ave paulista & Caneca. OUtdoor beer garden. Food typical mediocre bar food.
• Corner of Lorena and campinas is a great neighborhood restauramt with a massive outdoor area, serving a fab Salad Nicoise and draft beers
• All up Campinas to Ave Paulista from Lorena has lots of lovely looking restaurants.

Shopping

• Oscar Freire has a lot of shops and boutiques. some with more dolled up shop girls than customers. one  place i loved was Vista Sao Paolo (Rua Augusto, 2800) where the designer gets photo images and screen prints them on great cut T-shirts and dresses. He was having a 40% sale so a 68R shirt was $40.
• in the business lowerl levels shops of the Lorena and campinas apartment building, where there is also a great restaurant (lonchenete) and draft beer spot is a lady who sells hawaianas and bejewels the soles for an extra few bucks. Nice lady and store and cheaper than other shops for the flip flops.

Neighborhoods
Hotel assured me walking during the day is safe, so i wended through Primavera to Itaim Bibi, Tabapua street where I had lunch at a 2.99R a 100kg food place along with the other office workers. then up Faria Lima, to Europe and walked all up (saw the Electrolux boutique!) back to jardins on Augusta Street.

kampot

one of my fave spots in entire trip. Chill slow moving river town. Small so easy to navigate and walk around just exploring.

Stayed
Le soleil d'or. booked on booking.com...$45 a night breakfast included and served at La Java Bleue a half block away. nice sidewalk seating and sheltered by potted plants, run by french couple, Louise, the hubby a nutty gregarious guy who just loves cooking and the romance of the sounds of the fisherman's boat engines as they come in from the night of fishing at 6 am.

we stayed in top floor room-huge, two beds and private bath..very nice. comfy, fridge.

Le java Bleue
owned by French couple of Soleil D'or. FABULOUS meal of fish Lousie bought that day and hrew his whole self into cooking (en papillotte with garlic, clams, shrimps etc). Beautiful presentatin and passion. best meal of trip.

Three Sisters bakery-owner was an orphan when younger and learned brownie baking and apple pie baking from a USA woman at her orphange. today shes married and has a bakery and proceeds go to orphanage where her husband works. On same street half a block from Le java Bleue.

drinks-lots of laid back and small bars along the promenade. we liked wunder Bar because it was quiet but wit a nice buzz. The rusty keyhole was the poplar place.

on other side of the salt workers monument there is a small street with guest houses (magic Sponge) and restaurants. we ate at kampot GH restaurant which was on second level of a bamboo house. Nice guys, good food and decent prices (5-7 each)

Do:

walk. walk to market and across the bridge to the other side which has a peppercorn farm shop and dryign location, wats and relaxed neighborhood.
watch the boats coem in after a night of fishign on the river bank by the old governor's residecne and post offcie. Very special and unique sites an sounds of kampt. one day word will get out such that this daily delivery of fish will be a top tourist attraction...pity
market-where the Muslim women sell the fish you cans see the fishermen bring earleir that morning on the river bank
Kep: tuk tuk to kep  $12, about 30 km along coast. we asked him to go to Kep, wait till we had lunch and also go through the islam areas.  Very nice guy and well put together. Stopped to buy face masks because of very dusty road to Kep, which was a noted and nice touch.
Crab market. lots to choose from but we settled on Srey Phan overlooking crab nets, crabs sold at market price. had them with the faous kampot pepper sauce ($5) which was divine. Grilled shrimp ($4) and two large beers ($4). Bliss lunch. lovely.

getting there-Ibis bus company, $8 each between PP and Kampot. fast, airconditioned with one bathroom stop, a small water and free wi-fi on bus. Great service.

Phnom Penh

First night stayed at Indochine 2 on 110 street (or thereabouts). very simple spartan in the thick of the busy dense streets of backpackers, prostitutes, tuk-tuks, bars= noise. $30 the night.

second stint was at Kabiki, 264 street, former residence of president's wife, and on same road as prime minsitr residence. and ot showed, the street had a barrier to it and guards where only hotel guests and security were allowed. $80 a night, great breakfast served poolside in a very densely treed garden. rooms fabuluosly comfy though bathrooms could do with an update for the price; little things like soap dish by sink, modern sinks and countertops. neighborhood quiet and safe and easy to walk to Royal palace, river front and sihanouk ave. I'd stay here again.

other noted places to stay were south of sihanouk in streets behind Ngon inclusing Hotel Nine, Skyline, willow,

also between the 51-57 ave and 278, 294 and Samdach Louis streets loads of cafes, restaurants and hotels, nail spas

Tips & Toes 

#17 Beo, Street 278, Phnom Penh 12302, Cambodia

+855 92 148 033 

to do's

• walk the streets and explore all the markets from Rusian to central to the open air veggie/food market near Indochine on about 136 streets.
• tual Sleng prison
• Killing fields-from Tual Sleng was about $14 return. negotiate hard.  dont miss this paert of tragic history.
• neighborhood south of sihanouk and west of pasteur streets very posh and lots of embassies and servcied business apartments, cafes, leafy streets etc.

eat

• friends n stuff-well known ple, on 13th and 172 street. good cause, inconsistent service depending on stage of training, bit overpriced, bt knwoing it helps train otherwide street kids, you dont mind s much
• ngon restaurant on 60 Sihanouk. SUPERB-fresh food, open air, great servcie, clean, fab decor and vibe. Locals (with some scratch) and great location.  $10 per eprson with beer roughly. Ate here two days running it was so good. they also have places in Ho Chi Minh and Ha Noi
• bakery-fab cakes and coffee and outdoor front garden area. on 240 at 19th, perhaps called Chocolate? 
• The Vegetarian on 19 Ave and 264 street. simple fare, nice walled in outdoor eating area, cheap, clean. By kabiki hotel.
• Watch the rich kids hangout and buy coffee that is overpriced by wetsern standards, let alone Cambodia...Costa on 57 and 288 street area. aswell as swanky looking Brown Coffee and bakery by the English school.

No. 13, St. 57, corner of Rue Oknha Chrun Youhak (St. 294), 12302 Phnom Penh

transport

• to Kampot-Ibis bus $8. Hostels sell tickets but also at main station on 106 by Psar ratrey one block form river.  In Kampot it is behind the gast station where the pineapple statue is.
• to airport-tuk tuk was $6-8 dependign on how you negotiate. can w are told is about $20-25