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Phnom Penh

Getting a dog on a flight out of Cambodia

31 May 2015 by Nathalie Abejero 14 Comments

Want to take your pet out of Cambodia with you? Airline rules are changing in Phnom Penh. Small pets (<5kg) can still be stowed in the cabin with you. Pets over 5kg must go in the cargo, but several carriers have recently announced that aircraft flying out of Phnom Penh are too small for them to safely transport live animals in the cargo.
The expat community was incredibly helpful when I posted a query on several forums for any experience in getting pets out of Phnom Penh, and compiled here the options (as of 2015):
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I. Go overland Phnom Penh to Bangkok. Bus companies like Virak-Buntham does trips Phnom Penh-to-Bangkok via Koh Kong, without making passengers transfer to another bus at the Thai side of the border. They’re about $28/seat on a limousine bus for 11 people max, with AC. They’d require that you book a seat for your dog, but you have to gather your pet’s documents to get into Thailand – either do it yourself via the instructions below (III), or ask a vet or pet shop to facilitate (II). You can book seats on this bus from Bright Lotus Guesthouse, which is located on the corner of St 178 and Sothearos Blvd. They leave at 7am, and the trip is 10-12 hours.
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II. Enlist the help of a Khmer vet or pet shop. I imagine other pet shops or kennels might also do this if asked..? I initially requested suggestions from Agrovet, but Arnaud there didn’t indicate that his staff can help with this, and I didn’t pursue beyond that.
Happy Dog on Kampuchea Krom can facilitate with all aspects of getting a dog to your connecting flight in other cities. Sok Chhay Ngov (manager) has taken many dogs abroad since the airlines’ tighter regulations took effect. Here are examples of things he’s done for some friends, or quoted for me, below. Sok Chhay 017321123 / 012321333
  • Including the costs for Sok Chhay to take the dog personally including securing all documentations, eg the medical and health clearance for your home country and animal control paperwork, the quote to take a dog overland to Bangkok is around $350. Once in Bangkok he will check the dog in to your connecting flight (a larger aircraft will take the dog in the hold).
  • If my whole family travels overland in a private van to Bangkok (with the dog), so that we all catch the Korea Air flight to NY together, then the quote is around $380.
  • To take the dog to Manila by air (and board him on a connecting flight onwards to NY), the quote is around $1000.
III. Fly via Bangkok Air or Thai Airways out of Phnom Penh. As of this writing, all carriers will still take pets <5kg in the cabin. But only Bangkok Air and Thai Airways will now take pets up to <60kg (including the kennel) in the cargo. (Over 60kg and you’re out of luck). If these carriers are code share partners with your connecting flight home, no problem – there is just one fee for the pet to travel and no additional paperwork on your connecting flight. If these carriers are not, then you can’t just connect in Bangkok. You have to go through customs and check in again, plus:
  • You pay twice to have your dog fly in the hold (for example, $7 per kg of combined dog and kennel via Bangkok Air from Phnom Penh to Bangkok, plus $200 for Korean Air for the connecting flights to NYC)
  • Transit papers will be required for the dog in Bangkok before the onward flight. They are fairly easy to get and only cost 50baht (~$1.75). Email qsap_bkk@dld.go.th for a transit permit through Bangkok and they will send you the form to fill out. You also need (quoting them directly):
    • A copy of passport  or a copy of identification card an importer
    • Address in your country
    • Detail of  your animal (such as type of breed, sex, etc.)
    • History of vaccination ( A copy of  Vaccination record)
    • Picture of  your animal
    • Description of your flightName of port of exit from your country
    • Email these directly to Suvarnabhumi  Airport Animal Quarantine Station within 10 days prior transit to Thailand. An officer at the airport  will issue the transit permit for your animal about  a few days after document approved, to your by email. (Office open on Mon-Fri 08.30 am.-04.30 pm. my local time Tel: + 66 2 1340731)
Things to keep in mind:
  • Book your dog with your ticket, either with an airline agent or through a booking agent
  • Airlines limit the number of pets they carry on any given flight
  • You pay for your pet at check-in as they’re handled as oversized extra luggage
  • Try to arrive 3-4 hours before the scheduled departure of your flight
  • In some countries eg the US, you can’t just connect as you want to anywhere else with a dog Most/all US airlines have restrictions on times (often not at all in the summer) and weather conditions under which they will/will not transport pets in the hold. If you need to connect in the US with an American carrier, check their pet policies before you book your international flight
  • Kennel specifications: Agrovet and Happy Dog are two places that sell airline-approved or airline-specific crates, though you can get them in any shop for cheaper still if you’re sure of what you’re looking for
  • Vets that can provide documentation required to bring pets abroad: Dr. Lim Pak (Khmer vet on street 174 by Walkabout bar) and Arnaud at Agrovet are the only two who can sign off on all the paperwork you need. But double check all info you get from them because there are many changes; some people have reported stranded pets due to incorrect or outdated info regarding vaccinations and bloodwork clearances.
Tips for prepping your pet for air travel:
  • Crate train your pet so that the crate is his safe place.
  • Put in a familiar blanket (with his and your smells on it) in the crate (which will also help with spilled water).
  • Don’t feed him 24 hours before departure.
  • Give him plenty of time to run and poo on the day of the departure.
  • Freeze ice in the crate bowls so it doesn’t immediately spill when they move him in his crate.
  • When you refill in Bangkok, use ice cubes which any of the restaurants will give you for free.
  • Don’t give him sedatives – if he reacts adversely to them, nobody will notice since he will be alone. Pets will take their cues from you: act calm and it will reassure them.
  • An expat in Cambodia also posted his tips on the website PPAWS (Phnom Penh Animal Welfare Society). Just bear in mind as of this year, Korean Air no longer accepts pets larger than 5kg on flights originating in Pochentong (PNH).

Filed Under: Life Tagged With: air travel for dogs, air travel for pets, airline pet policy, Bangkok Airways pet policy, Cambodia, dog travel, exporting a dog, exporting a dog to the US, exporting a dog to the USA, exporting a pet, pet travel, Phnom Penh, taking a dog out of Cambodia, taking a dog to the US, taking a dog to the USA, taking a pet out of Cambodia, taking a pet to the US, taking a pet to the USA, Thai Airways pet policy

Phở shops in Khan Chamkarmon district

2 May 2015 by Nathalie Abejero Leave a Comment

Phở is the most famous of Vietnam’s culinary repertoire. A lot of what goes in it depends on whether the cook is Hanoian or Saigonese, with the latter dominating in this area of Phnom Penh.

Its base is a murky broth of beef and chicken bones, boilded with some dried squid, garlic, shallots and other things. Thin slivers of raw beef are added to the bowl of noodle while the broth is still piping hot, and the phở is accompanied by a plate of vegetables and herbs: bean sprouts, onions, cuts of lime, rice paddy herb (ma-om), sweet basil (chee korhom), and saw leaf herb (chee bonla). It’s served with hoisin, soy, chili sauces, which can be mixed into the broth or into a small condiment dish for dipping the meat into. Everyone has their special recipe, and their unique chili sauce.

The area of St 95 between St 360 and Mao Tse Tung and its side streets is largely Vietnamese. There are a number of phở shops here in the Khan Chamkarmon area that come close to the steaming bowl you’d get in Ho Chi Minh. Here are three options below for good phở:

This corner shop (St 95 and St 376) whose name I can’t gather from their banner(…?) serves up a decent bowl of phở, along with other foods such as koko mee dom (beef stew with noodle) and chicken rice. They also have coffee and other milk syrup mixes (but the coffee at the St 360 shop is better!). The family is very friendly, and not only are they great with the kids the space is open and clean; their huge planters are filled with tetra fish and their little girl keeps my kids occupied.20150502_100449 Pho corner shop

Phở Tương Lai at House #49 St 95 (about two blocks south of St 360). Unfortunately they only serve phở (though it’s very good!). Coffee can be ordered from the shop next door, but it is a powdered type. There are three staff who go about their business unsmiling, appearing cranky in demeanor, but if you’re there when the crowd thins out they sit and talk and break out the occasional smile. It’s a cramped shop so it can be a tight squeeze for tall people during the busy mealtimes.

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Phở Long Ky at House #168 St 360 (north side of the street, just west of Monivong). This shop serves excellent phở and a decent iced coffee. The pot is manned by a Vietnamese man, and both he and the woman who serves the coffee are friendly and easygoing. They’re great with the kids too. There are just two fans but somehow whenever we go, we’ve luckily managed to get one of these tables!

 

 

Filed Under: Life Tagged With: Khan Cham Karmon, Khan Chamkar Mon, Khan Chamkarmon, Phnom Penh, pho, Phở Long Ky, Phở soup, Pho Tuong Lai, restaurant, vietnamese

Quick eats in Phnom Penh: Bánh hỏi for lunch

3 April 2015 by Nathalie Abejero Leave a Comment

This shop on busy Sihanouk Blvd has been serving fantastic bánh hỏi for years! They serve a set menu that includes sandwiches and meat skewers. It’s a picture menu, and easy to point to one of the two big platters of meats and vegetables. Before the food arrives, a small pan of water and slices of lemon is brought to the table for washing hands.

Bánh hỏi refers to the rice vermicelli noodle woven into a fine mesh, which looks like gauze. It’s paired with foods of different textures and richness – starchy green bananas, sweet pineapples, crunchy cucumbers, meats and fats – all to be wrapped into a fresh spring roll. These fillings are laid out on several platters.

One of these platters contains skewered pork meat sliced very thin and wrapped around a piece of fat. It’s accompanied by the pickled vegetables that’s served with many barbecued Khmer dishes (slivers of unripe mango or papaya, cucumber, carrot in vinegar, salt, sugar and chili).

Rice paper wrap is served dry and stacked on the plate; before rolling, a wrap is dipped in warm water to soften and make it pliable. It’s a bit tricky because once wet the wrap is fragile so it tears easily. But with a little practice it can be stretched expertly to roll an unwieldy amount of filling together. The dipping sauce, nuoc cham, is a delicate balance of spice, sweet, sour, and salty, and topped with roasted ground peanuts and chili.

Below is the process photographed step-by-step:

Wash your handsBánh hỏi20150324_114646 ban hoi smBánh hỏiBánh hỏiBánh hỏiBánh hỏiBánh hỏiBánh hỏiBánh hỏiBánh hỏiBánh hỏiBánh hỏi

On Sihanouk Blvd the small “hang bai” is easily lost in the mix of salons, retailers and other eateries on the north side of the street between Monivong and St 63. It’s about 7 shops towards Monivong if starting on St 63 –  look for the yellow awning with the address #83AEo St 274. Today they were sporting the famous (brightly colored) pajama apparel!

20150402_120254Bánh hỏiBánh hỏiBánh hỏiBánh hỏi

Filed Under: Life Tagged With: Bánh hỏi, cuisine, food, Khmer, nuam choc, Phnom Penh, Sihanouk Blvd, vietnamese

Escaping a Mekong cityscape for a slice of rural life

10 March 2015 by Nathalie Abejero 21 Comments

Welcome to the March 2015 Carnival of Natural Parenting: Day in the Life

This post was written for inclusion in the monthly Carnival of Natural Parenting hosted by Hobo Mama and Code Name: Mama. This month our participants have given us a special glimpse into their everyday.

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Escaping the heady concrete jungle of Phnom Penh every once in a while is a necessity for sanity’s sake. Most people take off for the coast on a day or weekend trip, or relax for a few hours in any one of the resorts that now dot the outer sprawl of the city. Last weekend, we visited a friend across the river.

Our oldest has settled into a reasonable sleep cycle (yey!), but our younger one still wakes up at the crack of dawn (groan). Naturally that means we’re all up. Time to open up the house to get air flow and, it being a tropical climate, on weekends the kids will sometimes take their shower outside and that ends up in all-out water play.

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Most expatriates have motorbikes or cars, but we like to use tuk tuks within city limits. Ten years ago vehicles were rare and most streets in the capital were unpaved. But now the congestion makes tuk tuks rides less pleasant due to emissions (unregulated), road rage (most people never properly learned how to drive and there are essentially no road rules), and the right of way afforded by type of vehicle (the post-conflict influx of large amounts of aid ensured that progress leans to the well-connected. Today Cambodia boasts a very high number of luxury vehicles per capita, particularly Lexus, and they drive like they own the roads).

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The city built many outdoor play and recreation spaces, which the kids enjoy in the mornings before the heat sets in. Large recreational spaces are popular, and replicated in the provincial capitals which are all situated by rivers. Competitions are held every year for the most attractive riverside, with the winning municipality getting more funds for beautification.

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Coconuts are almost a daily dietary requirement in this tropical heat. It’s nutrient-dense, great for hydration and cheap. These guys pushing loads of coconuts around the city and charge anywhere from 1500-2500Riel (US$0.37-0.62) each.

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The end of the rains when temperatures drop is peak wedding season, disrupting life and traffic everywhere. Like elsewhere, they’re elaborate. Reception halls are a fairly recent concept, and because urban homes tend to be Chinese shop house style (long but narrow), these one- to three-day affairs are usually held in a makeshift “wedding hall” that spill out onto the streets just outside the bride’s home. It’s often a drag if these affairs pop up near the house – because of the noise (chanting starts at 5am!) and backed-up traffic.

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I think the National Museum is the most beautiful building in the city, with architecture that is uniquely Khmer (and from which evolved the Thai style). Unfortunately as with any city, these elements from architectural tradition are lost in the race to modernize. A friend lives in a flat overlooking the museum, and for this view alone it’s always a treat to visit him.

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The next most beautiful structures in the country are those in the Royal Palace. In this picture is the Moonlight Pavilion (ព្រះទីន័ងច័ន្ទឆាយា or Preah Thineang Chan Chhaya). It faces the confluence of the Tonle Sap and Mekong River, and it serves as a stage for classical dance, or as a viewing platform when there are events outside the palace grounds or on the river. (Further down this post is a photo of that pavilion lit up at night.)

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Today we were invited to a friend’s house across the river (that’s Phnom Penh in the background). The river crossing takes us past lots of boats, some of which are the homes of the families who trawl for fish. These communities have been displaced repeatedly, as each tract of land they dock to gets developed.

20150222_110138 smWorking into the eveningColorful Cham boat

Our friend found a house for sale in another province; she bought it, then had it taken apart and rebuilt on her property using the same materials and design of the original home. Inside, her husband’s artwork is on display across the walls. The house is traditional in all aspects except the bar and furniture.

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My husband likes to walk around the neighborhoods taking photos, and this is the general reaction to him, below. What is this barang (foreigner) looking at?? Of course, what’s considered typical for them is new and interesting to us – just like the laptop is an everyday fixture for us while the village grandma is transfixed. The 3rd photo below is the traditional way of making textiles, using a loom. Depending on the quality and complexity of design, it can take up to a month for one person (almost always a woman) to make a piece of fabric ~2m x 1m. These will sell in the local markets for around US$25-60.

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Cambodia fortunately doesn’t suffer the natural disasters its neighbors face seasonally. There are no earthquakes, tornadoes, nearby volcanoes, tsunamis etc. But during the rains this largely flat country is prone to flooding. So houses are raised on stilts. The space below has multiple uses: farm animals can be fed here, then the area can be used for cooking, sharing meals or napping in the hammocks, and at night the farm animals come back for shelter.

Kratie - Cambodia house

The kids get sugar cane juice before boarding the vessel to head back across the river to Phnom Penh. From this side of the river is a close-up view of the floating villages, and the slow launch of our boat lets the curious watch a slice of life in this often-displaced community.

20150222_110929 sm20150222_110013 smFloating village on the Mekong

Back in Phnom Penh we’re dropped off on the riverside where we take the kids for a walk. Every evening vendors of all manner line the streets (selling fried insects, fruits, balloons, popcorn, kites, etc). Sundowners by the river with a coconut or a nice cocktail, taking in the bustling scenery, are popular. Exercise groups converge here when the sun goes down. Joining an aerobics “class”, moving to modern dance hits, costs ~2000Riel (US$0.50).

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Finally, it’s time for a drink. Cambodia is a popular destination for travelers hitting Southeast Asia, and this week it’s an old friend from college joining us for a drink while the kids run amok. Luckily in this part of the world, it’s the norm to lend helpful hands and watchful eyes on all little ones, regardless whose kids they are. Asia is a fantastic region for families for this cultural fondness for children. It’s hard to imagine things any other way, until we spend time in the US on holiday where the environment for parents with children in tow seems comparatively hostile!

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On the way home, we pass again the more common scenes at night.. the Royal Palace, the National Museum, old colonial mansions. Just outside these compounds, cyclo drivers tuck in for the night.

Royal Palace at nightRoyal Palace at nightNational Museum at night in Phnom PenhColonial Building at night in Phnom PenhCyclos rounded up for the night at National Museum in Phnom Penh

Home! Of course, even if we’ve already eaten, and even if they’re clearly spent after a long day, the kids never fail to plead hunger so they can stay up just a little bit longer..

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Carnival of Natural Parenting -- Hobo Mama and Code Name: MamaVisit Hobo Mama and Code Name: Mama to find out how you can participate in the next Carnival of Natural Parenting!

Please take time to read the submissions by the other carnival participants:

  • A Day as Mama and Data Manager — Becca at The Earthling’s Handbook explains what she actually does as data manager of a social science research study, as well as Mama to a baby and a fourth-grader.
  • Pictures of a Day — A photo montage of a typical day in the life of Life Breath Present! You can see how she wakes up and spends her time in quiet, to Baby Boy sleeping at dinner, making natural products, and so much more!
  • Escaping a Mekong cityscape for a slice of rural life — It’s often necessary for Nathalie of Kampuchea Crossings to escape the heady concrete jungle that Phnom Penh is rapidly becoming, for the calmer environment of rural life.
  • Community-schooling — Dionna at Code Name: Mama and her family don’t *home*school, they *community* school!
  • A day in the Life in La Yacata — Read how Survivor and her family at Surviving Mexico Adventures and Disasters spend their Sundays off-grid in rural central Mexico.
  • Day in the Life of the Cole Family — Stoneageparent details the everyday life of her family through twelve photos taken over twelve hours
  • The Days Are Just Packed — Holly at Leaves of Lavender talks about the beauty and simplicity of daily life with a toddler.
  • A Day In The Life of a Heavily Pregnant Naturally Parenting Mama — At 37 weeks pregnant, Sam Vickery of Love Parenting shares her current reality as she naturally parents her four-year-old and awaits her sweet baby.
  • My Life in Pictures on a Random Day — Donna at Eco-Mothering captures a random winter day in Rhode Island through a series of snapshots. What seemed boring at first made her smile in the end.
  • How One Book Inspired Our Whole Day: A Day in the Life — How to plan the whole day with a toddler after reading one book together from Rachael at B is for Bookworm.
  • A day in the life of an unschooling, work-at-home family — Lauren at Hobo Mama shares a picture journey through a typical day with three little homeschooling boys.
  • Day in the Life of a Toddler — From mess making to cleaning up to trying new things, All Natural Katie shows the life of a toddler.
  • Things I have done today (and every other day for the past seven years) — Marija Smits shares what a ‘normal’ day looks like in her crazy world of kids, writing, creativity and household chores!
  • Just Another Wednesday — Lactating Girl at The Adventures of Lactating Girl shares a glimpse into a typical Wednesday in her family’s life.
  • Day in the Life — Dr Sarah at Good Enough Mum gives us glimpses of her life as a British GP and mum.
  • Our days, these days — Dietary restrictions and health issues take a lot of time for Jessica Claire at Crunchy-Chewy Mama, but she still follows her passions and tries to show up for her kids.
  • A (Typical) Day in Our Life — ANonyMous at Radical Ramblings describes a typical day with two kids, eight cats and two dogs.

Filed Under: Life Tagged With: cyclo, mekong, Mekong River, National Museum, Phnom Penh, Royal Palace

Sunset on the Mekong

21 January 2015 by Nathalie Abejero 1 Comment

Lazy days are ahead.. Floating down the river in a converted old rice boat at sunset is one of the best things about these Mekong capitals.

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Huddling together for the night Colorful Cham boat Working into the evening Floating village on the Mekong

Filed Under: Life, Travels Tagged With: mekong, Mekong capital cities, Mekong River, Phnom Penh

Things to do with kids in Phnom Penh

9 December 2014 by Nathalie Abejero 2 Comments

On this last stretch of our time here in Cambodia, we’ve met a lot of new families with questions on what to do with their kids in the city. “Good luck” pops initially to mind. Activity generally means access to some space and fresh air for a bit of exercise. But to be fair, there are plenty of day trip options:

  • Cambodia Country Club – They have a pool, play tennis and other sports, ride horses etc.
  • Soun Soben Resort, where they have stocked fish ponds, a pool for the kids, caged animals and lots of running space
  • Phnom Tahmao Wildlife Rescue Center – This place is fantastic and I can’t recommend a day trip here enough. In the time I’ve been here the guys there have done incredible work rehabilitating trafficked or injured animals and working with some endangered species eg siamese crocodile. You need a car to get from one exhibit to the next. And make sure to stick around the food stalls, to catch one or more elephants taken out for a walk.
  • Or check out any one of the many resorts located on the national roads straight out of the city.

Closer by for outdoor fun is Koh Pich (Diamond Island). At night there’s a popular amusement park for small children, and the wedding halls are overflowing. Families take kids biking there on Sunday mornings when it’s relatively quiet, to ride laps around the island.

Phnom Penh has a fantastic length of grassy, open boulevards stretching from the Independence Monument to the river then up towards Wat Phnom. Unfortunately this route was completed in tandem to rising congestion. Nevertheless, there are endless activities for kids:

  • Chasing pigeons before they roost
  • Flying kites (the season seems to peak in November)
  • Watching a hackeysack circle, or a game of badminton or takraw (futbol/soccer with a rattan ball)
  • Dancing to modern hits with the myriad aerobics classes, complete with speakers cranked to volume capacity (~2000Riel/US$0.50 per adult)

Exercise in the park

  • Having a picnic – Food hawkers are plenty, especially towards evening when families come in droves to chow on steamed corn, noodles, fertilized duck egg, fried insects, and many more Khmer delicacies on offer
  • Beautiful outdoor playgrounds have been built throughout the city with great equipment (though unfortunately with poor upkeep). The two main ones near the city center are on the corner of Sothearos and St 240, and on the south side of Wat Phnom.

Kid flying a kite near the Cambodian Royal Palace  _MG_9763sm

Private lessons for different musical instruments seem to be plenty, on top of the formal classes at Simphony and the Music Arts School. Lots of instructors can also be found for private lessons in ballet, dance, sports and of course, tutoring. I just learned how to make soap with a great bunch of ladies, from a Korean soapmaker who sells at the Russian Market.

There is also VIP, Phnom Penh Sports Club and the major hotels (eg Cambodiana, Himawari, Intercontinental, Phnom Penh Hotel, Raffles etc) that have the grounds, that provide lessons for sports, especially for tennis. The biggest schools open some of their school activities to the public, and certainly have summer programs and camps that are open to all – Canadian International School, Northbridge International School, International School of Phnom Penh.

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Embassies often work with local NGOs that organize events and holidays to promote cultural exchange. The most active ones are below but there are many more. If a holiday is coming up, check that embassy or consulate’s site to find out if events are scheduled. For example, for Purim there is an event at the Chabad Jewish Center. The Indonesian community works with the restaurants and their embassy to host a big party for Eid-al-Fitr (end of Ramadan).

  • Japanese-Cambodian Friendship Center – They have regular concerts and events. Check their Facebook page and website for these. Currently running is the Kizuna Festival 2015, where they introduce Japanese culture. There is a cuisine show; classes for origami, ikibana and calligraphy; introductory Japanese (language lesson); movies and documentaries.
  • French Cultural Center – They have a big children’s section in the library. There are events every week for everyone in the family (readings, movies, etc), so make sure you get on their email list. The courtyard is a great place for the kids to run around in, especially during happy hour :-) The restaurant food and bar cocktails seem decent.
  • Art exhibits, movie and documentary screenings, workshops and festivals can also be found at the Meta House, or the German-Cambodian Cultural Center.

Guesthouses springing up all over the city all seem to have swimming pools. Most of these establishments will allow non-guests to use the pool for the cost of a meal or drink purchase. But ask first. Sometimes there is a $5 charge for pool use, even with purchase. The ones we like to bring our 4- and 2-year-olds to are:

  • Splash Inn (#5 St 244, South of the Royal Palace between Sothearos and St 19) – non-guests can access the pool with $10 purchase
  • Eureka Villas (#24 St 184, behind the Royal Palace) – non-guests can access the pool with purchase
  • Lyla Center (36, St. 508, corner of St. 103. Go south on Monivong, past Mao Tse Tung and The Rock, and it’s a right turn a couple of streets down) – it’s got a huge jungle gym with slides and mushroom with “rain”, in the middle of a large shallow pool. Fantastic place space. Avoid during the busy times of evenings and weekends starting at lunch time.

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Movies

Flicks Movie House (#39b St 95, which is the next street west of Monivong) – They have a kids’ feature every Sunday at 10am.

The Empire Movie House (No.34, St. 130 ‘Khemarak Phnom’, near corner St. 5, 1 block from Riverside Blvd – They have a kids’ club every Saturday at 4pm ($1.50 for kids under 12).

For the international releases there are now a plethora of choices: Platinum Cineplex at Sorya Mall, Major Cineplex at Aeon Mall, Legend Cinema at City Mall.

Indoor Playgrounds

Kids City (162A Sihanouk Blvd, near Monivong) – Go-cart, ice skating, climbing wall, jungle gym for toddlers and older kids

Monkey Business (House 16, Street 370 in Boeng Keng Kang 1) – Jungle gym and shallow swimming pool – free up to 6 months, $2 up to 2, $4 for over 2.

Aeon Mall –

Blu-O Bowling Alley (3rd floor) – $5 per person to play in the regular lanes or $100/hr to rent the VIP room with two lanes and a karaoke space

Ice Park (4th floor) – Ice Skating Rink $10/person and they even have cute penguin walkers for beginners!

Kids Park (1st floor) – Mon-Fri $6/kid Weekends $8/kid

Playground (3rd floor inside the Department Store by the kids’ department) – $3/kid during weekdays; $4 on weekends. This place has fantastic pretend play areas, a huge inflated rolling cylinder, and a big ball pit.

Dream Games (3rd floor) – pin ball machines, video games, rides for kids, etc. Our experience compared to similar ones back home is that these machines don’t let you get far enough to be satisfied, that you’d keep putting coins in.

20150307_102231 sm  20150307_101202 sm

Restaurants with green spaces are popular and growing. The Shop Too in Toul Kork is fantastic for the grassy area and healthy menu. Farm to Table just opened for the conscious consumer, where the tractor and rustic yard literally keeps kids entertained for hours. Riverside drinks and meals of Himawari and Cambodiana are great places for small kids to bring their bikes and a ball or two.

There are lots of great activities for kids, with many not well advertised. For example, there are playgroups by language (I see occasional postings for Mandarin playgroups for kids to learn the language), a breastfeeding support group that meets at Sambo’s Tots (it has a play area for older siblings), Halloween parties at Gecko and Garden and Giving Tree, and last weekend there was a jazz brunch with storytelling for kids at Cabaret Restaurant (reminds me of being in New Orleans!).

Make sure you join the Cambodia Parent Network on Yahoo!groups to get updates on these or other events and services. If you don’t find what you’re looking for, post a question and you’ll likely find someone who can help.

Filed Under: Life Tagged With: Cambodia, kids, Phnom Penh, phnom penh for kids, things to do with kids in phnom penh, what to do with kids in phnom penh

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Those little feet pitter-pattering about rule our lives lately. But on the occasional free moment I get to tap out scatterbrained bursts of consciousness about raising toddlers in Cambodia, traveling with them and working abroad. These posts are my personal updates to friends and family. But since you’re here, have a look around. Thanks for stopping by…

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