Shelf life: Where to buy books in Phnom Penh

Posted on July 8, 2026 by Susan Haythorpe

Gone are the days of the lively trade in $1 photocopied paperbacks on Phnom Penh riverside. Since Covid-19 cleared the bootleggers off the streets, book sales in the capital have been largely legitimate, if somewhat more expensive. Now the arrival at Aeon Mall of Japanese bookstore Tsutaya has further transformed the capital’s reading experience.

Tsutaya: a book-lover’s dream.

The popular chain boasts over 800 branches across Japan and is currently expanding its successful concept of ‘Lifestyle and Culture’ into other parts of Asia. Its Phnom Penh store is big, bright and welcoming. If you’re a book lover — by which I mean those of us enamored of actual, physical hard and soft cover reading material — you’ll swoon at the row upon row of laden bookshelves on a scale previously unseen in Phnom Penh. Tsutaya claims to stock some 70,000 books in English, Khmer and Japanese, all begging to be browsed. The usual fiction and non-fiction genres are there in abundance, including a wealth of children’s titles, an impressive Manga selection, and shelves of Khmer language novels. All the stock is shrink-wrapped, but I hear that staff will open the packaging on request. Continue reading →

Motodop, TTP’s latest addition to Phnom Penh’s music scene

Posted on May 13, 2026 by Susan Haythorpe

As if Tuol Tum Poung needed any more great venues to eat, drink and carouse, the lively Phnom Penh neighborhood has upped its nightlife game still further with the launch of bar/restaurant/music venue Motodop.

Motodop on Street 460 is a brand-new bar,  restaurant, and music venue.

This cool new Street 460 hangout finally celebrated its official opening in early May, after the softest of launches over a few months. All the better to get things spot on, and the team behind Motodop have certainly done that.

Continue reading →

How to get from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap (and vice versa) in 2026

Posted on March 23, 2026 by Lina Goldberg

If you’re heading to Cambodia in 2026, you may be wondering how to to get from Phnom Penh and Siem Reap (and Siem Reap to Phnom Penh).

Giant Ibis bus Phnom Penh to Siem Reap

Check out the view on a Giant Ibis bus between Phnom Penh and Siem Reap.

There are options to fit every budget, but some are nicer and more comfortable than others. I’ve tried all of these ways to travel between Phnom Penh and Siem Reap, some of them many times (unlike most of the other sites who just copy my content, yawn). The journey by road usually takes between 5 and 7 hours, depending on your mode of transport, traffic, and the ever-changing condition of the road.

Table of contents

Summary

  • Taxi: Costs $80-110. Most comfortable option. Best balance of price and convenience. About 5 hours. → Book now.
  • Bus: Costs $10-18. Smoothest ride and best views. About 6 hours.
  • Mini-bus/van: Costs $10-13. Faster than the bus, but more cramped. About 5.5 hours. → Book now.
  • Plane: Costs $100-200. Fastest method, but domestic flights are unreliable. About 1 hour.
  • Ferry: Costs $49. Best scenery, if you sit outside. About 7-8 hours, sometimes more. Runs only when water levels are high.

Continue reading →

Big, bold and beautiful: Phnom Penh’s high flying new airport

Posted on February 10, 2026 by Susan Haythorpe

I always find it a pleasure to land back on Cambodian soil after a trip away, but Phnom Penh’s stunning new airport has lent an added frisson of pride to the experience. Since its launch in September 2025, on a 2,600 hectare site some 25km outside the city centre, the new, world-class Techo International Airport (KTI) has been receiving global acclaim for its spectacular architectural design courtesy of award-winning British architects Foster + Partners.

Phnom Penh’s stunning new airport (KTI)

And it really is a spectacle: a series of sculptural, interlocking domes with a lattice-effect resembling traditional Khmer basketwork, framing a vast, open plan terminal with towering native trees and a 30ft gilded Buddha statue. With its emphasis on natural light and airflow, the structure borrows from traditional Cambodian building design with a respectful nod to the iconic New Khmer Architecture of the country’s Golden Age. The vaulted ceilings — rising to heights of up to 42 meters — with myriad tiny skylights very effectively reduce the need for artificial lighting and air conditioning. Sustainability was high on Foster + Partners’ agenda and the development’s impressive eco credentials also include the use of solar power, rainwater harvesting, and lush tropical planting to improve the air quality.

Continue reading →

Is Cambodia safe to visit?

Posted on January 7, 2026 by Lina Goldberg

If you’ve got a trip planned to Cambodia, and have heard about the ongoing border conflict with Thailand, you might wonder if it’s safe to visit, or if you should even come at all. In this post, I’ll cover the current advice from various governments as of January 7th, and any changes you might want to make to your itinerary. The short version is, come visit. You’ll be fine.

The Preah Vihear temple is a long-running source of contention.

Cambodia and Thailand have a long-running territorial dispute based on disagreements about maps created during the French protectorate era (and specifically about ownership of Preah Vihear temple, but rooted in a rivalry dating back hundreds of years. Every so often tensions on the border flare up in violence, most recently in 2003, 2008, and 2011. This is all to say that what has been happening over the past few months is not new, or particularly out of the ordinary. Continue reading →

Horseback heaven: Saddle up for an equestrian adventure at Genius Resort

Posted on September 9, 2025 by Susan Haythorpe

Horseback riding, as both a recreational activity and a competitive sport, is coming into its own in Phnom Penh with the welcome arrival of Genius Resort. The specialist equestrian center has brought exciting new opportunities for experienced riders and complete beginners of all ages since it opened off Northbridge Street in the Sen Sok area in early 2024.

This gorgeous girl Princess is one of the 50 horses at Phnom Penh’s Genius Resort.

The growing popularity of all things equestrian was fueled a few years back at the Phnom Penh Country Club’s riding school. When the Club discontinued this facility Genius Resort seized the reins, buying up the horses and equipment to kickstart the venture it has since taken from strength to strength.

Genius Resort now boasts over fifty (and counting) excellent horses and ponies, some home-bred and others imported from around the world, along with an expert team of equally international trainers and grooms who ensure young and adult riders alike have an enjoyable, safe and professional experience. Classes are held in Beginners, Intermediate and Advanced categories and both private and group lessons are available. Beginners’ lessons start from age five, while kids from three upwards can ride and learn to bond with the ponies. As horseback riding is known to build youngsters’ fitness, confidence and self-esteem and to encourage a sense of responsibility, it’s a fun and rewarding hobby for them to get into. Continue reading →

Review: Baitong Hotel and Resort, Phnom Penh

Posted on August 27, 2025 by Lina Goldberg

As loyal readers will know, there’s a certain type of hotel that I am drawn to. Although Baitong Hotel & Resort in Phnom Penh isn’t exactly like what I usually go for, in that it’s quite large, it met all of my expectations and more. Despite its size Baitong offers a nice balance of boutique charm and larger hotel amenities.

Baitong Hotel Resort Phnom Penh

Everywhere you look at Baitong there is tropical greenery — appropriately, as ‘baitong’ means green in Khmer. The hotel’s design includes negative spaces that are packed with plants, which meant that my room, which had a window facing one of these urban gardens, had lovely verdant views. Plants similarly cascade down balconies and climb up columns, and the so-called “forest pool” on the second floor actually does send rainforest vibes. A smaller jacuzzi pool on the floor above only adds to the effect, as water cascades over the side creating a waterfall into the shaded pool below. There’s another, larger and more popular pool on the fourth floor that’s sunny and surrounded by sun loungers. Continue reading →

Coconut Park: From kids to clubbers, there’s something for everyone

Posted on August 8, 2025 by Susan Haythorpe

If you’ve yet to discover the diverse delights of Coconut Park, the school holidays are the time to do it. This refreshingly green and peaceful landscaped park on the banks of the Bassac River on Phnom Penh’s Koh Pich, next door to the DIB Club pool complex, is a welcome escape from the bustling city, with enough going on to keep the family suitably entertained for hours.

Refreshingly green at Coconut Park, Phnom Penh.

Imaginatively developed some four years ago by landowner Canadia Group in conjunction with T3 Architects, and using local materials, the eco-friendly project has matured into a haven of lush lawns, tropical flora, and an undulating rustic walkway among which nestle fun play parks, a state of the art roller dome, a kids craft centre, mountain bike hire, a spacious cafe and restaurant, and even a high-end night club. Continue reading →