Tourist Tips
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Foreign Correspondents Club
Comments by: Cathy&Gary
The FCC is in
a three storey colonial style building and opened in the
early nineties.
The club became famous for its bar and for the
restaurant that looks out from its balcony on the second
floor to one of the best views of the Tonle Sap.
It has always
been popular as a meeting point for journalists,
businessmen, politicians and academics from all over the
world.
Over the years, the Club has grown by buying up
neighboring shop houses and breaking through the walls
to create seven large hotel style rooms in colonial
style with beautiful modern bathrooms.
The FCC is minutes walk to the Royal Palace and a five
min drive to Wat Phnom.
The menu is
Asian & Western and their pizzas and sandwiches are
great if you are after a change from the local food.
The Foreign Correspondents Club also has photo shows and
exhibitions, plus there is a Bookshop and a delicatessen
on the ground floor.
FCC is a bit more expensive than most places but it is
worth it just to sit there with an cold drink and watch
the world go by.
363 Sisowath Quay
Phnom Penh, Cambodia
Restaurant/Bar : 855 23 724 014
Reservations : 855 23 210 142
Fax : 855 23 427 758
Russian Market
Comments by: Cathy&Gary
I really like the Russian
Markets, though they can be very hot and stifling.
You can buy everything you can think of here and the
best part is clothing is in western sizes. They also now
have a huge selection of winter clothing, jackets, jeans
etc.
This is the place to buy all your pirated software,
movies and cds etc. They were all $2 a disc.
Wander in further and you will find all the material
stalls, it’s a great selection and most of it is around
$2 - $3 a metre. Go a bit further and you will find the
tailors. I bought 6 metres of fabric for $8, and then
paid $16 to have 2 dresses made. (Copied from a dress I
took with me). Picked them up 3 days later and they were
perfect!
My very favorite shop here is a jewellery shop called
Mrs Muny's (she has a little stall opposite the small
enclosed air-conditioned jewellery shop).
There’s no bargaining here, her prices are good to start
with and she comes highly recommended from people who
live in Phnom Penh.
I ended up having my ring made here and it’s beautiful,
a thick gold band with 7 small diamonds set in it.
I paid US$250 for the ring (I have since had it valued
at $1000 Australian.
I also bought a lovely blue topaz pendant for US$120
which has been valued at $300 Australian.
So I’m very happy with those purchases.
There’s also a great place to have an icy cold drink
here, they make the best ice coffees and freshly
squeezed orange juice in Phnom Penh.
The shop use to be inside at the back of the markets but
has now moved to outside next to the small car park.
The Russian Markets now have armed security guards to
keep the beggars etc away!
What to buy: DVD etc $2
Men’s Khmer Shirts $6
Ladies Khmer Shirts $3
T-Shirts (Diesel, Billabong etc) I bought 3 for $5
Scarves/Kramas $1
Wrap around skirt/pants $5
Jeans $5
Wooden Buddha (Large) $13
Large silk bedspreads/tablecloths $6
Angkor Watt Car Shades $3
Material $2 - $3 metre
Singlet’s $2.50
Favorite thing: I liked sitting here in the evenings
every day. I went out by myself or not, sat down and
watched river of people in all moods and shapes moving
here, selling something or talking. This is like center
of activites here in Phnom Penh. On the large lawn
families and friends would lay mats and have picnic and
drink when I first visited Phnom Penh - very lively
then, but the things were different next couple of years
on my returns (no more mats and families on the grasses,
well, prehaps they prohibited them so that grass stays
nice).