Part 1 – On to Tatai Waterfalls, Koh Kong Cambodia

Tatai Waterfalls, Koh Kong Cambodia

Better late than never. That’s my motto. Hahaha! For this post anyway. I keep forgetting to schedule posting this.. Forgive the memory gaps.Anyway, this is all about our trip to Koh Kong, Cambodia last August? Seriously, I even forgot the date already .

We were looking at another boring weekend that time and Hi-ace suggested we go over to Kompong Som (Sihanoukville) so we could roast ourselves a bit (I really mean we could have a good rest at the beach). So that was the plan, till my sister-in-law heard we were going and pretty soon there were about 10 more people wanting to join us. I so appreciate my Cambodian family, they are almost always having itchy feet. You know, they are what my father usually calls ‘layas’ that’s a Bicolano word meaning ‘wanderlust’.

Instead of taking a bus, we all just decided to rent a van. Then we just realized all of us had been to Sihanoukville several times already, and since we had a van at our disposal, why not go someplace else we all haven’t been to. We picked out Koh Kong, mainly because it has beaches too, less touristy, plus we all wanted to see the Mangrove forests. Koh Kong was IT then. Our Mondulkiri travel was a superlative for me, so I was really excited too about this Koh Kong Trip since well a lot of people had been raving about the place.

Koh Kong is at the southern part of Cambodia, and the city is about 8 km from the Thai border. Krong Koh Kong has also been dubbed before as Cambodia’s Wild West. This province is just so vast, with little houses around, sparse population, lots of beaches, rainforests, mountains etc. Simply a great place to explore (I just wish we had more time, but we could always go back )

Traveling with my Khmer relatives was fun and educating as well. Well, educating for me anyway, in terms of their culture and made me realize more how Cambodians are really into picnicing. Anyway, we took off early morning, the van was all packed, lol! we were almost bursting full (not with people!) but with the goodies and foodies my mother-in-law insisted we take. You know, she knows how much we love eating and what if we get stranded or something, in any case, lets just say if we get stranded in the middle of nowhere, we had enough food and water to last 10 of us for 2 days with more to spare.

My nieces and nephews were also lugging in luggages and I did wonder what’s in there coz we were only going for two days. I know, this kinda weirded me out, since I usually travel light, with just the essentials. Another thing I noticed, most of them were dressed to the nines and for a minute I felt left out. I mean, two of them were wearing heels and dresses, others were wearing pants and long sleeved shirts like they were going for a job interview or something, and Hi-ace, Chinks, me and another niece, well were the only ones wearing shorts, shirt, and slip-ons. Ok, so I thought maybe that’s just how they like to travel.. No sweat.

One good thing about going to Koh Kong is that the road condition is excellent. I could still remember how numb my butt was when we went to Mondulkiri so this was a great thing for me. And once you get past the intersection between National Highway 4 (going to Sihanoukville) and National Highway 48 (going to Koh Kong) the views are just stunning! Everything is all green and there are a couple of bridges you have to pass through and the water is all clear and reflecting all green colors of surrounding lush mountains. The road is mostly winding, carved from mountains, with very little houses almost all the way.

A few kilometers before we reached Koh Kong, around 10 am, the driver said were stopping for a swim at Tatai Waterfalls. The van traveled on something like a dirt path away from the main highway for something like half kilometer, then we came upon a small er and really steep path and the driver told us we just had to go on by foot. Okay, I’m a total klutz and I just keep imagining myself simply tripping and rolling over and just finding myself plunging on the waterfalls.

None of that happened though, thankfully Hi-ace had the good sense to order me to remove my slippers so I could go down barefooot. God! Even Chinks got there ahead of me. It was really that steep and I wasn’t even carrying anything. You could guess how amazed I was when I saw my nieces carting their luggages (which they told me has their clothes so they could change after swimming), and they were going down the steep hill like it was nothing.

And was it worth climbing down? Totally! The water levels were not so high so the river was gently flowing. We had to climb down a couple more rock formations, and wow! just wow! something like 4 meters of thundering water and it was awesome! The water was crystal clear, you can actually see little fishes swimming all over.. The kids had a great time swimming and of course, we adults had a picnic! I think any Cambodian outing is incomplete without this… I know my description won’t do justice to Tatai Waterfall, so here are the photos..

[Show as slideshow]

[View with PicLens]

One of our favorite places to stroll about here in Phnom Penh is the Royal University of Phnom Penh. Late afternoon gets a little bit crowded there with young people having picnics, some playing soccer, some playing badminton and some ‘not-so-young’ doing some brisk walking.

The Royal University of Phnom Penh (RUPP) is located along the corner of Confederation de la Russie and St. 598. The area is big with lots of trees, ponds, walking paths. It’s also free to get in as long as its open. Though its not as big but it does reminds me a bit of UP Diliman grounds.

The buildings are also lovely, some built in the 1960′s so the architecture is pretty interesting blend of Khmer and French influences. My daughter loves going to the ponds in the Institute of Foreign Language, lots of fishes there and you can even feed it..

Whenever we go there I can’t resist taking photos of the buildings and I’ve collected some to share. Enjoy!

[Show as slideshow]

[View with PicLens]

12►

Royal University of Phnom Penh (Photos)

◄ Back

Next ►

Picture 1 of 26

French Library.. Obviously my favorite building here.

I love Khmer food but I must admit I’m nowhere near good when it comes to cooking it. I’m always pressed for time and one characteristic of Khmer cuisine is the freshness of ingredients (and I don’t have time to go to the market daily..) and lots of spices that needs to be chopped/grated/minced etc.

So when I crave Khmer food, I either resort to the cooking of my nice mother-in-law who spoils us several times a week with her always delicious Khmer cooking. But I’m not that thick-skinned to eat at my in-laws house everytime though I know they would welcome it. So we usually head out and try out different Khmer restaurants around Phnom Penh.

One of our favorite Khmer Restaurants is Boat Noodles Phnom Penh. This homey restaurant is located in St. 294, near the Philippine Embassy. It’s menu features a lot of Khmer and Thai favorites. It’s hard to miss this place if you’re looking for it. The facade is full of potted plants, statuettes with a lot of cars and motos parked especially during lunch and dinner hours. It’s popular among locals, expats and tourists alike.

Why we love it? The menu is extensive, delicious and affordable. Mains usually goes for $2-3. A family meal for 3 would not go beyond $15. Another reason is the ambiance. It has the look and feel of a traditional Khmer house, wooden decor, Khmer silk, surrounded by lush plants and fishes swimming in small ponds. Their staff too is an asset, speaks English well and you can easily request to tone down the spiciness of some of the dishes. And the last reason we like eating in Boat Noodles Restaurant – their fried ice cream. Chewy crust filled with ice cream deep fried and drizzled with chocolate syrup and topped with cream and cherries. For some reason, Chinkee just loves it.

My favorites – spicy Khmer salad with beef and basil, green papaya salad and Cambodian fresh spring rolls. Hubby loves the tom yum soup best. If you’re visiting Phnom Penh and looking for affordable and authentic Khmer cuisine plus good ambiance, Boat Noodle Restaurant is worth the visit.

[Show as slideshow]

[View with PicLens]

Boat Noodles Phnom Penh

◄ Back

Next ►

Picture 1 of 13

My daughter Chinkee enjoying Boat Noodles.. Obviously she's full so she's staying still enough for a photo.

I was in need of a little retail therapy. I had been in a horrendous mood for the last couple of days, must be PMS or I simply have tons to do and no time to do facials or even have pedicure. Anyway, a few days ago, I decided to treat myself to some shopping. I wanted to go early so the malls were not an option so I went to Psar Tuol Tompoung (Russian Market) to see what I could interest me.

That’s one the things I miss in Manila. The malls and shopping . From where we lived in Cavite, an SM Mall was just a couple of minutes stroll so I usually have my retail fix every so often. Here in Phnom Penh, though there are air-conditioned malls I find them too smallish and some vendors are really in for the kill (I mean they really overprice!) so I prefer going there with a Khmer (more bargaining power..) or I just go over to Tuol Tompoung Market. I guess malling isn’t yet so much a part of Cambodia culture .

I decided to play a little game and see what I could buy with $20. I figured not much. I was wrong. One of the reasons Tuol Tompoung Market is really popular with the tourists – Brand Name Clothing @ a fraction of its original price. No, they are not second hand. All brand new, I don’t have any idea how it got there but I have a few guesses. They are all from garments factories from all over Phnom Penh. Brands like Calvin Klein, Levis, Gap, Colombia, Billabong, Banana Republic, Dockers, Old Navy, H & M to name a few and in-house brands of some US chains like K-Mart.

So, if one really has a thing for brand name clothing at super discounted prices then you wouldn’t mind, the hot and claustrophobic market. It’s actually fun and reminded me so much of Divisoria, Manila on its not so crowded days.

After about an hour shopping around, I spent a total of $16 and here’s what I got!

2 Old Navy Tank Tops, 3 Old Navy Stretch Pants (perfect for working out!) and 2 H & M shirts for Chinks. Not Bad for less than $20 bucks. Now, I’m planning my next shopping outing..

If you’re visiting Phnom Penh, Tuol Tompoung Market (check the map here) is a must visit. Not only can you find Western clothing at bargain prices, but this place is also full-packed with quality souvenirs, Cambodian silk, and if you’re gastronomically adventurous, try out the yummy Cambodian food on the food stalls in the middle of the market.

On the second day of our Mondulkiri trip we spent a lot of time visiting schools and the second school we visited is located in the village called Putang where there are tribes living. You’d easily get seduced with the surroundings, grassy hills, valleys, pine trees, and cool breeze. I envisioned a village that is rural and lacking the trappings of modern life but I was surprised that the houses were modern enough but still constructed in traditional Khmer style – held up on stilts and some are concrete. The photo below is what a typical rural Khmer house looks like. Though the roof is already made of tin. I’ve seen roofing made of clay tiles and I find it really fabulous.

I assumed before that this style was because of the frequent flooding in the lowlands but then traditional houses in the uplands are the same so that must be really the traditional style. I asked a couple of Cambodians why traditional houses are high up and help up on stilts and they said its mostly because farmers and families in rural, agricultural areas usually have oxes or cows for farming and they are sheltered under the house. The extra space down below also give them extra space to do housework with a lot of breeze. That made sense to me.

Minority tribes here are very welcoming and when we went to the village school they even prepared a welcome dance and prayer in their own tribe dialect. The tribes elders all gathered around in a circle with a big jar with bamboo straws for drinking. I was curious about the contents and I was later told it was a traditional wine and since the place was an upland and cold at night so they like drinking wine. It also part of their tribal ritual. After the tribesmen said their prayers and extended their welcome to us, they all took out their simple “gong-like” instruments. It looked simple but they could definitely whip up some good rhythm out of it. Then they danced in simple steps in a circle.

Tribe elder

◄ Back

Next ►

Picture 1 of 10

[Show as slideshow]

[View with PicLens]

I was fascinated by their colorful cloth, the women’s hair accessories and the earrings. Check out the photos, you’d obviously see why.. This visit to the minority village certainly added a different, eye-opening aspect to our trip. For a foreigner like me things like this brings valuable insights about Cambodia culture. I really hope that though these tribes embrace modern conveniences, immigrant as well as foreign influences, they’d still be able to hold on to their beautiful and unique culture.

There is great shopping you can do here in Phnom Penh, be forewarned though that argain shopping here can be done not in the comforts of airconditioned malls like in other countries but in traditional Cambodian markets. The main rule of the shopping game here is: BARGAIN!

Markets in Phnom Penh are usually open from 6:00 am till 5:00 pm. For tourists here, I’d really advice shopping in some shops selling handicrafts and textiles as some of these are raising funds for poor Cambodians.

Here’s a little overview of where to go shopping and what are the best finds in these markets:

Central Market or Psar Thmei

At the time of writing this post, this market is under renovation so vendors are temporarily located on makeshift stalls along the streets surrounding the market. Since these stalls are temporary, it can get unbearably hot because its a little crowded. Anyway, once the market is done being renovated things will get a little easier.

The main Art Deco building is really prominent , dome shaped with four wings. I’m not sure how it’ll look like once the work is finished. These market has plenty of stalls selling gold and silver jewelry, antique coins, clothing and other accessories. You can also find stalls selling Cambodian krama or scarves, household items, clothes for sarong, and also second-hand clothes. The market also has a fresh food section. One side of the market also has stalls selling fresh flowers and potted plants.

The Central Market is really a must visit for avid shoppers as it has a wide range of products you can choose from. Be wary though about being overcharged so bargain until you can get the best price.

Psar Tuol Tom Poung or Russian Market

During the 1980′s Russians living here frequented this market that is why it has earned this nick name. Located on corner of St. 440 and 163, near Mao Tse Toung Blvd. (I’m so lucky I live so near this place ). This market is really crowded and it could get unbearably hot. Best time to go is after lunch, less crowds but its hot..The pathways inside can be so narrow so be forewarned, if you go at busy hours, be prepared to squeeze your way in.

This is the most popular market among tourists as it the best place to buy souvenirs. It has a wide variety of real and fake antiques, wooed carvings, silk, silver jewelry. Another reason why foreigners love this market – brand name clothing made from garment factories here in Phnom Penh can be bought here at less than 15% of its original price. Brands like Gap, Columbia, Levis, Calvin Klein, Dockers, Quicksilver and more are all here. There are also several stalls selling pirated DVD’s, CD’s and computer programs.