Category Archives: Shopping in Phnom Penh

bargain places, shops, markets. shopoholic’s must visits in Phnom Penh and the rest of Cambodia

Cambodia Snapshots: Neighborhood Stores

This just reminds me so much of growing up in the province in the Philippines. We have small sari-sari (mixed bag) stores like this in our village. And it just makes my day to visit them and buy some bubble gum and chips.

And I was so pleased to see that they have it here too! I mean, they are just the best when you suddenly crave for salty fish crackers, and you don’t want to be bothered to fix yourself to go visit a grocery store or a market. You just pop out of the house, walk to the nearest louk komlaing, and buy your junk food fix.

Lol. In fact, whenever I’m guilty of missing my yoga ball exercises, I walk around the neighborhood instead (my fave form of exercise, ha!) and pop in one of these small shops. My fave buys would be the spicy biscuits, fish crackers and taro/jack fruit chips.

Phnom Penh’s Psah Thom Thmei: Gorgeous Art Deco Building

Living in Phnom Penh: Randomness #2 – Life and Shopping

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Here goes my random post again. This is beginning to be my favorite part of this blog. Lol. It may not be that ‘SEO friendly’ nor do I think posts like this would get a lot of hits and earn my blog a gazillion but then it makes me happy to write down my most random thoughts. There is just something so liberating about being able to write down even my most convulted thoughts. It allows me some time to be introspective and also marvel at the circuitous way my brain actually works. Hahaha.

So what have I been up to and thinking of these past week?

My first thought yesterday? Oh no. I totally forgot to post my [intlink id="7006" type="category"]Cambodia Snapshots[/intlink] entries for last week. My excuse: I was swamped with things to do. Hi-ace was going to a week-long meeting in Korea and with a load of things he has to do already, he was left with little time to prepare his stuff. So it was no brainer that I’d put on my ‘secretary’ hat and prepare presentations and such.

Phnom Penh’s see-sawing weather is driving me nuts. Why? I dunno when is the best time to do laundry. Lol. The past week whenever it looks like were going to have some sun, I always make a mad dash to load the washing machine. I know I could make use of the dryer but I still prefer to just squeeze dry our clothes and leave it to fully dry under the sun.

The level of water on Mekong River is scaring me. I know this is the first time I have seen it that high. I don’t want to see more flooding.

I’m sooo looking forward to our trip to Manila on the 27th. I miss my mom and the family will be together for All Saint’s Day. We’ll all be visiting Papa’s grave. This will be the first time I go home and won’t be seeing him and I can’t help but tear up. I miss him dreadfully, I don’t think I’ll ever get over the fact that I won’t be seeing him anymore. Ever.

On a lighter note, I decided to add little somethings to my wardrobe. You know I swore when I was younger that even if I get fat or thin when I age, I don’t want to look losyang. I always believe one should make an effort to look good whatever age, size, color etc you are. Some do it for others (ie to please their husbands, bf’s etc) but me, I do it for myself. I feel good about myself when I’m dressed presentably.

You might ask why I don’t dress up primarily for hubby. Well, he already thinks I’m a goddess so I need not worry. LOL. Kidding! I hope he doesn’t read this. Hahaha.

I do like shopping, but most of the time I prefer thrift shopping. Or bargain shopping. That’s why I just loooove[intlink id="1294" type="post"] Tuol Tompong Market[/intlink] (Russian Market) here in Phnom Penh. There are lots of branded factory overun clothing in there at just a fraction of its retail price. So this is where I get my everyday and casual clothing. I simply can’t justify spending more than $20 on a clothes that I would just use inside the house or for a casual stroll outside and that’s the main reason I shop at Russian Market for clothes. They are cheap and chic. I blog more about my shopping and thrift finds at GirlOnaThriftHunt

Russian Market Phnom Penh Shopping

All items from various stalls in Russian Market-Phnom Penh.

Leggings – $2 each; Nice fabric, I wasn’t too keen though on the way the ends flare a bit. I like my leggings tapered. But this is definitely very serviceable. And at that price? Huh, great steal.
One-piece dresses – $3 each; I love this. Can be worn alone or with leggings. The fabric is soft and made of cotton. The sewing though is not perfect but at that price, I’m not complaining.
Tank Tops – 3 for $5. Very comfy. I got three in neutral colors. Easy to pair with other clothes. Great fabric.
Cardigans – $3 each. <3 <3 <3. Lightweight and stylish cardigan. Perfect for chilly days without adding a lot of bulk. I’m going crazy about cardigans these days. Lol.

All in all, I spent $21!!! You know, shopping is really great here in Phnom Penh. We don’t have gargantuan malls but you can discover some really good buys if you just take the time to look.I also find bargaining a lot of fun.

Nail Art Mania in Phnom Penh

Save Big @ Used Office Furnitures

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Here’s another second hand store here in Phnom Penh we chanced upon two weeks ago. We were going to the airport when we saw this. We usually pass by Schola Rd coz well, its less traffic and comes out almost near the airport already. So on the way back we checked out the store. It’s called Used Office Furniture, and they sell… tada! used office furnitures!

I was really pleased to see their items are really of very good condition. And they also take good care of them, most of them are wrapped in plastic or bubble wrap. They have office chairs, stools, ‘bar’ stools, office filing cabinets, and a lot of office desks. Most of the items are priced at below 50% of the brand new prices.

A few weeks ago, I canvassed for an office chair {the one that an turn about, adjustable etc} and I was quoted the price of $70. I saw a similar one in Used Office Furniture and its in top condition almost never used, and they are selling it for $35. I’m sure this price is still negotiable.

Used Office Furniture – Phnom Penh, Cambodia

Schola Road {or St. 2004)

012 – 950-472 | 099- 693 -760

Finding Cheap Furnishings in Phnom Penh

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A lot of expats here in Phnom Penh usually stay for a few years, so its a practical choice too to buy not too expensive furnishings for their temporary Phnom Penh homes. There are actually a lot of options for you to find cheap, pretty and quality furnishings here. I’m guessing these are some things that a lot of people who are going to be living in Phnom Penh are looking for.

One, you can scour ads for garage, yard and expat sales. A lot of expats leaving for another post abroad hold yard sales to dispose of their furnishings. Bringing these stuff with them can be quite costly so majority of them just hold sales. So there’s your chance to grab some quality furnishings at really bargain prices. I myself, like watching out for these garage sales and have scored lovely home decor items like my decorative mirror and some small home appliances. Where to check out ads: Bongthom.com, classified ads on dailies, also a Yahoo group called Cambodia Parents Network posts garage sale schedules.

Two, second hand shops! Yes, there are some of that here. Some imported from Japan while there are also some who source locally. Just last week when I was looking for some floor mirror and an office chair {you know the one that can whirl around, is quite comfy, but often pricey when its new} and we came across a shop along Schola Road called ‘Used Office Furnitures’ and with lots of office furnishings which are of still tip top shape and at really low prices. I’ll be posting about this as soon as I sorted out the photos. 88 Japanese Furniture along Norodom Blvd and the warehouse along National Rd. 1 is also a place to check out.

Three, buy it new. If you are into those quaint wicker furnishings then check out Sothearos Blvd. Rattan furnishings in various shapes and forms can be found along the street near its intersection with Norodom Blvd. These items make stylish and perfect of the hot Phnom Penh weather furnishings. They are lightweight but durable and you can find a lot of items in these shops. From bookshelves, to lounge chairs, bar counters, dining sets, sofas etc. all at very affordable prices.

Four, have them custom made. You can have some nice but not too pricey furnishings customized. Just visit one of those small shops along Sothearos Blvd. Last time we actually bought a custom made vanity mirror with nice vintage like wood finish for only $20. Along the same street selling rattan furnishings are small furniture shops like these..

Hope this post has been of some help. If you have more tips, places to shop, please leave a comment.

Lui in Penh

living in Phnom Penh & getting to know Cambodia