Phnom Penh trip report

[aussie_]

I have just returned back to Pattaya from a 5 day visit to Phnom Penh. After arriving at the airport the process was fairly painless to get the tourist visa. Bangkok Air give out the visa forms and make sure you have a 6 x 4 passport size photo and $US30 cash. I will try another airline next time. Bangkok Air are expensive and you are bussed to the plane waiting 10 minutes away at the terminal at Bangkok. The boutique lounge is ok each way but nothing special. I heard Chinese airline JC Air are good for price and service and also fly from my preferred Suvarnabhumi airport to Phnom Penh. They might be worth a try next time i fly to Cambodia.


Just outside the terminal at Phnom Penh it was easy to get a sim card and i used a $US5 cellcard which gives you 3GB for 7 days service. I then avoided the pushy taxi guys outside and took the short walk out of the terminal to the hotel across the road and used the Grab app to order a taxi, about $US7 to my hotel. On the return trip I took one of the new tuk tuks which are also available on Grab app and cost $US5 including a tip plus any Cambodia money that I had left over. The tuk tuk was cooler and faster through the traffic than the air con car I took previously from the airport when I arrived.


I stayed at the Highland Hotel which is very close to the Toolbox Bar but never again. Tour groups use the hotel so it can be noisy and overall a fairly average place to stay. I learned my lesson, better hotels from here on in and no tour group hotels.


I heard from friends in Pattaya that the Toolbox bar was very good so that was my first bar stop in Phnom Penh. Doug the owner of Toolbox has spent plenty of time in Thailand and has implemented his own ideas on how a successful bar should be run to make it entertaining and enjoyable for the customers. What Doug has done with Toolbox bar works well and certainly was a lot of fun for myself and from my observations also for the other customers. The staff were very friendly, there was no begging for drinks and no mobile phones in sight on the 5 nights that I attended the bar. Most of the guys do have smart phones now compared to a few years back when they all had the old basic Nokias.


I did buy quite a few drinks at Toolbox and enjoyed chatting with the staff, most are studying English language so the conversation was quite good. When the guys had a drink they stayed with me instead of running off to chat with their friends or check grindr and facebook which happens quite often in the Thai bars.


At around 10pm and every 15 minutes till after midnight there was a very energetic dance routine by three or four very hot guys. Not a lip syncing ladyboy in sight and the guys really seemed to enjoy performing. The dancers mix with the customers or play some pool after the shows and were happy to chat, especially if you bought then a drink. I liked the high energy dancing and the breaks in between the shows were a good chance for a chat with the dancers and other staff and customers. I did not get free drinks or anything else to say good things about this bar, I had a good time there and this is my opinion. I am fairly bored with the rarely changing formula for entertainment or lack of entertainment used in most Pattaya bars, Nice Boys being one exception, so it was refreshing to see the shows and good attitude of the staff at Toolbox bar.


I think whether the staff are offable at Toolbox depends on how you connect with them but they are all gay. There are twinks, a couple of more lean muscle and average build guys. The off fee is $US10. There was a freelancer who was also on Grindr and hanging out with his friends at the bar and pool table with his shirt off and I did meet him in my hotel for $US20 the day after.


I walked past the Blue Chilli bar a few times but the staff looked mostly average build which is not my preference and I am over the ladyboy shows they have at 11pm some nights. From reviews online it is not strictly gay there anymore and there will probably be straight tourists including girls in there to watch the shows. Another customer at Toolbox on Saturday night had been at POC and Space bars earlier and did not have anything too complimentary to say about them. He did mention that if you like larger or more muscle build guys then those bars might appeal.


Heart of Darkness nightclub used to be the place to be after the gay bars had closed but that has become a backpacker haven and the music was extremely loud hip hop when I attended. I had memories of good music and many gay guys dancing and available there late at night from my previous trips to Phnom Penh but that seems to be history now. The gay guys prefer to go to Blueline club which plays Khymer music (Morlum style in Thailand) and is packed with customers every night.


There are masseurs advertising their services on Grindr and work at shops near the Riverside. Oil massage was $US10 for one hour and the happy ending which I usually refuse but because he was very good at doing so I let him continue and paid an extra $US10. He wanted me to go back the next day and fuck him but I had a very hot guy from Grindr in my room at that time. I gave him $US25 which included $US5 for the taxi. As far as the apps go there are many fake photos and you need to be careful to ask exactly what they will do and how much before making appointments. I only took one guy from grindr after seeing many photos and his assurance they were real. He would have been sent away if he was deceiving me but when he appeared he was very good looking and excellent sex, a very horny bottom.


There are many Chinese and other Asians visiting Phnom Penh, I went to the Naga World casino and I was the only non - Asian in both of the buildings amongst hundreds of people. I did hook up with a slim 26yo Chinese from the Blued app on a stopover to Siem Reap. He was a lot of fun and as usual with Chinese tourists that I meet in various countries there was no cost except for one drink which he had also offered to pay for.


There is not much to do in Phnom Penh in the day time if you have been there before and already visited the tourist sights. I took trips to the Aeon 1 and 2 shopping malls. Aeon 2 is larger and newer and built on a reclaimed lake and it is worth a trip just to see the development going on in Phnom Penh. There are hotels and condo buildings going up all over the city. I did notice some cruising happening in the toilet at Aeon 1 but there was always a cleaning lady hovering so I did not bother. For the more adventurous it might be ok but I would rather meet someone in the security of my hotel room. I might take some friends with me next time to Cambodia so we can go bowling or do some other activities together in the daytime.


I would not be interested to live in Cambodia. I went to the local market on Saturday and the lack of hygiene there was very evident. At least in Thailand they usually try and keep the flies away from the meat and fish. It is still a very poor country compared to Thailand which means there are many desperate people looking to make some cash. Security is also an issue with one street vendor warning me to keep my phone away from the street as someone might try to grab it while passing by on a motorcycle. In my opinion the facilities for foreigners are much better in Thailand. I did find most Cambodian people that I met to be very charming, especially the waiters and dancers at Toolbox bar and it was a good experience visiting Phnom Penh again for a change of scenery and bars.

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