Phnom Penh Weekend

[bobsaigon]

Phnom Penh Weekend: At the airport, can get visa on arrival, though it’s a hassle if a lot of people arrive at once. I got mine ahead of time at my local Cambodian consulate (1 photo + about $25 US in local currency). Passport control at the airport takes your photo and inkless fingerprints. Saw mention of a $20 exit fee, but it never materialized, possibly discontinued. Can also get Visa Online, but that exceeded my computer skills.

Almost all transactions in Phnom Penh are in US dollars and that is what the numerous ATM’s dispense. If you bring dollars with you, make sure they are in good condition. Hundred dollar bills especially must be nearly pristine. Most frequently used are the $1’s, $ 5’s and $10’s.

Shorts, tee shirts, polo shirts were all I wore. Footwear of your choice, though sandals with black socks do not meet minimum fashion standards even in Phnom Penh.

Sorry, no site-seeing updates available. I was just in PP hunting for entertainment.

Thursday 23 Aug 2012. Arrived at Manor House Bed and Breakfast Hotel at 5pm, hooked up with a friend who flew in from Thailand for a few days. Manor House is “adequate”, maybe 3 star, 12 rooms with A/C, e-safe, coffee/tea maker, fridge, writing desk, laminate flooring being installed as I write, swimming pool, free basic breakfast. Rooms are around $40-$50/night. Foreign/gay run with some very cute staff who are, unassailably, 100% straight. They were born that way.

Hotel staff photocopies ID cards of all joiners. No one under 18 allowed.

Shoes are left at the entrance to the hotel lobby. Not a problem for me, though I did witness one unshod ladyboy joiner who was claiming that someone had absconded with his sandals. I can imagine his choice of footwear, but can’t imagine anyone actually stealing them.

Getting around PP is mostly by tuk-tuk, everything seems too far to walk. Tuk-tuks here are more comfortable, slower moving, safer than the Bangkok versions. There are regular drivers who wait outside the hotel. Trustworthy.
Mr. Sna, tuk-tuk No.001, was my favorite.

First evening, we went to Hatha Khmer massage. I had a good experience, my friend did not. $10 for an hour’s oil massage, plus tip for boy ($10-$20 depending on just how much he did for you). Not like some Thai massage places where the boys automatically get naked and are prepared for a mutual happy ending.

After the massage, we went to Blue Chili, supposedly THE place to find agreeable freelancers. Had my friend and I been under 50 yrs of age, perhaps our charm and good looks would have sufficed to attract some interest. As it was, we sat for an hour watching a small number of not especially cute guys. We were then approached by two apparent regulars, the type who start to use “darling” as soon as they sit down with you. But at least they don’t expect a drink as in the Thai bars. They don’t get a percentage for “boy drinks”. We left the bar unaccompanied.

Friday night we started by having a vegetarian dinner at K’nay, which adjoins K2 bar. K2 was devoid of human habitation aside from a bored waiter, so we went to Rainbow Bar, billed as a quiet, relaxing place to find some company. Either we were too old, or, as we suspected, the boys thought we were a couple and did not want to intrude. (My friend said next time we bar hop together we should each wear a T-shirt saying, “I’m not with him”). Left Rainbow after one drink and moved on to “2 Colours”.

“2 Colours” was lively with their weekly lip-synch show performed by ladyboys using the bar top as their stage. We spied two guys around 20 but they didn’t look like they fancied an evening with us, so we asked the tuk-tuk driver’s help in finding some young companions. Tuk-tuk driver subcontracted the task and we were driven around for 20 minutes by someone who had no clue where to find the objects of our desire. Returned to “2 Colours”, saw the same two guys we had noticed earlier. My friend, by then emboldened by several beers, simply asked them if they would like to come back to our hotel with us. The cute one went to him and I had the less cute, but quite acceptable 20 yr old. They were from Siem Reap, in PP for the weekend. Minimal English ability, fairly good in bed.

But a money boy is a money boy no matter where he lives. In addition to the usual $20 per session fee, our new friends were not shy about suggesting other ways we could help ($200 for my guy so he could get a passport; $2,500 for the other guy so he could study at university). We declined the opportunity to help.

They were with us Friday night for short time and most of Saturday. Saturday night my friend’s guy remained. My fellow left around 11pm because he was going to take an early morning bus to Battambong to see his sister, recently involved in a motorcycle accident (remarkably similar to Thai boys’ stories).

Sunday morning: had breakfast with my friend and his young man who was extremely uncomfortable sitting at table with us since he thereby announced his money boy status. Sunday afternoon my friend had to leave Cambodia and his boy was apparently hoping that I would elect to assume the role of provider. But I had had enough. I’m basically of the 12 hour butterfly variety. Beyond that, especially without a common language, and with a boy who isn’t even trying to show a sign of friendliness, it is time to clean house.

Sunday night solo for me. Monday night, I went back to Hatha Khmer Massage and was disappointed.

Other: the Night Market at the riverside has Friday evening pop concerts but we did not encounter the promised “lots of young guys available”. The riverside is also recommended for cruising. Heart of Darkness disco is mostly gay I’m told, but my disco days are long gone, so I can’t confirm. Sorya Mall, 2nd-3rd floors. Lots of shoddy goods for sale, but the rumors about boys were unfounded. (Try to avoid malls on weekends when they are frequented by families with uncontrolled screaming rug rats). Hero Spa massage is said to be much the same as Hatha Khmer.

If you’re young and good looking, you won’t need any guidance from an old fart such as myself. Just smile at the right guys and if you’re lucky, you’ll find enjoyment. Or, if you’re older, with a good supply of $100 bills, the freelancers may be attracted, but it’s all hit and miss. The boys who know how to provide you with a good time are mostly over the border, in Chonburi province. Nevertheless, there are visitors and residents in Phnom Penh who sing the praises of the undeniably cute Khmer guys with their smooth dusky skin, and I have to admit that the Khmer smile is usually genuine, much more so than the perfunctory show of teeth in LOS.

[Gaybutton]

Thank you very much for taking the time to post this excellent report.

[Jun]

Thanks for the excellent report, puts me to shame for a start.

Regarding the visas, the e-visa is the way to go for Cambodia. Very convenient, quick and does not waste a page in your passport. For my 3 visits so far, it's been e-mailed to me in less than 48 hours.

I found the young Khmer in the gay bars tend to speak much better English than their Thai counterparts, but perhaps that was luck.