Entertainment - Phnom Penh city

Entertainment

All kinds of events take place in Phnom Penh that are impossible to predict. For news of what's going on where while you are in town, check with the latest issue of the Phnom Penh Post or the Bayon Pearnik, or with the Friday edition of the Cambodia Daily.

Bars If you want to save yourself a bit of money, it is worth hitting the early evening happy hours in some of the bars around town, as many drinks are often half price. One of the best happy hours in Phnom Penh is at the Elephant Bar at Hotel Le Royal: an elegant bar in the city's finest hotel. All drinks are buy-one-get-one-free, which means two cocktails for US$5 by the time you factor in tax and service. Wednesday is ladies' night with cocktails for US$3 all night, and Thursday is gentlemen's night, when 'half yards' of ale cost US$3.50 all night. Happy hour is from 5 to 7 pm.

Other worthwhile happy hours to look out for down by the river include the Globe Bar & Restaurant from 6 to 8 pm, a place that also serves good food and occupies one of the finest colonial buildings in the city; and the Garden Bar, which is open from 5.30 to 7.30 pm.

One of the most popular evening drinking spots is the Foreign Correspondents' Club, on Sisowath Quay. Drinks are a little expensive, but you pay for the ambience as much as anything and it is the best place from which to watch a storm come in over the Tonle Sap river. Happy hour, when Angkor draught is US$I a mug, is from 5 to 7 pm. This is one bar you should check out.

The riverfront is one of the most pleasant areas in Phnom Penh and quite a lot has been invested in redeveloping it in recent years. There are now a string of pavilions on the edge of the river that serve very cheap beer and good food. River 3 and River 2 (such original and daring names) will no doubt be followed by River I and River 4! However, you can't fault them when they serve jugs of Angkor draught beer for just to,6000r and a wide range of Cambodian food for 6000r a plate. The only thing that would improve these fine places is a toilet!

There are a few more decent bars near the river including The Pink Elephant, which has a free pool table and serves cheap drinks. Naga, the floating casino behind the Cambodian, has surprisingly cheap drinks - the Vegas technique - but you need to take a crowd as it lacks atmosphere. Upstairs in the world of the high rollers beer is free, so look important and you will have a cheap night. The Cathouse Tavern, at the top end of Ph 51, has an intimate feel and sees its fair share of customers, mostly men. However, it charges for pool, which is pretty uncommon in Phnom Penh. Tom's Irish Bar on Ph 63 just south of Preah Sihanouk Blvd is an Irish bar with a loyal following and cheap drinks for an expert haunt. The Travelers' Bar, a few blocks south of the Psar Thmei on Ph 63, has very affordable drinks including a host of shots for just US$I.

Two new places are Teukei Bar (23, Ph 111) not far from the Capitol Guesthouse, and Gecko Tales, near the Foreign Correspondents Club on Ph 178.

The most popular late night haunt in town is Heart of Darkness. It's on Ph 51, south of the Psar Thmei. The Heart, as locals call it, is generally deserted before 10 pm but often packed after midnight. Most drinks cost US$I to US$2 or not much more, and the music is some of the best in town. There is also a pool table out back, but get your name up early as it is a popular institution. It usually stays open until the last person leaves.

Discos Phnom Penh is not exactly the club capital of Asia, but its nightlife is certainly renowned. The few discos that there ate around town are largely the domain of the expat community, as Khmers stick to karaoke bars or hostess clubs of the sort you see in the provinces. Ask around at some of the bars for the latest hot spots, as places come in and out of fashion quickly.

The Manhattan Club, near the Holiday International Hotel, is the closest thing Cambodia has to a decent club with banging tunes. Don't get too excited, as the music is mainly mainstream techno, but it is usually heaving most nights and stays open until daylight. Entry is tree, but drinks ate overpriced, so if you are feeling thirsty, pop across the road to the drink stalls where beer is available for just US$1 a can. Monsoon has the most chilled out atmosphere in town come the weekend. It is set in a delightful colonial building above Paparazzi Italian Restaurant on Ph 214. There is a pool table, a cool veranda and a dance floor. Beers start at about US$I.S0 and it generally stays open until the last people leave.

Casa was pretty popular for a while, but seems to have gone out of flavor again. It is part of the Sharaton Hotel and may pick up again, so ask around. Sharky's on Ph 130 near the comer of Ph IS has free entry. Most drinks are US$2. It's essentially a disco with a chill-out veranda area and a lot of pool tables. However, there are a lot of young sex workers hanging around attracting older western men, which gives it something of a sleazy atmosphere.

Last but not least, Martini, just off Mao Tse Toung Blvd, has been around since the United Nations Transitional Authority in Cambodia (UNTAC) days, and is one of the only places in town that can be counted on to be packed at I am on a Thursday, Friday or Saturday night. Martini has both a beer garden (with movies) and a dark dance space. Many of the local women who populate the place are sex workers, but they do not work for the bar - they are freelance. They are more numerous than ever with the clampdown on brothels in the last few years. The atmosphere is pretty hard-sell these days, but if you go with a crowd, it remains a place to have a good night out.

Live Music There's little in the way of live music in Phnom Penh. The Ettamogah Pub, on Preah Sihanouk Blvd, has a live band every Friday night. The Duck Tub, just down the street from the Heart of Dark- ness, has live music on Saturdays. On Sundays The Globe Bar & Restaurant hosts an informal jam session - anyone is welcome to join in as long as they can play.

Traditional Dance Check the latest information on performances at the Chatomuk Theatre, just north of the Sofitel Cambodian Hotel. It is occasionally the venue for displays of traditional dance.

The Sofitel Cambodian Hotel has a Khmer buffet dinner and traditional dance from 7.30 pm every Friday night. During the dry season the performances are held outside. The US$17 per head for the performance and for the meal is steep, but worth it if you have the money. Bookings can be made in the foyer of the hotel.

The Magic Circus Cafe-Theatre (111  Ph 360) has traditional song and dance at 8 pm on Saturday night. Performances are more folk-oriented than at the Sofitel Cambodian or the· Chatomuk Theatre. Circus performances are held at S pm on Sunday. Tickets are US$2 and drinks and food are available.
This place closes periodically, so check it out in advance to avoid disappointment. Private performances by the National Royal Dance Group can be organized through the Ministry of  Tourism or the Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts (both on Monivong Blvd). The going rate for a show (normally held at the Institute of Science) is US$3S0, so you'll need a big group of you to make it affordable.

Cinemas Even if you understand Khmer, Phnom Penh's cinemas are probably best avoided. The patrons are crowded into poorly ventilated halls with no tire escapes.

The Foreign Correspondents' Club has movie screenings on Tuesday and Sunday evening. Entry is free for members, US$2 for nonmembers. The movies shown are advertised at the FCC from around a week in advance. At the video store Hollywood Movie Street, on Preah Sihanouk Blvd near the Independence Monument, you can hire films to watch in the store's private rooms. It pretty much has all the latest titles from Hollywood and the UK and charges about US$8 per screening. The International Youth Club, not far from Wat Phnom, screens two films a night, at 8 and 10 pm. The French Cultural Centre has frequent movie screenings - generally at 6 pm several times a week. Check at the centre, where a monthly programmed is available.

Casinos The few casinos in Phnom Penh that used to exist were big-buck establishments popular with Asian business travelers, but these were all shut down during 1999 after a spate of kidnappings of prominent gamblers. Only the Naga floating casino survived the cull, but others may well open up again.