Kingdom of Cambodia with Capt. Charles

Personal musings of a bon vivant

Be it foryour personal holidays in Cambodia, getaways or honeymoon trip, rest be assured that Holiday Villa Hotel & Suites Phnom Penh is there to ensure your trip be a memorable one. Plan incentive trips for your deserving company employees with the intention to motivate and increase their productivity levels.

Cambodia is currently on the United Nations cultural and heritage site for the ASEAN region. Cambodia is still untapped as an upcoming popular destination for tourist. A must on the list of 1000 places to see before you ……

Cambodia offers the cheapest shopping for Mobile phones (50%) cheaper than Malaysia or Singapore for the latest brands which have still not been introduced to Malaysia and the rest of Asia. For e.g.; an I-pod phone costs USD 560.Phones with dual Sim cards from USD 60.00 onwards. Second hand phones start at USD 10.00.

Quality and designer Garments (Made for export to major fashion houses worldwide) are available at Psar Temai or Central Market (about 300 meters from the Holiday Villa Hotel & Suites). Collar T- shirts with brands such as Polo, Timberland, Burberry, Tommy Hilfiger etc are available starting from as low as USD 4.00. Female Adidas and Reebok T shirts with the latest floral designs are available at USD 3.50 each or USD 10.00 for three T shirts. Quality cotton collarless T shirts with Cambodian designed prints are available from as low as USD 1.50 per T shirt. These items are ideal as Gifts for the office staff and friends.

Ready made suites with pants are available from USD 30.00.onwards at the Central Market.

Neckties, tiepins and cufflinks are available from USD 1.50 onwards at Central market.

Cambodian made pure leather shoes starts at USD 10.00. Various European and Japanese export style models are available at Central market. Sneakers such as Nike, Adidas, Kappa and a host of other brands start at USD 8.00 per pair.

Made to order leather shoes are available from USD 27.00 onwards. Shops specializing in them are in Toul Sleng area. They are located around the S21 genocide Museum area. A macabre and must see place on the tourist map, the Toul Sleng Museum is housed in a former school and has a grim images of victims before execution.

Ready to order hand stitched silk suits, shirts and blouses are also available with your choice of materials. Please ensure at least 36 hours lead time to quality tailoring. Long-sleeved designer shirts start at USD 4.00 per shirt. Raw Thick silk is ideal for suites and thin silk is great for casual wear in the hot summer nights.

Precious and semi precious gemstones are available at reduced prices for Guests of Holiday Villa Hotel and Suites Phnom Penh. Please show them your hotel registration card for automatic discount. Silver, white gold designer bracelets, rings or broaches are available. However please allow at least 3 days for complex designs to be fabricated. Stall 17 A at the Central Market run by Ms Monin and her sister is a favourite with Malaysian ,Bruneians and Singaporeans.

Remember Blood Pigeon Ruby and Star Sapphire are mined in Cambodia and are cheaply priced. Blood Pigeon Ruby enhances the luck of Business persons by increasing their business opportunities, ensuring their financial stability as well as preventing their competitors from gaining the upper hand against them. Blood Pigeon Ruby also ensures that leaders of Industry or persons who command lots of staff below them will be unshaken or cannot be overthrown by rivals or treacherous staff.

Star Sapphire has the magical property of making one look attractive to the opposite sex. Husband and wife who started using sapphire rings or ornaments have been known to have their love rekindled and blossomed more. This fable is what is believed by ancient Cambodians and handed down through word of mouth from generations of Cambodians

Designer Eyewear such Gucci, Channel, Dior, Police, Ray Ban etc are available from USD 35.00 upwards inclusive of eye testing and fitting of prescription lenses. Golden Optics opposite Holiday Villa Hotel & Suites Phnom Penh is a wholesaler for optical wear in Phnom Penh. Don’t forget to mention that you are a guest of Holiday Villa Hotel and Suites to enjoy that special discount.

Silverware, handicrafts, antiques and so much more are available at the Russian Market. Wood carvings are quite reasonable in pricing and you may be tempted to buy some. The legendary Bayon wood carving is suppose to bring “good Luck” if hung on the outside wall facing the gate. This happy serene face is suppose to ward off evil and bring luck to the people who dwell in the home or house or building. The carving itself is not a religious item or object, more of a cultural and folklore piece.

Halal food is served at Holiday Villa Hotel & Suites Phnom Penh. The Lagenda Fusion Restaurant menu has an array of Japanese, Malaysian, Cambodian and Western Cuisine at really affordable prices. You may be pleasantly surprised to find Cambodians coming to Lagenda Fusion Restaurant for the Cambodian Food. Holiday Villa Hotel & Suites is the only Halal hotel in Phnom Penh, Kingdom of Cambodia

Pharmaceutical products are really cheap in Cambodia so it may be worth stocking up on expensive drugs and vitamin supplements while you are in Phnom Penh to take back home with you. Please be sure that you have the correct name or composition of the original or generic drug that you wish to purchase. Laga Pharmacy located 500 meters from Holiday Villa Hotel & Suites offers the best French and European Pharmaceutical products at the most reasonable prices – Tax free. No Doctor’s prescription needed in Cambodia to purchase medications.

Please ensure that when you travel from your country to Cambodia, you bring along minimum luggage as you will be doing lots of shopping. Some guests have been known to arrive with a passport in their pocket and wads of cash. Luggage suitcases , backpacks and travel bags are very cheap in Cambodia. For ladies, designer handbags and purses are plentiful and you will be spoilt for choice. Best places are Russian and Central market.

When you arrive in Cambodia, “Hello” ( 015 / 016 ) provides the best mobile phone connections. You may have the option of manually selecting to use their network as well, by selecting “Hello GSM” or “Samart” on your network settings.

Cambodia has been earmarked as an upcoming country with a relative fast growing economy in all commercial areas. For Investors as well as for Business opportunities, an abundance ofopportunities clamours for the overseas businessman from the services, construction, Tourism as well as from the manufacturing sector. Whatever your product in which you desire to find a new market, Cambodia promises to be the land of opportunity.

Holiday Villa Phnom Penh will arrange meetings with various Local Chamber of Commerce from Cambodia, Business councils of Malaysia and Singapore in Cambodia to help facilitate your introduction into the Cambodian Market. Holiday Villa Hotel & Suites will also introduce you to legal firms who facilitate you Company registration in Cambodia. Function rooms can be arranged at Holiday Villa Hotel & Suites Phnom Penh to accommodate meetings, product exhibitions, trade shows etc.

The hotel will assist you, provided adequate notice is given for your upcoming function that you wish to hold to liaise with the relevant agencies and authorities before your arrival so as to ensure that you may conduct fruitful deals, negotiations as well as receive Business visitation from local businessmen and entrepreneurs seeking distribution rights, acquisitions, mergers or partnerships.

With the frequency of Daily flights, to Phnom Penh from Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok ,Singapore and many other neighboring countries, the destination becomes more attractive because of it inexpensive airfare.

The US Dollar is still the preferred form of currency. Please bring along lots of it if you intend to shop in bazaars or market places. Very few places accept credit cards except large business establishments or Hotels.

Malaysian and Singaporean Travelers have been known to purchase the famous Mekong river preserved or dried salted catfish. Some have even bought live seafood such as Lobster prawns or Udang Galah and fresh crabs packed in dry ice or ice and carried on board on their flights home.

Cigarettes and alcohol is much cheaper in the Supermarkets of Phnom Penh than at the Duty free shops at various international airports around Asia and the Europe. For example a carton of Marlborough cigarettes cost USD8.00 for 10 packets. Branded alcohol beverages costs from USD 5.00 per bottle of 750ml. Best sellers are Single Malt whiskeys and a vast array of premium Vodkas and Liquors. Please check the supermarkets along Monivong Boulevard for the special offers of French chocolates as well as premium wines and spirits.

Wood carvings at the Russian Market and at the Central Market are definitely worth a look. Please do bargain and you may surprise yourself with some remarkable buys. The lacquer plates and chopsticks are rather nice presents and gifts for the office staff as well as for friends. Silk draperies and other fine silk products such as table cloth ,cushion covers and wraparounds are widely available.

On street 240 ,just behind the Royal Palace are quite a few shops which offers Ladies garments of a higher standard than those found at the various markets. The Boutiques and shops are as follows:

Jasmine Boutique – Specialists’ in Khmer Silk Dresses as well as for Khmer Designer wear. Worth a look if you want something for an evening occasion. Bliss - Has a range of mixed items for the lady of the house and some items for the home too. You may be surprised to find clothes, cushion covers, bed-sheet and a range of very pleasant items or object d’art that you may put to practical use to beautify your office or home. Color D ‘Asie – Has a variety of accessories ,clothes and an assortment of stuff which would intrigue women and stunt the living daylights out of their husbands and boyfriends who are waiting whilst they shop. Song- has a range of interesting clothes and ladies accessories

Street 178 is also another shopping avenue that has to be considered for the serious Lady shopper who needs that special piece of Garment in her arsenal.

Ambre Boutique – Has casual and Designer made silk gowns for all occasions. Pease allow at least three days for each garment if specially designed or made to order. VNC – Has Ladies Shoes which are cheap ( if on sale ) and reasonably priced otherwise. A favourite place for locals.

Sihanouk Boulevard has two ladies Boutiques which are quite interesting :

New Collection – Offers contemporary clothes for the Avante Garde women. Some designs are quite radical for clothes off the peg and makes a definite statement. Definitely worth a peek. Belami –Has some interesting collection for Teenage Girls and Young women.

All the above ladies clothes Shops and Boutiques accept most common credit cards.

Places of interest are abound in Cambodia. There is something for everyone to see and do. Every place offers something different and some reading of guide books will surely stimulate your appetite for travel and sightseeing.

Please refer to www.Lonelyplanet.com for an extensive guide on where to go in Cambodia.

Tales of Asia (www.talesofasia.com) has last minute information on overland travel in Cambodia.

Guide books on Phnom Penh are available in the hotel rooms and at the Hotel lobby. The friendly staff of the Holiday Villa Hotel & Suites Phnom Penh are available to answer all your questions and to assist and ensure that you have a memorable and pleasant stay in the Royal Kingdom of Cambodia.

The Management and Staff of Holiday Villa Hotel & Suites Phnom Penh look forward in welcoming you and your love ones to The Royal Kingdom of Cambodia.

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