Getting Around Phnom Penh - Strolling Around Street 240

I read in an article that Street 240 was some of the nice places to shop at, and it just so happens that I researched a couple of stores that I wanted to go to in that area, so here I am!

Turns out, Pass App was really reliable and I think the fare price was practical for that distance too. Keep in mind that the app shows the fare in Cambodian Riel, but you can still pay in US Dollars (which is more commonly used in this country), though be prepared to be given change in the form of Riel. And since all that on-the-spot conversion got me hungry, it was time to stop by for lunch first!

In all honesty, I slightly had to use Google Maps in order to find the exact place where the Artillery was located, since we had to go inside this little alleyway in order to find it nestled just around the corner, but all totally worth it!

You gotta love these street arts!

I'm not much of a vegetarian, but I'm currently in the process of eating less pork in my diet, and their Tofu Sandwich was delish! And I also didn't pass up the chance to have some ice cream on this fine, hot afternoon.

I think this was the Thai Quinoa Crunch??? (mom's order)

Sizzling Tofu (I loved it!!!)

And let's not forget dessert! (Coconut + Choco Chunks = Bounty Island)

Having satisfied our hunger, we set off to find some of the stores I was curious about.

I adored the interior of Mekong Quilts' store when I saw it on Google Maps and I just had to see it for myself, and I also couldn't help but make a purchase too:

Meet, Mr. Pig! (I know, not really an original name so...)

And since my mom still had a little hangover from buying postcards, I suggested stopping by D's Books:

Can you spot my mom?

Gotta save up for my next "pages"!

You could say that the exhaustion of the day started catching with us, so we decided to head back to the hotel by then. Although we did have to make a stop at a Kiwi Mart (convenience store) along the way to buy some much needed water. But we got back just in time to see the sunset from the Sky Bar!

By this point, we were well and truly "Poofed!", so we had room service deliver our dinner (just a couple of clubhouse sandwiches) to our room instead:

Stay tuned for my next post on what's on our 2nd day itinerary in the city of Phnom Penh!

Our First Day in Cambodia: Arrival at Phnom Penh

Upon arrival at the Phnom Penh International Airport, we were then met at the Arrivals Area by Mr. Kim, our designated tour guide for the day. We were then transferred to our car, in which we drove to the nearest restaurant to have breakfast!

Our first meal in the Kingdom of Cambodia!

Being in a plane for most of the night can really affect your sense of things, so at this point I was still taking in my surroundings and before I knew it, we were officially starting our itinerary for the day. First stop, Phsar Thmei, Phnom Penh's Central Market!

Souvenir shopping on the first day was overwhelming for my senses; it was a good thing I already had a list of things to buy, the problem was finding where it was located in a huge place like the Central Market! (and yeah, our guide kinda just gave us basic instructions on where to meet and at what time, so this part of the tour was just done on our own...)

Postcards added to my mom's collection

In the end, our shopping hunt proved to be a success! So vaguely I remember once you enter from the central entrance and head towards the right side of the area, you'll see the artsy finds (like paintings, stained-glass bowls and postcards). The leftmost side was where the food stuff was located, and if you passed through the wet market, you'll find this little treasure trove at the end:

Local goodies! (Palm sugar and jack fruit chips)

Our second stop was Wat Phnom Pagoda, which was a temple built on top of a hill. After climbing a couple set of stairs, you'll be greeted by the serenity of the place. We strolled around the place for a good hour or so taking pictures, and mostly for me to just absorb the fact that I'm really here in this new and mystical place!

Yes, the giant clock works. (Batteries come from China, so says our tour guide)

Turns out, Wat Phnom was our last place for that day and we would be heading to our hotel, Samnang Laor, to rest and maybe catch up on some Zzzs (yeah right)...

Lobby area...

... and that's Mr. Kim at the Reception Area

Loved the floor tiles in the bathroom!

Sky Bar / Restaurant

Indoor swimming pools + jacuzzi

Our hotel room was a lot bigger than I expected (lots of floor space), the hotel restaurant was more like a Sky Bar (which had a nice view of the city), and they also had an indoor pool and jacuzzi! (we tried it out on our last night in Phnom Penh, water smelled kinda weird though...) All these pros had a little con to our seemingly quiet hotel. It was too quiet. Samnang Laor was not located along the busier streets of Phnom Penh! Which means we had to venture out, and I sure as hell wouldn't be spending most of the afternoon stuck in my hotel room. And so here is how we found our way around the city:

Find out next week what other places we discovered as we headed to Street 240!