The Best of Cambodia & Laos

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PHNOM PENH
5
PHNOM PENH ATTRACTIONS
Unwinding (and Helping Out)
with a Blind Massage
Cambodia has one of the highest rates of blindness worldwide with an estimated
1.25% of the population being afflicted. Chickenpox, measles, traffic
accidents, acid attacks, unexploded ordinance, and insufficient healthcare
have all exacerbated the problem. Being such a poor country, the lot of the
blind is harsh because of the lack of education or employment opportunities.
About a dozen blind massage shops, usually called “Seeing Hands,” have
opened in Phnom Penh, Siem Reap, and Battambang in the last few years. They
are run as cooperatives and offer a better life to the blind as well as empowering
them, often providing training in Braille and computers as well as massage
itself. A massage costs in the region of $5 and it is a win-win experience. You
get a great massage and help a group of people who have traditionally led a
very difficult existence to prosper. In Phnom Penh, Seeing Hands can be found
at No. 6 St. 94, near Wat Phnom.
COOKING CLASSES
Many understandably fall in love with the subtle and delicious flavors of Cambodian
food and want to learn how to create something similar back home. Frizz Restaurant
(No. 67 St. 240; & 012/524-801; www.cambodia-cooking-class.com) runs an excellent
cooking school , with the option taking their course for half a day or a full day (we
recommend the full). The course begins with a market tour to find ingredients, with
explanations of some of the market’s bizarre offerings. A tuk-tuk then takes you back
to the roof of the restaurant, where you’ll prepare classic Khmer dishes such as fish
amok and salad with banana flower (the amok was one of the best dishes I’ve ever
made). They also throw in an informative free booklet once you have completed the
course. The course costs $20 for the full day, and considering how many friends you
will make back home when they taste homemade Khmer cuisine for the first time, this
is a steal. Classes take place Monday to Saturday and start at 9am. Reservations can be
made via the website.
COLONIAL ARCHITECTURE TOUR
Phnom Penh was famed as the most beautiful city in Asia before it was plunged into
tragedy and destruction. Underneath the grime and the dust are many stunning examples
of beautiful colonial French architecture. KA Tours (www.ka-tours.org) are the town’s
architecture specialists, running a number of city tours using a variety of transportation
methods including cyclo. They take in not only the beautiful colonial structures but also
modernist ’60s architecture. They also publish an excellent map on their website, outlining
a do-it-yourself walking tour of major architectural sites in Phnom Penh.