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Stayed in PP for around 2 months. I would say it appeals to a certain type of person. Unlike capital cities in neighboring countries, I found the vibe to be more relaxed. The city basically shuts down at 9pm. I would say if you want to visit, you should be willing to invest more in accomodations. I tried keeping my budget similar to those in Bangkok and that was my biggest mistake of my stay here. The Airbnbs I booked for around $20-25 a night had very slow wifi, no hot water or no water at all in some cases. If I had raised my budget I think I would have had a more enjoyable experience overall.
1 year ago
Only to PP briefly but I can say it's much, much busier than other cities in Cambodia. Having said that, seemed to calm down about 8/9pm so wasn't so crazy. Nice place to visit and probably much more to do than we saw briefly.
Can say that we really enjoyed Kampot too - awesome food, lots of people. Has a bit more of a Backpacker/ drinking culture than Siem Reap. It's still getting going again after COVID but seems to be coming back to life now.
2 years ago
Pretty cool city, BKK1 and BKK3 are nice areas to stay in. Check out Suzy Anti-cafe and Workspace1 in Factory for neat places to work from. It's a busy city, but lots of great places to eat and hang out. Internet was stable and fast enough overall. I got a SIM from SMART for a few bucks that had 44GB of data for the month, $5 to renew it.
Used "Ask Kim" visa agent to renew my tourist visa for 30 days, super easy to do and friendly.
3 years ago
Phnom Penh has plenty of air conditioned cafes and some co-working spaces, so it's quite possible to get work done. The river front area feels nice and spacious but other than that I didn't find it a particular pleasant city, and wouldn't stay for more a few days.
Kampot, however, 4 hours away by bus, has been one of the best places I've stayed. The atmosphere is great, it's a small town with nice architecture, hip cafes, yoga classes, and a riverfront to stroll along. It's much calmer than anywhere else I've been in Cambodia. I tended to work in open air cafes with a fan in the morning and then go to an air conditioned cafe during the afternoon heat. The only downside I found is that it could feel too relaxed if you need to get a lot of work done.
5 years ago
Best thing about Phnom Penh is its proximity to Kampot.
However, for some reason Kampot is not on Nomadlist.
5 years ago
i LOVE PP. it has a lot to offer and there are a lot of expats doing things other than drinking and imbibing weed. (yes, there are a lot of those people, too.) you do have to be willing to be a self-starter. and you do have to know where to look, and that just takes time. but the food scene is awesome. the culture and history are rich. and it's an easy access point to other locations in SE asia.
PP does have a BIG issue with pickpockets. more than anywhere else i've been in asia. just take extra precautions, and consider having a second (cheap) phone or keeping your phone somehow secured to your body when walking on the street.
5 years ago
I would urge anyone considering Phnom Penh to reconsider.
I've been jumping around South-East Asia for the past year and Phnom Penh has been by far the worst location for a remote worker I've encountered. The internet here is very unreliable. My house has a Fibre connection, but I'm dropping back to a 4G phone hotspot 5+ times per day.
This city is not geared for long-term remote workers. It's a paradise for sexpats and short term backpackers. With a few exception, the activities available here are: Drinking, smoking/eating weed, and talking shit to forigners at a bar.
YMMV.
I cannot wait to leave this place.
6 years ago