For years Cambodia had a reputation as a wild place. It’s still a little wild on the roads but things have really calmed down. The capital is turning into a modern city complete with expensive condos and huge shopping malls. It might look like Bangkok soon. With such growth and thousands of beautiful women around, it’s no surprise that guys are visiting Phnom Penh in droves. Of course they want to know where to stay in Phnom Penh.
We’re not going to tell you where to stay in Phnom Penh if you’re a backpacker. We’re going to give you family travel tips either. This is the guys info hub. We’re going to tell solo male travelers where to stay in Phnom Penh to maximize their odds with Cambodian women.
Phnom Penh is officially a big city in terms of size. In reality a lot of the main action is limited to a central area. The riverside area is the place to be. Especially for guys who want to meet women. There are some other ares that are alright. We will mention them too.
The Riverside
The Phnom Penh riverside is the most happening area of Phnom Penh. Some may call it a tourist area. Sure tourists can be found there. But so can expats and locals. Two of the most popular local markets are Psar Chas (Old Market) and Psar Kandal (Kandal Market). They are both in the riverside area.
The riverside is where almost all of the hostess bars in Phnom Penh are located. These girlie bars are the main type of nightlife for guys in the city. You find the most hostess bars on Street 130, Street 136, and Street 104 along the riverside.
There are also some clubs in the area like Riverhouse. The popular Night Market is there too. Even if you plan on meeting “regular girls” the riverside is good. Everyone knows it and feels comfortable there. The riverside is where you want to stay in Phnom Penh.
The official name of the road that runs down the riverside is called Sisowath Quay. No one in Phnom Penh calls it that. They just say riverside. All the tuk tuks and taxi drivers know the riverside. A lot of them speak English pretty good too. The further you get from the riverside, the less likely you are to hear English.
Girl friendly hotels in Phnom Penh
Wherever you stay on the riverside, you want to make sure you are in a girl friendly hotel. Girl friendly hotels let you bring women back to your room. You might think every place would allow that, but they don’t. There are some hotels that charge extra to bring a girl to your room. Some places don’t allow it at all, especially if they are affiliated with NGOs or wannabe hippie do-gooders.
Some girl friendly hotels right in the heart of the action include:
- Sun and Moon Hotel (Street 136)
- Lux Riverside Hotel (Street 136)
- Riverside Suites (Street 144)
- City Centre Hotel (Street 130)
If you want to stay in a really nice guest friendly hotel that is close to the action without being right next to the bars, check out the Cambodiana. It’s a classic hotel with amazing architecture. They even have a lounge on the ground floor where you can hang out.
Russian Market
The one other area you might want to stay is around the Russian Market. If you are on a short holiday it’s not a good location. But if you plan on staying awhile the Russian Market area is great. You can get an apartment if you plan to stay a really long time. If you plan to stay a few weeks or months you can get an apartment or condo through Airbnb.
Russian Market has a lot of restaurants and a fair number of expats. You can get from Russian Market to the riverside is ten to twenty minutes depending on traffic. If you use the Grab App it will only cost a couple of bucks. Sadly, there are really any other options. Phnom Penh doesn’t have any real mass transit system. Hence the traffic!
An advantage of staying in a regular apartment or hotel is that local girls will consider you a resident. It’s a lot easier to find a sweet Cambodian girlfriend or even a wife if you have your own pad. Even taking a naughty girl home from a club for a hookup is easier if you stay in an apartment. If you’re staying in a hotel your chances of scoring a freebie are a lot lower. Cambodian girls aren’t usually going to go to a guy’s hotel room unless they are hookers.
Have fun in Phnom Penh
No matter where you decide to stay in Phnom Penh, we hope you will have a good time. Khmer girls are beautiful and exotic. They’re also very lovely people. It would be hard not to have a good time when surrounded by so many sweet ladies.
If you are planning a trip to Phnom Penh, we suggest you book a room before you get there. You don’t want to be searching for a room in the Cambodian heat after a long trip. You should also start talking with some Cambodian women on websites like Asian Dating.
The Khmer women on dating sites are looking for foreign guys. Cambodians don’t meet each other on those sites. Khmer women can be shy so it’s best to get to know them before you show up. That really increases your chances of success on the ground.