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Bokor RedrawnFor years, the eerie splendour of Bokor Hill Station drew tourists to Kampot. But with Cambodia’s largest casino and resort complex set to open next door, some fear for the future of this unique attraction. Michael Sloan finds out more. Photography by Nathan Horton. Weaving its way up the... |
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Male Grooming: Tip to ToeIn light of this month’s beauty-themed issue, AsiaLIFE’s resident disheveled writer Michael Sloan reluctantly undergoes a head-to-toe male makeover and emerges a changed, beardless man. Top Down “Are you really 24?” asks barber En Bona, cradling a lock of graying hair with a skepti... |
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Under ConstructionBeauty may be in the eye of the beholder, but with Asia’s reputation as the most popular region for plastic surgery worldwide, people are paying for perfection. Ellie Dyer gets under the skin of the beauty industry to discover more. Photography by Dylan Walker. The reflection staring back... |
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Q&A Jean-Nichol ChelmiahSabay Music, headed by Jean-Nicol Chelmiah, is taking a big leap by creating a record label to help protect musicians' rights and fight piracy. Seth Emmanuel Rinoza talks to the man behind the plan and discovers how a shipwreck can be a blessing in disguise. Photo by Dylan Walker. ... |
 Having celebrated its grand opening with a rocking party attended by expats, musicians and media, V Tabu Restaurant and Lounge is officially ready to roll. The Khmer-owned restaurant serves a variety of dishes to tickle your imagination, and there is an almost infinite choice of liquors available
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 Indian restaurant Coriander is a small but tidy eatery, specialising in vegetarian fair, located a corner away from busy Mao Tse Tung Boulevard. With soups, salads, sandwiches, skewers, pastas and pizzas on the menu for around $3 a dish, the kitchen is sure to keep you busy. The food is MSG-free
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 Old Barrel Wine Selection is a quiet but classy entrant to Phnom Penh’s commercial scene. Rows of carefully selected award-winning Bordeaux border the shop’s interior. Elegant tables and chairs occupy the centre of the establishment, which is meant to serve as a spot for a quiet wine tasting or
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 Named after a Japanese flower, Ohana is a rarity in the midst of the bustling riverside scene. Though it looks like an ordinary hotel from the outside, its interior is huge and fits 84 rooms on just six floors. Boasting a pristine pool directly connected to the hotel bar, a sauna, a rooftop
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 Throw out the tofu, meat is back with a vengeance. In cities across the world, patrons are tucking into steaks, cured meats and offal like never before. Carnivore Daniel Riegler takes a look at the Phnom Penh scene. Photography by Conor Wall.
A nose to tail meat obsession has taken hold of the
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 Underfunded, underage and decidedly underdogs, a Cambodian football team is heading to Mexico to compete in the 11th annual Homeless World Cup this November. Coach Jimmy Campbell talks to Michael Sloan about their prospects. Photography by Conor Wall.
Every Saturday, the grounds of Boeung Trabek
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 Since launching in January, Loy9 has become one of the most watched TV programmes in the country. With its first season wrapping up this month, Michael Sloan and photographer Dylan Walker go backstage to meet the young people bringing life to the screen.
Under sweltering lights, a five-piece boy
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 Mask-making has been a Cambodian art form for centuries, but an ambitious project is set to put a new spin on the tradition. Ellie Dyer discovers more. Photography by Conor Wall.
With large open eyes, a serene expression and full lips, the visage lying on the gallery floor is a blank canvas
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 There's more to the Himalayas than high-altitude trekking. Faine Greenwood dons her woolly jumper and checks out the old world charm of the area’s hill stations, and tries to catch a glimpse of Everest along the way.
India's hill stations offer a unique temperate charm all their own. Visitors
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 With hot season beckoning, a break from the blistering Cambodian summer could be on the cards. If you're itching to leave Phnom Penh, here’s our guide to destinations you can reach on a direct flight from the capital.NanningBig, bustling, shiny and new, China’s “green city” of Nanning
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 Riding in a convoy of vintage motorcycles across Vietnam from Hoi An to the mountainous region near the Laos border, Brett Davis goes on a strange and exhilarating journey.
The sound is immense. Like iron horsemen of the apocalypse, eight vintage Russian motorcycles, complete with sidecars,
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 Most visitors to Maldives, a South Asian country of nearly 1,200 islands, bypass the capital of Malé in favour of the resorts. Exploring the often-overlooked city, Mai Lynn Miller Nguyen finds its charms merit a stopover.
White sand beaches, swaying palm trees and aquamarine sea. That’s the
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 With many new arrivals to Phnom Penh gaining up to 5kg living the expat lifestyle, Ellie Dyer gets some advice from Swedish nutritionist Maria Ahlberg Carlsward on how to shape up. Photography by Dylan Walker.
For some Phnom Penh expats, living healthily is a distant dream. In a city where few
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 In search of a perfect lunch spot, Ellie Dyer and photographer Conor Wall test out one of Phnom Penh’s boutique hotels to find Australian hospitality and an extensive menu.
For Westerners, grabbing a quick sandwich at lunchtime is often a way of life. In Asia, however, the humble sarnie can be
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 Valentine’s Day is on its way. For chocolate makers that means one thing: peak season. As Phnom Penh’s chocolatiers go into a sugar rush, Ellie Dyer and photographer Conor Wall learn more about their art.
A small group of skilled chocolate makers are pushing boundaries in Phnom Penh. With
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 A delicatessen means different things to different people. To some it’s a place to gossip while selecting finely cured meats and cheeses. For others, it’s simply a place to buy a sandwich. Gregory Pellechi finds out more. Photography by Dylan Walker.
Travel all over the world and
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 Jesus may have turned water into wine, but in Cambodia wine merchants are trying to convert whisky drinkers to the vine. Words by Mark Bibby Jackson.
In the past few months first Clovis Taittinger, son and heir of the iconic champagne company, and then Georg Riedl, possibly the world’s most
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 So you’re tired from walking around the city and just dying to get a cool, and preferably cheap, drink while watching Manchester United play the beautiful game. Worry not, right beside Pontoon lies this new hangout - an open-air bar where you can drink to your heart’s content while gorging on
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 Adding to the line-up of international food and drink chains in Phnom Penh, The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf made its mark on the capital earlier this month. Situated amongst the hustle-bustle of Monivong Boulevard on the ground floor of the Phnom Penh Tower, this café distinguishes itself from its
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 My visual definition of a bar is a quiet place with low music, dim lights, and a well-stocked supply of alcoholic drinks. Today I finally found what I’ve been seeking. Filled with nice wooden tables and seats, with a bar right smack in the middle, Bouchou Wine Bar impressed upon first sight.
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 Battambang’s art scene is on the rise. With contemporary shows attracting international attention and a Phnom Penh gallery dedicated to showcasing work from the town, Ellie Dyer and Michael Sloan meet some of those working at its heart. Photographs by Conor Wall.
The sleepy province of
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 Cambodian Living Arts is working with young and old alike to keep cultural traditions alive and revive art forms that were almost wiped out during the Khmer Rouge. Following the launch of a new season of dance shows at the National Museum, Seth Emmanuel Rinoza talks to its director Phloeun Prim.
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 The fourth PhotoPhnomPenh festival kicks off at the end of the month. Amongst the many international photographers featured, one young Cambodian looks set to stand out. Khvay Samnang talks with AsiaLIFE.
A graduate of the National University of Fine Arts, Khvay Samnang turned his eye to
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 A band of creatives is setting out to put Battambang art on the radar, beginning with a current exhibition in Siem Reap. Nicky McGavin speaks with two of the group’s vibrant young artists. Photos of Chhon Ravy paintings provided by Trotchaek Pneik.
Sometimes you meet someone, and you can
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AsiaLIFE Cambodia is a monthly lifestyle magazine for people living in the kingdom. Featuring unique writing and photography on all elements of life in Phnom Penh and Siem Reap – restaurants, bars, the arts, shopping, fashion, hotels, business groups, travel and spas – AsiaLIFE is your essential guide to life in Cambodia. With a ‘what's on’ events calendar, full listings, party photos and maps, everything you need to know about Cambodia is at your finger tips and now online too...
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