AsiaLIFE

The Heart of Darkness
38 Street 51
Legendary, infamous, and thumping every night, the Heart of Darkness was the icon of Phnom Penh during its heyday off the rails. Though the gun-touting bodyguards are gone, the club retains an illustrious air of danger, attracting hardcore party crowds virtually every night. There are few other places in town where at three on a Wednesday morning you are guaranteed to find a dance floor full of punters. For a club, the drinks are surprisingly cheap – a gin and tonic will set you back merely US$2.50 and draught Tiger is yours for US$2. For those in serious party mode bottles of spirits start at US$20. The music is consistently average hip hop, and the dance floor has recently been declared to be part of the Penh’s gay scene. Though doors open at 8pm, don’t bother turning up until closer to midnight.

H2O Lounge
19 Street 242
Popular among rich and famous locals, this classy and modern club seems almost out of place in Cambodia. Beads, sparkle, glass, mirrors and revolving neon lights set the atmosphere, though early evening Khmer love songs remind that you haven’t left the country. Later on, the music changes into what staff call “the latest tunes,” meaning popular hip hop and R&B. Cocktails are US$4.50, and predictably the menu features a large selection of whisky by the bottle. Though most customers are male, women are tempted in on Wednesdays when Ladies Night promises drinks promotions. The club has a VIP room complete with a karaoke set, the use of which is free of charge for customers but reservations are recommended. Open 7pm until late. Closed Mondays.

The Rock and Spark
Reminiscent of a space age womb, stepping into The Rock, on Monivong Blvd., is like entering an incredibly gaudy parallel universe. The place is simply gigantic, and there are regular performances on the massive stage. Popular among Cambodian youth, this would be the perfect place to host an Asian version of the Eurovision song contest. A slightly toned down Rock look-a-like is Spark, located just off Mao Tse Tung Boulevard, next to Parkway. Not quite spectacular enough for international song contests, Spark could nevertheless host some fabulous cabaret shows like those found on cruise liners. For a bit of curious Khmer action, head to either after 10pm on a Friday or Saturday. Both are open daily from 9pm to 2am.

Riverhouse Lounge
6 Street 110
For a riverside party with upper class Khmers, look no further than Riverhouse Lounge. With regularly changing club nights, from Diva DJs on Mondays, through Foreplay Tuesday and Ladies’ Night Wednesday, to house and Latin Thursdays, the club offers something on every day of the week. Weekends are when the place really kicks off with the latest hip hop tunes played by a variety of DJs on Fridays, while Night Fever Disco takes over on Saturdays. Sunday is all about the latest chart music. Hardcore fans of the establishment can purchase VIP membership, which gives access to an exclusive seated area and various other promotions. For chilled out drinks on the balcony, Riverhouse is open from 4pm, but if a party is what you want, head there well after 10pm.

Pontoon
Tonle Sap opposite Street 108
In a town starved of proper nightclubs, Pontoon is like a seven-course meal. With its unique location and ever-improving club nights, this is where the party is most weekends. Thursday’s gay night The Gloryhole is increasingly drawing the crowds, though it is Friday’s HouSexy and Saturday’s Hip Hop Mashup that remain the real favourites. Upcoming SuperFly clubs, to be held every second Friday of the month, promise a host of funky tunes and general merriment with international DJs Clockwork Soul and Juveris. Connected to an international club network including the five biggest clubs in Bangkok, Pontoon’s managers hope to get a good mix of hot foreign DJs to come and spin the decks in the coming months. Imminent extension of the actual pontoon, as well as opening of a guesthouse on the adjacent boat, means you can soon spend your whole weekend twirling away at Pontoon. Open from 5pm, until very late.