Malaysia Airlines set to resume direct flights to Cambodia from November 19

 

Malaysia Airlines is restarting its direct service from Kuala Lumpur to Phnom Penh on Friday November 19. It plans to fly every Friday, depending on the number of passengers, adding Saturday and Sunday flights from December 4 and 5, according to its website.

Flights will leave the Malaysian capital at 9am local time and arrive at Phnom Penh International airport 1 hour 50 minutes later at 9:50am Cambodia time.

Economy Class fares on MH754 start at $106 including charges and taxes, with Business Class fares from $287.

There is currently no information about flights from Phnom Penh to Kuala Lumpur on the Malaysia Airlines website.

Flights from Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines were suspended by the Cambodian government 15 months ago on concerns about rising Covid-19 infection rates in the countries.

Prime Minister Hun Sen announced the lifting of the suspension of flights to and from Malaysia, the Philippines and Indonesia on October 23.

Source - Khmer Times

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#Cambodia - Day TripPER on Ten Bucks

It is a Friday night and you are feeling blue, stressed out after five days of work. A day trip over your long-awaited weekend would effectually bring you back to life. Yet, you have busted your budget this month and think you can’t afford the journey. So, you remain indoors all weekend listening to the off-key neighbour doing karaoke. Fact is, a good trip in and around Phnom Penh doesn’t have to cost you an arm and a leg. Taing Rinith sets his compass for a one-day trip. The price, he attests, is only 10 dollars.

Packing the night before

This $10-budget plan for a person is based on one assumption: that you have a vehicle with a tank optimistically half-full to avoid spending during your journey. Therefore, you should more cash on you in addition to the banknote bearing the portrait of Alexander Hamilton.

It is wise to prepare for your trip before setting off in the morning. Carrying too much weight can cause discomfort. Items recommended are: fill a small backpack with one change of outfit, a hand towel, a swimsuit, a bottle of water and a raincoat, and maybe your favourite book or e-reader. You should also bring a picnic blanket or a small mat with you. Sleep early because you will need a lot of energy tomorrow.

7:00am-9:00am

An artistic Breakfast

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 Begin your day by visiting the Royal University of Fine Arts, just across from the National Museum. The oldest university in Cambodia and the heart of the Art Street, RUFA can also be described as a museum without an entrance fee. In its peaceful and quiet compound, you can admire the artworks crafted by its outstanding graduates. Even during the weekends, you are able to see the industrious students working on their sculptures and paintings and listening to their nice music. Yet, don’t do that until you have slurped down a $1.5 bowl of Kuy Teav (Chinese noodle) with beef and meatball in the university canteen, which is filling and a famed delicacy in the locale. Don’t forget to order a bento of takeout rice with fried chicken and egg, also $1.5, for your lunch.

9:00am-10:30am

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Next, you have to head to Koh Dach, a natural isle on the Mekong River. To reach it from Phnom Penh, drive to Chroy Chongvar peninsular and then board a ferry at the pier about 5km from the Chroy Chongvar bridge. The ride, costing only 1,000 riels, itself is quite enjoyable with a simple but fetching view of the mighty river, especially from the top of the ferry. It takes only about 10 minutes. On the island, you will also find driving along the concrete road, lined with tropical trees and flowers, plantations and country houses, another pleasant experience.

10:30am-3:00pm

Lunch bites at the Love Plantation

Your next destination is Chomkar Sneh (translates as Love Plantation), a resort popular among cyclists. Entrance fee is only $0.50 for local and $1 for foreigner. Although it is designed to attract lovey-dovey singles, others too will find the visit worthwhile. Apart from lovely trees and flowers, there is a mini zoo, a swimming pool, sculptures and more. At noon, you can have your bento lunch in one of the huts built high from the ground, modelled after ethnic housing in the northern region of the country.

3:00am-5:00pm

Life is a Beach

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Yes, you heard right. A beach just outside of Phnom Penh. From Chomkar Sneh and after a rest, head back to the pier and then go south. After about 30 minutes, you will reach Koh Dach Beach Resort. The white sand of the natural beach on the tip of the island, just off the big parking lot near the entrance, is utterly beautiful, even superior to some crowded and spoiled beaches within the country’s coastal region. There are small huts on the beach or on stilts in the water. They are usually free on non-holiday weekdays. But on weekends or holidays, you are likely to pay $5 a hut. However, you do not need to pay anything apart from the $1 entrance fee. Instead, stay on your mat or picnic blanket under a big tree and enjoy a dip in the Mekong.

5:00pm-7:00pm

Fare thee well on a river cruise

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If you strictly follow our plan, you should still have around $5 in your one-day budget, which should be enough for a cruise along the riverfront. Boats will leave from along the bank of the Tonle Sap, cruise out, across the Tonle Sap, past the southern tip of Chruoy Changvar and traverse the waters of the Mekong River. From there, the vessels cruise along the far bank of the Mekong before circling around and slowly return to Phnom Penh. The sail takes around an hour and-a-half, and if you squint into that little red rubber ball on the horizon, you can just about see all your troubles riding off into the sunset.

Source - Khmer Post

#Cambodia - Tourist arrivals up by 10 percent - Chinese up by 35%

Tourist-at Phnom Penh Airport

A Tourism Ministry report published on Friday said that Cambodia saw a 9.7 percent increase of foreign tourist arrivals during the first quarter of this year.

According to the report, Chinese tourists top the country’s tourism market list with 683,436, a number that increased from quarter to quarter by 35.1 percent. Vietnamese tourists ranked second with 186,863, followed by Laos with 121,489 tourists, Thailand with 97,942 tourists and South Korea with 95,719 tourists.

A total of 1.29 million tourists arrived in the Kingdom via three international airports, while 578,371 arrived via land and waterway.

The report said Phnom Penh and its surrounding areas are the most attractive destinations for international tourists. The area received a total of 1.08 million tourists during the first three months of this year.

Siem Reap province, home to the Angkor temples, received about 787,900 foreign tourists, while coastal provinces such as Preah Sihanouk, Kep, Kampot and Koh Kong received 303,285 tourists.

In a recent meeting, Tourism Minister Thong Khon called on relevant parties to increase the quality of tourism services.

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Mr Khon said poor hospitality in the tourism sector has been reported, particularly in visa processing which requires tourists to spend informal expenses.

Chhay Sivlin, president of the Cambodia Association of Travel Agents, yesterday echoed Mr Khon’s statement. She said poor hospitality in the sector can discourage tourists from returning to the Kingdom.

“With nine to 10 percent growth, we are not satisfied because there are many issues we need to overcome. Other Asean countries try hard to attract foreign tourists and make them stay longer,” Ms Sivlin said. “We have to learn and try our best to get those in the private sector and the government to strengthen tourism services.”

“In terms of hospitality, we see some progress, but only small points,” she added. “When we offer poor services to tourists at border gates, tourists are not satisfied and will end their stay earlier.”

Ms Sivlin noted that the domestic production of goods to be sold to tourists should be increased, so local producers can benefit from tourists.

According to a Tourism Ministry Facebook post, Mr Khon said while most tourists arrived via airports, domestic flights are in need of a boost.

“Foreign tourists want to be able to take a plane from Sihanoukville in order to visit Angkor Wat,” he said. “It is easy to go on cruise ships, but domestic air services are difficult.”

Last year, Cambodia received 6.2 million tourists, with the tourism sector earning $4.3 billion.

This year, Cambodia expects to welcome 6.7 million tourists, while it expects to receive seven million by 2020.

Source - KhmerPost

#Cambodia - Unesco, ministry vow stronger cooperation

Unesco pledged to continue working closely with the Cambodian Ministry of Tourism to promote the conservation and sustainable development of Cambodia’s ecotourism sector and support government plans to develop tourism sites in Siem Reap province, including the Angkor Archaeological Park.

During a meeting with Thong Khon, the Cambodian Minister of Tourism, Sardar Umar Alam, Unesco’s new representative to Cambodia, said that, under the leadership of the Cambodian government, his organisation is collaborating successfully with the ministries of Tourism and Culture, the Apsara Authority and the World Tourism Organisation.

He promised to deepen this collaboration to make the Angkor Archaeological Park and surrounding areas, including the Tonle Sap and Prek Toal, into top tourist attractions and biodiversity areas in the region.

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Mr Umar Alam also provided suggestions on improving the conservation of the Tonle Sap, Kulen Mountain, Preah Vihear Temple, Koh Ker, Beng Mealea, and Sambor Prei Kuk, which, he said, can be added to travel packages that include ecotourism sites in the country’s southwest and northeast.

Mr Umar Alam said his organisation will continue to organise programmes to promote the development of Cambodia’s ecotourism and culture sectors, while supporting the Integrated Development Master Plan in Siem Reap, Angkor and surrounding areas.

Source - Khmer Times

#Cambodia - Government creates ‘great tourism zones’

Tourists visit the Wat Phnom historic site in Phnom Penh, Cambodia

A sub-decree issued Thursday coined ‘great tourism zones’, a term for areas where a wide range of tourism-related services is available.

In last week’s sub-decree, the government describes the zones as areas that have accommodation, food and beverage services, entertainment complexes, sports facilities, gardens, parks, health care centres, and other tourism-related facilities.

Great tourism zones must cover at least 100 hectares, according to the sub-decree.

Investors that wish to create great tourism zones in any part of the country must first submit an application to the Tourism Development Committee of the Ministry of Tourism, who will study and evaluate the project and submit a report to the government, the sub-decree said.

Top Sopheak, spokesman at the Ministry of Tourism, told Khmer Times that the concept of great tourism zones is modelled after special economic zones, areas that bring together facilities needed to streamline manufacturing activity.

“In Khmer, the word ‘great’ (piseth) has a similar meaning to the term ‘special’. That’s why the government chose this word,” Mr Sopheak said.

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“Great tourism zones are hubs that offer all tourism-related services. It is based on the same idea that special economic zones, which focus on manufacturing,” he said.

Mr Sopheak said great tourism zones cannot be established in existing tourism sites but only in new locations that show great tourism potential.

Source - Khmer Times

#Cambodia - Japanese eye hospitality investment in Kampot province

Kampot province welcomed 1.6 million tourists last year.

Japanese investors announced yesterday their intention to invest in a bungalow development covering four hectares of land in Kampot province.

The delegation of Japanese businesspeople announced their plans during a meeting with Chea Tay, the governor of Kampot province.

The project will be located in Traeuy Kaoh commune in Kampot district.

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The provincial governor supported the project, adding that he wants to see more projects in the hospitality sector to meet rising demand from tourists.

Soy Sinol, director of Kampot’s tourism department, confirmed the investment plans but had no details to share.

“All we know is that they have a clear intention to invest in the project, but they haven’t told us any details about the project itself, such as the groundbreaking date or the capital that will be invested,”  he said.

“It is possible that they just need more time to study the project and that when they finish they will reveal more.

“We hope the project will serve to attract more tourists from Japan as we are now focusing on making Kampot more beautiful and green,” Mr Sinol added.

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Kampot city – together with Battambang, Sihanoukville, Siem Reap, Kep, Kampong Cham, and Doun Penh, a district of Phnom Penh – all received the top accolade, three romdul flowers, at this year’s edition of the government’s National Clean City Contest.

In 2018, Kampot province received 1.6 million tourists, 10 percent of which were foreign nationals, according to Mr Sinol.

Source - Khmer Times

#Cambodia - Siem Reap welcomes plans for aquarium, sanctuary

Siem Reap will be home to a $70-million aquarium and wildlife sanctuary project that seeks to become a new tourist draw for the province.

Angkor Wildlife and Aquarium, a joint venture of Cambodian, Japanese and US investors, announced the project on Monday during a meeting with Siem Reap’s governor Tea Seiha.

Roger Reynolds, member of the board of directors at Angkor Wildlife and Aquarium, said the project will comprise freshwater and saltwater fish displays as well as a wildlife sanctuary.

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The project will be located on 100 hectares on land in Sout Nikom district.

“The project will provide employment for many local people,” Mr Reynolds said.

“It is divided into three phases. Phase 1 will use $20 million. Construction of this phase will start in March and will be operational by the end of 2020.

“Besides helping to develop the national economy, the project will educate local and international visitors about the environment and the conservation of natural resources by introducing guests to rare aquatic species so that they can see and understand the natural resources of the country,” Mr Reynolds said.

Mr Seiha said Siem Reap welcomes the project.

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“The company must now cooperate with relevant departments and authorities to move forward. It must review the location of the project to avoid delays in construction in the future and it must ensure it adheres to the law.”

Source - Khmer Times

#Cambodia’s bid to be ‘New Macau’ stirs old wounds as Chinese cash in

SIHANOUKVILLE, Cambodia — A businessman leaves a smoky room $1,500 poorer from a game of Baccarat at a casino in Sihanoukville — an increasingly common scene in the Cambodian beachtown as it becomes a honeypot for Chinese gamblers and investors at a pace worrying marginalized locals.

“It’s not so bad if I lost tonight,” said Dong Qiang, adding: “I will try my luck tomorrow.”

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The coastal capital of Preah Sihanouk province — named after Cambodia’s revered late king — was once a sleepy fishing community before being claimed first by Western backpackers, and then wealthy Russians.

Today it is Chinese investment that is transforming the province — into a sizeable gambling playground for mainland tourists.


“Some gamblers lose hundreds of dollars in less than 20 minutes,” an employee from a casino told AFP, requesting anonymity.

Casinos are banned in China, although the enclave of Macau — often dubbed the “Las Vegas of Asia” — has special laws allowing a massive gambling trade.

But Sihanoukville is becoming a popular alternative. There are around 50 Chinese-owned casinos and dozens of hotel complexes under construction.

Around 30 percent of Sihanoukville’s population are now Chinese, according to the provincial governor, who said this number ballooned in the past two years.

At the Oriental Pearl Casino, business is brisk. Ten Chinese men sit silently while their cards are shuffled across the green felt table, chain-smoking under the neon glare from a nearby bank of “50 Dragons” slot machines.

But while millions of dollars change hands on the casino floors, insiders say the big money is made in “secret rooms” hosting online gambling sites.

China’s largesse.
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Cambodia’s love affair with its communist neighbor has meant a sizeable cash injection for the once-impoverished Southeast Asian country. Billions have flowed into its economy but with few questions asked about China’s abysmal rights record.

Preah Sihanouk’s governor said $1 billion has been invested by Chinese government and private businesses between 2016 and 2018.

And China’s largesse is none more apparent than in Sihanoukville, a nexus of Beijing’s “One Belt, One Road” infrastructure plan, which includes a planned highway to Cambodia’s capital Phnom Penh.

China has also sought high-profile military exchanges, fuelling speculation that it wants to build a naval base off the Cambodian coast in Koh Kong province, north of Sihanoukville, with ready access to the flashpoint South China Sea.

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen vehemently denied the port-building claims, despite the recent docking of three hulking Chinese warships at Sihanoukville’s port.

He also returned from a recent trip to Beijing with the promise of $588 million in aid and an increase in bilateral trade to $10 billion by 2023.

Price hikes

Real estate prices in the town have skyrocketed in the past two years, increasing from $500 per square meter to five times that for homes close to the sea, real estate firm CBRE told AFP.

The provincial governor describes Chinese money as “a diamond and golden chance for all”.
“They bring money to invest because they see our potential,” Yun Min said.
Yet swathes of new development make it harder to settle old disputes over ownership in a kingdom where land has been commandeered by prominent, government-connected tycoons and wealth and influence trump the rule of law.

“The huge Chinese investment in Preah Sihanouk province has no benefits for the poor,” said Sun Sophat, a representative of the Spean Chheah community, which has camped out on a roadside refusing to be moved from lands they say have been sold from under them by a local tycoon.

“The benefits go only to the wealthy and the powerful.”
Boeun Kang, who has lived on the road next to the disputed land for 11 years, said her desire is simple — to own a 20×30 meter plot of land, which she is willing to die for.
“We don’t know when they will take this land, but we are all ready,” she told AFP. “We are ready to die here.”

Some local shops and restaurants grumble that they have been forced to close while Chinese-owned ones now stud prime spots, and NGOs say large hotels and resorts pump out uncontrollable amounts of sewage and rubbish.

Governor Yun Min said on balance things have improved for locals thanks to the Chinese imprint.

Income has doubled from $1,700 a year in 2015.

But he conceded that the money, casinos and a surging population had also brought trouble.
The Interior Ministry last year assigned a taskforce to handle the influx of people and a rise in some crimes — such as kidnappings, extortion and prostitution.
“The situation is under control,” said Yun Min.

He added: “These (problems) exist but after we are done with (the development), it will be clean and we will get a lot more benefits from it.” 

Source - Inquirer.net

#Cambodia - Close to the edge: Hair raising pictures from Kulen Mountain

A new hair raising attraction on Kulen Mountain has finally opened to the public, with people flocking to the protruding cliff edge overlooking green mountainous forests to take photographs.

The giant overhanging rock is situated in an area known as Mahendraparvata – an ancient city of the Khmer Empire era in Cambodia only uncovered in 2012 – with views extending over the beautiful and luscious Phnom Kulen National Park. Its moon-like cratered surface only adds to the otherworldly feel.

Van Vorng, 35, a security guard stationed near the attraction, warns families with children and those suffering from acrophobia (a fear of heights) to be cautious.

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“We are worried about people’s safety because the cliff is quite high. People could easily become too bold and fall off, especially when taking photographs carelessly,” he said.

Vorng, a resident of a village on Kulen Mountain, said a popular activity among tourists and locals is a night time picnic and camping under the stars.

“If tourists are worried about their safety at night, they can ask for us to stand guard. Everyone who comes here must clean up after themselves to protect the environment,” he said.

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Kulen Mountain is formed of sandstone and is an isolated chain of small mountain plateau’s lying south of the Dangrek Mountains, 48km north of Siem Reap town in Siem Reap province.

The range stretches for approximately 40km and its highest point is 487m.

This site was added to Cambodia’s national Tentative List for World Heritage on September 1, 1992, is being considered for World Heritage criteria. The effort continued in 2016 when over 300 families were removed from already crowded areas and existing facilities for tourists were upgraded.

Source - PnhomPenhPost

NGO's decry vulture decline in #Cambodia

                             Vultures in the Kingdom are facing an increasingly high risk of extinction as the birds have shown a 50 per cent decline in numbers since the late 2000s, a joint announcement from environmental organisations said on Saturday, quoting a report.

The report showed that declines have become particularly noticeable across forestlands in the country’s eastern plains, where historically as many as 30 animals were recorded during a single count. Current surveys often top out at 10.

“It is of great concern that only 121 of these majestic birds were recorded in this year’s national census, the lowest number on record since 2003. Recent assessments indicate that poisoning is the major threat to vulture populations in Cambodia,” the report continued.

Officials cited in the document say that the country’s three vulture species, the red-headed, slender-billed and white-rumpled, are all on the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s red list, indicating they are critically endangered.

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“Northern Cambodia is the only place in Southeast Asia where vultures can still be found in large numbers. Tourists come to see them at our vulture restaurant at Dong Phlet in Chhep Wildlife Sanctuary.

“But during the past five years, at least 30 vultures have been killed in Cambodia due to widespread indiscriminate use of deadly poisons and pesticides across the country, which is severely impacting the vulture population and also threatening human lives,” said Simon Mahood, a senior technical adviser at the Kingdom’s Wildlife Conservation Society.

He said that besides poisoning, Cambodia’s vultures suffer from habitat loss and food shortages caused by low numbers of wild ungulates (hoofed animals) and domestic cattle.

Increased levels of forest loss, land conversion and poaching as a result of economic land concessions, land encroachment and selective logging have negatively impacted the birds through a loss of nesting sites and reduction in natural prey availability as snaring for wild meat has dramatically increased across Cambodia.

“Results of vulture censuses in the last five years show a worrying trend, as less than 130 birds were counted in 2017 and 2018,” said Bou Vorsak, Cambodia program manager of BirdLife International.

Source TheNation

A new carrier takes off in capital Phnom Penh

Cambodia Airways, the latest passenger airline to enter the Kingdom, launched its first domestic flight on Tuesday.

Flight KR801, carrying 145 passengers, left the Phnom Penh International Airport at 9:50am and landed in Siem Reap at 10:35am in an Airbus A319.

Cambodia Airways marketing and branding manager Sok Ravy said domestic routes connecting Phnom Penh to Siem Reap and Phnom Penh to Sihanoukville will operate daily, while the Siem Reap-Macau, Phnom Penh-Macau and Sihanoukville-Macau routes will operate four times a week.

The first international flight is scheduled for takeoff on July 21.

Ravy said the company plans to add a Siem Reap-Taiwan route at the end of the month.

Acknowledging that there has been a spike in competition in the airline sector, she said there was still plenty of room to grow in the Kingdom, as the tourism industry was also booming.

“We believe the tourism industry will keep steady growth, which will drive demand for good quality airline services. We have quality aircraft, professional captains, well-trained cabin crews and standard services."

“So we believe our company will operate successfully,” Ravy said.

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A fleet of two

Cambodia Airways, which is fully owned by the Prince International Airlines Company, is registered in Phnom Penh and received initial approval to operate in August last year. It secured an air operator’s certificate (AOC) on July 6.

With an initial investment of $200 million, the new airline currently operates two Airbus A319 aircraft, with another three A320 aircraft to be commissioned at the end of the year.

Ravy said the company will grow its fleet to 20 aircraft by 2020. The airline expects to operate scheduled flights to Japan, South Korea, Asean countries, as well as routes to Europe and elsewhere in Asia.

The new airline will tighten competition in Cambodia’s increasingly crowded airspace, where 44 commercial airlines operate scheduled flights.

With Cambodian Airways now operating, it puts more pressure on local carriers as the number of domestically registered airlines stand at six.

Cambodia Airports general manager Chloe Lapeyre said the Kingdom is a very attractive market for the sector at the moment because it still hasn’t realised its full tourism potential. Cambodia Airports operates all the airports in the Kingdom.

Lapeyre said the capital’s airport can accommodate between 70 and 90 flights daily – an increase of about 30 percent per year.

“A lot of new international routes have been opening since the beginning of the year. The trend is for faster growth on the international side. That said, there is still space for domestic development too,” she said.

Lunar New Year shines across Asia - The Year of the Dog

From Beijing to Jakarta, dragon dance and dog lanterns ring in the colorful spring festival.         

Folk artists perform a lion dance ahead of the Chinese Lunar New Year, or Spring festival, at Taierzhuang Ancient Town scenic area in Zaozhuang, Shandong province, China.

People visit lantern decorations for the upcoming Chinese New Year in Yu Yuan Garden in Shanghai, China.

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People walk past lantern decorations for the upcoming Chinese New Year in Yu Yuan Garden in Shanghai, China, 

Men perform a dragon dance ahead of Chinese Lunar New Year in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

A man prepares lanterns and decorations for sale at a market ahead of the Chinese Lunar New Year in central Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

Source