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PHNOMPENHMARKETS
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Markets These are typically close-quarters places, where crowds in small spaces haggle for hours over a few riel. So watch your back, your pockets and your bags. Cambodians, like many Asians, have little concept of personal space. Also watch out for the manic drivers of cars, motos and tuk-tuks as they careen around and past the market areas: some suggest that armour might be the clothing of choice. Souvenirs and T-shirts are not the only things on offer. Delve into the darker corners and you'll come across household items that Khmers use every day, some smelly food stalls, raw meat left out all day and piles of rotting veg under foot. Visit one of these markets, if only for the olfactory sensations. |
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Shopping Centers Usually air conditioned, they are more expensive than the markets although they tend to attract crowds of Khmers experiencing their first escalator ride. Most items for sale have a fixed price, but you won't find it hard to engage in a bit of haggling. Generally they sell much the same as you can buy in the markets. |
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Street Stalls and Shops Always carry some Riel around with you for small change, as no, $1 is not the smallest transaction. That goes for motos, cyclos as well as tipping. (4000 Riel = $1) |
February 2009  David Fruitman Bustle and bargain is a way of life for anyone taking on the shopping experience of a lifetime, where choice is paramount Market Forces Anything from shirts to skillets, silks to saucepans, trousers to tennis rackets. Shoppers beware, you could end up with excess baggage This city is a shopper’s delight, with thousands of street stalls and shops plus the relatively recent shopping mall, which is generally air conditioned and typically the place where provincial Cambodians first discover the escalator. However, the place for getting a real Khmer experience is to try one of the local markets or psars. They are generally crowded, either wholly or partially open to the sky and typically get overbearingly hot during the afternoon. They are also generally packed with a stunning variety of goods and services. Probably the two most famous psars in town are Toul Tom Pong (Russian Market) and Thmei (literally translated as New Market, despite being more than 70 years old, but usually referred to as Central Market, despite not being central). The former has a split personality with a large portion of the market geared towards local shoppers with goods ranging from motorcycle parts and electrical supplies to groceries and household goods. There is also a wide range of clothing and footwear with sizes to fit most foreigners and vast tracts of stalls selling DVDs and Khmer souvenirs: silks, prints and paintings, handicrafts, sculptures and jewellery. While still a sweltering, overcrowded and confusing (even with the handy Pocket Guide map) place with many narrow pathways between stalls, there have been efforts recently to renovate the market. The exterior has been fixed up, parking has been improved and there has been some effort to clear street vendors from the surrounding area. In response some have built rather fancy storefronts, which seem jarringly out of place. One hint: if the crowds, heat or simply the overall shopping experience get overwhelming, head out of the west entrance and enjoy an iced coffee at Tanna’s in the parking lot. It may not be the cheapest coffee in town, but the sign says it is the best and it is hard to argue. Central Market is an iconic art deco landmark. Built over a drained swampy lake in the mid-1930s, it is often compared to an airport terminal. While many locals shop there, it has a reputation for being overpriced and geared towards tourists with a lot of souvenirs, jewellery, sunglasses, watches and T-shirts and other clothing in large sizes suitable for foreigners. However, there is a wide variety of other stuff including household goods, electronics, plants and groceries. It is undergoing a two-year makeover. The streets around it have been constricted into a single lane to make room for the vast temporary housing for stalls uprooted during the renovation. At the time of writing, the stalls in the northeastern arm have been moved to their temporary location outside the market and the area in front of the eastern entrance has largely been cleared away. The market seems to be going strong, but crossing the street has become a bit more hazardous. There are many other psars in Phnom Penh. Some of the best known are Psar Chas, which offers a wide variety of fruit and other food; Psar Olympic, which is well known for wholesale fabrics; and Psar Orussey, another multi-storey affair that specialises in dry bulk foods but also has an extensive wet market, household goods, clothing, electronics and hardware. Visiting a psar can be fun if you bear in mind a few tips. Keep smiling as people push past you, haggle in a firm, but friendly manner, hold on to your belongings and try to avoid shopping during the hottest part of the day – trust me on that one. |
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Long gone are the days when you could buy an AK-47 assault rifle or a few kilos of marijuana, but the Russian Market (Psar Toul Tom Pong) still has a uniqueness that should be experienced by all who visit our fair city. Russian Market When I first moved here it was really nothing more than a stadium-sized parking lot with whatever they could manage to fabricate a wall and a tin roof-like topping. The interior resembled a post-apocalyptic bomb shelter, with sauna-like conditions, bad footing and almost as many beggars as legitimate store fronts. In these times of “keeping up with the Joneses”, Toul Tom Pong now has a newly-paved parking lot, a vastly improved (yet still a bit dodgy) exterior and a fair amount of new merchants with higher store-front standards. The interior however has had little refurbishment and can still be a bit of an ankle buster, so watch your step. And due to the tin roof, open-flame food stalls and Cambodia’s tropical sun, it can still turn hotter than 140,000 mysteriously misplaced bullets, even before midday. So for your comfort level, not to mention all the best deals, make sure that you get there early! This market, despite its misgivings, is an absolute must for any visitor here. The major difference between this and all of the others is that it is split into two different areas, one of those geared strictly for the foreigners (see the map on pp 28/9). Aisles and aisles of silk wares, wooden handicrafts, handmade trinkets, jewellery, DVDs, bags, shoes, clothes (including the ubiquitous souvenir T-shirts) are all here for the haggling. You may find a bit more of a language barrier here as it doesn’t seem to get quite as much traffic as Central Market, so you'll have a chance to practice your Khmer and, if in doubt… just walk away. You’ll soon hear “Hey, Mister” or “Hey, Lady” shortly after you take a few steps. MAP  Large file 145kb |
Phnom Penh has many and varied points of interest, one of which is that famous Art Deco landmark, Phsar Thmei. Central Market The name is a bit misleading, as we Barangs have dubbed it “Central Market” whereas it translates as “New Market” Either of these monikers, however, aptly describes this vast hall of numerous goodies. The locals have their own nickname for it, Phsar Neak Mien or “Rich People's Market”. And while, yes, you may pay a little bit more for your wares here, the locals are also quick to point out that the quality of the items is usually better than what you will find at most of the other markets around the city. Her yellow exterior (yes it could use a fresh coat), and Art Deco design bring a style of its own to the hustle and bustle that surrounds her. This historic landmark has the layout of a small airport, with four separate wings leading to a large domed terminal. Once inside, it’s easy to get lost, and for me that’s half the adventure (though you could always use the map on the next page). You never know what little treasure you might discover while scouring the many twists and turns of one of Phnom Penh’s most famous structures. One of the stand-out features for me is the diversity of the hub. Whereas other markets may have a more specialised feel to them, such as O'Russei (various dried foods) or Olympic (a sea of shoe stores) here you can find almost anything. It has miles of clothes; mines of gold, silver and gemstones; shoes to fit most people (especially size 45 and smaller); electronics and accessories; maps, flags, and books from SE Asia; and plenty of quality fresh foods at far less than supermarket prices. You can call it “New” (it’s almost 70 years old) or you can call it “Central” (though it’s not exactly centrally located) - it really doesn’t matter. Just make sure it’s part of your experience during your time here. MAP  Large file 145kb Central Market will be under renovations over the next 2 years, as of June 2008. Be ready for some inconvenience. |
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