Number 900
Travel Location: Phnom-Penh,Cambodia
I arrived at my hotel, the Billabong, at about 9. Very early, but the check-in staff were very nice and told me to walk around a bit and come back in about an hour, when my room would be ready.
A quick walk revealed a lot about the neighborhood, roughly defined as “Central Market” due to its proximity to the landmark located a few blocks away. Phnom Penh is easy to navigate as the streets are numbered. The hotel was on Street 158, with street numbers getting higher as one proceeded to the south, and going from low to high east to east from the river.
Only mad dogs and Englishmen . . .
Central Market is an interesting building where one can shop, but not for the best bargains (those are at the Russian Market, which is a little farther out from the center). The building itself is has a strong art deco influence and strolling the stalls that radiate from the center is fun.
I made it back to the Billabong at 10, when I was shown to my room, which was located on the third floor. It was spacious, with tile floors, a king-size bed, a big bathroom and a balcony overlooking the pool. Definitely worth the price, which was higher than some in Phnom Penh but lower then most in the rest of the world.
