Phnom Penh is quickly shedding its provincial atmosphere. High-rises and mega-developments are springing up on the city's horizon, and tricked up tuk-tuks are having to scoot around more and more gas-guzzling vanity vehicles.

The capitol city remains crowned by the pretty gardens and evocative structures of its Grand Palace. Residents gather by the riverside to watch street magic, to munch fresh snacks, or to promenade along its banks in the cool of late day. Shady temple courtyards bekon, as do mobile phone sales booths which dot the city streets, covered in sequences of lucky numbers, like monuments of mystical numerologists.

Visit the National Museum, whose superb Khmer treasures radiate magic as you wander its galleries in the slight fever heat of the day. Just outside, vendors display lurid florescent paintings on black velvet or scaled-down versions of Angkor sculptures destined for decorative nooks around the globe.

Cambodia cool art and design are evident everywhere in trendy restaurants and shops. Even the vivid color schemes of homes and shophouses express the optimism and vibrancy of the city's residents.

Dance seems to be a national pastime. Groups of people gather at dusk in parks and public areas to dance in unison for exercise. Children once again patiently re-trace classical dance gestures, nearly lost to time and war, but threaded into the Khmer soul. "Freshie" teens with animé haircuts echo the urban hip-hop dance moves and styles that thread the world of youth together around the globe.

There are a growing number of gay businesses now where you may meet locals, so you'll likely have little problem connecting. Everyone here is working hard, so most socializing in saunas and bars takes place between dusk and 10pm, unless it is a weekend or holiday.

The population of the capital city is over two million (that's more than 80,000 Utopians).

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Phnom Penh's gay and lesbian scene is easy to navigate using our Utopia Map:

Click here for Phnom Penh hotels and accommodations.

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• China House
  45 Sisowath Quay, Utopia Map, 099-941-652, email. Beautifully restored heritage home along the river. Art exhibitions, weekly screenings, and upstairs bar with cozy pillow seating on vintage Chinese beds. Open Tue-Sun from 6pm.
• La Gallerie X-Em Design
  #13 Street 178, Utopia Map, 722-252, 092-764-836, email. Showcase for gay contemporary painter and designer, Em Riem. His Asia-modern designs include ceramic skulls, porcelain cups made from casts of discarded water bottles, and whimsical lamps made from a variety of unexpected materials. His paintings on exhibit during our visit included monumental portraits of farm animals in saturated, pop colors, and conceptual male and female nudes painted onto canvases made of discarded rice sacks. Exhibiting around the world, Em is one of Cambodia's emerging national treasures.
• Top Art Gallery
  2/F (above Riverhouse Lounge) Street 155E2, Sisowath Quay, Utopia Map, 012-211-193, 9215-9786, email. Gallery and studio of openly gay Khmer artist, Thang Sothea, showcasing his large paintings on canvas. A master of paint texture, Sothea frequently combines homo-erotic subjects, witty sexual in-jokes and Khmer written language into his figurative and calligraphic works. One of the most astonishing artists in the emerging Cambodia Cool art and design explosion.

Click here for Phnom Penh Massage and Spas for Men.

• 999 (Khmer and sukiyaki)
  18C Street 144, Utopia Map 092-726-565, 011-889-954, 015-232-399. This unpretentious, hole-in-the-wall restaurant serves up cheap, delicious food including their specialty: hot pot with cow hooves. If you're not that adventurous, try the pork cracklings stir-fried with broccoli or the seafood salad in sweet fish sauce -- the perfect Khmer counterpoints to a mug of iced beer. Popular with groups of gays because of the friendly owner and staff (not much English spoken).
• Bougainvillier (Khmer and fine French cuisine)
  277 Sisowath Quay, Utopia Map, 220-528, email. A gay-owned and gay and lesbian-friendly fine dining restaurant on the river front in the tourist area. Khmer and fine French cuisine from the French chef (homemade foie gras, fish and Argentinean beef). Utopia Member Discount
• FCC (Foreign Correspondents' Club)
  2/F 363 Sisowath Quay, Utopia Map, 220-528. Dine or drink in casual style with beautiful views of the river from this heritage club open to the public. A real sense of history and authentic ambience.
• K'NYAY Khmer & Vegan Cuisine Restaurant
  25K Suramarit Blv (St 268), Utopia Map, 225-225, 092-665-225, email. Gay and lesbian-friendly modern Khmer restaurant that is tucked away down an alley off Sihanouk Blv. The menu includes a selection of freshly prepared vegan dishes, along with more traditional Cambodian specialities. Also on offer are a selection of cakes, ice creams and sorbets, using all vegan ingredients. Open Mon-Fri 1noon-9pm, Sat noon-9pm, closed Sun.
• Malis (Khmer fine dining)
  #136 Street 41 (3 blocks south of Independence Monument, Utopia Map, 221-022, 221-121, email. Contemporary Cambodian garden and pond setting for superb Khmer fine dining. Try the spiced pork slices on banana flower and herb salad, savory duck stew, scallops and coconut milk steamed rice wrapped in lotus leaves, and much, much more (including a warm banana pudding with sago 'pearls' and cubes of banana that taste like a morph between marshmallows and buffallo mozzarella!).

Click here for Phnom Penh saunas for men.

• The French Element Hair Salon
  Himawari Hotel, Unit D (in the shops located in the parking lot outside the hotel), Street 313, Utopia Map, 077-283-332, email. French, gay-managed hair salon in the heart of Phnom Penh offering all kinds of hair services with the best innovative techniques and European creativity. Bright, modern pop decor with splashes of hot pink. Imported L'Oreal and Schwarzkopf products. Plans are in the works for spa treatments and massage. Utopia Member Discount