Phnom Penh is quickly shedding its provincial atmosphere. High-rises and developments are springing up amidst the heritage French colonial architecture, and motos are scooting around more and more cars. 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.

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.

The population of the capital city is approaching two million (that's about 80,000 Utopians).

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

• Phnom Penh Pride
  Phnom Penh Pride, C/O VSO, P.O. Box 912, Phnom Penh, Cambodia, email. Organizers of Phnom Penh's LGBT pride events.

Phnom Penh Pride 2009 sponsored a weekend of various events around Phnom Penh from May 15-17 2009, coinciding with International Day Against Homophobia 2009.

Click here for Phnom Penh hotels and accommodations.

• Fly Lounge (mixed)
  #21AEo Street 148, Utopia Map. Gay-owned mixed bar with swimming pool inside! Attracts Khmer scenesters and hip visitors. Women-only night the last Sat of evach month - fabulous drink specials by world class bartenders, female DJs spinning hip-hop, R&B and dance music, sexy pool party and beautiful women.
• Touk (mixed)
  1/F corner of 178 St and Sisowath Quay (opposite FCC), Utopia Map, 012-248-694. Lesbian-managed bar with gay night on Fri. Female staff and gay bartender. Full bar and good eats.

• 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.
• 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 warapped 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 bufallo mazzarella!).

SIEM REAP -- Area Code (855-63)

Siem Reap, a bustling trading post sprung up at the gates to Angkor's magnificent world wonders and the majestic wildlife haven of the Tonle Sap lake, is now home to the revival of traditional Khmer arts and culture as well as being Cambodia's capital of cool.

Funkiness, the fantastical and the sublime all co-exist in this friendly, safe and easy-going tropical holiday destination. You'll be doing yourself a disservice if you just fly in and out for an exhausting 2-day temple tour. There's so much to discover and the pace of life so pleasurably lazy that you can easily spend a week here without being bored.

Hidden jungle animal sculptures that pre-date Angkor, peaceful Buddhist temple compounds housing vibrant 200-year-old murals (including a market scene with four arm-in-arm same-sex couples), an air-conditioned modern Museum explaining the art and iconography you'll encounter at Angkor (do see this first before you begin your temple trek), contemporary art exhibitions by emerging Khmer artists, market places bulging with the stuff of everyday Khmer life, cheap and delicious hole-in-the-wall eateries, eco-tours to floating villages and silk farms, more than a bit of gay life and a chance to interact with friendly and approachable locals, worthy social projects addressing the many needs of a largely poor rural population, a "beach" on the edge of a cosmic ocean where locals go to swim and picnic, a chance to get all your Christmas shopping done in a day -- Siem Reap provides vivid memories at every turn.

The population is about 100,000 (that's nearly 4,000 Utopians).

Navigating the local gay scene is easy with our interactive Utopia Map of Gay & Lesbian Siem Reap:

• Gold Tuk-Tuk
  092-501-691, email. Gay and lesbian-friendly tuk-tuk driver who is prompt and honest. He knows the gay scene venues, the temples and also the off-beat places and cheap laundry and Khmer food joints. Reasonable English and sincere service. Call when you arrive or send a simple email request well in advance of your trip. You can call his mobile phone whenever you need to get from point A to Z in Siem Reap and Angkor.

  Sam Veasna Center #0552, St 26 (off Wat Bo Rd), 761-597, email. Gay and lesbian-friendly ecotourist agency which organises remarkable insider itineraries across Cambodia to see rare birds and other wildlife in some of Southeast Asia's most undisturbed countryside. Visit great temples on route. Interact with local residents. Get off the beaten tourist path into the wild and experience the Cambodia that most visitors never encounter. Utopia Member Discount

Click here for Siem Reap hotels and accommodations.

• Miss Wong Cocktail Bar
  Utopia Map, 092-428-332, email. On The Lane, parallel to Pub St. Straight-friendly gay bar. If beer girls, big-screen TVs and pitchers on tap are not exactly your style, then head to Miss Wong for a taste of vintage Shanghai. The cherry-red lanterns that dangle from the doorway beckon passersby to this hidden gem. Inside, slip into one of the intimate leather booths for an Indochine Martini (premium vodka and ginger cognac infused with fresh pineapple). The fabulous interior is part Chinatown, part retro-kitch nod to the camp 50s art of Vladimir Tretchikoff, whose portrait of Miss Wong herself hangs in place of privilege (sorry Madame Mao!). The cute staff, thirst-quenching cocktails and conversation-friendly volume of the music make this arty bar wonderfully cozy and romantic. All of the town's hip, gay expats hang here at some point during the week. Owner and bon vivant, Dean, is one of Siem Reap's wonders. You will no doubt be drawn back again and again to the magic world of Miss Wong. Utopia Member Discount

• Bodia Spa (mixed)
  Located above the pharmacy just down from the Blue Pupmkin, Utopia Map, 063-761-593. Gay-owned and managed. Masseurs and masseuses available. The design of the facility is Cambodia Cool and yet soothing and calm. Massage takes place in a loosely curtained area. For a more private experience, ask to have your massage on the top floor where you will have a better chance of fully relaxing. The massage is top notch due to the emphasis on professional training. Prices are very reasonable.
• Shinta Mani (mixed)
  Oum Khum St, at 14th St (behind Post Office), 063-964-998, FAX 063-761-999, email. Three poolside spa rooms at this gay-friendly hotel in the heart of Siem Reap's Old French Quarter. They have both masseurs and masseuses. Utopia Member Discount

• Les Orientalistes (French, Moroccan and Khmer cuisine)
  613 Rue Wat Bo, Utopia Map, 012-894-207, email. Colorful to say the least, this Arabian-nights-inspired restaurant and guesthouse serves a variety of tasty French flavors and Moroccan specialties, along with Khmer favorites. Sit in the old villa, surrounded by exotic paintings, or on the patio and in the garden under tent-like fabrics. High romance, excellent kitchen and friendly staff. Open for lunch and dinner. Gay and lesbian-friendly.
• Viroth's Restaurant (Cambodian)
  242 Wat Bo St, Utopia Map, 016-951-800, FAX 760-774, email. Gay-owned restaurant whose gorgeous and understated Cambodia Cool design is as much a showpiece as its refined Khmer home cooking. Specialities include chicken satay, green bean salad, yahorn, and roast chicken. We loved the tender lemon pork and large pots of iced Earl Grey. Beautiful urban garden setting and romantic atmosphere. The all-male service staff are gorgeous and friendly. Moderately priced food and drinks, good selection of cocktails and wines. Drop by for lunch or dinner. Reservations are a good idea in high season.

• Eric Raisina Haute Couture
  53 Veal Village, Kok Chork, Utopia Map, 012-965-207. By appointment only, but don't miss a chance to see Eric's studio workshop. He's designed fabric for top fashion houses like Lacroix and Gaultier. Born in Madagascar, trained in Paris, he's established a cutting edge workshop on the outskirts of town that produces hand-made, vibrantly colored scarves, hats, bags, shirts and dresses at very reasonable prices. Inventive and artful use of local silk and organics, combining Khmer, African and modern European techniques, in surprising textures and super saturated colors that match the visual energy of modern life in Asia. Pieces also available at select 5-star boutiques, such as the Heritage Suites.
• Garden of Desire
  The Passage, parallel to Pub St, Utopia Map, 012-319-116. Superb contemporary Khmer jewelry and wearable art. Truly world-class designs by owner Pisith and other top local craftsmen. He's usually there in the evenings and besides being a fascinating artist (almost every piece has a compelling conceptual story behind it), he is also dedicated to cultivating artisitic creativity in young Cambodians.
• Obriot Gallery
  Sivatha Blvd on the corner at the intersection of Street 3, Utopia Map, 092-521-801, email. Beautiful and modern Buddhist-inspired contemporary art and housewares including the fabulous "Stupa Lamp" with tuk-tuk light (pictured below), ceramics, jewelry and decor. Owner Jean-Pierre designs a range of superlative and meditative objects and artworks using found and natural materials, sensitivity and whimsy. Utopia Member Discount