Third floor - trip to SE Asia in Jan/Feb 2026

[vinapu]

1 hour ago, Tomtravel said:

But this forum is luckily not about rational decisions!😀

agreed but in case bus vs. flight what rational decision will be?  For somebody  planning to spend week or two at destination , bus will be  better option since 3 hrs versus 10 days is nothing. For other , who will be there only 2-3 days every hour may count so calculation changes

[vinapu]

Phnom Penh – boy centric stay and meeting old friend by miraculous chance

 When comes to typical tourist stuff I thought I already saw  everything in PP  but was proven wrong .

For me main destination there is Space Hair bar and this time I decide to stay close , just one block away on parallel street  (130).

From bus station I took remork, overpaid 10000 (2.5 $)  but it was premeditated  - I wanted to be in my room as soon as possible after spending good half of day on the road. Grab wouldn’t be more than 6000 to I wasted whole dollar, ouch!

Room was nice , particularly view from window i.e. wall of another building 1 m away , enough for daylight to seep in though. Went to eat something, my favorite restaurant was closed , replaced with some Filipino eatery so went to tried and trusted Dolce Vita for  my daily load of chicken with cashew nuts. From there took remork to street 222 to check location of new boy bar AsiaCam. I did not have intention to go inside today  but I wanted to see where it is as one of my friend found the gem there recently.

In the evening  short walk to Space Bar where I was recognized by few of their boys including one

I’m interested in since last trip, lets call him SBG which translates to Space Bar Gem. There are three others I was hoping the will be there but upon asking I learned   two of them  landed another jobs and one went home for short time vacation.

I also noticed few new faces, specially one of them  looked quite bulgy and after buying him a drink, soon I learned that my impression was VERY accurate. I always have good time there , oiled by drinks here and there. Boys are not pushy and even if you buy them a drink they may  still go away for a while to attend to other customers. Luckily SBG was keeping me company  for most of the time , on other side I was flanked by either bulgy guy or very well built veteran there SBV.

Due to bar policy boys are notoriously impossible to be invited to the room but I managed it in the past either before bar opens or after is closed so my hope was I will repeat the feast with SBG. Even is it was well after sunset , sun shone on me as both SBG and SBV asked for my contacts which I took as good sign. Too bad bulgy guy was not as fore sighting but he is new there and needs to learn his steps first I guess. After spending about 50 $ on drinks and this was all I had on me tonight I went home empty handed  but with feeling that misfortune won’t last long.

Not having anybody in the room resulted in good night sleep till 9.20, that doesn’t happen too often for me , specially on vacation but my reward was waiting in my phone. Message from SBG that if I want we may have breakfast together at 12 noon in some place in Bassac Lane. 12 is close to my lunch time  but such chance can’t be wasted so I decided to fast till noon,. Busied myself with forum updates , doing some laundry and walking toward  Royal Palace where I got remork to that place.

 I arrived first , it looked very modern and not exactly cheap    but we are in Cambodia where even expensive is quite affordable. SBG arrived on time and shared news with me – he invited SBV to join us. I both liked an idea and did not like. Liked because SBV is nobody to sneeze at built wise and will grace any bed at any time , on another hand this derailed my designs on SBG. Third wheel is third wheel. But I was hungry, so were boys, each of them came there after morning exercises. Nice gesture from SBV  was to make sure SBG seats beside me – obviously he realizes who is my primary goal.

After meal they suggest we go to the Aeon mall. Official idea was to show me some unusual coffee shop  inside bookstore. I’m not mall guy but never been to one in Cambodia and decided to play along and see what happens. I was given tour  of few expensive stores where they tried some garments but I was playing stupid and if their hope was I tell them ‘ok I will buy it for you “ , I made sure dream was shattered . It’s not difficult to play stupid.

  But we had a coffee in that shop, again SBG sitting beside me and SBV across the table so when we went to another store and they seemed interest in some sun glasses I generously offered to buy them those. We are talking 5 $ a piece.   All in , even with 3^rd wheel I like whole experience and had feeling that , even if they plot something it was done way ensuring I have good time too.

Before we parted ways SBG said he need to go to work early evening but me and SBV can take sunset cruise on Mekong. Oho , though I , we are going somewhere, not necessarily in direction I want as first choice but still in the right direction.

So at 5  we met at Night Market by the river where cruises launch, it was 5 $ for me and 5000 riels for my guy (1.25$) but my price included drink . I bought him his beers aboard. It was actually pleasant cruise and sunset was nice. City from the river always looks different than from street level and we are talking whole hell of river as Phnom Penh in in confluence of Tonle Sap river and mighty Mekong.

 On disembarking SBV asked me where’s my hotel and I knew what that question means so suggested he walks me there, we were mere 3-4 blocks away. At front I asked if he wants to see my room , proposal met with enthusiastic smile and rest was yahoooo !!! Honestly I suspect he was quite into me and who I am to question his judgement. What a hunk !

Although sometimes it’s good if those guys stay quiet as at one point he told me he is jealous that last night in the bar I gave higher tip for sitting with me to SBG than him. We are talking 5 $ more , WTF ? Ok, so added that ‘shortage” to his well deserved tip for today but I did not like fact that he complained and also fact that SBG told him although when asked he couldn’t have probably a chance to avoid answer. That soured my mood just an inch as I don’t like such antics.

 On another hand he suggested that tomorrow afternoon they both (both again? ) want me to take me to Morgan Tower Sky Bar, place I never heard about, reputedly highest located bar in whole city.  I decided to play along and agreed, after all  their ideas worked for me today, no?

 After guy left I decided to check AsiaCam bar tonight and see if hunk my friend spotted month ago will be there. There were two young farangs customers inside and perhaps 5 boys, all twinks, no sight of hunk. I ordered beer for myself and one for one of the boys, one who greeted me first  but knew from the start it will be just a drink and go. Boys not my  type, that’s all . at least two of boys I recognized from Grindr. At one point I thought I may change my mind as one more guy appeared and he was blood pressure rising  but before I decided on any motions he left so I’m not even sure he was guy from bar of just somebody visiting his bar friends., Anyways worth of sin.

  Guy sitting with me was kind of hoping for closer connection but I invented some lie about boyfriend waiting for me in hotel , paid my dues and went , you guessed it , to Space Bar. As suitable for drinks dispenser I was s greeted with kind of applause.  I noticed new face , asked him if he is new and he confirmed it’s his 1st day. After second drink he admitted that he lied and straightforwardly told me that he is MB and suggested we exchange WhatsApp. Nice to deal with trained professionals . , It did not take long before he showed me his six pack and it was piece of art made from stainless steel  even if his stature  was more twunk than hunk.

One may wonder where are my two boys. SBV decided he has enough of me today probably and was sitting with other clients, SBG was also circulating between tables ( bar was quite busy tonight) and at one moment mentioned that tonight he is one who must work till bar closes  and see you tomorrow so I took it as forget about tonight. That placed six pack MB at front of the line , specially that he send me a message ;”tonight?”. I did not  need clarification what he means so my answer was equally long ‘ yes’. The same way I informed him where my hotel is and he told me ‘ you go first, wait me hotel lobby “.

 It was 1.30 when I left , walking slowly  and just in front of hotel I felt pat on the back – it was him.

In the room I asked about whole night, agreed immediately. While SBV earlier was like Rambo , SixPack was more like Prince Charming and that worked well for both of us. I wanted Prince Charming at the moment and he got 20$ more than he wanted for being one. I particularly like guys who sense what I like without any instructions and he was that rare specimen.

 What a fun filled day  !

Tomorrow is my last day in Phnom Penh or at least that is what I thought but what do we know?

[vinapu]

few impressions from sunset cruise

[floridarob]

2 hours ago, vinapu said:

Tomorrow is my last day in Phnom Penh or at least that is what I thought but what do we know?

Another cliffhanger, I hope it's better than the rest stop break 😆

Woops, Good Night 😘