by Scott Coates

Alexis de Suremain, a French native, first left his homeland to work with Pharmaciens Sans Frontières, a non-governmental organization (NGO), in a few of the former Soviet republics. Southeast Asia and former French colonies were on his mind and he asked for a transfer, landing in Phnom Penh, Cambodia back in 2001. With some schooling in graphic design and international business Suremain quickly set off into business and has never looked back, taking Phnom Penh by storm.

Many foreigners set up bars, restaurants and hotels in up-and-coming destinations like Phnom Penh, but few with as much style, enthusiasm and innovative zeal as Alexis.
I first met him back in 2005 while developing our Classic Cambodia adventure, having heard of his famous parties at Elsewhere on the last Friday of every month. Operated with his wife Elsewhere quickly hit a pulse with the city’s foreign residents who flocked to its pool and lush tropical environment. Alexis hasn’t looked back since, and in many ways has become Phnom Penh’s premier hotelier.

A city on the move and hitting travelers’ radar early in the millennia, he identified a number of critical travel needs in the city, coupled those with his love for colonial buildings that had fallen under disrepair, and opened his first hotel, the 25-room Pavilion. The concept was a quiet, easy-to-run, romantic place for adult travelers, all at a very reasonable price. A signature of his properties is large, lush public areas with a good-sized swimming pool. He also adopted a very visible policy against sex travelers, something the country was known for some years ago. Not to leave families out, he soon opened the Kabiki specifically for families with children. Business has been gangbusters and he’s gone on to open Blue Lime, The 240, set the bar for sipping cocktails with the very stylish Chinese House and is currently working on his biggest hotel to date, The Plantation, a 72-room colonial hotel in the heart of the city, set to open its doors in 2011. The Plantation will expand upon Alexis’ focus of eco-friendly and sensible practices.

Eco has always been at the top of his mandate. It’s not only good for the environment but a great way to save money according to Suremain. Things like open-air restaurants and lobbies greatly reduce electric bills while putting guests in touch with their environment, something that’s key to a rich travel experience. With an eye to the future and setting the bar even higher he’s ambitiously been working on a first-of-its-kind floating hotel.

“Floating structures are mobile, you can move them if the location turns out to be not efficient. Floating hotels are original, romantic, different, give an adventurous feeling, explains Suremain. “The idea was to setup a floating village half way between Phnom Penh and Siem Reap and use existing mid-sized boats to shuttle between those two cities at half the price offered by the large cruise boats. One does not sleep in its cabin on board but gets a larger floating bungalow, with its own private pool.”

Perhaps the most innovative part of this project is that bungalows will be entirely powered by solar, which will in turn air condition only the bed.
“The solar panels feed an air-conditioning compressor when the sun is shining. The compressed gas is cooled by the river by a heat exchanger much more efficiently that with the traditional air cooled units. Compressed gas is then released in a heat exchanger inside an insulated tank located above the bed, cooling 1,500 liters of water. At night, a sliding door above the bed is opened, releasing the fresh air to the space contained by the mosquito net.”

While electricity is saved, the cost of this technology is far more than electric bills. Alexis looks at the real benefit being pushing the industry forward, setting trends and gaining good amounts of PR from doing so. Cambodia has the most expensive electricity in all of SE Asia, an important reason to reduce consumption he says.

While many hotels preach being green, while putting in large bathtubs and cooling rooms 24-hours per day whether you’re in them or not, Alexis is proving simple steps can not only save money, but create interest, spark innovation and drive sales. Next time you’re in Phnom Penh, ask us to put you at one of his hotels and see what the fuss is about.

by Bank Takaeng

A group of Smiling Albino Adventurer’s explore Phnom Penh by Tuk Tuk.

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by Scott Coates

It was late May 2010 and I was standing in the waiting area of the Angkor Hospital for Children looking for a contact I’d long been trying to meet. I’ve never seen so many children be so quiet, especially when they’re sick, it’s hot and they’ve not doubt been waiting a long time to see a doctor. Perhaps even when you’re too young to really know what’s going on, but have little financial means and services available, you implicitly appreciate assistance?

Visitor's Center at AHC

In 2009 a Smiling Albino (SA) guest mentioned after her Classic Cambodia adventure that she had a Canadian friend who works at the AHC. She introduced us via email and over the next year or so we traded messages here and there. When we finally met that hot day in May we’d almost forgotten how we were first introduced. It was well worth the wait. As the Director of Medical Education Center at AHC, David Shoemaker has more than a full plate – he has a full hospital. With 500-600 patients queuing for treatment daily, his team is always stretched to see everyone, but they’ve proudly never turned anyone way.

During his first visit to Cambodia in 1999 for vacation, David never thought he’d still be in Siem Reap (the jumping-off point for exploring the magnificent temples of Angkor Wat) all these years later. Trained as a nurse he enjoyed a number of international professional stints before accidentally settling down and becoming an integral part of the AHC team.

Started in 1996, Friends Without a Border, is the charitable organization that supports and runs AHC. Kenro Izu, a renowned Japanese photographer, saw a child die while waiting for medical care during his first visit to Siem Reap and was forever moved. The child was about the same age as his daughter in Japan and he quickly started the charity upon his return home. In 1999 he opened the original AHC, a facility that has assisted 750,000 children to date. Back in 2000 AHC was serving about four children per day and 1,200 annually. In 2009 they assisted more than 120,000 kids, with more than 500 children visiting daily. How things have grown!

As David walked me through the modern and very impressive AHC facility he explained how there is now a staff of 220, all Khmer with the exception of four foreigners who work in non-medical capacities. From cleaners, laundry attendants, to doctors, nurses and even two Play Therapists, AHC is Cambodia’s premier pediatric center with an annual operating budget of about $2.3 million US.

David in AHC's Emergency Room

To put the hospital’s importance into perspective, after the 1975-79 Khmer Rouge rule, the Vietnamese occupation and war from 1979-1989 and the United Nations Transitional Authority in Cambodia (UNTAC) from 1992-1995, the kingdom was left battered with little to no infrastructure, especially in terms of human talent as the Khmer Rouge executed most of the educated populace during their reign. Today a third of Cambodians live on less than $1US/day, infant mortality is at 69 per 1,000 births, and there are still very few medical facilities across the country that are little more than very simple clinics.

Izu’s project to build a pediatric center now attracts Cambodian doctors and nurses out of university who are looking to get real on-the-job-training and their passion is infectious. In addition to seeing so many children every day, AHC now has 50 free impatient beds, free cooking equipment and food for those staying over who can’t afford a meal and does multiple weekly house calls to patients who can’t afford to come to the hospital. It’s this service that perhaps has the greatest impact.

David explains that by the time most children arrive at AHC their conditions are way worse than they should be. Families often don’t have enough money to get to Siem Reap and the hospital, putting off a visit until it’s almost too late. Keeping people healthy is less expensive than treating them when they’re very ill, the main driver behind AHC’s very successful house calls, and it reduces physical numbers at the hospital.

A patient and mother

After more than 10 years living/working in Asia and being very involved with SA Community programs, I was incredibly moved by the AHC, David’s work and the entire project. It’s quickly grown from a dream into something residents rely on, respect and helps grow the country’s trained talent pool – truly impressive.

If you’re in Siem and looking for something to do; drop-in to AHC’s gorgeous Visitor’s Center, where they have a great video about the project. It’s well worth 30 minutes.
Until you make it to the hospital, see a video about Friends Without a Border and learn about Ways You Can Help.

Here are some photos from a June 2010 exploratory visit to Kampot, Cambodia. Click here to see the full gallery.

Mads, Scott, Erika & Clare on the Kampot River

Hail to the boatman

Kampot River scene

Crossing a funky floating bridge

Raking salt

Bokor Mountain

See all our full Cambodia Photo Gallery by clicking here.

by Scott Coates

Thonle Sap Lake is one of the world’s great bodies of water as well as one of the least known. As SE Asia’s largest freshwater lake, this UNESCO Biosphere supports people, wildlife and completely reshapes the country as water levels rise and fall.

A floating village on Thonle Sap Lake

Depending on the time of year it changes from 2,700-16,000sq km, supporting 25% of the country’s residents when waters are at their highest and producing 75% of Cambodia’s annual inland fish intake. The lake changes in depth from 1-11m, growing due to an increase in the Mekong River which swells at the start of the rainy season (about mid-June to the end of October) with run-off from snow melt in the Himalayas. The amazing part is that the Mekong itself doesn’t run into Thonle Sap Lake directly. Rather it  joins with the Thonle Sap River about 100km SE at the capital Phnom Penh. The extra push of water down the Mekong forces water in the Thonle Sap River to change direction and move NW filling the lake and greatly changing life for half the year. The reverse happens at the end of the rainy season and beginning of the dry season when Mekong levels drop and the lake pushes its excess load down the Thonle Sap River, to the Mekong and eventually in to Vietnam. During the full moon day in November locals stage a huge celebration along the banks of the Thonle Sap River in Phnom Penh to commemorate the change in river flow which affects all living things for months to come.

Khmer, Cham, Vietnamese and Chinese call the lake home, fishing its more than 200 species and relying on it for sustenance throughout the year.  At its highest the river occupies 7% of the country but 25% of its human population live on and along its banks. When water is high residents are only allowed to  fish to feed themselves and in the dry season to fish for sale as well. In just a few months fish stocks replenish themselves.

View Larger Map
Some residents construct evolving buildings with multiple stories. In the dry season residence is taken on the lower floors and when water levels rise, lower levels are disassembled and life moves upwards. This includes temples and schools that relocate and reshape with the season.

Three major protected biodiversity zones are on the lake, most notably Prek Toal, which a diverse group of water fowl and other creatures calling it home. Truly one of the planet’s great wildlife areas, for bird watchers this is a must.

There are three main floating villages to visit from nearby Siem Reap (jumping off place for the temples of Angkor), the closest Chong Kneas, having the most tourists and all that goes with that, then Prek Toal and Kompong Pleuk, which require a longer journey to/from but certainly are less-visited by outsiders and well worth the effort. Temples at Phnom Kraom provide great views of the lake and are a nice, quiet escape from Angkor’s wonders.

Floating school

If you really want to have a rich Thonle Sap Lake experience then visit with a local pro. The cost will not be more expensive than doing it on your own when you add up all the bits and pieces, you’ll make the most of your time and gain insights about this gem of SE Asia you simply wouldn’t on your own. Most importantly traveling in this manner provides much needed work for locals who love nothing more than sharing their lives while bettering themselves. We of course recommend seeing Thonle Sap Lake and Cambodia with Smiling Albino.

Check out our Cambodia Photo Gallery.

Sources:

National Geographic Traveller Cambodia, by Trevor Ranges

Wikipedia

by Scott Coates

Thai Flag

The road from the Thai-Cambodian border at Aranyaprathet-Poipet to Siem Reap, the jumping off point for Angkor Wat, is a legendary one in travel circles. Bumpy journeys of up to 14 excruciating hours through massive potholes, over broken bridges, through rice fields and across small rivers were still being experienced until late 2008. For anyone wanting to get to Angkor Wat’s temples in less than 12 hours from Thailand with their sanity intact, the only option until recently was to fly. The airline serving the area knows this and their rates reflect it, costing about $200US for the 40 minute journey.

Progress in SE Asia is happening at a lightening pace in many respects and the infamous road is no longer so. As of May 3, 2009 it was finally completed, sealed, smooth and ready to go – about six years late (depending on what source you speak to) but in great shape nonetheless.

Despite living in the region working with Smiling Albino since 1999 I had never personally experienced the legendary road (and in many ways wish I had) when it was still in legendary shape. Many of my friends had made the journey, shared their tales of trial and triumph and wore the trip like a badge of travel achievement and honor. My journey certainly doesn’t deserve any badge, but traveling this route can still be a bit confusing and frustrating if you don’t have your ducks in a row.

Smiling Albino has been hosting adventures in Cambodia since 2007. Most of our trips see people fly in/out of the country and occasionally cross the border by land. When guests do go the land route we always have a host who

Cambodian flag

takes care of all the details, makes sure paperwork is in order and ensures the sailing is smooth. A member of the SA Team built our Border Team and I’ll admit I was a bit skeptical as to why a road journey and one border crossing warranted an escort and our services. While hosting a group of reporters on a land journey from Bangkok – Siem Reap to attend the Mekong Travel Forum in May 2010 I found out why.

When traveling (unless you have many months) time is your most valuable asset. Making the most of it key and not wasting it unnecessarily certainly should be a priority. Keeping a smile and enjoying yourself along the way runs a very close second.

Arriving at the Aranyaprathet-Poipet border on the Thai side, we stepped out of our super-comfy van very relaxed (we watched a great documentary on Cambodia in the van) and were immediately approached by lots of Cambodian touts (I had requested no Border Team to experience the process first-hand). They cross the border for 10THB ($0.30US) and offer everything from an umbrella for shade, bag portering to the other side, visa services (which they insist you must secure before leaving Thailand) and all sorts of other things. Don’t listen to what the touts tell you about using their services and walk towards the border.

If you have a lot of bags a porter is a great idea and costs about 100THB ($3US). We employed the services of an enthusiastic person and he followed us to the border, pointing out the building to go through Thailand Immigration. One thing to note is that you don’t see your porter again until you reach the Cambodian side so some trust is involved. Leaving Thailand is quick and straight forward. You exit the building, walk across a small bridge and are immediately struck by large, shiny casinos ahead, a favorite of Thai tourists. You come upon a small building (on the right-hand-side) that issues Cambodian visas on arrival. Do not waste your time bringing pre-prepared Cambodian visa forms as they will only use the documents they have here. Fill one out, provide one passport-sized photo, $20US (or 800THB – a terrible exchange rate) plus 100THB (grease money I assume and there’s no getting around it) and your visa will be issued in about five minutes.

The old road on a VERY good and dry day

A really neat thing if you enjoy a cold one is the Duty Free store next to the visa booth where you can buy a cold can of Guinness Foreign Extra Stout which is not available in Thailand and sip away while waiting for your visa. There aren’t many opportunities to enjoy a beer before you’ve entered a country and I couldn’t resist. Also, if you need a toilet, use one behind the Duty Free Shop or in one of the casinos as there aren’t many good/clean opportunities between Poipet and Siem Reap.

Visa in-hand, proceed about 100m straight and to the right and you reach Cambodian Immigration. Stand here for a few minutes (time to finish your Guinness), your passport gets stamped and you’re in! Now, if you don’t have an escort and transport arranged the real fun begins as you’ll have to negotiate with an assortment of characters for a ride onwards. Everyone seems to have the best car, a friend who has a wonderful van, an uncle who has the best bus that is leaving right away and on it goes. Luckily we had the Smiling Albino Super Van waiting, hopped in, enjoyed a cool towel, some relaxing Khmer music and were off.

The new road to Siem Reap really is something. Not when compared to roads in the west, but its one lane in each direction are perfectly paved, smooth, new electrical poles dot the sides and the going is good. Two hours later we’d arrived at our hotel, the journey feeling like just a few minutes as I’d fallen asleep for much of the journey – proof the road is in top shape.

Smiling Albino is happy to arrange transport to/from Siem Reap and across

Cambodia's new road to Siem Reap from Poipet

the Thai border, making your journey quick and hassle-free. Just send us an email. This new road enables you to see the countryside and most importantly share some moments with locals along the way. If you’re traveling with a couple people it also makes things very affordable.

Numbers:
Siem Reap – Poipet: 150km, about 2 hours
Crossing the Cambodian-Thai border: 250m, about 30 minutes
Aranyaphrathet – Bangkok: 280km, about 3 hours
Total travel time with a couple stops: about 6.5 hours
Price: about $275US

This blog is finished, time to sign up for one of our Cambodia Adventures!

Smiling Albino co-founder Scott Coates recently attended the Mekong Tourism Forum in Siem Reap, Cambodia from May 7-8, 2010.

We hosted a fun Tuk-Tuk Adventure after the final Gala Dinner. Here are a few pictures.

Tim tries his hand at the Throw a Flip Flop game

Some participants from Vietnam making spring rolls

A Khmer team in their tuk tuk on route to the next event

Adventurers at the end of the night on Pub Street

Chris, Joe, Mason, Nick, Erika, Scott & Ann

Chef Sang demonstarting how to make Khmer spring rolls

Smiling Albino was quoted in the Phnom Penh Post about the Forum.

Be sure to check out our Cambodia adventures too!

by Scott Coates

Cambodia has really come on the scene in the last 10 years with the temples Angkor being the draw for most visitors. As the world’s largest temple complex, Angkor Wat truly is staggering and a must-see on the travel list. It took me six years living in the region before I finally made the journey and by that time was rather reluctant, but blown away I was.

Like seeing a movie after you’ve viewed the trailer umpteen times and

Staggering in size

everyone you know has told you how great it is, when you finally get around to seeing it, the movie is more often than not a letdown and can’t possibly live up to the hype. This is how I felt about Angkor after having most of my family and friends visit, reading lots of books and seeing a few documentaries. How could it possibly live up to the hype? How to approach seeing it? The right balance of temple-time vs. down time? There were many factors to be considered and I was rather apprehensive. Trip done, I was totally blown away. Angkor’s temples truly are everything I had heard and way more in so many ways.

When Smiling Albino began offering trips in Cambodia in 2007 we put a lot of thought into how to create the best possible experience while avoiding getting, what we like to call “templed-out”. Much like taking on any complex/complicated/rich subject, it’s easy to become overwhelmed by the size, scope and vast array of information about what once was the center of a mighty Khmer empire. From roughly 900-1000AD, 72 major temples of Angkor were constructed over a 192sqm area. Made entirely of stone and dedicated first to Hindu Gods, then the Lord Buddha, one could spend years exploring, studying and still have lots to uncover. So with just a few days, how does one gain an appreciation for one of the world’s greatest sites, see the must-see temples, have fun and not get templed-out? One night and slowing things down is the answer.

Siem Reap, the jumping-off point for Angkor’s temples, tends to be a two-night add-on towards the end of a trip to SE Asia for most travelers. See

Don't get templed-out

temples, take pictures and check it off the travel list. The result is usually a tired traveler who can’t distinguish between the impressive sites they saw, has a tough time making any sense of all the photos and can’t recall much of the history. When you try to cram in so many temples and so much information in just two-nights and what amounts to two-and-half-days by the time you fly in/out there’s a tendency to be out seeing every hour. What results is you see a lot but at the same time don’t remember much of anything. Slow things down…

While we do send people on request to Siem Reap/Angkor for two nights, from the first day designing our three-night Amazing Angkor (http://www.smilingalbino.com/adventures/amazing-angkor/) experience we knew a minimum three nights was key. Just one extra night affords time to slow down, intersperse temple visits with time by the hotel pool, visiting something totally different like the Land Mine Museum, paddle SE Asia’s largest lake – Tonle Sap, ride a bike to temples rather than using a car, or simply sipping coffee at one of the area’s great bakeries. Rather than rushing from temple to temple trying to make sense of it all, remembering the long names of former kings, capturing everything on camera and getting out in just two nights, scheduling at least one extra night is the trick. For that matter, stay four nights. There are few countries you couldn’t keep yourself busy and having fun in for just five days and with the world’s largest temple complex at your disposal, rushing is far from the best approach.

So, want to make the most of a visit to Angkor Wat, have fun, enjoy a variety

Exploring the Bayon

of activities, dine in style, meet interesting people, learn a ton and relax at the same time? All it takes is one more day. Let us show you our Cambodia with the outstanding six-night Classic Cambodia or three-night Amazing Angkor experiences. There’s simply no better way to gain an appreciation for the kingdom in a short period of time (with no rushing). Life’s long, what’s one extra day?