We stared outside the Hometown Suite Hotel window through a curtain of rain at the street below.

After the calm and tranquility of Battambang, our first visit to the Cambodia’s capital was starting off with trepidation. So we decided we needed to boost our energy reserves and opted for an afternoon Sunday nap instead of rushing out to explore.

By the time we woke up, the street was a hive of activity even though the electricity had gone off, and many of the restaurants were operating by candle light.

Even though we were in a budget hotel, they had a generator, so we felt safe and sound in our brightly lit abode that shone like a beacon into the darkness. We hadn’t eaten anything except snacks all day and were both in need of a big plate of food.

The challenge of arriving in any new town is trying to discover the best places to eat and at the same time, avoid being ripped off, because we were new tourists in a very strange town. So we did what every unadventurous tourist does, we ate in the hotel.

They had a limited menu because the kitchen was on generator power, and the pasta we ordered was as bland as the hotel lobby – but it filled a corner.

By the time we’d finished our meal, the rain had stopped, and I convinced Red to explore the local area. He’s a glass half-empty kind of guy, and in situations like his worries overshadow my enthusiasm – but my glass half-full approach to life was bubbling over with inquisitiveness and excitement, and there was no way I was spending our first night in a new city, watching Cambodian TV.

Many of the big buildings along the street had generator power, but all of the smaller restaurants were candle lit. And these cast an eerie glow into the darkness, adding the potential of lurking evil to half-empty’s perspective. We wandered past the boisterous bars clustered at the end of 172nd Street before turning right onto Preah Ang Yukanthor (19th Street).

After hurrying past the Happy House and the Good Times bar, we opted instead for the safer confines of the Navi Bar. The bartender, Cambodians propping up the bar, and DJ were all small women, and the largest thing in the room was a green baize pool table. The dance tunes were loud, but good. So we ordered a couple of $1 beers and stood at the side of the room resting against a narrow shelf, with all eyes on us.

Sweat was dripping from both of us, the humidity hadn’t diminished despite the rain, and in this musty bar, I could feel the sweat running down my back like a mighty river, then splitting into two smaller rivers as it cascaded over my bum, and ran down each leg before pooling at my feet.

Red and I had a game of pool and I fumbled my way through it as the pool cue kept slipping out of my hands. From the corner of my eye I keep seeing steady stream of men momentarily coming into the bar, and wandering out with one of the female bar patrons. As we wrapped up our game, the ceiling fans had been turned on, so I rushed at the chance of having my travel cobwebs blown away.

It wasn’t long before a pint-sized patron in a tight mini dress, with teetering heels, challenged Red to a game of pool. It was entertaining to watch this tiny coquettish imp trying to flirt and beat Red at his own game, her diversion tactics we turned up high, but whereas with me Red was just getting his game warmed up, with her, his game face was on.

She hadn’t expected his competitive streak, and this was a game he wasn’t going to lose. His piece de resistance – shooting the cue ball down the table, and knocking two balls into opposite corner pockets at the same time.

We stayed for another beer and then wandered back along 172nd Street, peering into the Black Pearl bar and the Dirty Old Sailor bar, and neighboring restaurants, hurrying past the bevies of young sexy girls, and averting our gaze from the Europeans drooling over them. I think Red was worried that he’d be eaten alive if I took my eyes off him for one minute, so he stayed close.

As we got closer to our hotel, the bars gave way to low key local restaurants, happy pizza joints, travel agents, and laundry services.

It wasn’t the most salubrious of areas to be staying in, but I felt safe wandering around in the middle of the night.

Our travel day, and the humidity, was beginning to catch up with us, so we headed back to the hotel. Of all the rooms we’d stayed in, this was by far the biggest room and bed, and had the bonus of a little fridge, so Red ran over the road to a little convenience store to buy some beers and water, and he settled down to watch English language channels, and I logged onto the Wi-Fi to plan the next day’s activities.

About 172nd Street Phnom Pehn

Although 172nd street does have some of the typical Asian girly bars, there’s no chance of you walking in one by mistake. These tend to have darker interiors and the neon signs give the intent away. (If this aspect of 172nd Street freaks you out a bit, definitely don’t got to 136 Street, which is wall-to-wall girly bars. We turned down it by mistake one night, immediately felt uneasy, and turned on our heels and hurried away).

Unlike most other major Asian cities, guidebooks indicated there is really no backpacker heart to Phnom Penh, but having stayed on 172nd street, I think this comes close. It’s central to all the sightseeing and tourist destinations you would want to explore. The Royal Palace is within easy walking distance, and the Central Market is a couple of dollars in a tuk-tuk.

172nd Street is probably one of the cheapest tourist streets in the city. There’s wall to wall restaurants and bars with cheap beer, and cheap food, and the service is laid back with no hassles. Within a stones throw of our hotel are a large choice of hostels with rooms around the $5 range. We pushed the boat out and paid $14 a night for the Hometown Suites, and although it was a budget hotel, it was at the higher end of budget, but clean, and safe. The staff were friendly and helpful, and there was so much available on the doorstep it was a convenient base. If you want to go a little bit more upmarket ($23) I’ve read favorable reports about the Sun Dance Inn and Saloon.

Additional Resources

• For a full write up about Street 172, Read this article on the Phnom Penh Spotlight

Flashpacking through Cambodia

Flashpacking through Cambodia: For Baby Boomers on a Budget is my latest Roving Jay travel guide full of travel tips, advice, and sample itineraries for flash packers who want the back packing experience without foregoing some of life’s creature comforts – like a comfortable bed, a hot shower, free wi-fi, and somewhere to plug your electric toothbrush in.

I spent almost three months backpacking around Cambodia in 2017/2018 to research this travel guide, and I share insights and first hand knowledge of tourist traps and off-the-beaten-path discoveries. We ate street food, drank 50c beers, and travelled by train, bus, minivan and tuktuk to identify the best ways to get from A to B.

If you’d like to receive a free Review Copy ahead of the general public release, please click here.

Here’s my Cambodia posts on this blog:

• Cambodia Visa and Arrival at Siem Reap Airport
• Cambodia: How to Avoid the Crowds at Angkor Wat
• Filling up your scooter in Cambodia
• The Best Tasting Street Food in Siem Reap
• Angkor Wat at Dawn: Is it worth it?
• Come face to face with Angkor Thom’s Bayon
• Good vs. Evil at Angkor Thom’s Impressive Southern Gate
• The Baphuon Temple and the Terrace of the Elephants at Angkor Thom
• Visiting Siem Reap’s War Museum
• Where to Stay in Siem Reap
• Visiting Siem Reap’s Markets
• Give your taste buds a disco at Siem Reap Night Market
• Responsible Tourism at Joe to Go in Siem Reap
• What to See and Do in Siem Reap
• Which Siem Reap Floating Village should you visit?
• Memorable Boat Trip from Siem Reap to Battambang
• Libations and Bric-a-Brac tempt our purse strings in Battambang
• Vegetable Amok at About the World Restaurant in Battambang
• Cooking Classes at Nary’s Kitchen Battambang
• Pomme Bar, Restaurant and Hostel, at the Core of the new Battambang
• An educational trip around Battambang’s Central Market
• Sightseeing and things to do in Battambang Cambodia
• Bayon VIP Bus from Battambang to Phnom Penh Cambodia
• Exploring Phnom Penh’s 172nd Street in the dark
• The challenge of wandering Phnom Penh’s streets
• A visit to Phnom Penh’s Central Market
• Exploring Phnom Penh’s Markets
• Phnom Penh Photo Diary
• Tops sights to see in Phnom Penh
• Touring S-21 Security Prison (Tuol Sleng Museum Phnom Penh)
• A reflective visit to The Killing Fields
• Taking a train from Phnom Penh to Sihanoukville
• The majesty of Otres Beach sunsets
• Our Workaway Gig at Otres Beach Market Cambodia
• Working Away to make Cambodian Bagels
• Cambodia Pastry Wars: The Battle of the Quiche
• Our Cambodia workaway gig renovating a market stall
• Unwind on Cambodia’s Koh Ta Kiev Island
• Cambodian Beach Massage and Grilled Seafood
• Building Community during our Cambodian Workaway
• Gecko Village in Kampot Cambodia – a Photo Essay
• Christmas Eve in Kampot
• more coming