Phnom Penh, Cambodia: Day Events – Russian Market

Commonly known as the Russian Market, this paradise of stalls and booths is any shoppers dream come true. From silk scarves and bags, to cosmetics, to intricate handicrafts and sculptures, the Russian Market has it all.

Entrance to the Russian Market

In the center of the market is the “food court” with a variety of freshly cooked culinary delights. We opted for the waffles, made fresh over firey hot coals, certainly the best waffles I have ever eaten. I often crave these. The batter was just a bit sweet, and served with dragon fruit, this is the perfect meal for any time of day, and at only 12 cents for two waffles, you can’t go wrong.

The most delightful waffles ever!

Just remember where you entered because it is certainly easy to get lost in here! This market twists and winds. There are rows of sort, but every hawker squeezes in to peddle their goods. An elderly woman was selling raw silk scarves and hand-made silk purses and pencil cases. Take you pick for $1. The head scarf and blue shirt I was wearing in the pictures at the Royal Palace both came from this market.

Digging for a bargain

The market was so crowded that the food vendors would often carry trays of food on their head to deliver it to customers, since a tray in their hand would easily be knocked over in the crowd.

The food court of the market... see the woman with the tray on her head!

You will also find rows of actual sewing machines set up and running quickly as local seamstresses hurriedly work to complete orders for custom made suits and dresses. Unlike Thailand, the seamstresses had suits on display and catered mostly to women. They were very delicate designs and patterns.

The sewing stalls... I am smiling, they are not. Looks like hard work!

The hands of the seamstresses sewed with great precision and accuracy. I had never seen a cleaner seam. However, since we had been burned with our Thailand suit experience, we didn’t opt for a suit here. You can also buy uncut fabric to take home with you for upholstery, curtains, or even clothing.

Looking a little lost in all that fabric

You can also find a great variety of travel books for Asia. Most are the Lonely Planet, and I think they have just been reprinted (likely without permission) but are legible and colorful. These sell for about $3 and were our saving grace during the trip. They provide lots of great information and are helpful when you need to point our a destination to your cabbie.

The handicrafts include everything from stone sculptures to chopsticks to wall décor. I wish I could have bought more because the quality here was far superior to that found in Thailand. The prices were a bit higher, but it was worth it. This is definitely a place to visit on your trip!

Thailand: Buying Guide -- Local Items

Thailand has a plethora of beautiful items you may want to take back home. From pearl from the Andaman Sea to handicrafts of all sorts, there are so many things to choose from! I really like buying the local items, as I call them, because I feel like I am supporting the people, and thus the country.

Some great items that I have found along the way include:

Pearls - You can find them everywhere, be it a necklace, a bracelet, earrings, or whatever you want. I purchased freshwater pearl in both natural color and black pearls and was very happy with the quality and price. I got the necklace and bracelet set for around $10 from a street vendor.

I also purchased a black pearl necklace and bracelet set, with the pearls being of slightly larger diameter for $12 from a vendor on Chaweng Beach. The vendor was so happy that it was the first sale of the day that he gave my boyfriend a bracelet made of shells and stones. I also purchased a pearl necklace that had three dangling pearls for only $3. These make great gifts to take back to family and only take up a small amount of space in your bag.

Black pearl set from Chaweng

Jewelry - Besides pearls, you can pick up a lot of different styles of very unique shell and stone jewelry. I bought some cute colored shell earrings for my friends for only $2 a pair. There is alot a lot of sterling silver jewelry to choose from.

Pearl bracelet from Pi Pi Island

Fisherman pants - Fisherman pants are one of the items that many tourists buy while in Thailand. These pants are hard to resist and the are the quintessential lounge pants. They generally have material on the sides that is tied in the front at the waist. Some are also draw string. These are comfy and great for a day at the beach or trekking through the islands.

Wearing fisherman pants while exploring Samui

Silk - You can't go to Thailand without buying silk. There are various silk items from scarves, to shirts, to bedspreads and pillow cases. I really wish I would have bought one of the bedspreads. I believe they were only around $25. I have been trying to find one in the States, but they go from $125-$200 here. So I think I will just wait until the next time I am in Thailand.

Thinking of getting a custom suit or dress made? See my previous article on Phuket... and beware!

Examining silk for custom dress

Handy crafts - The Thai people are very handy with the things their country offers them. They can craft so many beautiful and unusual items from bamboo! There are various decorative items, such as votive holders and bowls. They also carve Buddhist designs into wood and then brush a bit of gold paint on the top. They are really beautiful and I wish I would have bought one to hang on my wall! If you are looking to decorate you home, Thailand offers so many options at a very affordable price!

Wooden pose carving from Samui


Wooden elephant carving from Bangkok

Thailand: Buying Guide -- Knock-offs

Thailand does offer some pretty nice knock-offs. Here are some items that seemed to be of good quality, and quite popular among tourists:

Modeling a Prada hobo bag

• Lacoste polo shirts: There were a great buy at about $10 and available in every color you can think of.
• DVDs: There are also bootlegged copies of DVDs for about $4 each. They seemed to be pretty good quality. There are also a ton of video games for cheap.
  
• 7 for All Mankind: Ladies, be sure to grab some 7 for All Mankind jeans! I saw the traditional bootcut and A pocket, both go for about $30.
• Louis Vuitton: There are some pretty good Louis Vuitton items.
• Gucci: There are some good... some bad. Be careful.

Gucci duffel bag from a Patong vendor

• Prada: There are some nice purses but be sure the check the fixtures to make sure they are sturdy. If you want to know if a purse if leather, ask the vendor to put a flame to it. If it is real leather, it won't melt. Vendors usually love to do this to show off their leather wares.
• Perfume: You can get various brands for $10 a bottle. Be sure to smell the sampler first because some of the scents aren't exactly what they were labeled. But still a great buy.
  

Lots of video games and DVDs

***It is important to know that the fakes come in different grades, so look around because if you are going to spend some money, you should get something that won't fall apart after the first use.

Ed Hardy hat - $9 from a street vendor in Samui