Phnom Penh

I know this question must make me sound like an old-timer, but what's going on with Martini's these days? Does it still exist? How does it compare to other places around town? What was great about that place back in the olden days was that you could be sure that every female in the place was there for one reason only, to get a customer. And it was ground central for all the freelancers in town, the ones available to foreigners at least.

I hear about Pontoon nowadays, has that completely replaced Martini's?

My last time in Cambodia was a few years ago, and I went there once every few years before that, sometimes up to a month, sometimes a week or 2, sometimes just a few days. Over that time, Martini's got worse and worse until the last time I was there it was barely worth visiting. Maybe one night there, but not again on a trip.

Martini is closed.

[QUOTE=PrisonBreak;1774903]Martini is closed.[/QUOTE]Wow, when did that happen? By that time, was it so dead that it was barely noticed? Or did it go out with a bang? That place was from back in the early early days, the early 90's or so. I first went there in 2001, at its old location in the southwest corner of the city (off Mao Tse Tung Blvd). In those days, it was THE place in the city to go for us westerners.

[QUOTE=ShinShin;1768579]Phnom Penh is best place to get good Viet girls, even better more convenient than HCM. I don't find Khmer girls attractive, I come here mostly for quality Viet girls. This trip spent a week and no problem getting really 2 beautiful Viet girl in Darling Darling. The first one was really sweet and beautiful, bought snack and beer on the way to hotel room with her own money. Kiss me all night that I could not sleep and did her a few rounds, never complained. Include morning shot bare shot out of condom. Ended up taking her 3 straight nights. 100 a night this Viet girl was worth it much more than these soapie girls in BKK or gogo in Cowboy. The third night I gave her 200, she appreciated so much she stayed till next evening and basically let me do anything and even insisted me to bare back her the last shot. I should not have done that again but with this kind of young fresh beauty, I am weak too weak.[/QUOTE]Um, yes it has always been the place for Viet girls. 100 USD now. Jeez. Back in the early 2000's they were 20 USD all night. 5 USD ST. That is a huge price increase. Amazing really.

Yes, as of September, Martinis's is officially closed. The lease ran out and the landlord wanted triple the last contract. Profit was already at a minimum so it's closed. Plenty of other places still though although I think this really stamps the end of an era.

[QUOTE=Goatscrot;1775060]Um, yes it has always been the place for Viet girls. 100 USD now. Jeez. Back in the early 2000's they were 20 USD all night. 5 USD ST. That is a huge price increase. Amazing really.[/QUOTE]100 is the rate for the high end ones in discos and some high class karaokes. It's crazy that many these high flyers are now trying to get 150ST. I was quoted many times at 150 first. I am sure not long from now it could be the standard rate. Phnom Penh is surely getting more and more expensive. Any reasonable looking lady will try to get at least 70 LT now in clubs, hostess bars or discos. Bargain seems getting harder and harder.

For Viet girls, there are still virtually 100's of brothels disguised as salon, coffee shops, restaurants, I think the Khmer locals still can get it for 15, but I have been a few times these Viet houses in Phnom Penh, and always paid 25-30. Never got anything under that, but tuk tuk driver told me locals get for 15 but foreigners pay about double. I have seen some very doable ones but the risk is higher because you do the deeds inside, there are all kinds of cheats and scams happened to foriegners in these Viet houses. I still feel a little uneasy when I visit these Viet joints alone. The Svay Pak era was much more honest back then.

Phnom Penh is nice to hang out, not the cheap sex capital anymore, there is no more 5 dollar yum yum house, the cheapest you can get is 15-30 high risk Viet joints.

Thanks for the kind words my friend. You definitely made my trip. It would have been a lot less fun if we hadn't met up. I have found a kindrid spirit indeed.

I promise to get my report up soon. I basically agree with 100% of what you've written. But may be my impressions here and there will be a little different.

I liked PP and think it deserves another visit. Though it will always be behind Patts, BKK and AC in my list of preferences. In retrospect I think that maybe we needed to focus on Darling Darling more. But we had a very short time to explore together. I hoep we can make that up soon!

Huge hugs,

Uncle-V.

[QUOTE=IllusionHeart;1767958]JP, As confirmed by Wolvenvacht and Natty prices are in USD. I could never get my head around the local currency Riel but that is what I got when the transaction dropped below a dollar especially at 7/11 kinda stores or local restaurants. The conversion approx came to 4000 Riel: 1 USD.

Prices are expensive but I was looking for the best possible girl within a price range (ST max $100 and LT max $150). I never bargained ST cost at hostess bars when quoted $50. I guess you can try for $40ST + $10 BF which is definitely possible or even try $30, you might just get lucky. I would rather give that extra $10 for a chance of great experience. All the girls were extremely sweet and I never got any attitude or discomfort from them. Extremely humble and gave all attention without getting busy on their smartphones, maybe I was lucky.

[B]Natty [/B]you were absolutely right. I did enjoy my stay there and am sure Uncle Volodya also did. It was more fun with him. We were like minded souls searching for common goal together.
Regarding Singapore update I had promised you: I got back to Singapore on friday and being in the mood i visited geylang and OT. The PRC houses were shut in Geylang due to some local chinese function but the Thai houses were open. Didnt find much to my liking. Streets were empty as the entire westerhout road was blocked and dinner arrangement was made on the road. I went to Ipanema in the night, few lookers there but the overall choice and nos were very low. Engaged with one and got a quote of 200 SGD ST. Didnt even bother bargaining as i wanted to get a feel of current price.

Went to Ipanema again on saturday night and it was a sausage fest. Trust me didnt even engage with a single girl. Mostly mature ones. Both days i had been around 11 pm onwards.

I guess i am gonna save my SGD 23 entry drink money for a future trip in November. Dont bother a stopover here unless you plan to visit Batam.[/QUOTE]

Arrived in PP at 5 pm last Friday and after eating went to 136 Street around 8 pm.

Started off in Sizzlers and then did a bar trawl through to Honeypot and Loco in 130 Street.

Plenty of girls in most of the bars so immediately surrounded when walking in so you have to be selective as they all want to get in on the LDs.

I know well that choice is a subjective matter but I found plenty of girls good enough to my taste and most spoke English quite well.

The girls seemed much more laid back in their approach and I found this quite charming and most seemed to have a good sense of humour.

I did go to the Golden Vine, 108 Street on my way to 136 Street on the 2nd night but I found the atmosphere not to my liking so only stayed for 1 beer.

I BF'd a girl from the 136 bar in 136 Street, BF 10 USD and she was more than happy to go for 50 USD for LT, full service except A.

My 2 companions got the same deal, again 1 girl from the 136 bar and the other was from the Xanadu bar next door.

We kept the same girls for the weekend and as a first time visitor I throughly enjoyed the experience and it made a refreshing change from scene in BKK and Patts.

I shall return later in the year to explore further.

[QUOTE=HollowMan;1775246]Yes, as of September, Martinis's is officially closed. The lease ran out and the landlord wanted triple the last contract. Profit was already at a minimum so it's closed. Plenty of other places still though although I think this really stamps the end of an era.[/QUOTE]Was business pretty dead there near the end? I was there about 2 years ago and the number and quality of girls available there was drastically worse than on previous visits. In early 2000's it was the best place in town to hook up with a girl, by far.

On my last ever visit, I spotted ONE kind of strange girl there who I thought was hot. She was tall and lean, pretty face, and she only stayed at one of the outside tables near the entrance, she would not go inside to the courtyard or dance floor. She seemed standoffish. And actually when I approached her to try to talk, she brushed me off, not interested. With that, at about 11 pm, I gave up on the place and moved on. I bounced around town from bar to bar and did not connect with anything the rest of the night. Finally I went home by motorbike taxi, and as I was getting dropped off in front of my guesthouse, who is walking in front of the entrance but this exact same girl. I said Hello,. This time, very different attitude. I asked Where you go? Within a minute we had agreed to her coming to visit me upstairs. She was actually quite good, generous, all good. She didn't want to leave. I had an early morning flight (stupid scheduling!) and was just far too tired to do any more, so I had to kick her out. Half an hour after she left, a knock on my door, she wanted to know if she could stay the night. Ugh. I wasn't too comfortable with that, had no more energy to screw, so had to say no. A pity because she was really quite hot and good in bed.

The good old days: at one of the old locations there was a short time hotel across the parking lot. You could negotiate a quickie short time for about $10. I think that was the 2nd location, maybe some veterans here can help on this (or else the first location remodeled.).

Martini, Rest in PPeace.

[QUOTE=Juicyclamlover;1775447]Arrived in PP at 5 pm last Friday and after eating went to 136 Street around 8 pm.

Started off in Sizzlers and then did a bar trawl through to Honeypot and Loco in 130 Street.

Plenty of girls in most of the bars so immediately surrounded when walking in so you have to be selective as they all want to get in on the LDs.

I know well that choice is a subjective matter but I found plenty of girls good enough to my taste and most spoke English quite well.

The girls seemed much more laid back in their approach and I found this quite charming and most seemed to have a good sense of humour.

I did go to the Golden Vine, 108 Street on my way to 136 Street on the 2nd night but I found the atmosphere not to my liking so only stayed for 1 beer.

I BF'd a girl from the 136 bar in 136 Street, BF 10 USD and she was more than happy to go for 50 USD for LT, full service except A.

My 2 companions got the same deal, again 1 girl from the 136 bar and the other was from the Xanadu bar next door.

We kept the same girls for the weekend and as a first time visitor I throughly enjoyed the experience and it made a refreshing change from scene in BKK and Patts.

I shall return later in the year to explore further.[/QUOTE]Interesting report 'Juicyclamlover'.

In which hotel did you stay and do you remember you the rate?

Just wanted to warn that Frangipani Royal Palace hotel is not girl-friendly. It is located near the river, mid-priced and gets otherwise good reviews on Tripadvisor.

Upon checking-in, the staff tell guests that "outside guests to the room are not allowed".

[QUOTE=LoveTool;1776258]
The good old days: at one of the old locations there was a short time hotel across the parking lot.

Martini, Rest in PPeace.[/QUOTE]I seem to recall that one, I think at the 2nd location. There was also a massage parlor next door, run by a Thai mamasan. She had a nice selection of Thai and Viet girls. This was before the Khmer girls really started getting into the game.

Speaking of the end of an era, Cathouse also closed down a few months ago and has already been gutted. That and Martini were pretty much the only places in town when I first got there back in the UNTAC days. Not even Sharky was going yet. Sigh. . . .

[QUOTE=DelBosque;1776750]Interesting report 'Juicyclamlover'.

In which hotel did you stay and do you remember you the rate?[/QUOTE]I stayed at the Sundance Inn and Saloon on 172 Street, I paid 28 USD a night.

Cheers JCL.

[QUOTE=Betong;1777370]I seem to recall that one, I think at the 2nd location. There was also a massage parlor next door, run by a Thai mamasan. She had a nice selection of Thai and Viet girls. This was before the Khmer girls really started getting into the game.

Speaking of the end of an era, Cathouse also closed down a few months ago and has already been gutted. That and Martini were pretty much the only places in town when I first got there back in the UNTAC days. Not even Sharky was going yet. Sigh. . . .[/QUOTE]It was the very first place I ever picked up at in Cambodia. I heard about it before arriving, took the bus from Saigon to PP in pouring rain, that horrible road back in 2001, the trip took all day, we arrived around 6 or 7 pm in a driving down pour to the Capitol Guesthouse. I was slow getting off the bus (minivan really, packed tight, a very creaky one that bounced around all day over the potholes and driving through deep water and sliding in thick mud) and so there were no decent rooms left, though there was the choice of heading out into that monsoon to try to get a room at another nearby guesthouse, which would mean becoming as wet as a fish immediately. Anyway, my only option was the $1 room. The top price of $5 was scary enough. I took it. Brought up there, it was basically a prison cell. The bed was a plain metal frame with a thin mattress on it, no sheets or pillow (I think they brought a pillow later) and that's all in a cement room with no windows. The bathroom was dirty and just a toilet and small sink, also a cheap cold water only very basic shower attached to the wall. There were some small openings about one foot long and maybe 4 inches high up near the ceiling, the only way air could get into the room when the door was closed.

But that night I got on a motorbike and was whisked off to the old original Martini. The offerings didn't seem to attractive, especially not after seeing so many great hotties in Saigon in previous days. Finally at about 2 am or so I spotted a very cute (18) and a bit buxom Khmer girl with dark complexion, very pretty, and worked out the deal for $20 overnight. Back on my prison bed she was very starfish. Pretty uneventful, and I was so tired by then that I couldn't give my best effort, wanted to sleep. I don't remember if she really stayed the whole night or not. But I remember how incredible it seemed knowing that one could have this, such a hot girl, for just $20 for the whole night. It didn't occur to me then that that scene wouldn't even last a couple more years. It kept going, but the prices gradually climbed up, other types of places opened and drained off the talent and now it's gone for good.

Hi folks,

Planning to go to PP soon for the first time.

Any recommendations for a high end hotel that is guest friendly?

I know most requests are for inexpensive places but cost is not really a consideration, so I would like the nicest place possible that is also guest friendly.

Don't worry I will bargain appropriately when out on the town. Not looking to drive inflation.

But for accommodation, I would like a hotel that's as nice / upscale as possible while also allowing guests.

Thanks for any advice.

Bill