Hairdressers 58 Wellness Listings 59 Sam Moffett 60 Leisure & Wellness Jim Cousins 62 Leisure & Wellness A good haircut is hard to find Hairdressing salons and barbershops are in abundance in Phnom Penh, but are they all up to scratch? Sometimes, it’s worth seeking out something a little more professional. Words by liz ledden. Most of us have heard Haircuts are US$5 for men friends’ hair horror stories, or and US$8 for women (plus US$5 even experienced personally the for a wash and blowdry), while carnage unleashed on an unsus- a special style can be had for pecting head of hair by some un- US$8 to US$10. Colouring is trained, inexperienced, so-called from US$20 to US$50 (depend- ‘hairdresser’ in Phnom Penh. ing on hair length) and there From giving any male that walks are also perms and permanent in the door a short, back and straightening services available. sides – regardless of the style A simple shampoo and style requested – to hacking away at is US$5. Facials using Shiseido long hair leaving uneven tresses products are available here too. and an unhappy customer, its Whether you pop in before or difficult to understand how after shopping is up to you. some salon staff were ever hired in the first place. Many a Phnom NEW JACK Holt InternatiONAL Penh resident has vowed never 38 Street 57 (at Champei Spa), to set foot in a local salon again, Tel: 023 350 788 preferring to cross a border (or Formerly located at the Hotel even an ocean) in search of a Cambodiana, Jack Holt has decent ‘do. Image Beauty Lounge A good place for a haircut on Street 240 moved to the same premises as Help is at hand though, in the Champei Spa in Boeung Keng form of a select few hair salons Kang. A Khmer hairdresser of a more reputable nature, be- trained in France heads up the yond the ubiquitous one–to-two- team – boding well for its style dollar haircut establishments stakes. and makeshift street-side barber A shampoo, cut and blow stalls. The city offers several op- dry is US$8 for men and US$12 tions with a bit more profession- for women, while a children’s alism and expertise. Trained staff shampoo and cut is US$3. A and better quality hair products shampoo and set alone is US$4 than your run of the mill hair for men and US$6 for women. chop shop do exist. Highlights are US$40 for short hair and US$45 for long hair, iMAGE bEAUTy LOUNGE while perms are US$45 to US$50. 57Eo Street 240, Tel: 012 455 239 A hair treatment for soft shiny This new Thai-managed salon, tresses is US$10. located on Street 240 has hair- Its international experience dressers from Thailand and Party hair and expertise, and being able to other Asian countries. The large Why not go all out for a special occasion? clearly communicate with your black and white checked tiles or massage – perhaps that’s why LUCKy SALON hairdresser might justify the and light airy feel looks like any they pay US$2 less! The staff Level 1, 160 Sihanouk Blvd (above slightly higher prices charged. hairdresser from a suburban know how to cut a mean layer, Lucky Supermarket), Tel: 023 220 366 Nail and waxing services are mall back home. Drinks and without simply hacking all your Highly recommended by some also offered at typical prices. magazines are provided to cus- layers off in one (uneven) swoop expats, especially those who like tomers (bliss!) and the confident as has been known to happen in to combine haircuts with grocery NEW WORLd staff reassure clients that they some establishments. shopping, this salon is located 1B Sisowath Quay, Tel: 023 990 378 have, at last, unearthed a ‘real’ Beyond cutting, a new party- in the department store above Its riverfront location means salon in Phnom Penh. perfect hairstyle can be created Sihanouk Boulevard’s Lucky the staff at New World are used Haircuts cost US$6 for men, for between US$8 and US$15. Supermarket. to dealing with foreign tresses. US$8 for women and US$3 for Highlights are from US$25 to All white, bright and clean Bright, cheery, spotlessly clean children. This includes a wash, US$50 and hair treatments are with quality products lining the and with friendly English- head massage and blow dry at from US$25 to US$35. In addi- shelves and English speaking speaking staff, this salon is the end – for the female custom- tion to hair services the salon staff, this is one of the most popular with tourists and some ers anyway. Men get a bit of a also offers facials, manicures and contemporary and stylish salons expats alike. The salon is at the blow dry at the end but no wash pedicures, massages and waxing. in the city. upper scale of the Phnom Penh 58 Asialife Phnom Penh | #13 January 2008 leisure & wellness Leisure & Wellness U-Care Pharmacy Amusement 26-28 Sothearos Bvd. Tel: 023 222 499 Kambol Cart Raceway 14 Sihanouk Bvd. Tel: 023 224 099 Tel: 012 232 332 High quality western-style chemist and A few kilometers west of the airport is pharmacy that sells the full range of Phnom Penh’s flashiest go-cart track. beauty products, including international Boasting a 900m international standard brands. Open 8am to 10pm. size track complete with hairpin turns, a cart costs US$7 for a 10-minute round. The track can also be rented by the hour Classes (US$150) half-day (US$500) or the entire Capoiera day (US$900). Gasolina, 56-58 Street 57 Tel: 012 810 993 / 011 871 071 Parkway Square Lessons in this rhythmic Brazilian martial 113 Mao Tse Tung Blvd art, a cross between dance and martial Tel: 023 982 928 arts, cost US$2 each and are held every In addition to being a shopping centre, Tuesday and Thursday from 6.30pm to Parkway has a ten-pin bowling alley with 8pm. Contact either Xavier or Michel on lanes costing between US$6 and US$9 one of the above telephone numbers. per hour, depending upon the time of day. It also has a dodgem track, for those who Cooking Classes haven’t had enough of close shaves on Frizz Café, 335 Sisowath Quay the streets of Phnom Penh. Tel: 023 22 09 53 Khmer cookery lessons each day, except Phnom Penh Water Park Sundays. The one-day course (US$20), 50 Street 110 limited to 10 people, includes a market Tel: 023 881 008 tour, an introduction to Cambodian herbs Traditional mix of slides and wave pools. and ingredients, and a 16-page colour Entrance is US$2 weekdays (US$3 recipe book. at weekends). Open from 9.30am to 5.30pm. Photography Workshops Pontoon, Sisowath Quay Phnom Tamao Wildlife Park end Street 108, Tel: 092 526 706 Phnom Tamao, www.nathanhortonphotography.com Approximately 44 kilometres away from Daily drop-in workshops covering techni- the capital along Highway 2, and then cal and creative considerations in the on a 6-kilometre track, lies Cambodia’s New Jack Holt International context of travel photography. US$25 or Offers French expertise best wildlife centre. All the animals are US$20 if booked in advance. either rescued from traders or bred at hairdresser price scale, though Other residents swear by this the centre. Many of the animals are Scuba Nation Dive Center still very affordable. Singapore-managed salon on critically endangered. Animals include tigers, elephants, sun & black bears, 18E0 Sothearos Blvd. A cut, shampoo and blow the ground floor of Parkway many species of waterfowl, samba dears Tel: 012 715 785 dry for women is US$8 to US$9, Square shopping mall. and Siamese crocodiles. Open from 8am Learn to scuba dive in Phnom Penh. The while a shampoo and cut for men Offering a comprehensive to 4pm, the entrance fee is US$5 for academic part of the course takes place adults and US$2 for children (2,000 and in the Plaza Hotel pool, while the real is US$6. Haircuts alone are US$4 range of hair and beauty 1,000 riel for Khmer adults and children diving is over a weekend in Sihanoukville. for both men and women. In ad- services using good quality respectively). Total cost for a course is US$395. dition a man’s shave is US$2, and dermalogica products, it has Sorya Centre Yoga & Tai Chi a hairstyle is US$6 to US$8. a more professional feel than Corner Street 63 & 142 Gasolina, 56-58 Street 57 More complicated hair servic- many other establishments in The top floor of Phnom Penh’s original Tel: 012 373 009 es such as perms and highlights the city. shopping centre has a rink devoted to Classes run every week. Call for details of roller-skating and roller-blading. Hiring the times and prices. are in the US$20 to US$50 range. A haircut alone is US$4, skates or blades costs between US$1 Other services include manicures with an extra US$4 added for a and US$2. (US$3), pedicures (US$4) and wash and blow dry. A cut and Dental even ear cleaning (US$3). wash without the blow dry is Chemists European Dental Clinic US$7. Hair treatments range 160A Norodom Boulevard Naga Pharmacy Centre Tel: 023 211 363 Parkway SALON from US$12. As usual, there 413 Sisowath Quay French-run dental practice since 1994 Ground floor, Parkway Square, are manicures and pedicures Tel: 023 212 324 which provides full dental hygiene International quality pharmacist and beau- services with modern equipment.