Phnom Penh: Day trip to Kien Svay

A couple of weeks ago I was joining Thida from Backstreet Bar and some other friends for a day trip to Kien Svay. Kien Svay is located right by the water, and it is a popular picnic spot among the Phnom Penh people.

There is a big food market, where you can buy all sorts of food including more exotic stuff such as grilled tarantulas and different kinds of fried insects. So much tasty food, and everything was really cheap (probably because we had Thida to negotiate the price).

You can rent one of the floating huts for the day, but you need to come early, to secure your spot. Prices varies between $5-$20 for a day, but if they are busy, they will charge more. We found a hut, and went to the market to buy food, and when we got back, someone else had taken our place, so we rented a boat instead and had a picnic on the water.

The grilled frogs were stuffed with rice and chicken and they tasted, surprise , surprise, like chicken! They were big and juicy and very tasty. Definitely something I would recommend if you are looking to try one of the local specialties. Thida had bought a bag of grilled tarantulas and different kinds of fried insects which she offered us to try. Apparently, the legs of the tarantulas are supposed to be very good for your health, but I just could not get myself to eat it.

It takes around 30-45min by tuk-tuk to get to Kien Svay, and the easiest is to book a tuk-tuk for the day, so the driver waits for you at the market. I had to leave early as I was going to see Kanary and the women from CWSG, so I took a tuk-tuk back to the city alone, and it was not a problem to find one via Grab. I think I paid around $6 to get back to Phnom Penh.