Foreigner Spends the Christmas Season in Phnom Penh, Cambodia
Christmas Season in Phnom Penh 🇰🇭—this video captures a slow, honest slice of expat life in Cambodia, from quiet mornings on a hotel balcony to street food lunches, sundowners, and reflections on spending Christmas far from home.
In this episode, I take you through my everyday routine in Phnom Penh during the holidays: a room tour with one of the best balconies I’ve had in Asia, affordable local food on Street 172, coffee breaks, gym sessions, laundry runs, and long walks in the heat. It’s not flashy travel—this is real long-term travel life, showing what it’s actually like to live, eat, and unwind in Cambodia as a solo traveler.
I also share thoughts on celebrating Christmas in a non-Christian country, comparing it to past holidays in places like the Philippines, and why Phnom Penh feels surprisingly calm, open, and welcoming at this time of year. From $1.75 breakfasts and $3 lunches to rooftop views, friendly conversations, and quiet solitude, this is Cambodia travel without filters.
📍 What you’ll see in this video
00:01 Christmas Day morning & hotel life in Phnom Penh
01:27 Room tour & balcony view at OK Palace / OK Boutique Hotel
05:52 Street 172 food scene & cheap local meals
07:09 Sundowners & everyday routines
10:00 Laundry, cafes & working remotely
20:25 Christmas lunch in Phnom Penh
26:34 Trying new local food & street snacks
31:00 Conversations with locals & reflections on travel life
Whether you’re planning a trip, considering long-term travel in Southeast Asia, or just curious about daily life in Phnom Penh, this video gives you a grounded look at Cambodia beyond the tourist highlights.
👍 If you enjoyed this slower, real-life style of travel video, please like, subscribe, and turn on notifications so you don’t miss future episodes from around the world.
DISCLAIMER: This video was filmed in a public place. We generally ask people if it’s okay to film them, however if anyone appears incidentally and wishes to be removed, please message us via our Social Media contact details below.
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Keywords: Phnom Penh travel, Christmas in Cambodia, Cambodia street food, expat life in Phnom Penh, solo travel Southeast Asia, long term travel Asia, Phnom Penh hotel balcony, Street 172 Phnom Penh, Cambodia daily life, travel vlog Cambodia
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29 Comments
Dawn Pen sang, “No no, no”
Great video! Now I am inspired to go next year!
Just out of interest Phillip, you said that you usually spend most of the day inside 'working'
How long would it usually take you to edit a video like this?
And how much footage do you usually use? do you use most of what you record each day?
Or is there a lot that doesn't make it into the videos?
I'm just curious, because I've recently been trying to edit some old home movies from the 90's & 2000's, and my goodness, it's taking a LONG TIME!! Cheers!
Everywhere in SEA the traffic is the same….terrible.
Phil would you say Cambodians are cuter than Thais?
Hi Philip Happy New Year to you mate. I’m enjoying your content. Keep safe & enjoy your time in Cambodia. 😁🙏🇬🇧
The skyline shots at the end with the background music were very nice!! Tres Bien!
Youtube has not been sending me notifications for your channel. I just received one, and I had to take a look to see if you had taken a break. Lo and behold, there are a lot that I've missed. It looks like I will be binge watching now.🌞🏝
Hi Phil, was Dawn Penn the Jamaican singer, I think the hit was, no, no no, you don't love me?
Philip
You should go a video on your plans for 2026. I haven’t heard you talk about what you plan on doing next or if you’re going back to the Philippines.
I find the globalization of culture that you see in these vids super interesting. Did anyone in Phnom Penh have any idea who the Beatles were in 1968? Yet here we have a 20ish Cambodian girl talking about Billie Ellish, despite the fact her label has done absolutely zero marketing of her in SE Asia. It's 100% due to the internet.
I've been watching a lot of the 1970-80ish Cambodia newsreels lately, where they show the Khmer Rouge, and the 1978-90 Vietnamese invasion of Cambodia. It really blows my mind how this is the same place, just 35 years later. Insane how much progress they've made. Next time the US wants to sort some place out they need to hire the Vietnamese to do it for them lol.
OMG Phillip. That music at the end with that footage, no words. Just life happening. Gave me goosebumps. So Beautiful. Awesome job mate.
Philip, any chance you will vlog Thailand again while you are in the neighborhood? Specifically, I'm wondering about Phuket, Koh Samui, or Chiang Mai for example. I've been looking for content on these locations, but your videos have left me spoiled at this point. Anyway, thanks as always.
HNY and thanks for a really good video ( gives a feel of Phnom Penn ) Talking about time in S.E. asia – I live in Thailand and you must have heard of Thai Time….same everywhere I guess.
You should try doing your own laundry by hand in the sink. Just watch some youtube videos if you are not sure how. I usually only need to wash one or two things, so it's more convenient for me to just do that. Washing by hand is also more gentle on the clothes, and I can do it just the way I want. Saving money is secondary. I just put them over a chair to dry. Some people will carry a clothes hanger wire or string with them.
Enjoy
Looks like some interesting characters around the place
Well done. I enjoy your content and cinematography. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. From So. Cal., JM
Brilliant !
Nice, i'm leaving Vietnam and heading back to Cambodia myself next week to settle in Siem Reap, where I met you actually.
Living in the Philippines for 10 years and being Australian, I've only had one traditional Christmas lunch in all that time. It was in Cebu staying at the Marco Polo hotel where they had a Christmas buffet western style, consisting of roast turkey, ham and roast leg of pork with all the trimmings (roast potatoes etc ) but no plum pudding, there was also Filipino foods if you didn't eat western. It was excellent but very expensive, maybe we will go there again one Christmas. HNY and all the best for 2026, where to next?
My name is Sell my But. Can't make that up. Thanks Uncle.
I see you're reading Michael Palin's diaries, recently he got out of Venezuela just in time methinks.
Have a great 2026.
I really enjoyed this one, marvellous. To your health and good fortune in 2026!
Enjoyable video. Hotel room rates are excellent value for a capital city. Food looks half decent as well 👍.
It’s not just the bones, here in the P.I. there’s whole peppercorns and chunks of ginger to pick out of your food.
Mate, it's a pleasure to see that it seems you had a good time in Phnom Penh … of cause I remeber that Daun Penh song …. "No, No No" Cheers 2026 from Mango square 😉
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