best value swimming pools in PNH
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best value swimming pools in PNH
Perhaps there is already a thread on this subject but I kept getting a message that amounts to 'don't ask again so soon' when I do a search, and 'swimming pool' brought up about six billion. So you know my tastes, all I am interested in doing is swimming and maybe watching choruses of nubile females doing synchronized swimming displays, not schmoozing, not picking up girls, not getting a massage or having a great meal, or even a meal at all. I will begin with my personal favorites and rate them.
1.
name: Olympic length pool?
location: at National Stadium
hours: 6-5 weekdays, 6-6 weekends?
price: R3000 for locals, R6000 for barangs (either the $1 sign is out of date or I am being ripped off) plus R500 to hold bags
clientele: middle-class Khmers (especially young males) and a few expats
pros: easier psychologically to do laps in a full-length pool; handy to downtown; friendly clientele
cons: tawdry facilities; must bring own towel; universal shower is in full view of pool (are we supposed to shower non-naked?); staff seem to be juvenile delinquents
notes: Khmer Amateur Swimming Federation has an office in the basement, but as far as I can tell they are never in.
2.
name: Long Beach Hotel
location: Tuol Kork, near Western University
hours: ? seems to close at 6 pm or so
price: $1 for only swimming; $3 for use of gym, steam and sauna also
clientele: very few, perhaps out of towner Khmer families
pros: cheap
cons: must bring own towel; distant for most; nothing else of interest in the neighbourhood; tawdry facilities but not as bad as national Stadium; no lockers
notes: If one is so inclined one can also get one's back (and other parts presumably) massaged upstairs
3.
name: Phnom Penh Sports Club
location: further south from Khmer-Soviet Hospital (a.k.a. Norodom Hospital)
hours: early to 8 or 9?
clientele: upper middle class Khmers (especially older males, with a decided police/gov't vibe) and a few expats (some of whom bring their prostitute girlfriends, something which the locals do NOT do)
price: monthly memberships or ten coupons for $35
pros: good lemongrass sauna and steam room, plus cold and hot resting pools; there is a big gym but I have never used it; apparently ping-pong and foot massage also. Food looks overpriced.
cons: I am always terrified of slipping on the surface tiles that appear to be wall tiles!; inconvenient location for many
I gave up on any of the lux hotels as they would cost more for one dip than I spend in one day on meals.
Where do the Japanese and Koreans swim? And is it my imagination or do swimming pools attract homos? This is my observation in Malaysia and Canada - at the very least the gender ratio is skewed to males. Maybe it has something to do with modesty.
1.
name: Olympic length pool?
location: at National Stadium
hours: 6-5 weekdays, 6-6 weekends?
price: R3000 for locals, R6000 for barangs (either the $1 sign is out of date or I am being ripped off) plus R500 to hold bags
clientele: middle-class Khmers (especially young males) and a few expats
pros: easier psychologically to do laps in a full-length pool; handy to downtown; friendly clientele
cons: tawdry facilities; must bring own towel; universal shower is in full view of pool (are we supposed to shower non-naked?); staff seem to be juvenile delinquents
notes: Khmer Amateur Swimming Federation has an office in the basement, but as far as I can tell they are never in.
2.
name: Long Beach Hotel
location: Tuol Kork, near Western University
hours: ? seems to close at 6 pm or so
price: $1 for only swimming; $3 for use of gym, steam and sauna also
clientele: very few, perhaps out of towner Khmer families
pros: cheap
cons: must bring own towel; distant for most; nothing else of interest in the neighbourhood; tawdry facilities but not as bad as national Stadium; no lockers
notes: If one is so inclined one can also get one's back (and other parts presumably) massaged upstairs
3.
name: Phnom Penh Sports Club
location: further south from Khmer-Soviet Hospital (a.k.a. Norodom Hospital)
hours: early to 8 or 9?
clientele: upper middle class Khmers (especially older males, with a decided police/gov't vibe) and a few expats (some of whom bring their prostitute girlfriends, something which the locals do NOT do)
price: monthly memberships or ten coupons for $35
pros: good lemongrass sauna and steam room, plus cold and hot resting pools; there is a big gym but I have never used it; apparently ping-pong and foot massage also. Food looks overpriced.
cons: I am always terrified of slipping on the surface tiles that appear to be wall tiles!; inconvenient location for many
I gave up on any of the lux hotels as they would cost more for one dip than I spend in one day on meals.
Where do the Japanese and Koreans swim? And is it my imagination or do swimming pools attract homos? This is my observation in Malaysia and Canada - at the very least the gender ratio is skewed to males. Maybe it has something to do with modesty.
Himawari is my favourite by a mile. ($7 or $8 day depending) Large shallow pool and reasonably priced food, don't expect tranquillity at the weekends due to the gangs of marauding kids;
Phnom Penh Hotel - ($5) Big shallow pool, poor orientation for sunbathing, little breeze, draft beer served in nice thin glasses;
That unpretentious place on the west side of Norodom halfway to Vietnam - ($4) Cheap entry and food but be careful not to swim into a hidden brick wall half way up the pool;
Raffles -no riff raff here due to the astronomical $30 entrance fee (and they expect you to share the facility with others);
Cambodiana - ($7) Deep pool, nice views, but $19 for a ruben sandwich (three years ago) and if you dare to eat outside and return you may be asked to pay a second entrance fee.
Not tried any of the ones you write about.
Phnom Penh Hotel - ($5) Big shallow pool, poor orientation for sunbathing, little breeze, draft beer served in nice thin glasses;
That unpretentious place on the west side of Norodom halfway to Vietnam - ($4) Cheap entry and food but be careful not to swim into a hidden brick wall half way up the pool;
Raffles -no riff raff here due to the astronomical $30 entrance fee (and they expect you to share the facility with others);
Cambodiana - ($7) Deep pool, nice views, but $19 for a ruben sandwich (three years ago) and if you dare to eat outside and return you may be asked to pay a second entrance fee.
Not tried any of the ones you write about.
- hanky
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There are showers in the changing rooms, which are pretty horrible. I've only ever seen a couple of girls in all the times I've been there, it's nearly exclusively teenage boys who use the pool. It does have a pretty big diving platform and pool but I'd be scared to jump off something that high. All the steps into the pools are half broken.nightblooming cerius wrote: Olympic Pool. cons: tawdry facilities; must bring own towel; universal shower is in full view of pool (are we supposed to shower non-naked?)
I've never seen an expat with a prostitute girlfriend there. I tend to be down at the smaller pools because I'm usually with my kid so I never noticed the police/govt thing. It's a nice enough place but there isn't enough shade when it's sunny. It used to be Marshal Lon Nol's house.Phnom Penh Sports Club: upper middle class Khmers (especially older males, with a decided police/gov't vibe) and a few expats (some of whom bring their prostitute girlfriends, something which the locals do NOT do)
I think it is down to modesty. In the PPSC you aren't allowed to swim without a proper swimsuit, so Cambodian girls might not be too crazy about that as they rather swimming in T-shirt and jeans combinations..And is it my imagination or do swimming pools attract homos? This is my observation in Malaysia and Canada - at the very least the gender ratio is skewed to males. Maybe it has something to do with modesty.
Who Gives a Fuck?
- vladimir
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Worked with an Austrian woman once who swam everyday at Long Beach, her hair started turning green. Literally.It may have had something to do with the fact her hair had been dyed blonde already, but it was weird.
ירי ילדים והפצצת אזרחים דורש אומץ, כמו גם הטרדה מינית של עובדי ההוראה.
It's the chlorine. If they're putting in too much even naturally blonde hair turns green.
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What I'd like to find, but might be impossible, is a swimming pool of at least 25 meters that has sun cover. You know, those green sun filter covers? In any season one pretty much has to swim before 8:30 a.m. or after 4:30 p.m. to avoid sunburn if you do a kilometer as I do. And in this rainy season, half the time it rains in the early evening. I like swimming in a downpour but I'd rather not be struck by lightening. Technically it is against the rules, but enforcement is sporadic. BTW, I have not seen a single budget pool with a lifeguard who was doing anything more than text messaging.
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Correction to PPSC: "older males, with a decided police/gov't vibe" A more realistic assessment would be a mix of the 'not top but have some power' ruling class plus businessmen and student age sons of them. To hear and see walkie talkies of men with big bellies and plainclothes is par for the course everywhere in Cambodia. I observe some not too excessive but still noticeable 'throwing their weight around' by drunk men talking loud in the jacuzzi who seem very unconcerned about what anyone else thinks about their behaviour. I only *presume* they are VIP primates rather than cops. Most persons there behave as gentlemen. Two features that I think are nice touches: 1) free hot water on tap so one could fill a thermos for tea; 2) those roller lounge chairs to watch TV(usually sports is on). If you have some need to be low profile, no ID is asked for when you buy tickets in your name. Not sure about memberships. You are Leonard Cohen from Montreal, right?
- hanky
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Maybe, but I've only ever been in the changing rooms or at the pool in PPSC, I haven't used any of there other facilities. I don't really notice fat bastards with walkie-talkies much anymore anyway.
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parkway requires you to wear a swimming cap, otherwise you have to buy it from them fro like $3. and my little boy, 18m which don't swim is also force to pay to go in.vladimir wrote:nightblooming, parkway has in indoor pool, very nice for training (as you can see from my waistline)
My house has the best pool in the city . Shaded by a mango tree at one end it is deliciously cool and clean .
lebowski wrote:My house has the best pool in the city . Shaded by a mango tree at one end it is deliciously cool and clean .
opening hours?
Good topic.
First, in the heat of the day, sunblock could still be used for a good hour or two without coming off, yes? I've never tried it but I hope my spf 81 would hold out, or does water wash it off pretty quickly? Secondly I wonder if one could keep a full sleeved shirt on while swimming in the pool at national stadium. So wear long shorts, a full shirt, then sunblock for the face neck and calves.
Speaking of the pool at nat stadium, I noticed that the water there looked a bit murky. I didn't know if it was because a bunch of people had gone in needing a good shower, or if perhaps the recent heavy rains brought it a payload of acid and pollution. Inclined to go with the latter as it would take a lot of people to dirty up a pool, but I really don't know.
And yes, the lady also told me it was $1.5 for foreigners, didn't seem like she was lying or pulling one's leg. Likewise I wonder how safe it is to leave a bag or money with the desk people.
First, in the heat of the day, sunblock could still be used for a good hour or two without coming off, yes? I've never tried it but I hope my spf 81 would hold out, or does water wash it off pretty quickly? Secondly I wonder if one could keep a full sleeved shirt on while swimming in the pool at national stadium. So wear long shorts, a full shirt, then sunblock for the face neck and calves.
Speaking of the pool at nat stadium, I noticed that the water there looked a bit murky. I didn't know if it was because a bunch of people had gone in needing a good shower, or if perhaps the recent heavy rains brought it a payload of acid and pollution. Inclined to go with the latter as it would take a lot of people to dirty up a pool, but I really don't know.
And yes, the lady also told me it was $1.5 for foreigners, didn't seem like she was lying or pulling one's leg. Likewise I wonder how safe it is to leave a bag or money with the desk people.
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What I am looking for is a swimming pool with a qualified life guard who pays attention.
I am looking both in siem Reap (preferred, I will practically live there)m as well as Phnom Penh
(I visit occasionally). Or alternatively, perhaps someone can suggest how I would go about hiring a
private lifeguard in Siem Reap for 90 to 120 minutes a day -- this might be cost and time effective,
as well as give me the special attention that I might need.
I always swam everywhere without a lifeguard, now I have a medical condition so need a qualified
(strong enough to drag me out of the pool and call an ambulance) life guard. My Siem Reap hotel has
a small pool and few customers. Thank you. R Y A N
I am looking both in siem Reap (preferred, I will practically live there)m as well as Phnom Penh
(I visit occasionally). Or alternatively, perhaps someone can suggest how I would go about hiring a
private lifeguard in Siem Reap for 90 to 120 minutes a day -- this might be cost and time effective,
as well as give me the special attention that I might need.
I always swam everywhere without a lifeguard, now I have a medical condition so need a qualified
(strong enough to drag me out of the pool and call an ambulance) life guard. My Siem Reap hotel has
a small pool and few customers. Thank you. R Y A N
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