The nightlife is Phnom Penh has picked up in recent years, with several good quality clubs and bars emerging to join the list of enduring classics like The Heart of Darkness and The Foreign Correspondents Club. The upmarket Elephant Bar at the Hotel Royal and the Riverhouse Lounge are both stylish places to start an evening in the city. The area around the Lake has many bars although the majority are still of the go-go girl variety and are rather seedy, although an interesting experience and worth checking out at least once during a stay in the city. For live music try Memphis Pub which has nightly gigs and Miles Jazz Café with jazz every Friday. Equinox Bar has jam sessions on Thursdays and Saturdays.

Most of Cambodia's artists and musicians were killed during Pol Pots' reign, part of a deliberate attempt to eradicate the country's culture and artistic traditions. That's why it is worth supporting institutions and events that help with the rebirth of these areas of Khmer life. The Royal university of Fine Arts hosts Khmer royal ballet although training and performance sessions are irregular. The Aspara Arts Association holds classical and fold dance sessions every Saturday at 7pm. The Souvanna Phum Theatre has traditional puppetry shows on weekends, while Chatomuk Theatre on Sisowath Quay hosts traditional music and dance on occasions.

Although Phnom Penh is getting safer it remains a fairly dangerous city, hence walking around at night is best avoided. Using motorcycle taxis is a cheap and fairly safe way to get between venues.

For details of what's hot and happening in the city get a copy of the Friday edition of the Cambodia Daily, the fortnightly The Phnom Penh Post and the free and always interesting Bayon Pearnik, which comes out monthly.