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are the most common in the cities. The tuk tuk (three-wheeled motor cycles) cyclos and motos (small motorcycles) can also be flagged down for short trips. Buses also have an effective network and they make travel to sights around Phnom Penh easier than driving. For longer trips trains are a longer but more comfortable option. There are also boats and the most popular services operate between Phnom Penh and Siem Reap. Fast boats head up the Mekong to Kompong Cham, Kratie and Stung Treng. Food and entertainment Khmer cuisine is similar to Thai and there are sidewalk noodle shops, food stalls and markets. It is wise to avoid eating or drinking from street vendors. The influence of the French is manifest in the breads and frogs' legs sold in the markets, and tea and coffee are widely available. Tap water and 'muscle wines' are best avoided. There is a growing number of good restaurants, including Thai, Chinese, Indian, Malay and Western, both in the capital and in towns that attract tourists. Activities There are activities such as snorkelling in Sihanouk Ville and elephant rides in Ratanakiri and Mondulkiri, but you need a guide, as landmines, bandits, and other dangers make hiking, outdoor activities, or venturing off the beaten track dangerous. There are many leisure activities in Phnom Penh such as go- karting, jet-skiing, mini golf and ten pin bowling. The best form of exercise is probably renting a bicycle. A network of national parks is being established, complete with visitor facilities; Kirirom, Ream and Bokor on the south coast are the most accessible and interesting. Nature The number of national parks (seven) is slowly growing, but illegal logging has long been a problem. Parks include Bokor, on the south coast; Ream, near Sihanouk Ville; Kirirom, outside Phnom Penh; and Virachay, bordering Laos and Vietnam. Endangered species which are elsewhere extinct are thought to be hidden in the more remote habitats, including elephants, tigers, leopards, gibbons, bats, rhinos and crocodiles. Butterflies, snakes and birds such as cormorants, cranes and ducks are most common. 16 www.paradisesonline.com