If you asked me about a building in Phnom Penh which provides the epitome of entertainment and luxury, there would be one unanimous answer – The Nagaworld Casino. When I arrived in Phnom Penh, I was unsure what to expect. Most of what I had heard about the city was centred around wildlife experiences, ecotourism, nightclubs and, of course, the temples and palaces. But my visit to the Nagaworld Casino really blew me away. So let me regale you with the tale of my visit to the Nagaworld Casino.

After a long day of exploring the city, I was looking for someplace to shed my inhibitions, socialize a bit and see the sinful side of Phnom Penh. Since I already spent a crazy night at the bars by the riverside, I looked for an alternative. Then I recalled something my last tuk-tuk driver told me, “If you want crazy fun in Phnom Penh, go Nagaworld Casino.” I didn’t pay much attention then because casinos aren’t really my thing, but now it seemed to be exactly what I was looking for. I called up another solo traveller I knew was staying at the hotel and luckily he too was looking for some much needed nightly entertainment. Great! I had company. I rummaged through my bag looking for the smartest outfit I could put together (they are pretty strict about the dress code) and asked the hotel to arrange for a cab. I called a cab because I didn’t want to show up at a Casino in a tuk-tuk, that wouldn’t make for the most stylish entry.

After a 30 minute cab ride (evening traffic in Phnom Penh can be annoyingly slow), we arrived at the Nagaworld Casino. It’s located in the southeast corner of town, right by the riverside. It’s a huge building, and I spotted it from the boat ride as well, I just didn’t know what it was then. We rolled up right to the entrance and stepped out of the cab like rock-stars, because that’s how we wanted to present ourselves. The exterior of the place was lit up, with pools reflecting the light and gorgeous fountains at the base of goddess statues in various poses. At my first step inside, I came to terms with the grandeur of the place. The ceiling was brilliantly lit up in glittering blue and red along a hallway flanked by statues. The sound of live retro music floated in, which is just great I thought.

As I entered the central Atrium, the majesty of the NagaWorld Casino sank in. Colossal and stunning stone pillars carved with Khmer motifs, a brightly lit up stage on the left and in the centre was a carved stone head with four faces and a statue at each corner. Glittering chandeliers hung from the ceiling, with shimmering light being cast all around. First order of business, get a drink! So me and my friend went over and asked the bartender for some suggestions. He quickly concocted a blue coloured shot;he called it a blue margarita. We swigged it, sure it was tasty, but I couldn’t taste any alcohol so we decided to stick with beers for the rest of the night.

So what else can you do at the NagaWorld Casino besides drink? There’s plenty of entertainment at the slot machines, craps tables or blackjack. Blackjack is pretty simple, with a chance to actually win so I hit the blackjack tables. My friend said he was going over to the craps table to try his luck. One thing for certain at the blackjack table is that you always make friends. I learned a surprising fact from the dealer at the table that day, Cambodian nationals aren’t allowed to gamble here, which I thought was a bit strange at first. Then I recalled some of the crippling poverty I had seen around town and realized the last thing the government wants is more individuals gambling their earnings away.

Image Credit : NagaWorld

After a few rounds of blackjack, I decided to find my friend and find a club inside the casino that had a DJ, with some good beats. The charmer that my friend is had already grabbed the attention of a few ladies in the place with a winning streak at craps. So I decided to let him wait and win som more. A few more rounds and my friend was a lot richer than he was when he walked in. The rational decision is to stop playing when you’re at the peak of your win streak. This is the best casino advice I have for anybody, anybody who cares about money anyway. To celebrate we asked our new found friends about a good club in NagaWorld, one of them suggested the ‘DarlinDarlin.’The DarlinDarlin club sounded like a good idea, it reminded me of the song ‘Oh Darling’ by the Beatles. Sometimes it’s good to make decisions impulsively, when you’re having fun that is.

There was no DJ here, but the live band was excellent. They were dishing out rock and roll tunes and some classic dance music. After a while we asked out the other two clubs in the place, the Club 88 and F Club. F Club was happening and the DJ was spinning some really great music. It was a lively atmosphere and a wild crowd. They even had private VIP areas equipped with karaoke machines, catering to every type of customer.

We went over to Club 88 and it was the perfect way to wind down from the frenetic vibe at F Club. They had exclusive themed rooms and we felt grand that they accommodated us as it looked really high end, but luckily one of the girls knew the manager. We picked a room with a pool table and played as teams of two. I was out of practice, but managed to beat my friend and his teammate, with ease.

After the night’s entertainment, we decided to get some dinner and go our separate ways. If you ever go to the NagaWorld casino, I highly recommend Korean Grill, despite the other tempting options like Indochine and Pangea Fusion Restaurant. It has an open kitchen too, so you can see your food being prepared. We ordered the YangnyeomTongdakSeasoned Fried Chicken and Gimbap for appetizers and I had the Doenjang jjigae, a delicious stew that is classic Korean.

The gambling was fun, the partying was intense and the dinner was succulent and loaded with flavour, the casino staff was incredibly friendly and the décor of the place was outstanding. What was supposed to be a casual night out turned into a crazy night of mischief and debauchery!

Are Casinos your favourite entertainment? Southeast Asia has a bunch of great Casino towns. Check out the Casinos in Macau or the Resorts World Genting near Kuala Lumpur!

Featured Image by : Nigel Dickinson

The post Frivolity at the Nagaworld Casino appeared first on Guiddoo World Travels Pvt Ltd.