March 25th, 2006 | The lowdown by Gordon Candelin

Ly Srey Vyna Medical Clinic

When traveling in Cambodia you are bound to get sick, and hopefully when it happens, you'll be in the capital and not stuck out in the boondocks where what passes for medical service might consist of a couple of aspirin and a saline drip.

The best clinic I have come across so far is Ly Srey Vyna Medical Services - also the name of the clinic director and the friendliest doctor I've ever met.

Dr. Vyna was trained in Poland but speaks excellent English, and loves to explain in detail what you might have, with colored drawings as visual aids. Her enthusiasm in giving her medical opinion is actually very reassuring - worlds apart from the aloof attitudes of other doctors in town.

A consultation is $20, with lab work costing $10 a pop, so she's not the cheapest in town, and actually getting quite close to what some expatriate doctors might charge.

Notwithstanding that, her sincere attitude in wanting to treat what ails (usually a bad stomach) makes her worth the price.

When making an appointment, make sure you ask for Dr. Vyna personally. There are other doctors on staff, but don't come near her in experience.