Mad Monkey Bar
Mad Monkey started in Phnom Penh in 2011 and has grown into the city's largest hostel with up to 150 guests, a swimming pool, beer garden, bar, and a full events calendar managed by a Guest Experience team. The bar is open to non-guests and runs themed nights, drag music quizzes, beer Olympics, pool parties with DJs, pub crawls, and Khmer family dinners. It is a social enterprise whose profits fund clean water projects, education, and arts programs for local communities.
What to Expect
A large hostel bar with a pool, multiple indoor and outdoor areas, constant organized social events, cheap drinks, a full food menu, and a young international crowd always ready to make a night of it.
Social and organized. Guaranteed to be busy regardless of the night of the week.
DJ nights, themed parties, background pop and dance music.
Casual.
Backpackers and solo travelers who want to meet people instantly and have a structured social scene to fall into.
Cash (USD and KHR).
Price Range
Dorm beds from $8 USD; drinks $1.50-$4 USD; $1 draft beer promotions
Hours
Bar daily from around noon. Events run nightly. Kitchen open through the day.
Insider Tip
Non-guests are welcome at the bar and events. The $1 draft beer promotions run during certain hours; check when you arrive. The pub crawl is the best way to meet people if you are new to Phnom Penh.
Full Review
Mad Monkey is Phnom Penh's largest hostel, accommodating up to 150 guests across dorms and private rooms, with a bar operation that's open to non-guests and runs a full events calendar. The setup includes a swimming pool, beer garden, and a bar area that transforms nightly with themed events: drag music quizzes, beer Olympics, pool parties, pub crawls, and Khmer family dinners organized by a dedicated Guest Experience team.
The atmosphere is relentlessly social. Solo travelers will meet people within minutes of sitting down. The $1 draft beer promotions run during specific hours and drive the energy. The crowd is young, international, and in Phnom Penh to have a good time. Staff are energetic and keep the programming moving. It's a social enterprise, with profits funding clean water projects, education, and arts for local communities.
Among Phnom Penh's hostel bars, Mad Monkey is the clear leader in scale and programming. Eighty8 Backpackers competes on a smaller scale, but Mad Monkey's 150-guest capacity and purpose-built social spaces give it critical mass that smaller hostels can't match. If you're traveling solo and want instant social connection, this is the most reliable option in the city.
Non-guests are welcome at the bar and events. The pub crawl is the fastest way to meet people and learn the nightlife geography. Time your arrival to catch the $1 draft beer window. The pool is small but essential in Phnom Penh's heat.
The Neighborhood
Mad Monkey anchors the backpacker zone near Street 136, serving as the social hub for budget travelers in Phnom Penh. Its combination of hostel, bar, and social programming creates a self-contained ecosystem for the young travel crowd.
Getting There
Near Street 136 in the Daun Penh district. Tuk-tuk from the airport costs $10-12. Walking distance from the Riverside and the Street 104 nightlife cluster.
Address
Street 136
Where to stay in Phnom Penh
Compare hotels near the nightlife districts. Free cancellation on most properties.
Other Venues in Street 136
Zeppelin Bar
Rock-themed backpacker bar covered in classic rock memorabilia and band posters. Cheap draught beer and a reliably rowdy crowd after 10 PM.
Eighty8 Backpackers
Open-front bar serving dollar beers and cheap cocktails to a rotating cast of backpackers. Music is whatever the bartender feels like playing.
Birdcage Bar
Compact drinking spot with a laid-back reggae-to-pop soundtrack. One of the quieter options on the strip, good for conversation before the late-night chaos.
Shanghai Bar
No-frills corner bar that's been part of the Street 136 scene for years. Pool table, bucket drinks, and a crowd that skews young and international.