The mighty Mekong River is the giver of life and livelihood to countless people in Cambodia. And to Jano Ha it is no different. But instead of relying on what is underneath the water, the 29-year-old entrepreneur is relying on what can happen on top of it. Namely, water skiing, Jet Skiing and boating.
Ha is one of the owners of the Alligator Club, a newly opened enterprise that provides a scenic view of the Mekong, a relaxing atmosphere on a floating bar, and an opportunity for water sport.
Both Ha and his partner, Michel Fourest, have extensive experience in water sports, and both have boat licenses from France.
The Alligator has one speedboat and two Jet Ski-type watercraft, along with plenty of life jackets and skiing equipment.
Safety, Ha said in a recent interview, is a top priority. “We don’t allow anybody to use any of our equipment without a life jacket,” he said. “If a guy doesn’t want to wear a life jacket, we don’t allow him on a boat or Jet Ski.”
And anyone who has had “too much to drink” will not be allowed on the water.
Other than preventing drunken drownings, the Alligator owners have to contend with two other obstacles to woo customers.
Customers may be wary about even swimming in the Mekong River. Many tourists and expatriates assume the river is dirty, but that’s not the case, Ha said.
“Many people are worried about that,” he said. “But we ourselves take a bath in the Mekong every day.”
“It’s safe,” said Dr Veng Thai, director of the Phnom Penh municipal health department. “Swimming in the Mekong is not a problem.”
The Alligator is located upriver from Phnom Penh, on water clear of the filth and debris the city pushes into the river. Were the club down river, it would not be so clean.
A final obstacle is that the club is a long way out of town, 1.7 km past the Japanese Friendship bridge, on a road crowded with trucks and fully-loaded motorbikes by day, but virtually empty—and a little spooky—at night.
No problem, either, Ha said. There are plenty of police patrolling both the road and the bridge, at all hours, Ha said, making the Alligator safe to get to.
And all that dirty traffic on the road during the day highlights the quiet of the Alligator once you get there, he said.
“We only go into the city if we have to,” he said. Otherwise they have peace and quiet at a clubhouse Ha and Fourest designed themselves.
Costs for Jet Skiing are as follows: $1 for every minute less than 20; $15 for 20 minutes; $20 for 30 minutes; and $45 for an hour. Water skiing costs $10 for 10 minutes; $15 for 15 minutes; and $25 for 30 minutes.
To get to the Alligator, cross the Japanese bridge, drive 1.7 km to a pagoda gate on the right hand side. Turn down a rutted dirt road, pass a lily pond, and turn left at Wat Klean Klang. “Alligator” signs will guide you to the club.
