Phnom Penh

Overview

Phnom Penh is the capital of Cambodia. It is a great city with lots of things to do and see. The town is spread out on the banks of two rivers.

The main sights in town include Wat Phnom from where you have great views over the city, the Silver Pagoda in the Royal Palace complex, where you can see the emerald Buddha and a Buddha made of solid gold. The National Museum is also worth a visit.  Other sights include the Phnom Temple, the Orchid Garden, the central market and a 15th-century pagoda or you can take a boat ride on the Mekong River to see the floating villages and a crocodile farm.

One of the most enjoyable things to do is to take a walk down by the Tonle Sap river in the late afternoon when all the local Khmers are there. There is lots going on - eating, entertaining, praying - & everyone seems to be enjoying it. A very rewarding experience.

The Tuol Sleng Museum is a sight that brings back a not too distant past: the terror of the Khmer Rouge. The building was a Khmer Rouge prison and torture chamber - very few of the prisoners survived. More than 30,000 died here.

Daytrips can be made to Oudong Temple  some 30 km away, or to the Tonle Bati-Taprohm witrh many 10th and 11th-century monuments or Vat Nokor, where you find a Buddhist temple with pagodas and colorful frescos.

Phnom Penh is the heart of the Cambodia's...more

History