Overview

Cambodia’s capital, PHNOM PENH, sprawls west from the confluence of the Mekong and Tonle Sap rivers. At first glance, the city is a confusing mess with no obvious landmarks. The main boulevards are choked with motos and other traffic and lined with generic low-rise, concrete blocks. Despite initial impressions, however, the heart of Phnom Penh, immediately west of the river, has a strong appeal. The French influence is evident in the colonial shop-houses lining the boulevards, with here and there a majestic Khmer building animating the cityscape.

The Phnom Penhois are open and friendly, and the city itself is small enough to get to know quickly. Phnom Penh may not have much in the way of tourist attractions – the majority of sights can be covered in a day or two – but many visitors end up lingering, if only to soak up the unique indolent atmosphere of this neglected city.

Phnom Penh’s history began in 1372, when a local widow, Lady Penh, stumbled across a floating trunk containing four bronze Buddha statues and another in stone, washed up by the Mekong River. She saw them as bearers of good fortune and had a small temple built for them high above the water level to guard against flooding. This hill became known as Penh’s hill – Phnom Penh – a name adopted by the town that grew up around the site.

Phnom Penh was briefly made the capital in the fifteenth century, sacked and destroyed by the invading Thais in 1834, then reinstated as capital again in 1866 under the French. The city flourished during the Indochina years, but the departure of the French signalled the beginnings of political in-fighting in Cambodia, with Phnom Penh at the centre. Then came the Khmer Rouge whose experimental ideology rejected an urban existence, and the city was completely emptied, many of its buildings destroyed. It wasn’t until 1979 and the Vietnamese victory over the Khmer Rouge that people began drifting back to the devastated city.

From a low of around fifteen thousand during the Pol Pot era, the population now stands at around one million. Prosperity has also been slowly returning, and mobile phones, Land Cruisers and glitzy karaoke joints are much in evidence. Although not a modern, developed capital by any means, it still provides a huge contrast to the rest of the country.

Toul Sleng Genocide Museum

When Phnom Penh fell to the Khmer Rouge, this former high school was converted into the detention and interrogation center known as S-21. Political enemies suspected of treason were brought here and tortured for confessions. Very few detainees survived S-21, but the brutal history of Toul Sleng was documented by the Khmer Rouge themselves in the postmortem photos of many of the victims. The tragedy of S-21 is almost too much to bear, whether you choose to walk through the buildings alone or with one of the excellent guides registered with the museum. Admission: USD2.

Riverfront

The evening stroll along the Tonle Sap riverfront is an institution among Phnom Penhois, particularly in the hot season when the cool evening breeze blows in over the water from the east. Sisowath Quay, which was “beautified” in 1997 with funds from the Asian Development Bank, is a bustling promenade and home to many international style bars and restaurants, many of them set in restored colonial villas dating back to the 19th century. The riverfront is also a focus for the city’s major festivals such as Khmer New Year in April and the Water Festival in November.

Royal Palace

The Royal Palace commands a fine location overlooking the river at the heart of Phnom Penh. Though most of the buildings of the palace are in fact 20th century constructions, the designs are inspired by traditional Khmer religious and monumental architecture. Important buildings in the palace compound include the Throne Hall and the Silver Pagoda, though, at present the public may only visit the Silver Pagoda and surrounding grounds. Personal greetings to the King can be posted in a special letterbox on Street 240 on the south side of the palace.

Seeing Hands Massage

Certainly one of the most enjoyable ways of supporting local charities in Phnom Penh is to go for a massage at one of the three Seeing Hands centers. In peaceful surroundings, you change into loose cotton pyjamas before putting yourself in the capable hands of one of the blind masseurs or masseuses. In a country with no social security, the training and support provided by the centers allows blind Cambodians to support themselves with dignity. Shiatsu style massage costs USD3 per hour. Additional Branches: #246AEo, Street 63; Garden Center Cafe (+855 23 21 6093), #23 Street 57.

National Museum

Housed in an airy, traditional style building finished in 1920, is the archaeological collection of the National Museum. The collection features Khmer artifacts including large statues of deities, pre-Angkorian pottery and Brahmanist stone phalluses called lingas. The museum’s exhibits are poorly labeled and fairly incomprehensible to those not versed in the subtleties of Cambodian culture so it is worth taking advantage of the guided tours offered in French or English. Even if such artifacts are not of interest, the museum is worth a visit for its architecture including high ceilings, glassless windows and a serene inner courtyard.

Wat Phnom

With phnom meaning “hill” in Khmer, legend has it that Phnom Penh was named after this small hill. At 27 metres above the surrounding plain it is by far the highest point in the city. Though the Wat is by no means the biggest or most impressive in Phnom Penh, it is a focus for the city, particularly during Khmer New Year when crowds gather to celebrate and cover each other in water and talcum powder. The large stupa to the west of the vihear (central sanctuary) contains remains of King Ponhea Yat .

Wat Preah Keo (Silver Pagoda)

Located just next to the Royal Palace, this is the most famous pagoda in Phnom Penh. It was built in 1962 to replace an earlier wooden temple. The name comes from the 5281 tiles of silver, each weighing a little above one kilogram, that cover the floor. The altar houses a life sized Buddha, made of 90 kilograms of pure gold and covered with 9,584 diamonds, the largest being 25 karats. Admission: USD2 (included in the ticket to the Royal Palace). Cameras are USD2 extra and videos USD5. Flash cameras are prohibited.

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