Phnom Penh Places of Interest

Touring Phnom Penh

Set aside two or three days to visit the major points of interest in Phnom Penh. It is possible to squeeze the most important points into a single day, but this leaves very little time at each site. Except for the ‘Killing Fields’ which are about 16km away, all of the other major points of interest are inside the city within a five or ten minute car/moto ride of each other. There are several Angkorian-era ruins and other historic sites 20-60km (45 minute - 1.5 hours travel) from Phnom Penh.


Sights

Independence Monument

(At the intersection of Norodom and Sihanouk)
The Independence Monument (Vimean Ekareach) was inaugurated in 1958 to celebrate Cambodia’s independence from foreign rule. It now also serves as a monument to Cambodia’s war dead. It is the site of celebrations and services on holidays such as Independence Day and Constitution Day. Trespassing onto the monument is illegal (sometimes). The best view is from across the street anyway.


National Museum

(Street 178 & Street 13, next to the Royal Palace - $3.00 - 8:00-5:00, open everyday)

The distinctive rust-red National Museum next to the Royal Palace was dedicated by King Sisowath in 1920. Over 5000 objects are on display including Angkorian era statues, lingas and other artifacts, most notably the legendary statue of the ‘Leper King.’ Though the emphasis is on Angkorian artifacts, there is also a good collection of pieces from later periods, including a special exhibition of post-Angkorian Buddha figures. Visiting the museum after rather than before a trip to Angkor helps lend context to the Angkorian artifacts. Multi-lingual tour guides are available. Souvenirs and books available. Photography is limited. Some guidebooks still mention the museum bats that inhabited the rafters, unseen in the day but occasionally spectacular as they left in droves at sunset. In March 2002 the bats left for good, moving on after renovations to the ceiling. The museum borders Street 178, aka ‘Artist’s Street’ which is lined with several art galleries and souvenir shops. The Reyum Gallery is of particular note, exhibiting the works of contemporary Cambodian artists.


Royal Palace and ‘Silver Pagoda’

(Sothearos between Streets 240 & 184 - $3.00/person, $2.00/camera, $5.00/video cam. Open everyday,
7:30-11:00 / 2:30-5:00)
The Royal Palace in Phnom Penh was constructed over a century ago to serve as the residence of the King of Cambodia, his family and foreign dignitaries, as a venue for the performance of court ceremony and ritual and as a symbol of the Kingdom. It serves to this day as the Cambodian home of King Norodom Sihamoni and former King Norodom Sihanouk. The Royal Palace complex and attached 'Silver Pagoda' compound consist of several buildings, structures and gardens all located within 500x800 meter walled grounds overlooking a riverfront park. Marking the approach to the Palace, the high sculpted wall and golden spired Chanchhaya Pavilion stand distinctively against the riverfront skyline. Inside the Palace grounds, street sounds are silenced by the high walls and the various Royal buildings sit like ornate islands rising from the tranquil, manicured tropical gardens. Except for the area of the actual Royal residence, the Khemarin Palace, most of the Palace grounds and Silver Pagoda are open to the public. Enter from the gate on Sothearos Blvd about 100 meters north of Street 240


Wat Phnom

(Intersection of Street 96 and Norodom Blvd. - $1/person)
A small hill crowned by an active wat (pagoda) marks the legendary founding place of the Phnom Penh. The hill is the site of constant activity, with a steady stream of the faithful trekking to the vihear, shrines and fortune tellers on top, and a constellation of vendors, visitors and motodups at the bottom. Elephant rides available. The legend of the founding of Wat Phnom is tied to the beginnings of Phnom Penh. Legend has it that in 1372 Lady Penh (Yea Penh) fished a floating Koki tree out of the river. Inside the tree were four Buddha statues. She built a hill (‘phnom’ means ‘hill’) and a small temple (wat) at what is now the site of what is now known as Wat Phnom. Later, the surrounding area became known after the hill (Phnom) and its creator (Penh), hence ‘Phnom Penh.’ The current temple was last rebuilt in 1926. The large stupa contains the remains of King Ponhea Yat (1405-1467) who moved the Khmer capital from Angkor to Phnom Penh in 1422. Look for the altar of Lady Penh between the large stupa and the vihear. She is said to be of particular help to women. Wat Phnom is the busiest pagoda in town the night of Chinese/Vietnamese New Year’s Eve.


Choeung Ek Memorial (The Killing Fields)

(15 km southwest of Phnom Penh - Take Monireth 8.5 km past the bridge at Street 271) From April 17, 1975 until January 7, 1979, the ultra-Communist Khmer Rouge (i.e. Red Khmer) regime, led by Pol Pot, controlled the whole of Cambodia. Under the Khmer Rouge regime the country was known as ‘Democratic Kampuchea.’ During the short reign of the Khmer Rouge, between one million and two and a half million Cambodians perished, some killed outright, others dying from disease, malnutrition, neglect and mistreatment. Many of the dead ended up in various ‘killing fields’ that can be found scattered across the country. The killing fields were essentially ad hoc places of execution and dumping grounds for dead bodies. The memorial at Choeung Ek just outside Phnom Penh was an orchard and a Chinese cemetery prior to 1975. During the Khmer Rouge regime it became one of the killing fields - this particular killing field is the site of the brutal executions of more than 17,000 men, women and children, most of whom first suffered through interrogation, torture and deprivation in the S-21 Prison (Toul Sleng) in Phnom Penh. Choeung Ek is now a group of mass graves and a memorial stupa containing thousands of skulls. It’s about a 20-40 minute drive from the center of Phnom Penh. There are guides available at the site, and a small souvenir shop. For sake of historical context, combine your trip to Choeung Ek with a visit to Toul Sleng Genocide Museum.


Toul Sleng Genocide Museum (S-21)

(Corner of Street 113 & Street 350 - $2.00 - Open everyday, including holidays, 8AM-5PM - Closed for lunch)
Prior to 1975, Toul Sleng was a high school. When the Khmer Rouge came to power it was converted into the S-21 prison and interrogation facility. Inmates were systematically tortured, sometimes over a period of months, to extract confessions, after which they were executed at the killing fields of Choeung Ek. S-21 processed over 17,000 people, seven of whom survived. The building now serves as a museum, a memorial and a testament to the madness of the Khmer Rouge regime. Much has been left in the state it was when the Khmer Rouge abandoned it in January 1979. The prison kept extensive records, leaving thousands of photos of their victims, many of which are on display. Paintings of torture at the prison by Vann Nath, a survivor of Toul Sleng, are also on display. The museum’s famous and controversial ‘skull map’ is no longer on display.


River Cruise

Short river cruises and dinner cruises along the Phnom Penh riverfront are becoming more popular. A short cruise typically takes about 1-1/2 - 2 hours and runs up the Tonle Sap River along the central riverfront area providing a picturesque view of the Royal Palace, National Museum, parks and Phnom Penh skyline, and then across the Tonle Sap and up the Mekong River to view floating fishing villages. (Photography note: Best lighting in the early morning as the low eastern sun illuminates the front of the Palace.)

Tourist boats of varying size and quality wait along the riverfront between Street 178 and Street 130 (look for their small riverfront signs) and at the Passenger Port near Street 104. For a short riverfront cruise, just contact one of the tourist boats. Prices start at about $10/hour. Capitol Guesthouse offers budget oriented half-day Mekong cruises for $10/person. Chenla Luxury Boat Restaurant & Bar runs lunch and dinner cruises on a deluxe river boat. Cambodian and international cuisine. Full bar. Call for reservations. Tel: 012-758992 (English), 012-574074 (Khmer).


The River Front

A stroll or cyclo ride along the riverfront is a must. The view of the confluence of the Mekong and the Tonle Sap is geographically unique and the area near the Palace is a park - pubs, restaurants, shops and tourist boats line the way. Early risers, check out sunrise over the river in front of the Palace.


Traditional Markets

In Cambodia it is the women who take charge of trade...
Market is held everyday from six o'clock...
they display their goods on matting spread upon the ground.
Each has an allotted place...
excerpt from The Customs of Cambodia
by Zhou Daguan circa 1300AD


A trip to at least one traditional market (phsar) is a must. If you visit only one or two markets, begin with the Russian Market and the Central Market. Both offer curios, souvenirs and a cultural shopping adventure. Other markets such as the Old Market (Phsar Chas) have far fewer items for tourists but can still be photographically intriguing. The markets open and close with the sun but are fairly sleepy between 11:30AM and 2:00PM.


Central Market (Psah Thmei)


This unique, art-deco building is a Phnom Penh landmark. Prior to 1935 the area was a swamp/lake that received the runoff during the rainy season. The lake was drained and the market constructed in 1935-37. Wet season flooding in the area around the market of the market is a vestige of the old lake. The entrance to the market is lined with souvenir merchants hawking everything from T-shirts and postcards to silver curios and kramas. Inside is a dazzling display of jewels and gold. Electronic goods, stationery, secondhand clothes and flowers are also in ample supply. (Phsar Thmei means ‘New Market’, but ‘Central Market’ has caught on in English.)



Russian Market (Psah Toul Tom Poung)

This market is of far less architectural interest but has a larger and more varied selection of souvenirs, curios and silks than the Central Market. Like the Central Market, it has a good selection of silver, gold and jewels, but also carries huge selection of curios, silks, carvings, etc. The Russian Market offers the largest selection of bootlegged VCDs, DVDs and CDs of all of the traditional markets. Most of the CD vendors are located on the south side near the southeast corner of the market. It’s also a good place to buy fabric for business and casual cloths to take to the tailor. Most of what the visitor might want is in the same general area on the south side but the rest of the market is well worth exploring. Food and drink stands in the middle of the market for hygienically adventurous visitors.


Old Market (Psah Chas)

A truly local market offering goods such as fruits and vegetables, second hand clothes, hardware and religious articles. In the late afternoon food vendors and fruit sellers spread their mats and set up their stalls in and along street 13 in preparation for an evening market. The dinner rush makes for a confusing, pungent, dirty, potentially photogenic scene.