Phnom Penh, Cambodia — Where to Go
Phnom Penh Sightseeing Overview
Many of Phnom Penh's major sights of interest are close to the river, making a pleasant walking tour with plenty of places to stop for refreshment. Phnom Penh's attractions are not as glamorous as the temples of Angkor at Siem Reap, but visitors will enjoy the sumptuous Royal Palace and the neighboring Silver Pagoda, which both survived the excesses of the Khmer Rouge.
Phnom Penh was founded in the 14th century but didn't become the capital until 1866 when Cambodia became a French Protectorate. The 20th century was a difficult one for the city and country: it was occupied by the Japanese in WWII, then sided with the North Vietnamese against the Americans, resulting in them dropping bombs on Cambodia and causing a flood of refugees into the city.
Dissatisfied left-wing fighters, known as the Khmer Rouge, engaged in a civil war with the right-wing government culminating in them emptying Phnom Penh of its residents in April 1975 and returning the country to Year Zero with great brutality.
The invasion by the Vietnamese in 1979 started the very slow recovery of the city and country and it endured political turmoil until UN-backed elections in 1993 and the crowning of King Sihanouk the same year.
Since the late 1990s, when the Khmer Rouge were totally disempowered, political life has settled down to a certain extent and 2004 saw a new king, Sihamoni, take up residence in the Royal Palace following the abdication of his father.
For visitors today, the streets are easy to navigate thanks to a grid system,with even-numbered streets east to west and odd numbers north to south. Note that most places of interest are open every day.
Phnom Penh Tourist Information
No such office exists in Phnom Penh yet, although there is a desk at the airport, but this is mainly a hotel booking service. In the provinces, most towns have a tourist office but there is little in the way of handouts and they are often closed, though staff are keen to help when the office is open.
However, private tour companies do have some tourist information, although most literature relates to the tours they run. Reputable companies include Exotissimo Travel, 46 Norodom Boulevard (tel: (023) 218 948; www.exotissimo.com) and Diethelm Travel, 65 Street 240 (tel: (023) 219 151; www.diethelmtravel.com). A Phnom Penh Visitors' Guide is published quarterly and is freely available around the city.
Key Attractions in Phnom Penh, Cambodia
Royal Palace
A stunning complex of buildings, built in traditional Khmer style, including a Throne Hall and the intriguing, very French house built with iron, which was donated by Napoleon III to King Norodom in 1876.
Samdech Sothearos Boulevard (between Streets 240 and 184)
Tel: (023) 223 724.
Silver Pagoda
A delightful pagoda next to the Royal Palace, so called because over 5,000 silver tiles cover its floor, which also houses priceless Buddhas (including the Emerald Buddha and a life-sized gold Buddha covered in thousands of precious gems).
Samdech Sothearos Boulevard (between Streets 240 and 184)
Tel: (023) 223 724.
Wat Phnom
Located on the top of a small hill reached by a flight of steps with nagas (mythical serpents) on either side, this temple marks the spot of the foundation of Phnom Penh and is the most important in the city where residents come to pray for good luck.
Intersection of Street 96 and Norodom Boulevard
National Museum
A distinctive red-brick, pseudo-Khmer style building, constructed by the French in 1917, housing an extensive collection of Khmer sculptures from the pre-Angkorian period (seventh century) to the post-Angkorian period (14th century).
Street 13
Tel: (023) 211 753.
Tuol Sleng
Notorious prison during the Khmer Rouge years, originally a high school, where thousands of people were tortured and lost their lives; contains chilling photos, crudely built cells and instruments of torture.
Street 113
Tel: (023) 216 045.
Further Distractions
Wat Ounalom
One of Phnom Penh’s original and most important pagodas, dating from the 15th century. It was once home to hundreds of monks and an extensive religious library, but suffered greatly at the hands of the Khmer Rouge.
Samdech Sothearos Boulevard
Victory Monument
A huge monument in the shape of a lotus, built to celebrate independence from the French on 9 November 1953. Now it also commemorates Cambodia’s war dead, and is the focus of celebrations and services on vacations such as Independence Day and Constitution Day.
Intersection of Norodom and Sihanouk Boulevards
