Phnom Penh | ភ្នំពេញ

Every time we read a comment telling people not to bother with Phnom Penh, or saying they didn’t like the city, it makes us a little sad. We love Phnom Penh and think it’s one of Southeast Asia’s most underestimated capitals. It’s busy and can be a little rough around the edges, but it’s easy to get around and there’s plenty to experience.

For many visitors, their first experiences of Phnom Penh are some of the most difficult parts of Cambodia’s history. Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum and the Killing Fields of Choeung Ek are important places to visit, but there is also much more to add into your itineraries.

The Royal Palace and National Museum are both well worth visiting, and nearby you’ll find Independence Monument, Wat Botum and some of the greener parts of Phnom Penh with wide sidewalks. If you are in the area, Street 240 is a great place to spend the morning shopping or getting a coffee in one of the many cafes in the area.

Along the riverside is where you will find bars and restaurants overlooking the river and it is a lovely place to walk in the evenings. On Saturday and Sunday nights, Walking Street brings food stalls and crowds to the riverfront. From here you can catch a boat to cruise the river and take in Phnom Penh’s skyline from the water.

Around Wat Phnom is some of Phnom Penh’s surviving French colonial architecture alongside old shophouses and some of the city’s grander hotels. Nearby you can visit the SOSORO Museum or enjoy a cocktail at Raffles Hotel Le Royal’s Elephant Bar. Not far from here you can check out the architecture of the Central market and do some shopping while you’re there.

The Boeung Keng Kang Mouy (BKK1) area, has long been a popular area to stay for tourists and shows a much more modern side of Phnom Penh. Not far from here is the not so hidden restaurant and bar areas of Bassac Lane and Langka Lane. It is also a great area for a night out and is where you will find some of the more popular nightclubs.

Further south, Tuol Tumpung has become a popular neighbourhood and its streets lined with local businesses and shophouses give you an idea of what much of Phnom Penh looked like before it was filled with high-rise condos and international shops. This is a great area to head for cafés, restaurants and bars as well as the Tuol Tumpung market.

If you are willing to travel a little further from the city you can take the ferry across the river to Arey Ksat and Koh Dach (Silk Island). This is a great day trip either cycling or on a tuk tuk, making your way through the villages known for their silk weaving.

Phnom Penh is noisy, hot and sometimes chaotic, but there is much more to the city than people might first see. We’d recommend staying for a couple of days after visiting Tuol Sleng and the Killing Fields. Spend some time walking through the different neighbourhoods, take a boat out on the river, visit the markets and stop somewhere for a coffee or a drink.