Things to do in Phnom Penh

Royal Palace and the Silver Pagoda

The Royal Palace and the Silver Pagoda sit side by side on Sothearos Boulevard and while they are two separate complexes, they are visited as one.

The palace has four gates. The eastern Victory Gate leads directly to the entrance of the throne hall and is used only by royalty and VIPs. The northern or funeral gate is only opened after the death of a monarch. After being embalmed, the monarch's body is kept in state at the palace for three months, with the face hidden by a one-kilogram solid gold mask, before being taken out via this gate. The west or executing gate was used by condemned prisoners exiting the palace to be killed. The southern gate is reserved for use by commoners and it is through this gate the public reaches the Silver Pagoda.

Atop the palace's throne hall, note the four pale, almost clown-like faces, which represent the all-seeing king. The hall itself is painted vivid yellow, a symbol of Buddhism, and white, for Hinduism, the two main faiths of Cambodia until they were combined into one by Jayavarman VII in the 12th century. The central door of the five at the front of the throne hall are reserved for royalty and VIPs. Inside, note the 1913 ceiling mural telling the story of the Ramayana. The thick carpet supplied by China in 1993 matches the lotus-bud floor tiles.

The king sits on the front throne and the queen, when there is one, on the one at the rear during their coronation. The queen's throne is taller as it is built upon a golden stage made of boats and nagas. It has three stairways, one for her and one for each of the two Brahmin priests who look after her during the ceremony. To the left of the throne is a gold bust of King Sisowath (1904-1927) and to the right stands that of King Monivong (1927-1941).

At the October 2004 coronation of the ballet-dancing son of former king Sihanouk, King Sihamoni, both thrones were left empty as he does not have a queen, and he sat in the ornate chair in front of the throne. Normally a coronation is lavish and runs for seven days, but due to the kingdom's lack of money, at the request of Sihamoni it was cut to just three. Note the new parasol, which belongs to Sihamoni for the entirety of his rule.

The small white building to the right of the hall is a resting room that used to be used by royalty to catch their breath before climbing onto an elephant to head out into the world. Royal sermons and classical dances would be held in the front pavilion that looks over the park between the Royal Palace and the river.

The king's residence was built in the 1930s. If the blue royal flag is flying, he is in residence.

On the far right sits the royal guesthouse. Following the death of former king Sihanouk's father, his mother moved from the residence to this building. Today it is used as a guesthouse for special guests of royalty.

To the left of the throne hall sits another small building. The downstairs section contains a small clothing display, including copies of the clothes Sihamoni wore during his coronation. At the rear, note the seven mannequins wearing seven days' worth of colours.

Behind and to the left of this building en route to the Silver Pagoda is the oddest building: a grey, mostly cast-iron gift from France which was initially constructed in Egypt. It was shipped to Cambodia in 1876 as a gift from Napolean III.

Silver Pagoda
Like Wat Phra Kaew in Bangkok, the Silver Pagoda has murals running around its outer wall telling the story of the Ramayana. The murals here, however, originally painted in 1903-4, are in poor condition and were probably not helped by a Khmer-Polish restoration project begun in 1985 but halted five years later when the money ran out. If you want to follow the full story, start at the east gate and follow the murals for their full 642 metres.

Within the grounds are five stupas, with the two largest to the east containing the ashes of King Norodom and King Udung, while between them stands a statue of King Norodom on horseback seemingly about to charge outside.

The pagoda itself is named after the five tonnes of tiles -- 5,329 of them -- covering the floor. Most of the area is covered in carpets, but a small area near the entrance is exposed. The centrepiece is the large jade Buddha statue -- referred to as the Emerald Buddha -- sitting atop a dizzying array of goodies. Standing in front of it is a tall, solid-gold Buddha weighing 90 kilograms and encrusted with 2,086 diamonds. The gem above the forehead weighs 25 carats and another on the chest is a hefty 20 carats. It was made in 1904 during the reign of King Sisowath. All up, some 1,650 artefacts are on display, ranging from platinum cigarette boxes with emeralds the size of quail eggs to gold spittoons.

After the pagoda, there is a small air-con display of Khmer housing which is interesting, albeit tacky.

Finally there are the elephant stables where the king once kept his white elephant. The Khmer Rouge starved it to death.

In order to enter, you must wear long pants or skirt and sleeved shirts.

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Sothearos Blvd
Opening Hours: Open 07:30-11:00, 14:00-17:00.

Wat Phnom

This small hill, or phnom, at the northern end of Phnom Penh give's Cambodia's capital its name. Legend has it that a Khmer woman Penh was dawdling by the riverbank when she noticed four Buddha images floating by. She grabbed the lot of them and lugged them over to the hill, where a wat was built to house them.

Today the well-shaded hill sits at the centre of a roundabout and has a bit of a fun-fair atmosphere to it, with a giant clock built into the hillside and numerous hawkers ambling around. A long staircase leads to the top of the hill, where you can check out the wat and the view, which isn't as great as you might expect. persistent lot of persistent beggars hang out here. Quite a few hustlers also prowl the area, so keep your wits about you. There are also lots of homeless children as well as gangster monkeys who will have their eyes on your wallet, camera, or any appealing food or drink you leave hanging about.

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Junction of Norodom and France, Phnom Penh

Indpendence Monument

Also known as the Victory Monument, this Vann Molyvann-designed reddish-brown coloured edifice was built in 1958 to celebrate independence from the French and as a memorial to Cambodia's war dead. Sitting in the centre of Phnom Penh's largest roundabout, the monument is a favourite among tourists and Khmers alike for photographs. The park that runs east towards the river from the monument is a popular spot for Khmer wedding photos -- look for the wedding parties with their golden umbrellas posing in the afternoon light.

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Intersection of Norodom and Sihanouk Blvds

Cambodia-Vietnam Soldiers Monument

Northeast of the Independence Monument heading towards the Royal Palace, this monument was built to a Vietnamese design in the late 1970s. Following demonstrations two decades later, the area surrounding the monument was dubbed Democracy Square. Today it is still used for political gatherings -- when the government grants permission, of course -- although the most common events are the evening shows that take place toward Street 268. The square features fountains lit up at night with laser lights during holidays and on special occasions.


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Sothearos

Wat Lang Ka

This wat is of only passing interest to the typical traveller, although it is a popular one for VIP ceremonies of various kinds. You can tell when something VIPish is happening as they'll close the roads in the area, causing complete chaos. Toward the rear of the compound, by the entrance on Pasteur Street, note the beautiful cannonball flowers growing out of the tree trunks which resemble giant Venus flytraps. Khmers are very suspicious of these flowers and allow them to grow only at temples and the Royal Palace. It is believed a broth made from their petals is a helpful tonic for pregnant women.

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Sihanouk Blvd (also accessible from Pasteur St)

Wat Prayuvong

This small wat is hidden away to the east of Norodom Boulevard, about a five-minute walk from the Independence Monument. The wat is not signposted in English, but keep an eye out for the spirit houses lining Norodom and head down the nearby alley where industrious workers are making concrete Buddhas -- not a great spot for gift-buying unless you're looking for a 10-foot-long reclining one for someone special. The wat itself is a plain affair.

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Norodom Blvd

Boat trip

Phnom Penh can get oppressively hot, particularly in March through May. One fine way to escape is to take an afternoon boat ride along the Tonle Sap and Mekong Rivers. You'll often be approached by touts along the river to go on an organised trip, but if you can rustle together your own group you can call the shots. Most of the boats have their own sound system -- you can bring your own music -- and some have cold storage for drinks and kitchens with Khmer cooks for hire. Splurge on some wine, bread and cheese to make it something special. Head off at around 16:30 for a two-hour trip, giving the boat driver ample time to take you down the Tonle Sap and up the Mekong, returning to Phnom Penh at sunset. Cost is about $10 per person for organised trips. Highly recommended.

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Riverfront

Choeung Ek

Choeung Ek, 15 kilometres from Phnom Penh, is Cambodia's best known killing field, although many travellers do not realise that this was just one of the many, many that dot the country. More than 15,000 people, transported from Tuol Sleng, are believed to have been murdered here -- some shot, many simply bludgeoned to death. Some mass graves have been left as they were found. Look for the sunken ground to give away their location. A small memorial explains the history of Choeung Ek and the glass case containing the skulls and bones of more than 8,000 people is a moving scene. Expect to pay $2 to $3 on a motorbike to get out here, and more if you're coming from tourist hubs (the riverside, the lake) where prices are inflated.

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15km out of Phnom Penh

Phnom Tamao Wildlife Rescue Centre

An organised day trip to Phnom Tamao Wildlife Rescue Centre, about 40 km from Phnom Penh, leaves from Lazy Gecko restaurant on the lakeside at 10:00 and usually returns at about 17:00. It costs $30 per person, which seems steep, but the price includes jeep transport, entry fee, a fantastic Khmer lunch (complete with local booze and, yes, the chance to act like an elderly Cambodian and chew the stimulant out of betel nut roots). But the invaluable thing about taking the Betel Nut trip (instead of hiring your own driver and trekking out there yourself, which is an option) is the guide. A Cambodian as well as Aussie Barb lead you through the wildlife refuge and bring you to places you could never access on your own, such as on a hike with elephants out to their watering hole. Chhouk, a baby elephant rescued from the jaws of a poacher's trap, limps along with a missing foot. When he's buoyant in the water, he's possibly euphoric and you will get wet with his splashing and spraying. Barb also takes her visitors into the area where the tigers are caged. We know we're getting a special experience anytime we're doing something that would be totally illegal, due to safety concerns, in our home country. Highly recommended.

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40km from Phnom Penh
betelnuttours@gmail.com
http://www.betelnuttours.com

Phsar Thmei (Central Market)

Built in 1937, this stunning ochre-coloured art-deco ziggurat designed by Vann Molyvann is the most unlikely of buildings in Phnom Penh. A huge dome with four wings, it's an amazingly cool place to seek refuge in the middle of the day and is also a fascinating market to wander through. The area of the market under the dome is given over to gold and watch merchants, while the wings hold consumer electronics -- generally low quality -- along with household goods and clothing. Just outside the walls is a sprawling wet market which is a lot cleaner than the nearby Phsar Chas (Old Market). On the eastern side of the market are a range of tourist stalls selling photocopied books, maps and kramas and further out still is the fresh flower section. Phsar Thmei is a good spot for sightseeing, but not really for shopping. The vendors often start with such inflated prices it is not even worth bargaining.

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Intersection of Kampuchea Krom & Street 63

Phsar Tuol Tom Pong (Russian Market)

This market got its name due to the masses of Russians who shopped here in the 1980s. Though the Russians have disappeared, the bargains haven't. Popular with expats and tourists alike picking up pirated DVDs and CDs, fake designer clothing, handicrafts, real and replica antiques and other knick knacks, and with locals who scout for clothing, hardware and fresh food. It's best visited in the early morning or mid-afternoon as the heat during the middle of the day under the tin roof is oppressive. Bargaining is expected, particularly if you are buying a large number of items. And some might like to note that the days of grass being sold out of hessian bags here have long gone. Do avoid buying the authentic antique ceramics: You'll be contributing to the loss of Cambodia's archaeological history by driving a trade in the excavation of these items in historically important locations by villagers looking to make a quick buck.

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Intersection of Street 440 & Street 15

Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum

S-21 or Tuol Sleng was the Khmer Rouge's primary interrogation and extermination centre, designed to purge anti-Khmer Rouge elements from the new society Pol Pot and his henchmen were hellbent on creating. Before the 1975-79 regime, the building was a school. Smaller interrogation centres were scattered across Cambodia, but S-21 was by far the largest and most important. All of the classrooms were converted either to tiny prison cells or interrogation rooms, while the upper balconies were covered in barbed wire so that prisoners could not kill themselves by throwing themselves off.

Like the Nazis before them, the Khmer Rouge were meticulous in their record keeping, taking photos of every new arrival and painstakingly retaining detailed confessions made by prisoners. Many of these haunting photos are displayed in the museum.

Up to 16,000 people were interred, tortured and eventually executed here or at the nearby killing fields. Victims included Khmers, Vietnamese, Laotians, Thais, Indians, Brits, Pakistanis, Americans, Canadians, New Zealanders and Australians. The vast majority of course were Khmer, and many were former Khmer Rouge themselves, victims of the regime's systematic and paranoid internal purges. In most cases the torturers were children aged 10 to 15.

When the Vietnamese ousted the Pol Pot regime, they arrived in Phnom Penh far faster than expected and the authorities at S-21 barely had time to execute the last prisoners before fleeing. The first row of cells on the left as you enter the school have been left largely as found by the Vietnamese, including photos of the remains that were found in each cell. At the time, the Vietnamese kept S-21 largely as it was as a means to justify their invasion. The centre illustrated just how brutal the Khmer Rouge regime really was -- the international community paid scant attention at the time.

Tuol Sleng is one of the most important historical monuments of the Khmer Rouge period yet it is amazing how few Khmers actually visit. With the ongoing work of DC-Cam (Documentation Cenre of Cambodia), an independent non-profit assisted by Yale University and led by US educated Khmer Rouge survivor Youk Chhang, this is slowly changing. While it makes for a rather grim couple of hours, a visit to S-21 is an integral part of understanding what happened during the Khmer Rouge period. The admission is $2 but further donations are much appreciated and encouraged.

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Street 113

Shooting Range

Phnom Penh's notorious shooting range has long been a place of interest to tourists -- if not to visit in person, then to shake their heads at. If shooting really big guns is your thing, this is the place for you. For $30 you can fire 30 rounds of an AK-47 or 20 rounds of an M16. According to many a rumour, for a minimum of $200 you can shoot a cow -- but we're yet to meet anyone who has seen that happen firsthand, and our expense budget doesn't cover blowing up cows.

You can hire a taxi to take you to the range for about $10 but if you have your own transport it isn't impossible. Head west on the Russian Boulevard past the airport, and continue for about another 15km on NH4, before slowing down as your enter a village. Keep your eyes peeled to the right for a sign that says Shooting Range. Near it is a sign that says Kambol. When you see the sign, turn right through an archway and continue north. Keep your eyes peeled to the left, and past a building that looks like a school (except it is the jail -- more razor wire than most schools), you will see an entry to a military base. It's okay -- you're allowed here. Tell the officers at the gate that you are there for the shooting range and they will wave you in.

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20km out of Phnom Penh

Koh Dach

Koh Dach is an island about 15km north of Phnom Penh on the Mekong River. There are two reasons to visit this 30 square kilometre island -- for the beach, or to check out the handicrafts that local artisans make. The beach is very popular with locals on the weekends but during the week you will have the run of the place.

You can get to Koh Dach by catching a tourist boat from the Tonle Sap -- many pleasure cruises on the Mekong include a stop here in their itinerary. A cheaper option is to catch a ferry. Cross the Japanese Bridge and about 2.5km east look for a Chinese temple on your right. Pass through its gates, and head toward the river. Once at the river, turn left, and you'll find where the ferries depart. Bargain your fare -- about 500 riel for one person, 2,000 riel for a person and their moto, and 8,000 riel for a car and its passengers.

Once you are off the ferry, tour around the island, stopping in to see the carvers, potters and weavers. Don't expect to get any great bargains -- prices here will be similar to those at the market. However, you will be eliminating the middleman to the advantage of the artisan.

By the time you've had your fill of handicrafts, you should have had your fill of the heat as well. During the dry season, check out the beach and go for a swim. On the way, expect to go through a tollbooth that charges foreigners $1 for entry. Once you're at the beach, you'll see thatch huts lining the shore. If lounging in one of those huts over the water suits your fancy, just pay another dollar to be carried out royalty style. The owner of the hut will provide you with drinks and (as always!) plenty of ice. Don't worry about a scam involving the bill -- you will pay a fair amount for what you get. People selling fruit, pottery, silk and other crafts will stop by. Koh Dach may not be Sihanoukville, but it's also not a four-hour drive from Phnom Penh. Be warned that during the wet season the water becomes clouded with sediment and the level rises, covering the most desirable white sand.

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15km out of Phnom Penh

Kien Svay (also called Koki Beach)

Located 15km east of the Monivong Bridge on NH1 toward Ho Chi Minh City, Kien Svay is a popular spot for locals from the city. A sign for Koki Beach is on the left but easy to miss, so watch your odometer and keep your eyes peeled as you get near the 15km mark. A huge tree marks the turn, which is right before a temple. Or take a share taxi or bus from Central Market. The bus ride will cost you $1 to $2. Don't even consider visiting on Sundays as this is the only day most Cambodians get off of work so it's absolutely packed. During the week you should have very little competition for a pleasant patch.

Though there isn't really a beach per se and swimming is best left for the locals and their practised immune systems, Koki Beach is a relaxing, calm spot. Thatched rent-able huts on stilts line the shore. Bargain a price with the owner in advance to avoid an unpleasant surprise at the conclusion of your lounging -- expect to pay $4 to $5.

Vendors offer all kinds of local foods -- once again, bargain a price first. One way to avoid being ripped off is to bring your own food which is considered an acceptable practice. Stories abound of tourists being presented with huge bills at the end of the day, and even some locals no longer go to Koki Beach because of unscrupulous business practices. Boat trips on the river are readily available, and should cost less than $ 3 an hour. A few nearby villages are known for weaving and sell handmade kramas. These are often way overpriced for foreigners.

Though this isn't in the same league as the beaches of Sihanoukville or Kep, it might fit the bill if you just need a day out of Phnom Penh's heat.

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15km out of Phnom Penh

Khmer Architecture Tours

Khmer Architecture Tours run regular visits to Phnom Penh's fascinating but rapidly vanishing modern architectural sites. From Vann Molyvann's high-density housing project now slated for pull-down (his national theatre has already gone, sadly), to imposing-but-crumbling university buildings, and the enormous, Colosseum-esque Olympic Stadium, the tours will let you catch a glimpse of Cambodia's modern heritage -- some of it very little known -- before it disappears under the weight of Hun Sen's wrath. Now run almost exclusively by Cambodian architecture students, it's one way to say you don't want to see this happen and help people who care fight for the survival of important sites. Some tours are made by cyclo, some by bus and some just on foot. You can also download a high-res map from the site and make a tour on your own. Highly recommended.

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http://www.ka-tours.org/