2 Days in Phnom Penh

Cambodia may be famous for the stunning Temples of Angkor, the rolling highlands of Mondulkiri and Ratanikiri and souths gorgeous beaches. Sadly, its wonderful capital Phnom Penh does sometimes get overlooked. It may not have the lure of some of Asia’s other great capitals, but it definitely packs a punch and is well worth a couple of days.

Where to Stay

When I first visited Phnom Penh back in 2008, most accommodation was in the lakeside district. Budget guesthouses built on the edge of an extremely polluted man made lake. Nowadays the lakeside no longer exists. There are 2 clear areas to stay, the first is in the north of the city close to the river. Here you will find lots of bars, clubs and partying. This is not really our cup of tea, so as a result we stayed close to the Russian market in the south of the city. This area is much quieter, which is what we prefer. With plenty of restaurants and cafes plus the fascinating Russian market this is a great place to acclimatise to Phnom Penh’s hectic pace.

The only downside about staying in this area is that to reach a number of the cities best sites you may need to take a tuk tuk. Expect to pay between 3 to 5 dollars for a ride from the Russian market to Wat Phnom.

Where to eat

Around the Russian market is an excellent place to find cheap delicious food. Both in stalls inside the market and street vendors that line the streets outside. The bbq street stalls offer a wide variety of delicious snacks. 

The maze of backstreets around the Russian market is full of great cafes and restaurants. As well as being a great place to people watch. Naturally buying at street vendors or the small restaurants inside the market itself is cheaper than going to the surrounding restaurants and cafes. 

Getting Around

Tuk tuks are king in Phnom Penh. Easy to find and affordable they make getting around the city easy and convenient. Expect to pay $3-5 for trips within the city centre and around $10+ out to Choeung Ek. Usually trips to Choeung Ek are usually combined with a return trip to Tuol Sleng.

Day 1

We started out with breakfast around the Russian market and then hopped in a tuk tuk and headed north through Phnom Penh’s winding back streets before popping out at Wat Phnom. From here were worked our way south back to our guesthouse throughout the day.

Wat Phonm

One of Phnom Penh’s busiest temples and prettiest temples this makes an excellent place to start your day. Expect to share your space with a quite a few locals praying and lighting incense. Earlier is probably better than later as you will hopefully miss the bigger tourist groups that come here. From here head out towards the banks of the river and wander south. Wat Ounalom is definitely worth stopping in on your way south.

Royal Palace and the Silver Pagoda

The gleaming jewel in in Phnom Penh’s historical buildings is the exquisite Royal Palace. Naturally you can expect this place to be pretty busy, however the huge open courtyards and numerous exquisite buildings, in cluding the stunning silver pagoda helps the crowds comfortably disperse once inside. The Palace complex itself is deceptively large with numerous quite spots to relax in the serenity of your surroundings. With stunning craftsmanship and ornate design work that leave visitors mesmerized. This is possibly one of South East Asia’s most impressive palatial complexes.

Independence Monument

Walking back to the russian market we passed by the independence monument. Although not one of Phnom Penh’s most famous sites, this is actually one of my favourite places in the city to relax on a bench with a book, or just people watch. It can be especially beautiful as the sun is setting.

We ended our day with dinner around the Russian market.

Day 2

Day 1 mainly focused on Cambodia’s medieval past. Structures that are a crucial part of Cambodia’s culture, history and identity. Day 2 focused on Cambodia’s recent history that sadly has probably had a far greater impact on the people present day Cambodia.

Today we visited two of 20th centuries most important historical locations, Choeung Ek and Tuol Sleng. For those that are unaware, both sites will be forever linked with the time of the murderous Khmer Rouge. In 1975 Pol Pot instigated an extremely aggressive form of Maoism, where Cambodia was effectively sent back to the stone age. Money was abolished, people were sent from the cities to the countryside and those who were regarded as intellectuals were immediately executed. Many others died from being overworked, starved or were murdered outright by the state. From 1975 to 1979 it is estimated that the Khmer Rouge were responsible for the deaths of approximately 1.5 to 3 million people.

Choeung Ek

Also know as the killing fields this museum and memorial is located approximately 30 minutes from downtown Phnom Penh. It is a crucial to visit to understand and appreciate Cambodia’s tragic past. Tuk tuks are likely to be $10+ including a return trip back to the city centre. In recent years the amount of information at the site has increased dramatically. All displays are in English and audio guides are available in a variety of languages. 

Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum

A former high school located in the centre on Phnom Penh, Tuol Sleng became security prison 21 (S-21) during the time of the Khmer Rouge. Like Choeung Ek this a truly sobering reminder of the horrors that Cambodia has endured to get to where it is today. The accompanying audio guide is excellent, especially when combined with the information presented in the museum itself. When visiting both of these sites it is hard not be moved by what you see.