Phnom Penh is wow. A clean, vibrant South East Asian capital with a super friendly, genuine smiley welcome that transcends the recent dark chapter of Cambodia’s history. We stayed for four nights on our trip. There’s a tonne of stuff to fit into a short stay, and the food and drink options are endless, so that just means we’ll have to come back of course.
Phnom Penh isn’t a huge city so it’s easy to navigate, and there’s an army of tuk tuk’s, cyclo’s and grab taxis to take you the distance when the heat gets overwhelming on your city walks, or you’re if heading right across town. It does get pretty hot in the middle of the day so it’s a good idea to plan to be out early, and again in the early evening before heading on to one of the countless great places to eat and drink.
We stayed at the Palace Gate Hotel and Residence and this is a shot we took from our balcony. It’s in a perfect central location.and off the main roads so it’s lovely and peaceful too. Accommodation with a pool is a great idea if you can stretch to it. It’s a great way to break up the hot days with a refreshing dip, it’s free entertainment and definitely helps keep the kids sane.
Things to do
Just around the corner, north of our pad, is The Royal Palace. This is where the King actually lives, so you don’t visit every corner, but it’s still a pretty impressive place to stroll with priceless collections of Khmer art and Buddahs, the opulent and excessive Silver Pagoda, a pavilion gifted by Napoleon the 3rd, and an epic mural from around 1900. It’s definitely worth getting a guide at only $10, so you know what you’re looking at. The place closes at 2pm for a few hours so get here early to get the most out of your trip well ahead of the midday sun and that lunchtime shutdown.
The Killing Fields and S-21 are hard to see, but essential to your understanding of Cambodia’s recent dark history. It’s also a haunting look at how quickly neighbours seem able to turn on each other in the most horrific way. Start with an hour or two in the grounds and cells of the former high school turned torture prison by the Khmer Rouge, Tuol Sleng Prison, or S-21. Even when you’re confronted by the barbed wire and the recounted stories, it’s hard to come to terms with the horrors that played out here. You can pay a little extra for the audio tour, which is well worth it. It’s very sobering and after around half an hour, the kids decided to sit this one out on a bench in the gardens where we also met up with one of the very few former prisoners who survived this place.
After S-21, our tuk tuk driver took us out to The Killing Fields which is just out of town but also, eerily way too close. You can actually see great views of the Phnom Penh skyline from out here. You can’t help wondering if it was glimpsed by those who spent their final moments here, dumbfounded at how the world around them had turned on them.
All a must see on a sad morning. To get there, just head out to the street and grab a tuk tuk – they know where you want to go. And when you’re done, grab a big fat refreshing drink to decompress.
For the pleasantries of modern Phnom Penh, in the evening, as the sun is setting, head out to the small park that’s home to the Independence Monument as well as the enormous statue of the former king and prime minister Norodom Sihanouk. Teaming with walkers and joggers, who all travel around in the same direction, it’s a great people watching spot and has a real sense of serenity despite the fact that it sits in the middle of some 5 lane highways.
Wat Phnom is a pretty busy spot so again, avoid the heat – and the crowds and arrive early to take a look around at the legendary birthplace of Phnom Penh. Inside the temple it’s busy, with an air of calm amongst the partons here to pray, along with a lot of stick shaking and water throwing at the hectic shrine next door as people seek to understand their fortunes.
You can take a walk around the grounds here too and grab some refreshments from the many food and drink stalls around the place. It is definitely one of the more tourist feeling spots we visited in the capital.
From here, it’s not far to take a stroll alongside the Tonle Sap river. It’s pretty, for a central city spot, with wide manicured walkways that overlook the working river where you can also hop on board one of the many boats for anything, from a sunset cocktail cruise to a trip to Siem Reap. We just took a stroll, and pratted around on the fitness machines.
Food and Drink
A fantastic thing to do with a full evening is to take a food tour. It’s a great way to get to know some of the local specialities and you’ll likely then indulge more during of the rest of your trip and eat more adventurously as you travel. Plus, it’s just a super fun evening out travelling around the city, getting stuffed ful,l and a little boozy. We went out with Urban Forage https://maps.app.goo.gl/Rx4CMJuPN6tTFd5YA and our guide, Jackson, was super chill and great at getting everyone in our small group, comfortable and involved.
We had a really decent, varied selection of food which was very much appreciated. We wanted to try a few things that felt adventurous, like the beef with ants and the frogs ; but also just find some good deliciousness that we’d likely find easily on the rest of our trip and we’d want to keep tucking into, like the amazing barbecued meats we had at the Russian Market. All in all, a highlight of the trip.
And so that segues nicely into some other great food and drink spots. For a massive hit of refreshment, grab a freshly made sugar cane juice. Available all over Cambodia, on the roadside or in the street side Cambodian Restaurants – like Sophath which luckily for us, was 4 doors down from our hotel and did great food too. https://maps.app.goo.gl/wntcTrUYFjCFyGFKA
Of course, in the evening, you may opt for a refreshing beer or three. There are some great craft brew bars like Botanico which also has a fabulous garden, pool, and an attention seeking cat. A great chill out spot. https://maps.app.goo.gl/4JFE4k8uYA8SpteG7
Num Pang is the Cambodian Banh Mi, and the Num Pang at number 236 on Street 143 – or European Union Street is heaven in a baguette. Well worth the trip across town. https://maps.app.goo.gl/7MJFssBL3obeTUsr8
After a week or two away, we always get a craving for some pizza, and at Pizza 4P’s, we had some of the best pizza ever. If you’ve a craving, you will definitely satisfy it here. And the 4P’s at 313 Quayside, also has a fantastic view over the riverside too. https://maps.app.goo.gl/h1iHAM1dJAV9xJVh6
And another comfort food favourite is, of course, a chunky burger. Try Burgershack. It’s a funky spot with juicy burgers, hidden in the back lanes off of street 51. https://maps.app.goo.gl/H2dZkiBnwzFhVXAQA
For a one stop foody experience that can deliver you to anywhere in South East Asia, head to Ngon Restaurant on Street 274. You will definitely find something that takes your fancy in their 49 page menu. It’s a beautiful garden setting with a touch of colonial era style. https://maps.app.goo.gl/8Ljv9hbkmHsbMd4b8
And when it feels time to have a splash out fancy treat, head to Malis Restaurant. From the photos on the wall you’ll see you’re in great company. It seems it’s the place for visiting celebs and political leaders to dine too. Oh, and don’t over order, the portions are huge https://maps.app.goo.gl/BkRBw5R2UYEq3fkx9
So, as you can no doubt tell from my overuse of the word great, Phnom Penh is – Great.
On a future trip we plan to do more, shopping at The Russian Market, take a sunset river cruise on the Mekong, visit the Museum of Cambodia, more craft breweries, bike ride around Factory Phnom Penh, take a Tuk Tuk tour of Silk Island – and the list goes on.
Please do click that like button and consider subscribing, it really does help, and, would be greatly appreciated. And drop us a note or or comment on our social channels with any questions we might be able to help with, or to share your own tips and thoughts on these or other great ideas. We just love chatting travel.
For more on our travels to Cambodia, check out our video on A week in Siem Reap here
