Top Phnom Penh Hotels

Entering and leaving the Phnom Penhs major attractions involves running the gauntlet of frenzied beggars and moto drivers.

The most famous landmark of the city is the Silver Pagoda and the Royal Palace. This relatively new complex is worth seeing but it feels a little artificial and lacks soul. The highlight would be the treasures within the Silver Pagoda. Impressive is the Emerald Buddha, but more memorable is the silver-tiled floor. Rather annoyingly there are extra entrance fees for cameras and camcorders but photography is not allowed in the best areas.

Around the corner is the intriguing National Museum. The museum houses a complete display of Khmer artifacts including superb multi-armed statues of Shiva, bass reliefs and later colonial pieces. A great appetizer for those heading on to Angkor. In the evening the museums swarms of resident bats often trail off the roof into the sunset.

The Killing Fields at Choeung Ek is a uniquely Cambodian experience. It is here that the Khmer Rouge killed thousands of people and dumped them in mass graves. This somber site has a stupa holding 9000 skulls, mass graves and a tree on which queues of children were smashed to death. This isnt a cheerful visit and it can feel creepy or even tasteless, particularly as its becoming a tourist spot. Nevertheless, powerful and humbling.

Note: watch out for snakes weaving in and out of the grass.

Even more disturbing and sometimes sickening is Tuol Sleng Museum. This is a truly terrible yet gripping place. The museum is the former genocidal prison camp of Phnom Penh. The former school was converted to hold hundreds and has been kept much as it was. Photos bring a personal dimension lacking at the Killing Fields. Thousands of helpless faces peer desperately from the past, grisly tortured corpses lie splattered over racks, and the nightmarish paintings come straight from hell. Absolutely gross. But essential viewing for those with a strong stomach.

Sitting on a mound in the centre of a roundabout is Wat Phnom. This temple is the historic birthplace of Phnom Penh. Theres not much history left as its been continuously rebuilt but its still reasonably enjoyable. Wat Phnom draws tourists, worshippers and crowds of vendors, touts and beggars. Very touristy.

Wat Ounalom near the Royal Palace was built in 1443 to house an eyebrow hair of the Buddha himself. It was smashed up by the Khmer Rouge in 1975 but has since been restored to at least some of its former glory.

The Independence Monument seems to be listed in every guide as an attraction. The truth is its just a glorified roundabout. Certainly not worth visiting - to do so would be trespassing anyway. If youre really keen you can view it from across the road, or ask your bemused driver to do a couple of extra circuits.

Basic tourist information is available at the airport, but not much. Along the Mekong riverside is the tourist information centre - a bit of a waste of time. For the latest useful information, pick up a free copy of the Phnom Penh Visitors Guide from hotels and bars.

Phnom Penh is lively and theres a pretty fair choice of eating and entertainment options.

The best place to hang out in the evenings is down by the Mekong riverside with its long line of mid-priced restaurant-bars. Theres not much between them - prices, food and ambience are consistently good. The Garden Bar is a casual Mediterranean style spot and Wagon Wheel is a good US/German restaurant with a broad and satisfying menu.

A popular open front pub overlooking the Mekong with a traditional English menu is the Pink Elephant. Its cheap and lively with regular live sports and sidewalk seating. The mass of waiting moto drivers, flower sellers and hungry gawping street children can be off-putting but its a good place for a pint while soaking up Phnom Penh.

There are several good pizza joints in the capital. Baggios pizza is reliable and constantly full and Happy Herbs is renowned for having the widest range of toppings including cannabis.

An old favourite is the dependable FCC. Prices are high but the mood, colonial dcor and river views make for a good night out. The Heart Of Darkness bar away from the riverfront is a magnet for expatriates - its busy with live music and a good crowd.

Sharky Bar is a happening disco with a few pool tables. A rather suspiciously high single young female to bald foreign businessman ratio exists here. Its the same deal at the pulsating Martini.

Its not that easy to get Khmer food in Phnom Penh as the Khmer Rouge killed the countrys top chefs and wiped out most of the culinary culture. You can sample whats left of it - a blend of Chinese and Thai - in Pon Lok restaurant on the riverfront. Authentic local eateries abound just across the Friendship Bridge. Cheap and lively, but watch your belly.

The best Chinese restaurant in town is the fine Xiang Palace in the Intercontinental. Not surprisingly there are some good Thai spots in town - the choice pick is presently Baan Thai.

There are a few Japanese restaurants, all are horribly overpriced and seem only to survive by drawing homesick Japanese. Nice enough but only worth it if youre hellbent on sushi.

Cultural shows are unfortunately quite scarce. The Chatamuk Theatre regularly hosts traditional Khmer dance and the Cambodiana does a traditional dance buffet each Friday.

Few tourists bother with Cambo Fun Park opposite the National Monument. This bright and lively fun fair is popular with teenage Cambodians and has lots of fairground rides and games.

Phnom Penh has a lot of potential - it has the prices but not the goods. Presently it lacks malls or shopping centres and the market is mainly limited to lower end goods. But with the weak currency there are some excellent buys to be had, particularly for casual clothes.

The faintly Islamic looking Central Market offers the best choice of goods. It has all the usual daily items: T-shirts, food stalls, cabbages, padlocks, plus a few souvenirs. A confident haggler can pick up some great bargains here - genuine Levis straight from the factory can go for 7US.

The next choice would be the Russian Market in the south of the city. The choice of wares is smaller but the souvenir and curios section is broader and more interesting. There are several other markets that are smaller and offer practical essentials to locals.

Street 178 next to the National Museum is a street dedicated to local artistry. The lines of galleries display various large paintings, carvings and statues.

There are also numerous outlets selling silver, silks, weaving, furniture, antiques and porcelain all around town - often within a stones throw of the main city attractions and hotels. Workmanship, quality and authenticity varies. Street 240 has a good blend.

There are a few disabled workshops offering disadvantaged Cambodians employment opportunities in the production of traditional handicrafts. Hagar, NCDP and Aspara all offer the fruits of their labour.

Plenty of internet cafes are dotted around town. The Riverside has the highest concentration of places to log on. Rates are currently quite high but affordable at a few US an hour and connections are fairly reliable.

The capital is quite small so getting around is quite simple, but as with the rest of the country, there is little state infrastructure. Local operators meet transportation demands. Roads rapidly degenerate outside Phnom Penh and there are no buses.

There are no taxis to flag down. Motorcyclists offering nippy transport around town, motos, are everywhere and cheap if haggled. Many hang around the tourist spots and can be overly friendly. The moto drivers are very keen to double as guides. There are also a few cyclos around - a relaxing way to see the Mekong.

Hotel cars or the unmetered taxis available at the airport provide more comfortable travel. They are quite expensive compared to motos and steep by local standards but in many cases the best option, particularly at night.

Motorcycles can be hired for those wanting to get out and explore on their own. Bicycles are available from guesthouses if you can stand the heat and potholes.

The capitals train station is centrally located just off the capitals main road, Monivong Boulevard. The train service is limited, slow and unreliable, and in the past downright dangerous. The Mad Max style armour plated carriages bristling with artillery are presently not in use. Trains are ridiculously cheap.

In aquatic terms Phnom Penh is fairly central and connected by boat to many of the larger towns including Siem Reap for the temples of Angkor.

Pochentong International Airport is 7km from the town centre. Its being rebuilt following the coup that left it in tatters in 97 - expect to be clobbered with some steep airport charges. The capital is well linked domestically and there are flights to Siem Reap daily. The airport is linked to most of its Asian neighbours

The Mekong Island tour leaving from the pier behind the Cambodiana offers a packaged and convenient itinerary for rushed travellers. Its a well-trodden route outlining silk weaving, traditional dances and elephant rides. There are also short boat tours that ply up and down the Mekong River available from the riverside.

The former capital lies an hour west of Phnom Penh. Oudong is pretty quiet and low-key with notable points being a war torn collection of stupas, ruins, and memorials to the recovered remains of Khmer Rouge victims.

For those who want a taste of Angkor theres Phnom Chisor. Some good 10th century ruins can be found at the hilltop. Quite a sweaty climb but a terrific view.

To let rip try a spot of shooting at the range near the airport. Its a very Cambodian operation and not very convincing in professional terms. A menu of weaponry is offered to visitors from AK-47s all the way up to rocket launchers! Theres a pond around the back in which you can chuck a live grenade. Utterly irresponsible but great fun.

The Cambodians understandably celebrate the Overthrow of the Genocidal Regime on 7th January. A few weeks later the Vietnamese and Chinese both enjoy the Lunar New Year.

The Khmers celebrate their new year in the middle of April. Chaul Chnam is a 3-day celebration involving temple offerings, traditional games, water fights and a spot of Spring-cleaning.

April sees the Royal Ploughing Ceremony. A colourful procession is led from the Royal Palace to a rice field where the ploughing season is inaugurated with the first seeds being sown. The agricultural ritual includes a prediction of the harvest ahead by the eating habits of the sacred cows.

September sees a 15-day for the dead and culminates in the full moon. During the Dak Ben festival monks are offered food and the spirits roam the temples searching for offerings from their descendants.

Cambodia also celebrates the remarkable geographic phenomenon that occurs around the end of October. The Water Festival marks the reversal of the flow of the Tonle Sap River - the river backtracks from into the Mekong to into the lake and is responsible for the regions fertility. Longboat races take place on the Mekong.

The Cambodians celebrate independence from France on 9th November. Independence Day celebrations feature creative floats, marching bands and cultural displays parade in front of the Royal Palace.