I stayed in Cambodia’s capital for 2 full days. On the first day, I visited Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum and the Killing Fields to learn more about Cambodia’s unfortunate history. On my second day, I wanted to visit the center of Phnom Penh with its sights. Therefore, I did an extended walk of which I tell you in this blog entry. As a bonus, I also went for a sunset cruise in the evening.
The morning
My hostel was directly next to the riverfront of Tonle Sap River. It’s the perfect spot to start the journey as it’s very central and in my opinion in the most beautiful area of Phnom Penh. The walkway next to the river is very well maintained with many beautiful palm trees. These even have fairy lights attached to them which let them shine in the national colors at night.
Wat Phnom Temple
My first destination in the morning was Wat Phnom. It’s a temple with a 27m high stupa on an artificial hill which dates back to the 14th century. Interestingly, it’s the center of the city, but in the central district it’s the northest sight. The entrance fee for the temple is 1$.
It’s a nice small temple and besides the Silver Pagoda the most famous one in Phnom Penh. Moreover, there’s a park area around the temple which is hard to find in most of the city. I’ve heard from many people that they only spent around 15 minutes there, but I like to see places in all its details. So I spent at least 30 minutes there. You can also sit down and enjoy the nature in the busy city.
Central Market
My final destination before lunch was the Central Market directly south of Wat Phnom. It’s a market hall from 1937 which has a very unique art-deco design. I recommend to explore the market and look at all the exotic food and fruits offered by the vendors. After looking around, I decided for a salak fruit. I’ve never seen this fruit before and actually had to ask the internet for the name. It came out that this fruit is from Indonesia and not Cambodia. Well, bad luck.
The afternoon
Then, I had a lunch break and checked the opening hours of the Royal Palace. It’s closed during midday and open again at 2-5pm. So I had a break at the river and enjoyed both the view and the heat. Although the heat became more and more less enjoyable. It was around 35 degrees on that day.
Wat Ounalom Temple
Around 1:30pm, I continued to walk down south along the river to the Royal Palace. On my way, I came across another temple which I’ve accidentally mistaken for the Royal Palace the days before, Wat Ounalom Temple. It’s even more important than both the Silver Pagoda and Wat Phnom as it’s the center of Cambodian Buddhism. But in comparison to them it’s far less touristy. You can spend some time there before you walk to the Royal Palace, but I wouldn’t consider it as a must.
National Museum
The temple is also not far from the National Museum of Cambodia. I made a quick stop there to see the beautiful building from the outside as it’s built in the traditional Khmer style. The entrance to the museum is 10$, the same amount as for the Royal Palace which was my next destination.
Royal Palace
Before you enter the big area of the palace, you walk through a nice narrow corridor with a small hedge. The overall complex dates back to the second half of the 19th century when Cambodia’s capital was moved from Oudong to Phnom Penh under the reign of King Norodom. Much of the area can be visited, and it’s nice to walk around while looking at the beautiful buildings and structures. These include the Throne Hall, Napoleon Pavilion and Khemarin Palace.
Silver Pagoda
Right next to the Royal Palace is the Silver Pagoda which is one of the few temples which survived the Khmer Rouge. It’s richly decorated with silver, therefore the name. Moreover, there’s a big golden Buddha with over 2,000 diamonds. The temple is very impressive and shows the rich history of Cambodia. The ticket for the Royal Palace includes the Silver Pagoda which can only be visited in combination with the palace.
Independence Monument
After the palace, I had one final destination that can also be skipped as it isn’t the most impressive sight. But as I try to visit cities in all its details and I had time, I decided to continue my walk to there. It’s the 1958-finished Independence Monument to memorize the country’s independence from France. It’s on an intersection of two big roads. Although you have the street traffic in front of the monument it’s still a nice sight. A similar sight is Bangkok’s Victory Monument.
Sunset cruise
Afterwards, I decided to go back to the promenade to spend the sunset on a river cruise. I bought a boat ticket from a small port next to the night market at Tonle Sap River. My boat ride took roughly 45-60 minutes and wasn’t too expensive with a price of 5$. I saw many locals gathering on the boat with food and drinks to spend a nice evening. The views of the sunset from the water were breathtaking and it was a highlight of my trip to Phnom Penh.
