Tourist attractions in Phnom Penh

While travelling for tourism in Cambodia, Angkor Wat in Siem Reap Province undermine rest of the tourist attractions. For tourists, anything else than Angkor Wat is of secondary, not even complimentary nature. Still a huge number of tourists plan their stay in Phnom Penh due to some famous tourist places.

Main tourist attractions in Phnom Penh are classified into:

1. Remnants of notorious genocide orchestrated by Pol Pot and his companions (Khmer rouge);
2. Royal Place and surroundings;
3. Historical French colonial buildings and Phnom Penh museum;
4. Modern day shopping districts, parks, casinos and;
5. Night life;
6. Night market and famous shopping districts like Tul Tom Pong (Russian) Market; and
7. Religious monuments.

Major tourist attractions in Phnom Penh are presented underneath without any preference or rating.

Royal Palace of Cambodia

Royal palace of Cambodia provides you an exclusive chance to see and understand the royals’ life style. Once you pay the entrance fee, you have a compound of royal buildings to visit. Most important of these is The Throne Hall. You may see it from out side and also visitors are not allowed to take pictures of interior. Silver Pagoda is another important building in the compound. Interior of this pagoda is made up of silver tiles and there are few statues of Buddha. The prominent statues are one that are made up of emerald and gold. There you have chance to visit a small museum with royal clothes, utensils they use, royal gift and so on.

The compound has other buildings and structures like stupas, King Norodom statue, pavilions and gardens.

A few precautions include

• Covering your body with appropriate attire otherwise you may to buy clothes at the entrance.
• Head must not be covered while entering the pagoda.
• Be hydrated during the trip as the weather is bit hot and humid most of time in the year.
• Not allowed to take pictures of interiors of the Throne Hall and Silver Pagoda.
• Don’t touch the head of monks and locals; and
• Don’t disrespect locals and royals.

In your Phnom Penh itinerary, Royal Palace of Cambodia should be the number one in the list.

Phnom Penh Museum

Phnom Penh Museum is in close vicinity of Royal Palace of Cambodia. The people desirous of learning history, should visit the museum. Here you have a glimpse of all eras of historic Kampuchea, Champa and current Cambodia. It is filled with historic and religious monuments and artifacts. You may encounter the various maps that provide a background of geography of the country.

Here you may find a great collection of religious and cultural artifacts that have somehow survived from the destruction of Pol Pot regime. Along with statues of kings and rulers, you may find the weaponry used in historical battles, art and craft of cultural significance among others.

In the adjacent hall, you may watch the cultural shows that may include apsara dance as well. But you have to pay entry fee and book the cultural show which starts in the evening.

Killing Fields (Cheoung Ek)

This may be one of the most depressing places to visit in Phnom Penh. Once you pay the entry ticket and fee for audio, first thing you observe is a tower of skulls and bones. Your depression is multifold once you start listening to multi lingual audio provided to each visitor.

Killing Fields, Choeung Ek

The voice and number signs will lead you all around the site of killing fields. You may see mass graves, bones, clothes of victims and description of the places. Once you cross the whole killing fields ground and upon you way back, you will see a museum and video screening room.

Museum is all about the destruction of Pol Pot regime. You may see the uniform of the force, weaponry used by them and maps of migration from different areas of Cambodia. Museum has an exclusive content about the organization under Pol Pot and short biography of the leadership.

In the video screening room, a short documentary is being screened for the visitors. This documentary is about the cruel regime and their destruction of Cambodia and interviews of the survivors.

S21 or Tuol Sleng Prison

Security Prison 21 (S21) is not far away from being a top depressing place. It may be second to killing fields by a fraction. This site was basically a school before the Khmer Rouge regime but converted to a prison. A notorious prison where cruel interrogation methods were introduced by the regime. Duch (Kang Kek Lew) was heading this prison during the rule of the regime.

This tourist place is all about the different types of rooms for prisoners, tools for torture, clothes and remains of the victims, picture galleries of scares done by regime, videos screening room and few graves.

In addition to appropriate clothing, it is necessary to observe silence in this place. Shouting and laughing is not appreciated in this place.

Bye the way, for torturing and killing thousands of people, Duch was sentenced to 30 years which later converted to life imprisonment.

Mekong Cruises

There are various options available for cruises from the riverside. Dinner cruises are a famous attraction for tourists. You have to book cruises in advance just to avoid disappointment and be on time to catch the ride.

Shopping Spree in Phnom Penh

Various options are available to shop. It is all dependent on the shopping list in your mind. You can buy branded clothes from Tuol Tom Pong (Russian Market) or brand shops in the diamond island or Aeon Mall.   Some of the famous markets are as below:

Night Market: Night market is another attraction for shopping crowd. You can have fun, shopping and enjoy live music and local songs here. You may find brand stuff as well as local stuff and souvenirs of Cambodia.

Russian (TuolTomPong) Market: You may find amazing deals of branded clothes and stuff. And it is huge center to but counterfeit goods as well. There are shops for local arts, crafts and souvenirs.

Diamond Island: An island which is famous for shopping, food, live music, events and night life.

Famous malls: AEON mall is the most prominent one in Phnom Penh. There are other malls including Sorya, sovanna, city, Olympic, Central malls. More and more malls are being set up as the Phnom Penh is being expanded and due to huge influx of tourists.

Religious Monuments:

As Cambodia is predominant Buddhist country therefore there are a lot of Pagodas within the city of Phnom Penh. There are a few churches and mosques in the city of Phnom Penh as well.

Nightlife at Riverside:

You may find people enjoying their evenings and nights at river side which closes at around sun rise. For tourist this is one of the better spot after a hectic morning tourist trip around the city.