Cambodian capital undergoes a dramatic development same as the whole country. It is different every visit.
The loveliest, French built city in the whole Asia region. Welcome to Phnom Penh, Cambodia's Capital since 1443. The legend says that the name Phnom Penh means a 'Hill of Mrs Penh', as Mrs Penh was supposed to establish the first community in here. Phnom Penh is situated on the banks of the Tonle Sap lake and the Mekong river. Many visitors enjoy a boat ride on the famous lake.
Don't expect any mountain trekking around here. This place is flat (8-25m above sea level). But this means that Phnom Penh is an ideal place for cyclists! A great city surrounded by a beautiful countryside with cheerful local people. You can really enjoy a nice gentle cycling days combined with museum visits, lunches and meeting your new friends for life.
The best time to visit Cambodia is our (European) winter. In January the temperature climbs up to the ideal 26 C. There are many great places to discover in Phnom Penh.
The most famous is the Royal Palace, located conveniently in the centre of the town. The palace was built in 1813 and since then is the major attraction in the town. On the roof of the palace you can see the Buddha statue.
Near the Royal Palace is the Preah Keo Temple, also called the Silver Pagoda. The name Silver Pagoda is derived from its silver tiles on the floor. There is 5,281 tiles on the whole floor of the Pagoda and each tile weighs about one kilogram. There is a Golden Buddha statue inside the pagoda, which includes 9,584 diamonds on the Buddha itself. This is why the Buddha statue's nickname is the Emerald Buddha.
If you are interested in history, then visit the Cambodian National Museum. The building will remind you of the Angkor Wat temple. If you like you can also visit the saddest museum in Phnom Penh – Tuol Sleng. It used to be an old school but it was right here where the Khmer Rouge tortured and killed thousands of innocent people. In this prison were imprisoned about 17,000 people but only 12 survived. You can see their memorial inside the museum along with the rooms where they were tortured.
You can also visit the National Library, which was successfully repaired after it has been devasted by Khmer Rouge army. Local people saved many books and art pieces and returned it to the library after the army left.
Phnom Penh is full of built houses inspired by French architecture. You can admire the stunning Khmer style built houses but also completely different, tall and modern buildings.
Phnom Penh is a really cool place where you can walk and enjoy the atmosphere, or drive in a tuk-tuk. You can relax in one of many great parks with lush green vegetation. Enjoy a nice lunch or dinner in a friendly local restaurant. You will slowly all in love with this charming little city. See our day trips in Phnom Penh or contact us for more details.