PHNOM PENH

Phnom Penh is the capital of Cambodia. It is located on the banks of the Tonlé Sap and Mekong River and is the cultural epicenter of Cambodia.  Here you can find many places to visit and enjoy.

Royal Palace

The Royal Palace of Cambodia, home to the famous Silver Pagoda, is one of the most beautiful palaces found in Southeastern Asia. 

Within the Palace you will find a compound of museums which show the history of royal life within Cambodia. Artifacts which are beautiful as well as amazing architecture can be found at the Royal Palace. 

National Museum

The National Museum of Cambodia in Phnom Penh is the country’s leading historical and archaeological museum. It was officially inaugurated by King Sisowat in 1920.

The National Museum contains the world’s largest collection of Khmer art, including sculpture, ceramics, bronzes, and ethnographic objects dating from prehistoric times to periods before, during, and after the Khmer Empire. The Museum also serves a religious function. Its collection of important Buddhist and Hindu sculptures includes a Post-Angkorian Buddha supported by UNESCO.

Independence Monument (Vimean Ekareach)

Built in 1958 as a memorial to Cambodia’s war dead and to celebrate independence from foreign rule, the monument stands majestically on the intersection of Norodom Boulevard and Sihanouk Boulevard in the centre of the city and at night is shown off with water displays in various colors that are breathtaking. 

Cambodia celebrates Independence Day on 9 November each year. The Independence Monument becomes even more celebrated when His Majesty King Norodom Sihamoni leads the annual jubilation by ceremoniously lighting a giant torch placed inside the monument.

Night Market

The night market in Phnom Penh, located in front of the Phsar Chas (Old Market) near the riverside, is perpetually crowded with tourists in search of a good bargain. You can often find street entertainers here and sellers here will often be willing to bargain with you.

This market is crowded with activity on the night time, and visitors can purchase almost anything from fresh produces to cooked food, jewelry, watches, shoes, stationery, flowers, clothes including t-shirts and lots of tourist souvenirs.

Toul Sleng Genocide Museum (S-21)

Toul Sleng was a high school before the Khmer Rouge came to power in 1975. It was then converted into the S-21 prison and interrogation facility where innmates were systematically tortured to extract confessions, after which they were executed.  Most of the executions took place at the killing fields of Choeung Ek. Less than one dozen people out of 17,000 survived the S-21 prison, which is a testament to how brutal this time was in history.

Choeung Ek Memorial (The Killing Fields)

Located South of Phnom Penh, Choeung Ek was used by the Khmer Rouge regime as an execution ground to put down thousands of people between 1975 and 1979.

Now known as the Killing Fields, this area is home to mass graves containing thousands of bodies. These bodies were discovered at Choeung Ek after the fall of the Khmer Rouge regime. Many of the dead were former inmates in the Tuol Sleng prison.

Today, Choeung Ek is a memorial, marked by a Buddhist stupa with glass sides showing human skulls.