Phnom Penh- a city to learn about and to enjoy (Phnom Penh (Cambodia))

Member Name: numpylicious

Product:	Phnom Penh (Cambodia)
Date:	11/06/09 (78 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Cheap, interesting

Disadvantages: Can be dirty, lots of beggars/thieves

Ah.. Sweet Phnom Penh! I knew the second I arrived here that I would love it. I arrived from Battambang by bus, and took a tuk tuk straight to Okay Guesthouse. I never expected the capital city of such a poor country to be so green and interesting.


When you first arrive in Phnom Penh, you'll be harassed by moto/tuk tuk drivers. At first it might annoy you, but you have to understand that they live in an extremely poor, corrupt country. Many of the drivers actually come from outside the capital in search of a good income to send back to their families. They will always offer a price that's probably a third to a double of what you should really be paying. Don't worry too much about being ripped off, it really only will be be a dollar or so- how long does it take for you to earn $1 over here?! Tuk tuks are always more expensive than motos, although I presume they're a bit safer.

If you're thinking about going to Phnom Penh in the future, I do not recommend going to the lakeside. Apart from the fact that the government is draining the lake, the area attracts the wrong type of backpackers- the rooms are horrible and dirty, and only about $1 cheaper than other places around town. I recommend Okay guesthouse and Top Banana guesthouse. Both are in nicer areas, clean, and with friendly staff.

I have to admit, there really aren't many tourist attractions here. The main ones are remnants of the Khmer Rouge regime. I would suggest reading "Survival in the Killing Fields" and/or "First they Killed my Father" if you are thinking of visiting Cambodia.

One of the main "attractions" is S-21. S-21 was originally a school, but during the KR regime got turned into a prison. In fact, many of the prisoners there were their own people, as the leaders of the regime were very untrusting. Prisoners were tortured here. You probably won't have heard of anything like what they did to people there. On the walls their are pictures of dead people laying in pools of blood, and downstairs there are hundreds of photos of prisoners. Some are even children. Another place to visit is the Killing Fields. I didn't go here, as I didn't feel it was particularly necessary. It is one of many fields were people were taken to be killed. Often they were suffocated or hit over the head with weapons so that the Khmer Rouge didn't waste precious bullets. Tuk tuk/moto drivers usually ask if you want to visit the Killing Fields as it's a bit far out and it will make them a few extra dollars! Make sure if you go that you pick a decent driver, preferably suggested by your hotel/guesthouse as I heard of a girl getting attacked when she was alone with her driver.

A less morbid sight to see is Wat Phnom, a place to bond with monkeys and the only elephant in Phnom Penh! There's a temple on the top of the hill, and there are plenty of begging children. If you have to give them something, try to give them food or water. From my experience they take the bottles so that they can sell them! Maybe even bring them toys?

A sight I wouldn't particularly recommend is the Royal Palace. I thought it was quite expensive for what it was, and by this time in my trip I was thoroughly temple/pagoda'd out! I didn't spend long there. However if you think it's your thing, go ahead! The pagodas are pretty, just a tad repetitive.

What I loved about Phnom Penh was the markets! The Russian Market is quite overwhelming if you're not used to Asian markets. Do haggle, so many tourists go there that they up their prices! Don't go over the top though, a couple of dollars is nothing to us but days and days worth of food for them. The Olympic Market is a cheap place to get lunch, go for a walk around (yes, it's dirty, get used to it!). I ate here tons of times and never got sick off it so use your common sense and you'll be fine! I recommend an omelette looking thing.. it's yellow and filled with delicious noodles/beansprouts and other things :) Also try the white roll things, they taste a little like brioche but they're filled with pork. If you ever see someone with a stall that's got lots of fruit, and a blender, you've probably found somewhere to get a shake! They shouldn't cost too much- probably around 2 or 3,000 riel (under a dollar). Why don't you try fruits you've never had before? Jackfruit, durian, mangosteen...?

While in Cambodia, you are going to see lots of poverty. If you are thinking about volunteering, make sure the organization is legitimate. Try to sympathise with them instead of getting annoyed, their government doesn't help them like ours does.

I stayed in Phnom Penh for a week. It is a city that can be rushed, but I liked to take my time to appreciate things. See further than a city/country ruined by the KR regime. Get into the culture. Do a cookery class, go shopping, go to some provinces and meet real Cambodian people not just moto drivers and the receptionist at your guesthouse!

One word of warning though: there are lots of guns around in Cambodia. Be careful at night; avoid being alone. It can get really quiet and it's not like Bangkok! During the day keep an eye and a hand on your handbag. People driving motorbikes are notorious for grabbing them and a French girl died after being dragged into the middle of the road because she didn't let go of her bag.

Summary: Enjoy!