The Many Flavors of Phnom Penh: What to do in Cambodia's Capital

Phnom Penh, while not a particularly large city, holds enough sights and activities to keep any traveler busy for a few days or a week. Cambodia’s capital is a good place for shopping and chilling out eating happy pizzas by the riverside, but most importantly it is the best place to learn about the Khmer Rouge Regime and the tragic events that took place in Cambodia from 1975-1979. For this reason alone it is an essential stop on your tour of Cambodia!

We arrived in Phnom Penh on a bus from Siem Reap, a 5 hour ride costing $6. We couchsurfed during our stay at a home just Southwest of the tourist center, around the corner from Tuol Sleng Prison Museum, but most travelers to Phnom Penh stay by the riverside. A tuk-tuk to Riverside from the main bus station should be no more than $2. Riverside is charming and filled with cafes and restaurants, but be sure to move a bit inland to find cheap food. Street food vendors also turn up during the evenings to save you a few bucks.

What to do in Phnom Penh:

Shopping: There are two large markets in Phnom Penh, Psar Thmei (central market) and the Russian Market. Psar Thmei is well-known by locals for being overpriced, so any deals to be had are at the Russian Market. Don’t let this stop you from bargaining, however. As a tourist you’ll still be overcharged, but you’ll get a better deal than at the central market. Psar Thmei carries more clothing, knock off designer items, and jewelry, and the Russian Market is more plentiful in local art. Both markets carry essentially the same handicrafts you’ll find anywhere in Cambodia: wood products, handmade puppets, and ceramics to name a few. Both markets also carry electronics, most notably some knock-off Beats By Dre headphones for under $40. We met an expat at the Russian Market who’s been buying them for his grandkids for years and swears by their reliability, but we’ve also heard of people only getting a few weeks of use from them before they fell apart. Be sure to open the box and try the headphones out on your iPod before you buy them. Make sure the cord is thick and sturdy looking-- some knock-offs are visibly better quality than others. It also doesn’t hurt to ask if you can get your money back if the headphones stop working in a few days. You can also get local food and yummy smoothies at both markets (seriously, try the smoothies!), including fried crickets and tarantulas at Psar Thmei! Kim and I tried a bit of both and decided they taste similar to barbecue shrimp. If markets aren’t your scene there are some decent fair trade shops and thrift stores just south of Riverside on Street 240, near a candy store called Chocolate.

Kim chowing down on a fried tarantula we bought outside Psar Thmei

Cultural/Historical Sites: Three easy attractions of historical/political importance are the Royal Palace, Independence Monument, and the National Museum. Independence Monument is ten minutes walk from Riverside, and though it won’t take up much time it’s an impressive sight on the way to or from Tuol Sleng Museum (more on that later). The Royal Palace and the National Museum are both very close to riverside, and both have entry fees. Kim and I decided the $6.50 entrance fee at the Royal Palace wasn’t worth it, as visitors are only allowed to see certain parts of the grounds (and not even the most impressive parts). However, most reviews of the palace are positive. If you have the time and money it will be worth it. But if you’re on a tight budget and have already toured some of the main temple attractions in Thailand, don’t feel bad skipping it. The National Museum (admission $3) is a worthy visit for those interested in Cambodian sculpture, religious history, or ancient customs. The museum mainly displays sculptures, many of them recovered from the temples at Angkor, along with artifacts from archaeological excavations and burial sites.

Outside the Royal Palace in Phnom Penh

Learning About the Khmer Rouge Regime: Phnom Penh is one of the best places in Cambodia to learn about the infamous Khmer Rouge Regime, which was responsible for the deaths of around 1/4 of Cambodia’s population from 1975-1979. While traveling in Cambodia, encounters with survivors of this brutal regime are guaranteed, as anyone in their late 30s or above was around when Cambodia’s cities (including PP) were emptied and thousands of citizens were sent to forced labor camps or secret prisons. Today, Cambodia and its people seem to be rising from the ashes of this recent tragedy, and many Cambodians have dedicated themselves to educating locals and foreigners alike of the genocide they endured in order to prevent similar atrocities in the future. For travelers to Cambodia, it’s incredibly important to understand this period of time, not only to understand Cambodia’s history but also to appreciate the astounding gentleness and optimism of the local people. The most infamous of the Khmer Rouge secret prisons was called S-21, and is now the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum in Phnom Penh. Choeung Ek, the most infamous Cambodian killing field is also just outside of Phnom Penh, and all but a few of the 20,000 prisoners of S-21 were executed there.

Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum is a high-school-turned-secret-prison

Tuol Sleng and Choeung Ek can be visited in one day, but we split it into two days because each site is an overload of both information and heartbreak. At Tuol Sleng we roamed through the hallways of what used to be a high school, it’s rooms and corridors now converted into rows of individual cells, and saw pictures of the thousands of prisoners once held there. At Choeung Ek we roamed through the quiet, grass covered area where thousands of bones were found buried after the Khmer Rouge fell out of power. Many of those bones are on display in a beautiful memorial building in the middle of the field. Admission for Tuol Sleng is $2, and is extra for a tour guide. Choeung Ek has lately been privatized, which troubles many as it seems profit is being made on the back of a tragedy. This may be so, but the grounds are very well kept by the staff, and the $5 admission fee includes an excellent and informative audio tour. I learned more at Choeung Ek about the Khmer Rouge regime than anywhere else. We hired a tuk-tuk to take us the 20 minute drive to Cheong Ek for $11. I wouldn’t advise paying any more than $12.

Cheong Ek Memorial

Suggested Itinerary for Phnom Penh: 

How much time you spend in Phnom Penh is up to how busy you want to stay. Here’s a suggested itinerary if you only have two full days at your disposal:

Day 1: Have a city map handy, which you’ll be able to get from most hotels. Start off by taking a tuk-tuk to the Tuol Sleng Prison Museum. Budget at least two hours here to take everything in (including a short video shown twice a day, once at 10 am). The walk from Tuol Sleng back to Riverside is fairly straightforward and you can take in some sights on the way. First, stop off for lunch at the excellent Chinese Noodle Restaurant on Monivong Blvd, not far from the museum. Kim and I ate lunch here several times and it was our favorite meal in Phnom Penh! The noodles are excellent, as are the dumplings, and you get to watch them make the noodles right outside! Continue walking toward Riverside and pause at Independence Monument for some photo ops. Finally, hit up the Royal Palace or the National Museum for an hour or so to end your day.

Noodles from the Chinese Noodle House- yum!!

Day 2: Start your day by getting a tuk-tuk to Cheong Ek Killing Field, a 20-minute drive. Budget several hours for this, as you’ll want to take your time. After finishing up here, get back to Riverside for the happy hour at Tutti Frutti (1-3pm). Kim and I got big bowls of frozen yogurt after our tour of Cheong Ek to cheer us up, because ice cream fixes everything! For something to do at night, catch a movie at one of the Flicks Community Movie Houses, a great place to relax, eat, and enjoy Western quality cinema at Cambodian prices-- adults pay a $3.50 cover charge per day (kids $2). 

For another dose of Western entertainment, be on the lookout for a monthly comedy act at Club Pontoon, put on by the Phnom Penh Comedy Club. Admission is $7 or get discounted pre-sale tickets at Flicks 1 Movie House.

For those traveling to Vietnam after Cambodia, be sure to get your Vietnam visa through a travel agent rather than the embassy! It ends up costing less because they send it to Sihanookville to be done. We did ours at Lucky Lucky Moto on Monivong Blvd.