Built in 1372 by a wealthy lady known as Lady Penh (Doun Penh) A mixture of Asia exotica, Indochinese Charm and Cambodia hospitality await the visitor to Phnom Penh. Situated at the confluence of three great rivers - the 'four arms' or 'four faces' of the Mekong, Tonle Sap river and Bassac rivers. Phnom Penh is Cambodia's commercial and political hub, and is home to more than a million of the country 13.1 million peoples. It is also the gateway to an exotic land, the temple of Angkor in the west, the beaches of Sihanouk ville on the southern coast and the ethnic/linguistic minority peoples and jungle of the northeastern provinces .

Phnom Penh offers several cultural and historical attractions including the Royal Palace, Silver Pagoda, National Museum, Wat Phnom, Toul Sleng Genocide Museum and Dancing school. There are also a variety of service including fives-star hotels and budget guesthouses, fine international dinning, sidewalk noodle shops, neighborhood pubs and more.

Phnom Penh, like other Cambodia tourist destinations, is in the midst of rapid change. Over the past few years, the number of tourist as well as the number of restaurants, hotels and other tourist services has grown dramatically. There are now direct daily flight to Phnom Penh and Siem Rep from several Asian cities including Bangkok, Ho Chi Minh, Vientiane, Singapore, Taipei and more. At least for overland border crossings have opened since 1998. Even travel within the country has become easier with several airlines flying domestic routes, regular bus service to Sihanoukville, Kampong Cham, and Kompong Chhang and route condition on the national routes gradually improving throughout the country. Cambodia is becoming easier to visit everyday.

Chanchhaya Pavilion The pavilion dominates the view of the front of the palace on Sothearos Blvd. It is used as a classical dance theater, for Royal receptionists and banquets and from which the King delivers speeches to the pulic. Constructed in 1917. Hor Samran Phirun Royal waiting area where the King waits to mount an elephant for Royal procession implements. Constructed in 1917. Hor Samrith Vimean Also know as the 'Bronze Palace.' Repository for Royal regalia and attributes. A display of Royal regalia and costumes on the grown floor. Constructed in 1917 Khemarin Palace The Royal residence. Closed to the public. Napoleon lll Pavilion Constructed of iron. Originally built for French Empress Eugenie's use the inauguration of the Suez canal. Later presented as a gift to King Norodom from Emperor Napoleon lll in1876. Currently. Houses Royal memorabilia and a photographic exhibition. Temporarily closed for renovation. Best photographed in the morning.

Phochani Pivilion Originally constructed as a classical dance theater, it is currently used for Royal receptions and meetings.
Throne Hall The Throne Hall is the primary audience hall of the king, used for coronation and diplomatic and other official meetings. Note the thrones of the king, and Queen’s throne higher and at the back, and the beautiful ceiling frescoes. Constructed in 1917. Inaugurated by king Sisowat in1919. Replace an earlier structure built an 1869. Best photographed in the morning.

' Silver Pagoda ' Buildings
Dhammasala Used for Buddhist monks to recite texts and also as a royal reception area.  Keong Preah Bath Shrine containing Buddha footprints. Furture tellers. Library small library next to the main vihear that houses sacred Buddhist texts and also contains an image of a sacred bull, and several Buddha statues. Fortune teller in the shrine.

Phnom Mondop Shrine containing a large Buddha footprint atop a small hill symbolizing kailassa from Buddhist legend. Forture tellers inside the shrine.
Ramayana Frescoes The interior of the pagoda compound walls is covered with a mural depicting stories from the Ramayana (Reamker). The mural was painted around the turn of the century and is water damaged in some sections.
Status of HM King Norodom Equestrian status of the king Norodom (r: 1834-1904). Completed in 1875 in Paris, placed on the pagoda grounds in 1892.
Stupa of HM King Ang Doung Stupa of the King Ang Doung (r:1845-1860), great-great-great grandfather to king Sihamoni. Constructed in1908.
Stupa of HM King Norodom Stupa of the King Norodom (r: 1834-1904).Constructed in 1908.
Stupa of HM king Suramarit and HM Queen kossomak Stupa of the father and mother of former King sihanouk (r:1955-1960), grandfather and grandmother to Sihamoni.
Stupa of Princess Kantha Bopha Stupa of the boloved daughter of the retired king Sihanouk.
Wat Preah Keo Morokat Also know as the ' Silver Pagoda ' (for the 5329 silver tiles that cover the floor) and the 'Temple of the Emerald Buddha.' The vihear serves less as a functioning temple than a repository for cultural treasures such as the a 90 kg golden Buddha enctusted with over 2000 diamonds, the 'Emerald Buddha,' innumerable statues and objects of art donated topagoda.

(15 km southwest of Phnom Penh- Take Monirith 8.5km past the bridge at Street 271) From April 17, 1975 until January 7, 1979, the ultra-Communist Khmer Rouge (Red Khmer) regime, led by Pol Pot, controlled the whole of Cambodia. Under the Khmer Rouge regime the country was known as 'Democratic Kampuchea.' During the short reign of the Khmer Rouge, between one million and two and a haft of million Cambodians perished, some killed outright, others dying from disease, malnutrition, neglect and mistreatment. Many of the dead ended up in various 'Killing fields' that can be found scattered across the country. The killing fields were essentially ad hoc place of execution and dumping grounds for dead bodies. The memorial at Choeung Ek just outside Phnom Penh was an orchard and a Chinese cemetery prior to 1975. During the Khmer Rouge regime it became one of the killing fields-this particular killing fields is the site of the brutal executions of more than 17,000 men, women and children, most of whom first suffered through interrogation, torture and deprivation in the S-21 Prison (Toul Sleng) in Phnom Penh. Choeung Ek is now a group of mass graves and a memorial stupa containing thousands of skulls. It's about a 20-40 minute drive from the center of Phnom Penh. There are guides available at the site, and a small souvenir shop. For sake of historical context, combine your trip to Choeung Ek with a visit to Toul Sleng Genocide Museum.

(Corner of street 113 & Street 350-$2.00- Open everyday, include holidays, 8AM-5PM- Close for lunch)

Prior to1975, Toul Sleng was a high school. When the Khmer Rouge came to power it was converted in to the S-21 prison and interrogation facility. Inmate were systematically tortured, sometimes over of a period of months, to extract confessions, after which they were executed at the killing fields of Choeung Ek. S-21 processed over 17,000 people, less than a dozen of whom survived.
The building now serves as a museum, a memorial and a testament to the madness of the Khmer Rouge reguime. Much has been left in the state it was when Khmer Rouge abandoned it in January 1979. The prison kept extensive records, leaving thousands of photos of their victims, many of which are on display. Paintings of torture at the prison by Vann Nath, a survivor of Toul Sleng, are also exhibited. The museum famous and controversial skull map has been dismantled and is no longer displayed.

The Independence Monument (Vimean Ekreach) was inaugurated in 1958 to celebrate Cambodia's independence from foreign rule. It was designed by the renowned architect, Vann Molyvann. The moment now also serves as monument to Cambodia's war dead. It's the site of colorful celebrations and services on holidays such as Independence Day and Constitution Day. Located at the intersection of Norodom Blvd, and Sihanouk Blvd.

(Street 178 & street 13, next to the Royal Palace- $3.00 -8:00-5:00, open everyday) The distinctive rust-red National Museum next to the Royal Palace was dedicated by King Sisowath in 1920. Over 5000 object are on display including Angkorian era statues, lingas and other artifacts, most notably the legendary statue of the 'Leper King' Though the emphasis is on Angkorian artifacts, there is also a good collection of pieces from  later periods, including a special exhibition of post-Angkorian Buddha figures.
Visiting the museum after rather than before a trip to Angkor helps lend context to the Angkorian artifacts. Multi-lingual tour guides are available. Souvenirs and books available. Photography is limited. Some guidebooks still mention the museum bats that in habited the rafters, unseen in the day but occasionally spectacular as days left in drove and sunset. In March 2002 the bats left for good, moving on after renovations to the ceiling. The museum borders street 178, aka Artist's Street which in lined with several art galleries and souvenir shops.

A small hill crowned by an active wat (pagoda) marks the legendary founding place of the Phnom Penh. The hill is the site of constant activity, with a steady steam of the faithful trekking to the vihear, shrines and fortune tellers on top, and a constellation of vendors, visitors and motodups at the bottom. Elephant rides available, The legend of the founding of Wat Phnom is tied to the beginning of Phnom Penh. Legend has it that in 1372 Lady Penh (Yeay Penh) fished a floating Koki tree out of the river. Inside the tree were four Buddha statues. She built a hill (' Phnom' means 'hill') and a small temple (wat) at what is now the side of what is now know as Wat Phnom. Later, the surrounding area became know after the hill (Phnom) and its creator (Penh), hence 'Phnom Penh' The current temple was last rebuilt in 1926. The large stupa contains the remains of King Ponhea Yat (1405-1467) who moved the Khmer capital from Angkor to Phnom Penh in 1422.Look for the altar of Lady Penh between the large stupa and the vihear. She is said to be of particular help to women. Wat Phnom is the busiest pagoda in town the night of Chinese/ Vietnamese New Year's Eve.

Open everyday 7:30 to 11:00/2:00 to 5:00 (Palace grounds closed during official functions).
The Palace buildings and Silver Pagoda are located within the same walled grounds on Sothearos just off the riverfront. Making the approach, the high yellow wall and spired Chanchhaya Pavilion are the most prominent features from the street. The Royal Palace was built in 1866 under the French protectorate and King Norodom, thought many of the buildings in the complex were added overte following decades. The 'Silver Pagoda'(so named for the silver tiled floor of the vihear) was constructed at the end of the 19th century and renovated in 1962. A collection of priceless historical objects is on display in the vihear. Guide pamphlets and tour guides are available near the admission booth. Guided tour are recommended.

When the Khmer Rouge came to power in 1975 they converted a former high school in the suburbs of Phnom Penh into a detention and torture center known as Toul Sleng, S-21. A genocide museum was established at Toul Sleng after 1979 and today it remains as it looked when abandoned by the Khmer Rouge. Hundreds of faces of those tortured line the walls inside the old school. Most of the 17,000 people detained at Toul Sleng were eventually transported to Choeung Ek, a mass gravesite located 15 km outside Phnom Penh. Known to locals as the Killing Field, Choeung Ek serves as a memorial to those killed under the Khmer Rogue rule. These sites can be extremely distressing, but are and essential part of understanding Cambodia’s tragic past.

In Phnom Penh, you are never out side walking distance of a Pagodas Visitors are almost always welcome. Ray Zepp s A field Guide to Cambodian Pagodas is an excellent introduction to Phnom Penh Pagodas and Cambodian Buddhism. Wat Botum significant because it is one of the city original Wats, It was found in 1422 by king Ponhea Yat. It took its current name in 1865 and its present structure in 1937. Of photographic note: The Wat compound is crowded with ornate stupas. Just northwest of the intersection of southearos and Sihanouk. Wat Langka is one of Phnom Penh five original Wats(1422).
First established as a sanctuary for the Holy Writing and a meeting place for Cambodia and Sri Lankan monks, the Wats was named in honor of this meetings. Just southwest of the independent Monument. Wat Ounnalom is another of Phnom Penh five original monasteries (1422). Until 1999, it house the institute Bouddhique and library. On the riverfront about 250 meters north of the National Museum.

This unique, art-decor building is a Phnom Penh landmark. Prior to 1935 the area was a swamp/lake that received the runoff during the rainy season .The lake was drained and the market constructed in 1935-37. Wet season flooding in the area around the market is a vestige of the old lake. The entrance to of market is lined with souvenir merchants hawking everything from T-shirts and postcard and photocopy book to silver curios and kramas and eatable insects .Inside is a dazzling display of jewels and gold. Electronic goods stationery, secondhand clothes and flower are also in ample supply. (Phsar Thmei means New Market , but Central Market has caught on in English.)

This market is of far less architectural interest than the Central Market but has a larger and more varied selection of souvenirs, curios and silks. Like the central Market, it has a good selection of silver, gold and jewels, but also carries huge selection of curios, silk, carvings, etc. The Russian Market offers the largest selection of boot legged VCDs, DVDs and CDs of all the traditional markets. Most of the CD vendors are located on the south side near the southeast corner of the market. It's also a good place to buy fabric for business and casual cloths to take to the tailor. Most of what the visitor might want is in the same general area on the south side but the rest of the market is well worth exploring. Food and drink stands in the middle of the market for hygienically adventurous visitors.

A local market that is not at all geared to tourists. The market carries such items as fruits and vegetables, hardware, second hand clothes, motorcycle parts and religious items. The dinner rush hour at little stands along street 110 makes for a confusing , potentially photogenic scene.