A guide to Phnom Penh, Cambodia's capital city
Don't be those people who decide not to visit Phnom Penh, Cambodia's colourful, chaotic and intriguing capital.
Our Quick Guide to Phnom Penh has all the info you need to make the most of your stay.
Nestled on the banks of the Mekong and Tonle Sap rivers, Phnom Penh is the colourful, chaotic and intriguing capital of Cambodia.
It’s often viewed as merely the starting point for adventures to the famous tourist haunts of Angkor Wat and surrounds, and the beaches of the south, so many travellers skip over spending more than a day or so here. We’re here to tell you not to be those peeps who decide it’s not worth visiting. It is.
There’s more to this city than being a stepping stone for greater Cambodia, with its colourful markets, cosmopolitan dining and compelling day trips. You might only have 48 hours here, but that’s plenty of time.
Follow our Quickguide for Phnom Penh and walk away feeling content with your visit.
A GUIDE TO PHNOM PENH, CAMBODIA'S CAPITAL CITY
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VISIT TUOL SLENG GENOCIDE MUSEUM - S21
It’s not pleasant, but a visit to Phnom Penh and indeed Cambodia isn’t complete without visiting Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum, otherwise known as S21.
This former high school was converted into a notorious prison by the Khmer Rouge and between 1975-1979 over 17,000 prisoners were tortured and sent to the killing fields close by.
Similar to the Nazis, the Khmer Rouge kept detailed records of each prisoner and these are on show at the museum, including displays of black and white photographs of the men, women and children who passed through here, and instruments used in their torture.
If you can, take a guided tour; otherwise, you can listen to an audio tour which is provided free of charge and details the various sectors of S21.
It goes without saying that a visit here is extremely harrowing and you’ll feel more than a little depressed by mankind when you leave. However, it’s essential to gaining a true understanding of the brief but brutal Khmer Rouge regime, and its lasting impact on modern Cambodia today.
Admission is around $6USD
READ | our complete guide to Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum
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CHOEUNG EK GENOCIDE CENTRE (THE KILLING FIELDS)
Another must do for those keen on learning more about the atrocities of the Khmer Rouge is to visit the Choeung Ek Genocide Centre, or The Killing Fields, located on the outskirts of the city.
Those who were tortured at S21 were sent to what seems like a quiet farming district. Yet they weren’t sent to work. Here, many innocent Cambodians were executed by the Khmer Rouge, often by barbaric methods.
It’s here that you see first hand the physical affects of the brutality; bone and clothing fragments often reappear from the mass graves after a rain storm. The stories told through the excellent audio tour are harrowing as is the memorial stupa, which houses up to 8000 skulls of those killed.
We’d suggest visiting S21 and Choeung Ek in one day as it can take quite an emotional toll on you.
Admission costs around $6USD
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ROYAL PALACE & SILVER PAGODA
Located close to the river and city centre, the Royal Palace is a vast complex of beautiful royal buildings in an equally beautiful setting. The buildings include the gilded Chan Chaya Pavilion and the extravagant Silver Pagoda - the floor of which is covered by five tons of gleaming silver. Internally, a crystal Buddha sits atop a gilded pedestal. Heavenly.
You can spend hours exploring the area and people watching; this is a major attraction for locals as well as travellers.
For the ladies, remember to cover your shoulders and legs (scarves won’t cut it this time!); for the guys, shorts below the knees.
Admission cost is around $2USD
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PHSAR THMEI (CENTRAL MARKETS) AND RUSSIAN MARKET (PHSAR TUOL TOM PONG)
SE Asia and markets go together like cheese and crackers, and Phnom Penh is no different. There are many markets dotted throughout the city to grab a bargain but our picks of the bunch are: Phsar Thmei, otherwise known as the Central Market, and Phsar Tuol Tom Pong, aka the Russian Market.
The Central Market is located in a beautiful art deco style building in the centre of town, near the bus station. The entrances to the market are littered with usual selection of Asian souvenirs including shirts, curios and sunglasses, while on the inside you can find jewellery, electronics and local fashion.
The Russian market is less central and certainly more chaotic, but it’s worth the effort to get to. You can find the usual here, but also genuine brand names that have been stitched in local factories.
Did someone say bargain?
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STROLL ALONG THE RIVERFRONT AT SUNSET
The ultimate afternoon activity, especially on weekends is to head down to the Tonle Sap waterfront promenade of Sisowath Quay and watch the locals go about their business.
It’s chaotic at best, with a heady mix of balloon sellers, street food vendors, hordes of children, mass exercise classes, and just about the rest of the city enjoying the sunset.
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NIGHT MARKETS FOR FOOD AND BEER
The night markets, located to the north of the city, are where locals and tourists alike come for dinner, and it’s a great place to sample some Khmer food in Phnom Penh. They’re pretty much your average SE Asian night market but for one thing; the K-pop style Night Market Band.
If you’re into local live pop music belted out at 1000dbs, this is the place for you. If you’re not, this is still an awesome place to enjoy local street food, sink a few beers and finish it off with a coconut ice cream and a spot of people watching.
Bonus tip: watch out for the local street kids here, as they can sometimes be a little pushy (as in, one hissed and yelled at us when we didn’t give money!). Other than that, it’s a great night out.
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PHNOM PENH TRAVEL INFORMATION: THE ESSENTIALS
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WHERE TO STAY IN PHNOM PENH
Phnom Penh is brimming with amazing places to stay, including high end hotels and some of the best hostels in Asia.
Check out this guide on where to stay in Phnom Penh for more information.
HOTELS
There are a multitude of hotels in Phnom Penh, from budget to 5*.
Search for a hotel to your liking below:
BOOK | Check prices and accommodation for hotels in Phnom Penh
HOSTELS
Search and book the cheapest and best hostels in Phnom Penh here.
BOOK | Check prices and availability on Hostelworld
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TRAVEL INSURANCE
Whatever you do, don’t travel through Cambodia without travel insurance.
Whether it be a sprained ankle hiking in the jungles (or worse), stomach issues (we had many in Cambodia!), theft, or lost baggage, things can go wrong in Cambodia, and insurance is your only way of mitigating the issues!
BUY | Click here to get the best travel insurance deals with World Nomads
READ | Our ultimate guide to travel insurance
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CAMBODIA BACKPACKING ESSENTIALS
Travelling through Cambodia comes with a unique set of needs.
To help you have a comfortable, happy journey, we recommend bringing the following items with you:
Reusable water bottle | THE BEST INVESTMENT WE’VE EVER MADE! We use the Grayl water purification bottles, which allows us to fill up from any water source, anywhere in the world (including train taps!).
Biodegradable Wet Wipes | Keep clean without destroying the planet!
Hand sanitiser | not something we’d actually recommend normally, but in Cambodia it can be a bloody great investment.
A spork | to cut down on unnecessary plastic usage at meal times
Power bank | power does drop out… often! Don’t get caught out without power for your devices buy purchasing this power bank
READ | check out our eco-friendly packing guide to travel through Cambodia consciously and comfortably
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TRAVEL BETTER WITH THESE ESSENTIAL POSTS
ANGKOR WAT | A complete guide to the temples of Angkor
CAMBODIA TRAVEL TIPS | Everything to know before visiting Cambodia
KILLING FIELDS AND S21 | Our guide to the sombre Killing Fields and S21 museum
CHI PHAT ECO-TOURISM | Visiting Chi Phat, Cambodia’s incredible eco-tourism project
AIRBNB GUIDE | Our essential guide to getting the best out of Airbnb
TRAVEL INSURANCE | Don’t leave home without travel insurance (seriously, don’t!). Click here to get the best deals with World Nomads, our trusted travel insurance provider
PHOTOGRAPHY | Love our photography? Wondering what gear we use to get all of our photos around the world?
Click here to view our detailed photography gear guide, as well as our top travel photography tips!
RESPONSIBLE TRAVEL | Responsible travel is important. REALLY IMPORTANT.
Learn our top responsible travel tips to help you, your family and friends travel more consciously around the globe
ECO FRIENDLY PACKING ESSENTIALS | Don’t leave home without our favourite eco-friendly travel essentials
So there you have it; the Phnom Penh quickguide to help you get the most out of your stay. Have you visited Phnom Penh?
Have we missed anything? Let us know in the comments below.
