Phnom Penh The Pearl of Asia

Fast resuming its former status as the Pearl of Asia. this French Colonial city has one of the most beautiful waterfronts in Asia. The mighty Mekong meets the Tonle Sap and Bassac Rivers here.

Phnom Penh is the commercial Heart of Cambodia. With over a million population and in area about the same size as my home city Southampton England, it is not a big city.

Those coming to visit will find Phnom Penh a very colourful and enjoyable place to spend a few days.


Silver Pagoda	Independence Monument	National Museum
	The low rise architecture on Phnom Penh is refreshingly different to other major cities in the region. The wide boulevards with immaculate parks, the French colonial architecture and palm fringed Sissowath quay makes one think of the Cote d' Azure in the south of France as it may have been thirty or forty years ago.
Fishing boat		Tonle Sap & Mekong


Elephant; Sissowath Quay	Faded French Architecture	Tonle Sap Sunrise
	Underlying this is Phnom Penh's Buddhist culture with Wat Phnom as the religious focal point. The grand Royal Palace with its Silver Pagoda and the street life is as exotic as anything in the far east.
Wat Phnom by night		Royal Pagoda

Monks; Silver Pagoda	After the rain Sissowath	Keeping out of the sun

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Phnom Penh; the Darker Side

The Killing Fields and Toul Sleng S21 Extermination Camp are two attractions which are worth seeing to gain an idea of the horrors of Cambodia in the Pol Pot Years 1975 to 1980.

The pseudo communist Pol Pot era saw 2 million people exterminated; or die of disease; exhaustion or war.

Here are photos taken in Cheung Ex; the Killing Fields and S21: the Toul Sleng Prison.

An S21 cell Being led to the Slaughter Photos of the dead

Victim of a revolution Killing Fields Memorial Skulls in Killing Fields Stupa

Here are a few of our favourite hotels and eating places.

Budget Guest houses	Eating & drinking
Bright Lotus: immaculate small guest house near to the National Museum and adjoining the Rising Sun a/c double $15	Rising Sun: 20 St 178 Australian run pub with good British style ambiance & grub. Even has HP sauce and Marmite sarnies!
California 2 : American run bar and GH on Sissowath Quay; good rooms some with waterfront views, a/c double $20	Anise Hotel A new small boutique hotel opened in January 2007spacuis and attractive rooms with full range of facilities rooms $20 to $30
Tonle Sap Hotel. St 106 A stones throw from the quay; this friendly place has good value rooms; (not restaurant; but there is a nice Thai Cafe on the Corner for breakfast a/c double $10-$15	FCC Cambodia: just about the best views on Sissowath in a charming colonial style building. The food is pricey; but its worth it just for the quality and impressive photo gallery.
Royal Highness; Nr Wat Ounalom; not as grand as the name suggests; but its a very friendly and helpful . Diamond Guest House across the road does good western breakfasts. a/c doubles $10	River House Lounge: Upmarket restaurant and nightclub on Sissowath Quay. Regular live bands and jazz on Sundays; classy with great river views.
Dara Raksmey Hotel. Friendly if slightly eccentric small hotel with a loyal expat following. a/c double rooms $15.	Garden Centre Cafe 23 St 57 . Cool shady outdoor dining in a topical garden setting with pools and fountains. known for Sunday Roast dinners.

Updated June 2007

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All images and text © Dave Perkes 2006 www.peaceofangkor.com

Peace of Angkor Villa 0133 Slorkram Village, Siem Reap, Cambodia

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