Phnom Penh (Cambodia)

We are currently travelling through Southeast Asia and recently left Saigon/Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) in Vietnam, heading for the Kingdom of Cambodia (or Kampuchea). Cambodia is a country of around 15 million people wedged between Vietnam, Laos and Thailand, and we were looking forward to seeing its architecture and historic sights, tasting its food, and experiencing its culture.

 

Royal Palace of the Kingdom of Cambodia, Phnom Pen

But historically, Cambodian kings have influenced wars. Now, after many wars with its neighbours, the French, the Khmer Rouge, and then the Americans in the Vietnam war, Cambodia is stable. However, the outcome of so many wars is poverty, and most of its workforce is still employed in subsistence farming. We were advised that the level of poverty could make transport and therefore our travel, difficult.

Map of our route in Cambodia

So we limited our route to include Phnom Penh, Battambang, Siem Reap, and the famous Angkor Wat. Our first stop was Phnom Phen which is 285 km from HCMC. It took us 6-to-7-hours by bus including the time taken to cross the Moc Bai-Bavet (Vietnam-Cambodia) border. The border process was long, and we had to get on and off the bus several times before crossing.

 

Moc Bai-Bavet (Vietnam-Cambodia) border post

Firstly, we gave our passport to the bus crew who arranged exit stamps out of Vietnam. That done, the bus took us to the area between the two border checkpoints where we left the bus again while the crew gave our luggage, passport and visa to Cambodian immigration. Then we got back on the bus and were taken to the Cambodian checkpoint; off the bus again to retrieve our luggage and passport; back on the bus again and we were finally in Cambodia.

Us with a traditional meal, Phnom Phen, Cambodia

Eventually the bus dropped us in Phnom Penh at the night market. From there, we grabbed a remork (like a tuk tuk) to our accommodation, the Le Safran La Suite hotel. It had been a very long day and we were pleased to see that the hotel was modern, and had a swimming pool and restaurant. We ate at the hotel restaurant that night and enjoyed a traditional Cambodian meal.

Marg beside the Mekong, Phnom Phen, Cambodia

Phnom Penh is the capital and largest city in Cambodia (pop 2 mil), and sits at the junction of the Mekong, Tonlé Sap, and Bassac rivers. The next morning, we headed out to look around the river area which is called Sisowath Quay, and found a lovely walkway along the Mekong with views out to the Bassac. We could also see a variety of modern and traditional boats plying their trade.

Supreme Court, Phnom Phen, Cambodia

Walking further around the city, we covered quite a lot of ground given the heat. One of the architectural delights that we saw was the lovely roofline of the Supreme Court building. The Royal Palace is also very beautiful. Built in 1860 it is, and has always been, the royal residence of the king of Cambodia.

National Museum, Phnom Phen, Cambodia

Then we visited the National Museum. Not only was it interesting architecturally, but also inside, showing historic Angkorian and Khmer relics. We also enjoyed seeing the impressive Buddhist-style memorial to independence from the French, right in the centre of town. Nearby, we saw another memorial, this time marking the friendship between Vietnam and Cambodia.

Frescoes in Wat Phnom, Phnom Phen, Cambodia

 There are many wats (Buddhist temples) in Phnom Phen and we saw quite a few. Our favourite was Wat Phnom with its beautiful gardens. Within Wat Phnom, is the historic Wat Phnom Pagoda built in 1372, making it the oldest pagoda in Phnom Phen, and inside the wat we saw some amazing wall and ceiling murals depicting stories from Buddhist and Hindu traditions.

Housing in Phnom Phen, Cambodia

We saw an impressive market built in art deco style, but mostly, the city is a mix of French colonial style buildings, hard up against Cambodian traditional shop-houses and temples. The back streets of the city seemed to have a plethora of cheap eateries, while Sisowath Quay has quite modern riverside dining.

 

Transport options in Phnom Phen, Cambodia

The forms of transport are very interesting. The remorks are used to carry absolutely everything, from passengers to animals to goods. We also had a chuckle at the number of people you can carry on a motorcycle here. It’s not unusual to see a family of four on one scooter, and the scooters are not big.

Night time in Phnom Phen, Cambodia

The weather was sunny and in the mid-40s, and it soon drove us back indoors to our air-conditioned hotel. So we headed out in the late afternoons and evenings instead, using a remork as our transport so that we had a wee breeze. At nightfall, the city was lit up like a fairy town and it was beautiful. We noticed that everyone else was out at night as well; obviously to beat the hot sun during the daytime.

Us at the Press Club, Phnom Phen, Cambodia

While in Phnom Penh, we visited the Press Club. In 1990, Cambodia was at war under a communist regime and reporters had a hard time getting in and out of the country to tell the world about Pol Pot and his oppressive tactics. However, the signing of the Paris Peace Agreement in 1991 enabled more freedom of the press in Cambodia and the Foreign Correspondents Club (the Press Club) was created.

Marg with Linsay at the Press Club, Phnom Phen, Cambodia

We were at the Press Club to meet with one of Marg’s friends Lynsay, who had been teaching in Cambodia for a few years. We had a fabulous catch up and Lynsay had some great stories to tell us about her time in Cambodia. The next morning, we headed out again, but this time on a mini-bus to Battambang in the north of Cambodia. Our time in Battambang is in the next post.

This post is the tenth in a series about our travels through Thailand, Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia in South East Asia. The first post was about Bangkok and you can read it here: Bangkok post.