Phnom Penh

Cambodia’s capital is a city that demands to be understood. Phnom Penh wears its history openly — the devastating genocide of the Khmer Rouge era is documented at the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum and the Choeung Ek Memorial, experiences that are sobering but essential. Yet this is also a city of extraordinary resilience, where that history has been met with warmth, creativity, and an infectious energy.

The Royal Palace & Silver Pagoda

The Royal Palace complex, gleaming gold on the Tonle Sap waterfront, is the spiritual heart of Cambodia. The adjacent Silver Pagoda — named for its floor of 5,000 silver tiles — houses a 17th-century emerald Buddha and a life-size gold Buddha encrusted with 9,584 diamonds. Photography is restricted inside but the grounds are magnificent.

The Food Scene

Phnom Penh’s restaurant scene has exploded in recent years. The riverside is lined with international restaurants, but it’s in the local markets — Orussey Market, Russian Market (Toul Tom Poung) — that you’ll find the real Cambodia. Don’t miss bai sach chrouk (pork and rice) for breakfast, or the incredible street food along Street 278.

The Riverfront

The wide riverside promenade along Tonle Sap is the social spine of the city — perfect for an evening stroll, with vendors selling grilled corn and sugar cane juice. Sunset over the river, with the Royal Palace lit up behind you, is one of Phnom Penh’s great pleasures.

Getting There

Phnom Penh International Airport (PNH) connects to major Asian hubs. Most overland routes from Vietnam, Thailand, and Siem Reap also pass through Phnom Penh.