Sightseeing tour in Phnom Penh

The city was founded at the end of the XII century at the confluence of the rivers Tonle Sap and Mekong. In 1431, in connection with the defeat of Angkor Thoma by the Siamese, King Ponja Yat moved the capital to Phnom Penh.

Phnom Penh was once one of the most beautiful cities of French colonial Asia, but as a result of Pol Pot’s rule and a protracted civil war, the city has long been in decline.

Today, Phnom Penh is moving forward and retains its Cambodian face. And even the construction of skyscrapers and the unthinkable, as for a poor Asian country, the number of elite cars can not change the atmosphere of the city, Phnom Penh still has its own soul and character, as well as its inhabitants: positive and completely unlike any other Asian people.

Royal Palace and Silver Pagoda

One of the most important places in Phnom Penh and undoubtedly one of the must-see places. The palace is the current residence of the king.

The palace is a complex of buildings built in traditional Khmer style, but the influence of the French is noticeable in the design of gardens and individual buildings.

Life in Cambodia is not a day without a Pagoda, because Buddhism plays a big role in the kingdom. Khmers come to the Pagodas before work and study, start with a visit to the temple on weekends, like to relax there. Buddhism in Cambodia is very delicate and unobtrusive. For example, pestering tourists and asking for donations is not accepted here.

Silver Pagoda is located in the northern part of the palace complex. Here is the royal temple, better known as Wat Preah Keo. The temple houses many national treasures, such as gold and precious Buddha statues. The most famous is a small Buddha made of baccarat crystal – the “Emerald Buddha” of Cambodia.

You can visit the palace only properly dressed: no shorts, short skirts and T-shirts. If you come to the palace in an improper condition, you will be offered to rent a sarong or a large T-shirt for a nominal fee.

Wat Phnom

The name Phnom Penh from the Khmer language translates as “mountain Penh”. According to legend, the founder of the city was a nun named Penh, who found a tree trunk brought by the Mekong, in the branches of which there were several Buddha statuettes. Later, near her house was poured earthen hill, on top of which was built the temple of Wat Phnom, which to this day pleases its visitors with its magnificent architecture and interior decoration.

Eyebrow Temple.

Browvi Temple (Wat Ounalom) is the main Buddhist temple of Cambodia. It was built before the capital was moved to Phnom Penh. The Cambodian Patriarchate is located here. The temple has its name due to the fact that on its territory in a special stupa the hair from the brow of the Buddha is stored. The Institute for the Study of Buddhism is also located here.

National Museum of Cambodia

The museum is located on one of the central city squares, near the embankment. Contains the largest collection of Khmer art, samples of rare sculptures, ceramics, bronze products and paintings.

In the National Museum, it is easy to follow the development of Khmer culture, to see its bright flowering and sunset, mainly through the sculpture, samples of which are presented here.

In addition to many exhibits of the Angkor period, the museum presents examples of Khmer art of the pre-Angkor and post-Angkor period. Here you can also see the latest creations of Cambodian art.

After viewing the exposition, you can relax in its quiet and cozy courtyard, with a gazebo, palm trees and ponds, where flocks of colored Asian carp float.

Tuong Sleng

It was in Cambodia that the communist idea reached its highest point of madness. Reversing the ideas of Lenin and Mao, the Khmer Rouge came to power, who killed almost half of the country’s population.

Tuong Sleng (Khmer: Dead Tree) was a school that became a prison and torture chamber for political prisoners during the Khmer Rouge regime (1975–1979). According to various sources, from 20 to 30 thousand people passed through this prison, only 7 survived.

In the prison, in addition to its surroundings, you will see many photos and illustrations about the victims and atrocities that took place here.

Phnom Tamao Zoo

The total area of the zoo is 2285 CA, in this area there are many mammals, birds and reptiles - a total of 84 species. The zoo also houses two ancient temples from the time of Angkor.

A visit to the zoo will be especially interesting for children.

Central Market

It also has the names "New" and "Yellow". This is the largest covered market in Asia, located near the waterfront. The market is famous not only for the fact that you can buy everything there, but is also known for its unusual architecture - built according to a French project in the 1930s in the art deco style. If you want to buy something, then this is a great place to buy serious jewelry, souvenirs, electronics, clothes at low prices. The market is simply huge and has a complex layout, in its many ranks it is very easy to get confused.

This place is also a paradise for lovers of replicas of watches - exact copies of elite models, barely distinguishable from the original. A good copy of a Swiss watch costs $ 25, a very good - $ 50, and for 100 you can buy a collector's copy.

Russian market

It is difficult to answer for sure why the Russians were called the market, where you can hardly find Russians, but the most popular version of the origin of the name says that it appeared in the “pre-polpot” times, when workers of the USSR Embassy loved to cook in this bazaar. The color of the market has hardly changed since then. Today you can buy almost everything on it: from “brand” things to bronze Buddha figurines.

Brewery

Excursion to the brewery of Phnom Penh will acquaint you with the technology of production of the most popular low-alcohol drink in Cambodia - rice beer.

During the tour you will visit all the main production shops. At the end of the tour - tasting of drinks produced by the plant. Experience the culture of beer consumption in Cambodia.

Promenade

The embankment is a very attractive and the most popular place for evening walks among tourists. There is an embankment in the city center on the banks of the Mekong and Tonle Sap rivers.

In the heart of the capital, on the embankment near the Royal Palace, hundreds of people gather every day at 5 a.m. to do exercises to music. The most amazing thing is that these are not remnants of the communist past – each of these people came here voluntarily. This folk tradition exists not only in megacities, but also in small towns. Perhaps that is why the Khmers are so slim and cheerful.

As in any tourist city in Phnom Penh there is a nightlife: restaurants, many small cafes, nightclubs - all this is present in the immediate vicinity of the promenade, literally across the street (Riverside district). But there is also its own nightlife, which pleases the Cambodians themselves and this is the most interesting. Near the Royal Palace, where in the morning they did exercises to music, in the evenings they dance, or even arrange theater and music shows.