How to spend a day in Phnom Penh

For an international traveler, Cambodia offers more than imagination in terms of a rich cultural,

natural and historical heritage background. The Capital Phnom Penh situated in the bank side of

the three rivers; the Mekong River, the bassac and the Tonle Sap, this beauty made Phnom

Penh marked as a “Paris of the East”. On the following travel blog, I want to write more on how

to spend a day in Phnom Penh.

Attractions and Activities to spend a day in Capital Phnom

Penh

08:30 The Royal Palace and the Silver Pagoda: Located in Sothearos Boulevard and while

they are two separate complexes, they are visited in one complex together. The Royal Palace in

Phnom Penh was constructed over a century ago to serve as the residence for the royal family

and the foreign ambassador and the dignitaries, as a venue for the performance of court

ceremony and ritual and as a symbol of the Kingdom. It serves to this day as the Cambodian

home of King Norodom Sihamoni and former King Norodom Sihanouk.

The Royal Palace complex and attached 'Silver Pagoda' compound consist of several buildings,

structures and gardens all located within 500x800 meter walled grounds overlooking a riverfront

park. Marking the approach to the Palace, the high sculpted wall and golden spired Chanchhaya

Pavilion stand distinctively against the riverfront skyline. Inside the Palace grounds, street

sounds are silenced by the high walls and the various Royal buildings sit like ornate islands

rising from the tranquil, manicured tropical gardens.

Except for the area of the actual Royal residence, the Khemarin Palace, most of the Palace

grounds and Silver Pagoda are open to the public. Enter from the gate on Sothearos Blvd about

100 meters north of Street 240. The Complex is open daily from 7:30-11:00 / 2:00-5:00.

09:45 Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum and the killing fields: Thinking on How to spend a day

in Phnom Penh makes me to plan and visit something different. This is a quite sobering

reminder of the evils of the Khmer Rouge regime. Although not a joyful visit (at least to me) but

visiting Tuol Sleng along with the killing field reveals stories to understand more about the

Cambodia contemporary status. Millions of peoples were tutored and killed here during the

khmer rouge time from 1970 to 1975

11:30 Central Market with a Tuk Tuk: The Phsar Thmei, means the new market, has become

one of the must see visited places when in Phnom Penh, I did follow the routine and hop on a

Tuk Tuk (a form of motorbike transportation in Cambodia) to visit the central market, there are

almost anything I this market from photocopied books, maps and Cambodian kramas and

further out still is the fresh flower section. Phsar Thmei is a good spot for sightseeing, but not

really for shopping. The vendors often start with such inflated prices but buying or not is all up to

your negotiations skill, I did buy a Karma for 4 $, the first price was 8 $

13:00 Join a Cooking Class: Before I plan my trip to Cambodia my friend have suggested me

to take a cooking class, as I love cooking, then I decided to take one of the cooking classes that

have been suggested to me by Luxury Travel Vietnam (www.luxurytravelvietnam.com) , it was

a good experience, I learn how to cook some khmer dishes but im still not sure if I can make it

as authentic as in Phnom Penh, lets see

16:30 Boat trip: It is awesome to end your day in Phnom Penh on a boat trip. Luxury Travel

Vietnam arranged a boat trip on Mekong River on a restored wooden boat to me. Being on the

Mekong is always much cooler than being on land so escape the heat and have an

unforgettable experience. I had a nice dinner on board the cruise and ended my night in the

Phnom Penh. Tired and want to go back to my hotel but the city is vibrant, I met two other fellow

travelers in the cruise, together, we went for some night life in the old quarters of the city. End

of the night and that was How to spend a day in Phnom Penh