Phnom Penh is the capital of Cambodia. It is a great city with lots of things to do and see. One of the better preserved French relics in Southeast Asia, the Cambodian capital Phnom Penh has a lot more to offer the visitor than a quick, depressing swing through Tuol Sleng and a run out to the Killing Fields.

The town is spread out on the banks of two rivers. The main sights in town include Wat Phnom from where you have great views over the city, the Silver Pagoda in the Royal Palace complex, where you can see the emerald Buddha and a Buddha made of solid gold. The National Museum is also worth a visit. Other sights include the Phnom Temple, the Orchid Garden, the central market and a 15th-century pagoda or you can take a boat ride on the Mekong River to see the floating villages and a crocodile farm.

One of the most enjoyable things to do is to take a walk down by the Tonle Sap river in the late afternoon when all the local Khmers are there. There is lots going on - eating, entertaining, praying - & everyone seems to be enjoying it. A very rewarding experience. The Tuol Sleng Museum is a sight that brings back a not too distant past: the terror of the Khmer Rouge. The building was a Khmer Rouge prison and torture chamber - very few of the prisoners survived. More than 30,000 died here.

Daytrips can be made to Oudong Temple some 30 km away, or to the Tonle Bati-Taprohm witrh many 10th and 11th-century monuments or Vat Nokor, where you find a Buddhist temple with pagodas and colorful frescos. Phnom Penh is the heart of the Cambodia's nightlife. Providing a good balance of fun and safety it's a pleasant change from the hectic Bangkok scene. The recent explosion of bars in the city offers greater choice than ever before.

Phnom Penh History

The establishment of Phnom Penh as the capital of Cambodia is, historically speaking, a relatively recent event. Yet the area has been central to Cambodia's economy and politics for almost 600 years. After King Ponhea Yat abandoned Angkor in 1422, he founded his new capital and five wats at Phnom Penh.

The choice of this area at the confluence of two great rivers may have reflected a shift from an agrarian to a trade oriented economy. Later kings moved the capital several times and the city did not become the permanent seat of government until 1866. At the time, Phnom Penh was little more than a few huts lining the river. Beginning with earnest in the 1880s, French city planners built canals to control the wetlands, and constructed roads, buildings and a port.

By the 1920s, Phnom Penh was reputed to be the most beautiful city in Indochina. Growth continued through the 1960s but the American/Vietnamese conflict slowed its progress. In the early 70s war reached Phnom Penh and the city was laid to siege. On April 17, 1975, Phnom Penh fell to the Khmer Rouge and was completely evacuated. People began to return in 1979 and have been rebuilding ever since.