Phnom Penh: Cambodia’s capital
Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia, is the cultural and commercial centre of the country. Situated at the convergence of the country’s three rivers, the Mekong, Tonle Sap andBassac, this city serves as the gateway to all that Cambodia has to offer. Normally the first stop on any travellers visit to the country, it is only a short hop from here to explore the temples of Angkor in the north and the beautiful beaches of the southern coast.
Phnom Penh was founded in 1372 by the Khmer noble Lady Penh. She was said to have been travelling down the river when she came across four Buddha statues in a tree trunk. Due to this discovery, she decided to build a tiny monastery on the nearby hill and as the city built up in the surrounding area, the town soon became known as Phnom Penh, or Hill of Penh. This new place took over the capital city honours when the Khmer nobility fled the incumbent Angkor in order to escape the invasion of the Siamese in 1434.
There is no time for boredom as points of interest abound within the city. The National Museumhouses over 5000 Khmer artefacts as well as literally millions of bats! These nocturnal creatures don’t bother the patrons during the day, except for the occasional guano dropping on the shoulder, but as the sun starts to set, they make for quite a sight as they evacuate the museum in waves to feed under the cover of darkness. Maybe this is where the local restaurants obtain their feature ingredient for ?
Other highlights include the Royal Palace and Silver Pagoda with its exquisite Khmer architecture and a shopping trip to the art deco building of the Central Market where you can buy souvenirs, silks and various treasures that you will wonder why you bought on returning home. Don’t forget your bargaining skills!
A cultural tour of the city would not be complete without a visit to one of the city’s various temples or wats, including Wat Phnom, the site of the original founding of the city. Round out your evenings with a traditional dance performance, an exotic meal or one of the various relaxing river cruises.
Destination: Cambodia
