Pnomh Penh is fascinating active capital city (pop. 920 000) on the banks of two rivers. It requires two full days to see it completly. Begin with an overview of the city from atop Wat Phnom then head to the incredible Silver Pagoda in the Royal Palace complex. A green crystal Buddha and a lifesize Buddha made of solid gold and encrusted with 9 500 diamonds sit on a floor covered with 5 000 silver tiles. The National Museum is also well worth visiting with its wonderful collection of fine Khmer art and sculpture. To get a sense of present-day Cambodia visit the local art school where works are for sale and tour the Prayuvong Buddha Factory (which makes Buddha castings for temples).
Afterwards stop and buy some bread at the excellent French bakery nearby then end the day with a drink and a dip at the pool of the Cambodiana Hotel (where the Tonle Sap and Mekong rivers meet). Other city 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. Shopping is best on the Street of Silversmiths and at silk- and mat-weaving factories.
Having experienced some of the greatest creations of Cambodian culture at the palace and museum brace yourself to discover to what depths a civilization can sink. Tuol Sleng Museum is a former high school which became a Khmer Rouge prison and torture chamber during its reign of terror. The prison cells the hundreds of photographs of people killed in the prison the map of Cambodia made of human skulls the paintings detailing methods of torture used in the prison are horrifying—only seven out of more than 30 000 inmates survived. But part of what makes a visit there such an extraordinary emotional experience is that the guides have themselves had first-hand exposure to the excesses of the Khmer Rouge and they share their stories with visitors. Similarly the Killing Fields of Choeung Eik—one of the most chilling sites in the world—can also be visited. Most of the prisoners of Tuol Sleng were buried there in mass graves. A glass stupa contains 8 500 skulls that were unearthed before excavations were halted and fragments of bone teeth and clothing still litter the area.
Other excursions from the city include visits to Oudong Temple located at the ancient capital of Oudong about 20 mi/32 km out of Phnom Penh. The temple features majestic royal 19th-century stupas and tombs and requires about half a day to see. A longer day trip can be taken to the Tonle Bati-Taprohm an area of 10th- and 11th-century stone monuments a Buddhist temple and other historic sites—half a day from town. There may be an all-day tour available locally combining Sihanoukville Oudong and Vat Nokor. The last has a 12th-century Buddhist temple with pagodas and colorful frescos.
Pnomh Penh is fascinating active capital city (pop. 920 000) on the banks of two rivers. It requires two full days to see it completly. Begin with an overview of the city from atop Wat Phnom then head to the incredible Silver Pagoda in the Royal Palace complex. A green crystal Buddha and a lifesize Buddha made of solid gold and encrusted with 9 500 diamonds sit on a floor covered with 5 000 silver tiles. The National Museum is also well worth visiting with its wonderful collection of fine Khmer art and sculpture. To get a sense of present-day Cambodia visit the local art school where works are for sale and tour the Prayuvong Buddha Factory (which makes Buddha castings for temples). 