Phnom Penh is the capital, biggest and only real city in Cambodia. It is a city full of history, colonial buildings, temples, chaos, markets and almost 24h/day street life. I really do like it! But like many places in Southeast Asia it changing fast and the Phnom Penh nowadays is not like it was 20 years ago.
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How to get to/from Phnom Penh?
- By Air : The airport is both International as Domestic (Siem Reap & Sihanoekville). See Cambodia Airports
- By Bus : All major places in Cambodia can be reached by bus, but busses can be old & over crowded.
- By Road : All major roads are reasonable, riding or driving in day-time is reasonable easy & safe.
- By Boat : Although the roads are becoming better & better, you can still travel by boat from Siem Reap to Phnom Penh. Or to go from Phnom Penh to Vietnam.
- By Train : only from Kampot and Sinhoekvill are trains going to PP
How to get around?
- Tuk-Tuk's are everywhere, although most drivers are not very known with the city.
- Motorbike-taxi (moto-dop)
- Most taxi's are waiting at the airport.
- You can rent bicycle's and explorer the city and nearby area. Great!
- You can rent motorbikes to explorer the city and other area's of Cambodia.
Where to stay?
You should make up you your mind in what area you want to stay. Points of interest are all over town, as are the hotels. The most favorite area is along the riverside or near Central Market. Of course you can book any of the hotels via Agoda.Where to eat?
There is a very good choice of Cambodian and all kind of western food. Again along the riverside is the most favorite area, especially for western food.What to do in Phnom Penh?
Too much for just 1 or 2 days- Get lost in the small streets by bicycle or just walking
- Eat Cambodian food
- Visit Central Market and Russian Market
- Walk along the riverside in the early morning or begin evening
- Make a river cruise
- Visit Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum
- Visit the Royal Palace
- Visit the National Museum
- Just sit for an hour in the park around Wat Phnom
- Make a historical-building tour
What to do nearby?
- Visit the killing fields
- Make an upcountry bicycle trip
- Visit Phnom Chisor Temple
Where is the nightlife?
Actually spread over the all city, but there are some specific area's like Street 136 and Street 104. There is also another kind of nightlife at the Casino area or at one of the alternative cinema's.Where to go next?
- For most people PP is the hub to travel in & out of Cambodia or to travel to Siem Reap.
- But you could also travel to Kampot or Sinoekville