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