Phnom Penh: Asia’s Overlooked Capital
Content Warning
The recent history of Cambodia is incredibly dark. Cambodia experienced one of the largest genocides in human history under the Khmer Rouge in the late 1970s. There will be descriptions of extreme violence and death against innocent people and children. If you can’t handle that, we understand. Please skip to the Royal Palace, or read our article about Cambodian food.
Killing Fields
Our first stop in Phnom Penh was the Killing Fields. We felt that it was important to start here to recognize and respect the people of the country and what they’ve gone through. I strongly believe that there are very important and relevant lessons to learn from this place. If you have the opportunity, I recommend that everyone come to the Killing Fields and learn from the people and their stories. The museum includes a walking tour with an audio guide that is very well done.
In 1975, Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge seized power in Cambodia. This extremist communist group took advantage of the country’s instability and quickly implemented harsh and brutal laws on the people. The party had an extreme regressionist view of communism and believed people should return to simple lives in fields and local villages. They forced millions out of the capital, where thousands died of exposure as they walked to their home village.
The oppression of the Khmer Rouge was brutal. Anyone found to be against the government was tortured and killed on the spot. Criticizing the state, speaking out, taking food, not working, not producing enough food, were all grounds for execution. They often executed people on the spot, even without evidence. They ruthlessly murdered citizens of all ages, women, children, the elderly, and the disabled.
One of the main ways people were killed was at large extermination camps. These killing fields are one such location. At the height of the Khmer Rouge’s oppression, over 20,000 killing fields like this one were murdering thousands of people every day. Soldiers and executioners trucked in victims and killed them in horrific ways. Some beat people to death with farming tools. Others shoved them into watery pits and buried them alive, and many shot in the head. One particularly harrowing tree was used to smash infants’ heads. In one pit, they found mothers buried with their children.
The museum has many artefacts that show the depth of the depravity. Cloth can be found resurfacing from unmarked graves, and beads adorn a tree to honor dead children. Speakers can be seen that used to blast propaganda music into the neighborhood, so that nobody could hear the screams and gunshots. The walking tour did an amazing job painting vivid images of this appalling site.
At the end of the tour is the center of the park, where a memorial stupa is placed. Inside the tall glass structure are hundreds of skulls of unknown victims of the atrocity. In the end, over 2 million people were killed, making the Khmer Rouge the third largest genocide in human history. I was completely shaken when we finished. Experiencing such depravity up close is something hard to describe. I think it’s incredibly important to learn about, as we are seeing resurgences in dangerous political ideologies in the 2020s. It’s important to learn from and never repeat the steps that led to this dark moment in human history.
Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum
After the Killing Fields, we arrived at the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum, known as S21. This infamous school in the center of Phnom Penh was converted into a prison in the center of Phnom Penh, where tens of thousands of innocent people were brutally tortured and ultimately killed during the genocide. These grounds contain crimes against humanity that are hard to think about, let alone see in person. Nearly nobody made it out alive, although the few who did are still living and can be talked to at the prison. Coming back to such a horrific place is unimaginable, but to these people, it is important people tell their stories.
The experience of the prison is much the same as the Killing Fields. I was struck with a profound sense of grief and loss. Throughout our time, I couldn’t help but think about how it went so wrong. No person should ever experience something like this. No group of people could ever be bad enough to deserve this fate. I often say that travel is an equalizer, and experiencing the world makes it much harder to remain prejudiced. Our experience at the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum is one of those times when it felt like all my walls were coming down. I’m very grateful for the opportunity to learn from these tragedies, and I’m sure it will change you if you visit as well.
Royal Palace of Cambodia
One of the main attractions of Phnom Penh is the Royal Palace. This sprawling complex was originally constructed for the royal family in 1870, but was reconstructed in 1913. The first thing we immediately noticed was how similar Khmer and Thai architecture are. These two cultures developed side by side for hundreds of years, and share many aspects of design and iconography that adorn their structures. Unlike in Thailand, the royal family still resides in the palace, so some areas are inaccessible. However, there is still plenty to see, making it a worthwhile experience.
Similar to the Thai royal palace, there is a temple complex attached to the side. Inside this area is the silver pagoda, a lavishly decorated building with a floor made of silver. It is not allowed to take pictures inside the buildings, but needless to say, the architecture is amazing inside and out. All of the buildings have intricate carving and gold gilding with sparkly glass and jewels. It’s hard not to be in awe at the architecture.
Since Cambodia doesn’t get much tourism, we felt like we had the palace to ourselves. We were able to experience the architecture without bumping into crowds of people. Thankfully, there were cats lounging around some of the pavilions, which made the experience even better. As we left, we passed by a group of men playing traditional Cambodian instruments, which added to the vibe even more.
Riverside Quay
Phnom Penh is built along the Mekong River. All along the west bank of the river is a quay. There are several parks, stores, food stands, and boat tours located on the quay. This is a great place to get a walk and enjoy the city, as it passes by the royal palace and other landmarks. It is possible to use the quay as a walking tour of the city, which we definitely recommend.
Starting from Wat Phnom, you can walk all the way down to the National Museum and Royal Palace, and further to several large parks. Along the quay are several areas full of bars, restaurants, and cafes. Be aware that there is also a red light bar district in this area, although it is not a dangerous neighborhood. There are many tour boats that launch from the quay where you can enjoy a meal as you watch the sun setting over the river.
Russian Market
Due to the communist regime, Cambodia was closed to much of the world in the late 20th century. During that time, Russians lived in the city and frequented this market, giving it the colloquial name “Russian Market”. This is one of the most interesting and popular markets in the city, with absolutely everything you could want. There is fresh fish, produce, car parts, clothing, and more.
Although it’s not geared towards tourists, there are good deals to be found on souvenirs, and the market even has some interesting restaurants and a coffee shop. This isn’t our favorite market ever (that title belongs to Chatuchak market in Bangkok). There are also plenty of great coffee shops and restaurants in this area, making it a good area to hang out.
Wat Phnom
On the north end of the downtown corridor is Wat Phnom. This is one of the main temples in the city, located inside a massive roundabout. Cambodia is known for some of the most amazing temples in the world, with sites like Angkor Wat. Admittedly, Phnom Penh does not have many amazing temples, but we still recommend visiting Wat Phnom because of its central location and interesting layout.
The temple is on top of a hill, making it one of the tallest points in the city. Inside is a simple layout with places for prayers and offerings. If you’ve seen a Buddhist temple before, you’ll know what to expect. What we enjoyed the most about this temple is the massive staircase leading up to it. The sun was shining over the temple and the view was lovely as well.
Flying Fox Tree
Just next to the temple is a tree called the Flying Fox Tree. This tree is full of flying foxes (shocker I know). If you don’t know what a flying fox is, they are the largest bats in the world. If you’ve ever seen the gif of a super cute bat eating a banana, that’s what these are. They’re totally harmless and eat bugs, so I’m all for it. I have no idea why there is a tree full of them, but you might as well check it out while you’re in the area.
Aeon Mall
Cambodia has had an economic boom, growing 14x since 2014. With that growth has come new investments from foreign companies such as AEON, a large mall operator from Japan. You can find AEON malls all over Asia, and they are usually very nice. There are several Aeon malls, and we went to the newest and largest one, which had hundreds of familiar stores. We picked up some ice cream from Coldstone Creamery and walked around the mall.
We noticed that this place was functioning more as a community center than a normal mall. There were many families playing games, walking on the large running track, and even having picnics on artificial grass. It seems like this mall was designed as a hybrid space for people to shop, but also just hang out. There are some interesting features, like a glass-bottom bridge on the 7th floor and a massive slide for kids. When we visited, the mall was still brand new, so we couldn’t imagine what interesting things would be there in a few years.
Catera Cambodia
Towards the end of the day, we were running out of things to do. Since we were in the area of the Russian Market, we decided to look up businesses nearby and found this cat cafe. If you know us, you’ll know we are massive cat people. This cat cafe did not disappoint.
As soon as we walked in we knew we were in a good place. Several cats came running up to us and we ordered our drinks. We have never been to a cat cafe where all the cats had so much personality. Because they rescue cats from the street, they are very comfortable with people. Several of them wanted to lay on our laps, and one just sat there with its tongue stuck out the entire time. My favorite cat was a wobbly cat that loved attention. It was the great way to escape the heat and spend a few hours with our furry friends.
Independence Monument
Near the royal palace is a large road with a public park stretching from the river to this monument. To be honest, this isn’t really a destination. We happened to be nearby and decided to take pictures of the monument. It’s pretty nice, looming over the intersection. I can’t say I’ve ever seen a monument shaped like it, but if you don’t have a specific reason to visit, it’s not necessary.
Final Thoughts
Cambodia was an amazing place to visit. It was so challenging to hear the hard times these people have gone through, but it was also so amazing to meet local people and learn of their resilience and kindness. We had and amazing time exploring Phnom Penh, and hope to visit more of this country in the future.
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