Phnom Penh, Cambodia: I'm In Love

Great to hear you loved the city. I'm planning a similar tour to yours this August and was uncertain about including it but it seems like a must.

Where did you stay? Did you make it to the killing fields?

To stay I’d recommend The Bale Just outside of Phnom Penh. It’s a beautiful calm refuge to relax after a day of sightseeing. We had the most amazing stay there.

I live in NY and see plenty of rats and cockroaches. Then again, I often describe NYC as "rough around the edges" so fair point...

Gah you’re killing me. I spent weeks agonizing over making my last stop on my honeymoon phnom or Hanoi. I went with Hanoi because I felt it would be more appropriate for a honeymoon but the backpacker in me wants Cambodia, even now!

The traditional dance near the royal palace was pretty exceptional. The killing fields were really tough to visit, but an absolute must-do.

We visited PP a few years ago as the last stop of our Cambodia tour. I wasn't expecting much, but was very pleasantly surprised. The "rough around the edges" issue for us was less rats and roaches, but that the streets are so completely pedestrian-unfriendly. There were several very busy streets criss-crossing the neighborhood where we stayed, and it was almost impossible to cross them safely.

For all that we loved the food and scenery, the people we met in Cambodia are what made our visit really special. Almost everyone we interacted with was warm and friendly, even in Siem Reap which is overrun with tourists. I would love to go back some day!

Glad you enjoyed it. I've been there a couple of times and the building boom is really something. The last visit or two I found the traffic to be impossible. I wish I could have the same optimism for the country, but it is a full blown kleptocracy. The opposition had been eliminated by Hun Sen. Last time I was there my guide was quite hopeless about the future. It was sad.

@ Raksiam -- Yeah, I don't disagree with the political situation, and honestly wouldn't be surprised to see another revolution in the future. When you have that many young people who want better, and an aged and intractable regime, it rarely ends well.

Luxury high rises? Wow, the city has drastically changed since I was there three years ago. I remember thinking how odd it was that there was only one really tall building, though a ton of development was apace. I really liked PP and would go again.

Stayed at The Raffles there. Loved it.

Phnom Penh was one of the most disturbing and unpleasant places in Asia I have ever visited – and I have been pretty much all around. Certainly the worst capital city in South East Asia and second worst major city overall on my list after Davao.

I have so very much loved this trip report and look forward to many more from you! Bravo!

@Tiffany -- Great post, great photos, and that sounds like a really worthwhile food tour.

I'm curious whether you've ever done any of the Culinary Backstreets food tours. As a foodie, I'm aware that they're supposed to be the gold standard, and the one I did in Istanbul blew me away.

I’ll second what Christian said about the traditional dance performance near the Palace. It was terrific. I stayed at, and highly recommend the Patio Hotel. Very nice place and several food options very close by.

Great article Tiffany, totally agree on PP!

I love the frontier atmosphere, although I can’t believe how much the city has changed over the past few years... it reminds me of Saigon in the 90s, or maybe what Bangkok must have been like in the 70s... before those cities grew massive (and unwieldy). It’s exciting place to visit right now!

Glad you like Phnom Penh. Along with the Tuol museum, the killing field site with the tall glass structure filled with human bones, is the other main site to see. I stayed at the Raffles Hotel Le Royal in 2001 - it was nice, felt very colonial Indochina'ish.
Sorry to hear about your impressions of Siem Reap and Luang Prabang - when I was there in 2001, they did not feel overrun with tourists.

Thanks for your articles - love reading them.

Before going, find and view the movie, The Killing Fields.
It will give you a great understanding of the country’s terrible history.

I always spark up when I scroll through this sometimes tired site and see an article by Tiffany. An excellent writing style with content that is always interesting, advice and suggestions that are always useful and wonderful photography to further add to the pleasure.

I have to agree and more. Phnom Penh isn't just rough around the edges, it is rough all over, but it is one of the most charming cities I've ever been to. There are so many disturbing things from the Pol Pot era; the continued government corruption; the lack of consistent trash pickups leaving the streets strewn with rubbish, but there's so many things to see, and the people are the warmest of any city of that size I've ever been to. I'd go back there in a heartbeat.

Often, the "rougher around the edges" places are the most fascinating and enjoyable destinations. I was privileged to visit Yemen before the current Saudi-led atrocities against the country. Sana'a, Socotra, Aden, Mukalla were all amazing. Cockroaches were everywhere but they didn't detract from the priceless experience of visiting such a wonderful nation of such incredibly kind gentle people and stunning natural beauty.

Wow, I was there in 2007 and it looks like it's completely different now! I've been meaning to go back for another visit for a while now, looks like I should make that happen soon 🙂

Wow, sounds amazing! This post is really making me itch to plan a trip there.

PP is delightful ! Even with cochroaches and rats ... Many years ago, I "rented" a car from a friend of a friend of the hotels recepcionist and had the chance to cover all the coutry on my own, at my pace. The car had some problems. I remember one particularly, because the motor was over-heating. Since I had no water (stupid me !) I opened very gently the water tank and then I pooured inside one bottle of the couple of Moet that I had in the trunk. It drove very nicely to Sihanoukville and then Kep am Kampot. And by all means, go take a walk on the Quay (the corniche road that follows the river) and enter 2 or 3 spaces for an Angkor or a cocktail. As for Hotels, the Raffles is a big mistake (I saw ratts the size of rabbits while having lunch at the pool bar) . So stick to the numerous new boutique hotels that will cost you 5 times less and have a very nice service. Oh ! And do go to the FCC for a beer 😉

I assume you went to the Foreign Correspondents Club? We had a magnificent afternoon there years ago, sipping G&Ts in the heat and watching the traffic and the river go by below. It all felt very colonial!

Thanks for the wonderful report. You've piqued my interest. Which home swap organization did you work for?

Just want to add to the kudos of the quality of this article. It just feels like a real person's trip experience and not another-blog-post. I especially appreciate you not ignoring - and explicitly acknowledging - some uncomfortable political truths about the place you visited.

Modern society is interesting indeed: “falling in love” while taking in the sights of human remains packed into glass structures ... Game of Thrones is probably just a show for the kids.

Love Phnom Penh if you haven't gone to the National Gallery GO! I hope you are staying at L'Royal and if you are not hightail yourself over to the Elephant bar and have a cocktail. They also have a spa which when I was last there charged les for people who were not guests in the hotel. It may seem like a bit of a cliche but the Foreign Correspondents Clubs a must! And when you get back home you have to watch: City of Ghosts! And of course the Russian Market you can't miss. So much to do and see my favorite place went there for the first time in 2002? When I first went all those boulevards were mud and the only street that was paved was the on the Chinese Embassy was on because the Chinese paid for it.

If one has no problem visiting China with the government in place there it should not be an issue for anyone wanting to visit Cambodia.

"I'm in love" followed by an account of the Genocide Museum. Bonkers.
PP is an interesting place. Strange there was no mention of its status as an international child prostitution hub and the China-backed kleptocracy.

@ SK -- Some of us can walk and chew gum at the same time.

This has been a fabulous series. I’m old enough to remember the Vietnam war in the news every day, Vietnamese refugees subsequently being sponsored into my native land by churches and I have a Cambodian friend who survived Pol Pot and was also sponsored, along with the parents she had been separated from, via refugee camps, into the country. She now lives in the US, is a fabulous cook of food such as this, speaks all the regional languages and has taken her US husband to see Cambodia and Vietnam. She had already whetted my appetite for a visit and Tiffany has just stoked the fire.

Hi Tiff,
Thanks for your wonderful and honest assessment of Cambodia. I don't want to bore your viewers with my story but I've visited Cambodia in 2017 for personal and soul searching reasons. Landed in PP with my backpack and sleeping bag, it was chaotic and beautiful at the same time. I was overwhelmed with emotions as I've been away for 37 years due to an unforeseen event that ripped my family apart. I don't need any sympathy for my past but to inspire and encourage people to move on, live, travel, eat and love in spite of your current situation and country you are from. I met some very kind people in Cambodia and some not very honest. They laughed at broken Khmer b/c they thought it was cute. You just have to beware of your surrounding in any city. I loved the dirt roads to the remote villages, lust-green rice field, little kids tending their cow and water-buffalo herds and foods are absolutely amazing in the countryside. Next time, I'm bringing my touring bicycle with me.

Cheers,
Panya

I love Phnom Penh. So many chic bars, and real urban energy. The newly opened Rosewood is also FABULOUS. (Then again anything Sonia Cheng touches is a masterpiece). A must. Fun cocktail bars like Le Boutier and Battabong, a speakeasy make this city such a gem right now. And well Siem Reap is quite overrun and touristy, stay at Phum Baitang and you're a world away.

Here are some of things I like about Phnom Penh. Local market is a must see excluding the central market. I found it exiting to roam around for clothi ng, statues,and of course foods. The river front is another place where you can relax and breath so fresh air. As you move out of the city on highway 1, you will find a resort with a small market where they mostly sell foods to tourists. Not too far from there, there is an island between the two river. Thats a pure local farming community. I visited this place during Vietnam war. Its a good place to meet local farmers. I mentioned nothing about palace, museum, S21 etc.. because i dont see my reasons to travel thousands of miles to horrific act or a sign of dictatiirism. I really want to see the beauty if nature and life if real people. As a person from the west where we have the standard of living is pretty. Yet the Cam bhai ofian people adapt themselves to their nature and enjoy life. Materials do not akwzys make people happy. Making it work for what they with nature is pure happiness.

Americans posting here are naturally moved by the atrocities of the genocidal Pol Pot and his Khmers Rouges. Yet I have not heard mention of Nixon and Kissinger and their mutilation of that poor country, the carpet bombing, napalm, and all that. Heck, the nonagerian war criminal Dr. K is still going around regaling audiences of his 'wisdom' for thousands of $$$ a pop. So much for fairness and justice.

How do you find the city for expats with pets

You Americans who are so fantasised about this review really need to watch some youtube vlogs on SE Asian travel so that you can see that there is so much more out there in this world.....than simply America. What Tiffany did is something that millions of tourist do each year. They even backpack without even booking tours. Pick up a Lonely Planet book and watch some independent vlogs, its truly not rocket science what she has done, despite what this reader audience thinks! Try backpacking India for 6 months independently with no tour bookings whatsoever. Just saying...

Tiffany,

What do you feel is an appropriate amount of #'s of nights to stay here? I'm doing a long 60 day trip all over Asia with my family and we're stopping in Cambodia. How many nights would you recommend in Siem Reap and this one?