Phnom Penh Attractions and Tourist
Attractions in Phnom Penh
Phnom Penh is still not a typical tourist destination, but is most tourists’ first encounter with Cambodia on their way to the beaches of Sihanoukville or the Angkor Wat Temple at Siem Reap. And the city has plenty of attractions that justify a few day’s stops. The Royal Palace, the Silver Pagoda, the National Museum and the Wat Phnom are all centrally located and within walking distance of each other.
- See AbbreviationFinder for commonly used abbreviation of city Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Also includes meanings of the same acronym.
The Royal Palace consists of several buildings that together are the Royal Palace in Cambodia (see picture first in the article). The palace is a good example of classical Khmer architecture, and impresses with its many details and beautiful columns.
Silver Pagonda is one of the buildings belonging to the Royal Palace. The building is especially known for housing many national treasures. Most famous are the Buddha figures, which consist of diamonds and gold.
The National Museum is, as its name says, the National Museum, and is Cambodia’s largest museum and contains the world’s largest collection of Khmer art. Here you can admire beautiful sculptures, pottery and bronze art. The collection consists of a total of 14,000 articles.
Wat Phnom is a very famous Buddhist temple in Phnom Penh. The building is 27 meters and the tallest religious building in the city. The temple was built in 1373.
Also, everyone should bring both Tuol Sleng Prison and Choeung Ek Killing Fields.
During the Red Khmer terrorist attack in 1975-1979, around 20000 men, women and young children were first interrogated and tortured in Tuol Sleng before being transported to Choeung Ek, 15 kilometers from the center, and mercilessly executed and thrown in mass graves. Everyone was photographed first, and the images still hang in Tuol Sleng, which has remained virtually unchanged since the day Vietnamese forces liberated the city.
In Choeung Ek, there are 8,000 skulls behind glass in a memorial monument, and around it there are still human bones in clothing debris, bones and teeth. This experience is sure to shake and enter you, and if you leave untouched from one of these places, you have a heart of stone.
Tourist in Phnom Penh
Phnom Penh is still not a typical tourist destination, but is most tourists’ first encounter with Cambodia on their way to the beaches of Sihanoukville or the Angkor Wat Temple at Siem Reap. And the city has plenty of attractions that justify a few day’s stops.
You should be aware that the sanitary conditions are far from home, and litter and pollution are a problem. Make sure you have comprehensive travel insurance, and you should be careful about walking the streets after dark. Either way, a tuk-tuk or motorcycle taxi costs just a few bucks.