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Phnom Penh is a lovely, laid-back old city. Once the jewel of French Indochina, it still has a particular crumbling grace and beauty not found in other Asian capitals. It is divided up by a few major thoroughfares—Monivong and Norodom Boulevards going north-south and Pochentong and Sihounouk boulevards going east-west. These, along with major wats, markets and monuments, form the skeleton of Phnom Penh from which the city grows. Whether you are off to explore cultural highlights, take in the nightlife, eat a hearty meal, or just find a place to sit and watch the bustle of the city, most places can be found if you know the nearest landmark.
North and Wat Phnom
At the end of Norodom Boulevard in the northern part of town, Wat Phnom, at 27 meters above sea level, is the Cambodian capital’s highest point. It was around this wat that the city is supposed to have been centered, and it is after the woman who built this structure-a lady named Penh-that the city is named. Locals still come here to pray for luck. This is also the place to ride Sam Bo the Elephant or sit and drink fresh coconut juice in the shade of ancient trees.
Behind Wat Phnom a cluster of restaurants, including Le Deauville and Anthony’s Pizza, offer more up-market dining. To the east is the French Quarter, boasting some of town’s most impressive surviving colonial architecture. Not far from here, Hotel Le Royal once housed the world’s most famous war correspondents. Now it offers five-star accommodations in colonial opulence.
Also in this area is Boeng Kak Lake. Its surrounds, making up the most densely populated area in town, are home to a rabbit warren of cheap guest houses and budget bars and restaurants along with the Royal School of Fine Arts, which regularly stages Khmer classical dance performances.
Central Phnom Penh and Psar Thmei
Psah Thmai actually means new market in Khmer, but most foreigners know this imposing art-deco dome as the Central Market. It is the largest market in the city. Everything from miniskirts to monkeys is offered here. Around the outside of the market cheap electrical shops pile their wares high on the southern side of the market and gold shops sit to the southeast.
There are also several bars around the market, including Kim's Kiwi Bar and Sharky Bar. On the Monivong Boulevard side, a cluster of small, affordable Chinese restaurants including Peking Canteen constitute somewhat of a Chinatown.
East – the River and Beyond
The cool breeze off the Tonle Sap makes it an ideal place for open-air restaurants and bars. A two-kilometer strip beginning at the Royal Palace and Silver Pagoda and ending just east of Wat Phnom is thickly dotted with some of the best eateries in town. Sit high in the Foreign Correspondents' Club, or enjoy British hospitality and pub grub at the The Rising Sun around the corner. German, Thai, Khmer and French foods are some of the other cuisines available here.
This area is not wanting for cultural landmarks either. Squarely in the middle of this strip, the imposing pagoda is called Wat Ounalom, one of the oldest and probably the most influential in Phnom Penh. And at dusk, huge flocks of bats billow from the National Museum behind the Foreign Correspondents' Club. Street 178, beside the museum is the artist district of town, and nearly every shop here is a mini-art gallery.
Cross the river, using the impressive Cambodian-Japanese Friendship Bridge, and you enter two of Phnom Penh’s outlying districts. Prek Leap begins on the other side of the river in a flurry of signs for Khmer-style restaurants. This restaurant strip is very popular with more affluent Khmers. Chinese and Khmer food are the staples but the chief attraction is the entertainment. Karaoke, stage shows, comedy acts and more are available for the amusement of diners. Just before Prek Leap, a turnoff to the right will take you to Chruoy Changvar, the peninsula that can be seen across the water from the riverside in Phnom Penh. This area is almost rural, with cattle and goats wandering about and banana and mango trees lining the dirt roads.
South – Independence and Baccarat
The southern area of town is anchored by the massive Hotel Cambodiana Phnom Penh and Independence Monument. Next to the Cambodiana floats the Naga Casino providing 24 hours of gambling every day. This area features Topaz, which many regard as Phnom Penh’s premier French restaurant. A cluster of restaurants that have sprung up around it offers a dish for most budgets and tastes. Food stalls just south of the monument offer late-night diners Khmer and Chinese dishes until the early hours of the morning. The area further south is known to many expatriates as “NGO land,” and many non-government agency offices are located here.
West – Shopping, Shooting and History
West of Monivong Boulevard, the most famous landmark is one of the most tragic reminders of Cambodia’s turbulent history. Toul Sleng Genocide Museum (S-21), a former high school turned torture center by the Khmer Rouge is open for visitors to view the gruesome torture techniques employed by the regime between 1975 and 1979. Thousands were processed here, and those who did not die were shipped to the Choeng Ek Killing Fields, 11 kilometers southwest of town, where they were bludgeoned to death and buried in mass graves. For a lighter day out, the southwest of town is where to go for souvenirs, cheap clothes and silk at Psah Toul Tom Poung (Russian Market). A little further out is the Military Shooting Range, where tourists can try their hands at shooting an AK-47 or B-40 rocket.
Phnom Penh in a small space offers a lot to see and do. Every section of the city can provide you with good restaurants, good shopping, and interesting sights. It is easy to navigate especially with the help of the friendly Khmer people, who are reason to come to the city.
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