Captivating Phnom Penh

CAMBODIA is a country rich in history and culture. Though still recovering from the effects of the devastating war that tore the country apart during the 1970s, the passage of time and a rapidly-growing tourism industry are helping Cambodia and its people to develop.

However, the country still manages to retain some of its old-world charm.

Cambodia has two distinct weather patterns. The hottest months of the year fall between March and April, while the middle of the year marks the start of the monsoon season until early October.

The best months to visit are between November and February, when the cool weather sets in, making it more enjoyable to travel around or outside the city.

Visitors to the capital, Phnom Penh, will find a city bustling with life, with an abundance of cars, motorbikes and tuk-tuks whizzing down the streets.

While some parts of the city have a small-town feel, other more central areas look just like downtown Kuala Lumpur, or any other major Asian city.

A landmark that is a must to visit in the city is the Royal Palace. It contains two breath-taking pagodas – the Silver Pagoda and the Temple of the Emerald Buddha.

Built in the 19th century, this structure comes as an amazing amalgamation of Cambodian and colonial French design.

Visitors should also not leave out the Independence Monument, a Buddhist-style lotus-shaped tower designed to commemorate the country’s liberation from France in 1953.

For those wanting to explore the darker side of Cambodia’s history, they should visit the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum.

This former infamous prison and torture camp, where over 14,000 people lost their lives during the Khmer Rouge rule, has on display disturbing photographs, actual torture instruments, and skulls of the dead as a reminder of the past.

Visitors with extra time on their hands should also take a day tour to the legendary Killing Fields of Choeung Ek, some 17km from the city.

Filled with more skulls and excavated mass graves, Choeung Ek is an emotionally-draining symbol of the devastating effects of a systematic genocide.

Despite this bleak period in their history, Cambodians are a resilient lot.

A quick walk around Phnom Penh will show off the city taking on a new breath of life, especially with the appearance of modern, trendy boutiques and restaurants standing alongside street stalls hawking a variety of local fare.

The best place to end any tour on foot is at Sisowath Quay, also known informally as the Riverside. Peppered with restaurants and bars, Sisowath Quay offers a good place for visitors and locals to relax and take in the stunning views of the sun setting over the river.

For a round of shopping, there are antiques as well as souvenirs such as traditional Cambodian handicrafts like silk, stone and wood carvings, woven baskets and pottery at the iconic Central Market (also known as Phsar Thom Thmei) near Sisowath Quay.

Or else, pay a visit to the Russian Market, or Phsar Toul Tom Pong, where visitors can purchase real designer clothes from European or American brands at reduced prices.

Phnom Penh also has some of Cambodia’s most interesting cuisines such as nom banh chok, which is rice noodles in a soup of green fish gravy and herbs, and lap Khmer (Khmer beef salad), not to forget amok trey, which is steamed fish in coconut milk.

For dessert, there’s cha huoy teuk, an iced jelly dessert.

AirAsia has 14 flights weekly to Phnom Penh International Airport from the Low Cost Carrier Terminal (LCCT).

Sourced: Cambodia News