Phnom Penh Overview 

Phnom Penh the county's capital is located along the banks of the mighty Mekong River, the Bassac and South East Asia's largest lake, Tonle Sap. It is the centre of travel to all outlaying provinces and connections to neighbouring countries.

Once hailed as the most attractive city in the region Phnom Penh's colonial splendour still shines through. Streets vary between to wide paved boulevards lined with flame of the forest trees to small narrow lanes, often little more than dirt tracks.

The Silver Pagoda, Royal Palace, National Monument, National Museum, Wat Phnom and Toul Sleng Genocide Museum are amongst the main attractions and can be comfortably visited in one day. International and Asian dining outlets are many and prices are generally lower than in most neighbouring countries. Sidewalk dining, pubs and discos compete for night owls. For shoppers the Russian Market is worth a visit for electronic good and the like or the Central Market for a range of items from books to jewellery and Orasey for general household goods.

Phnom Penh owes its architecture to Colonial France and its business ethos to the Chinese. While the major ethnic group in Cambodia is Khmer, during the French administration, Chinese and Vietnamese immigration was encouraged and Phnom Penh owes much of its past prosperity to the Chinese entrepreneurial spirit.

Sadly many people think of Phnom Penh as the site of the "Killing Fields" rather than as a delightful city of enduring charm. Since these times though it has come a long way and now welcomes visitors with open arms, smiling faces and an infrastructure, that is developing (if somewhat slowly) to accommodate tourists and business people from around the globe. Hotels continue to be built and recreational facilities expanded and national parks upgraded and developed. All in all, your trip to Cambodia will be well catered for in this dynamic city.