Phnom Penh

Phnom Penh, the capital city of Cambodia, sprawls out along the banks of the Tonle Sap river, a branch of the Mekong. It has served as the capital of Cambodia since the 15^th century when Angkor Watt was abandoned to Thai invaders. I found Phnom Penh to be a really cool town that deserves at least a couple of day’s exploration. I have talked to other travelers who spent 10 days in Phnom Penh… but I can’t understand what you would do in Phnom Penh for 10 days if you weren’t working.

The city still holds much of its French colonial charm. You can get great bread and pretty decent western food. The Killing Fields is located just outside of town, and the S21 museum is just a few kilometers from the Central Market. Other attractions include the Grand Palace, the Natural History Museum, and Watt Phnom. At the Natural History Museum you can see a statue of Jayavarman the 7^th, who was the King at the height of the Khmer Empire, and it is his face that the faces of the Bayon were based upon.