Phnom Penh

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About Phnom Penh

Phnom Penh is the capital of Cambodia; it is also the largest city in the country. Phnom Pehn is located in the south of Cambodia, on the Mekong River. It used to be known as the Pearl of Asia and considered for a long time as one of the most beautiful city of Indochina. Famous for its colonial architecture and its Khmer palaces and monuments, Phnom Penh constitutes one of the biggest tourist destinations of Cambodia.

Tribe's guides to Cambodia

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Asia: the rewarding journey

by Sylvain Heber-suffrin

10758 views
World Tour Guide
300 days

The long way round asia

by Jantine De jong

9743 views
World Tour Guide
202 days

Life's too boring not to try

by Fabian C.

9298 views
World Tour Guide
366 days

Following a komodo dragon in south-east asia

by Guillaume Barreau

3088 views
World Tour Guide
87 days

The Tribe's opinion

The first thing that will happen in the Cambodian capital when you get off the bus is you being hassled by dozen of people, maily Tuk-tuk drivers (you will of course already have experienced similar situations in Asia, but Cambodia is a new level!) Phnom Penh is a place where you spend a couple of days and then move on! There are of course many memorials and museums relating the genocide story.

By Sylvain Heber-Suffrin, in Asia: the rewarding journey

Phnom Penh is a nice city. Unlike its hectic South-Asian cousins, it's not bustling and has some good leisure spots. Well, it's still a thriving Asian city, so not your relaxing holiday place. Let's say, you'll be able to enjoy any type of food you want, have a good party, visit museums and get a new tailor-made suit.

By Guillaume Barreau, in Following a komodo dragon in south-east asia

Phnom Penh was not my favorite city. I wanted to get out of here as soon as possible. Unfortunately for me (as this was what triggered my disliking for this city) the bus that got us from the slowboat docking into the city, dropped us all off at Psar Thmei, a very busy market. As soon as you hop off the bus people flood over you trying to get you to choose their hotel or guesthouse. There are cyclos everywhere and all I heard was 'Hello miss, where you go? I take you, hello?', which drove me nuts. As soon as I would show my face on the balcony of the hotel I ended up choosing, 10 people would be halfway up the stairs hoping I would let them take me somewhere. I did walk all the way to S21 with sunglasses on and headphones in my ears to be left alone and afterwards I booked the first bus to Siem Reap. I guess I also was very eager to see the Temples which made me want to leave P.P. even faster.

By Jantine de Jong, in The long way round asia

Cambodia is a country full of dark history. It's capital Phnom Penh is the best place to get to know the past of the cambodians.

By Fabian C., in Life's too boring not to try

If you come from Bangkok you will feel the gap between the prosperous Thailand and the recovering Cambodia. The roads are dusty, the central market is not only a large tourist schop, the quay where all the western bars are, is also full of rats... and I guess that is what is making the city so interesting.

By Anton Curis, in I love the smell of incense in the morning