Cambodia: Phnom Penh (Nov 2023)

Border crossing day! It was pretty smooth crossing the land border between Vietnam and Cambodia.

We did a cyclo tour through the capital city of Phnom Penh at sunset.

Cyclo’ed through Wat Phnom, a Buddhist temple, some colonial buildings, and the night streets. The tour took us around the riverside where so many people were just out and about enjoying the weather. I was so impressed by the juxtaposition of ancient temples and new modern buildings. Some of the roads were so modernized and paved and amazingly clean. Also, SO MUCH GOLD.

We had our first dinner in Cambodia at Banteay Srey.

Amok fish – SO GOOD – a national dish of Cambodia. It had a mixture of spices that made it so complex and delicious!

The next day, we started off with a guided tour of Choeung Ek (Killing Fields) and Tuol Sleng Museum (S-21 Prison) — both devastating parts of Cambodian history. The Khmer Rouge, a communist political group, killed between 1.5 and 3 million people during the years of 1975 to 1979. The mass killings were part of the state-sponsored Cambodian genocide.

It was intense and the air surrounding the place was eerie and solomn. Such beautiful grounds but knowing the history, it became an emotional experience.

I did not take any photographs in the S-21 prison because it was so heartbreaking to see the site where they imprisoned innocent people and tortured them. However, I highly recommend going because it was an important part of history and highlights the complexity of humanity.

We had lunch by the quay at Romduol Khmer Restaurant.

I was on a quest to eat all the Cambodian curries I could

Walked around some more.

And then a sunset cruise!

This city unexpectedly surpassed all my preconceived notions. It was just so clean and modern and people were so nice and respectful, and there were a lot more tall buildings than I expected.

We checked out a rooftop bar called Cloud 9 Skybar.

Another dish in Cambodia that I came to love and order several times: Lok Lak. It can be made with beef, pork, chicken, pretty much any meat. It actually originated from the Vietnamese dish Bo Luc Lac, which I also love.

The next day, I woke up earlier before meeting with my G-Adventures group in order to walk around by myself and take in the city before we head to Siem Reap. I was drawn to the Central Market because of its art deco style architecture. The building was heavily influenced by the French.