Royal Palace

The Royal Palace was built in 1866 under the reign of King Norodom and located along the Sothearos Boulevard.

Inside the Royal Palace, there are:
Tevia Vinichhay Temple: The place where the King is one throne.

The place where the King and Queen live.
Somran Phirum Temple: The place where keeping the throne objects and Accessories.
Chan Chhnya: The Royal dance hall for king and relatives and high- ranking officers. In front of the Royal dance hall, there is a platform for the King to hold the meeting with people and levels of officials.
Wat Preah Keo Morakot: Had been built since 1892 to 1902 imitated the
Cambodia architect, and was removed and reconstructed in 1962.

We called Wat Uborsoth Rotannaream where as the King of Cambodia hold in of Kings and officers held other ceremonies abide with Buddhism. In this Wat does not have any monk, but only his majesty Preah Bat Samdech Preah Norodom Sihanouk there, at the time being a priest for a term (in the year of pig AD2490 correspondence the 31th July 1947).

Silver Pagoda

Located within the Royal Palace compound, the Silver Pagoda is so named because of its floor, which is made up of 5,000 silver tiles. On display inside are hundreds of Royal gifts received by the Royal family over the years. Among the treasures are a solid gold Buddha encrusted with, 9584 diamonds and weighing 90 kilos and a small 17th century emerald and baccarat crystal Buddha.
The compound also houses Wat Phnom Mondap, containing Buddha’s footprint. The walls surrounding the compound – the oldest part Silver Pagoda of the palace – are covered with frescos depicting episodes from the Khmer version of the Ramayana, the Reamker.

The Russian Market

The Russian Market is popular among tourists, local expatriates and Cambodians alike. Located in the southern portion of Phnom Penh it is so called because of its popularity among Russian expatriates during the 1980s.

The market is has many things of interest to many people. Inside you can find, all manner of hardware goods, drinks and cooked food, antique furniture, traditional carvings and handicraft, hand-woven silk, music, movie and computer CDs, silverware, gems, books and maps, backpacks and bags and shoes and clothing.

Some shoes and clothing originate as out-takes from various garment factories. Hence some top labels can be found at very reasonable prices.

Many local artisans use the market as an outlet to the tourist market. You can find the new traditional handicrafts interspersed with older genuine antique carvings.

You can often see provincial artisans carrying their goods which they have brought with them, sometimes as far away as Mondol Kiri and Rottana Kiri, to sell to the Russian Market retailers. This is especially true just prior to the ‘Water Festival’ (or ‘Boat Races’) which usually occurs around mid-November every year.

The newer wooden carvings may tend to split once they are taken to a less humid climate. Most retailers will repair these items in the first year after purchase if you have made an agreement during bargaining.

How to get there:From the Independence Monument head south along Norodom Blvd. Turn right at the first set of lights (Moa Tse Tung Blvd.). Go straight east (away from the river) through one set of lights (Monivong Blvd.) and then turn left at the next set of traffic lights (about 1km further down the road). Go straight for about 300m. You will see the market on the left.

In khmer we called: “Psar Toul Tom Poung”

The Killing Fields Memorial

Cheoung Ek (The Killing Fields Memorial) is a site of mass graves and a stupa in remembrance to the people who died during the Pol Pot regime.

It is estimated that over 17 000 people were buried at this site after having been tortured and murdered at the notorious ‘Toul Sleng Prison’. Some of the remains of these people have been unearthed and have been put on display in the stupa present at the site.

The stupa was constructed to present evidence of the mass killings which occurred during the period and to help us all remember the tragic and needless loss of life.

In recent times the site has been upgraded to give a more formal avenue of contact for tourists to the site.

How to get there: From the Independence Monument head south along Norodom Blvd. Turn right at the first set of lights (Moa Tse Tung Blvd.). Continue in this direction for about 3 km. At the third set of traffic lights, (just after the large Intercontinental Hotel on the left) turn left. Go straight for about 2.5km – this road is usally very busy with people and traffic) – then you will come to a fork in the road (there is a petrol station between the forks). Take the left hand fork. Go straight for about 3.4 to 4 km. Look for the turn on the left. The road BEFORE the turn-off to the memorial is a turn-off to a pagoda and there are two large concrete statues a tiger.

Wat Prasat

About 30 minutes drive from Phnom Penh, Wat Prasat has grown in prominence over the past few years. It used to be a relatively poor and unknown Wat but is now quite famous.

The Wat has grown in prosperity mainly due to the prominence given to the head monk who’s blessings are believed to bring good fortune.

The Wat shows its increased wealth with the presentation of beautifully molded statues that tell of traditional stories handed down though Cambodian history. These statues are dotted around the courtyard that surrounds the Wat.

Within the Wat itself are a myriad of paintings that depict the stories of Buddha and his teachings. Each of the paintings may be sponsored by one or two of the people who believe they benefited from increased wealth due to the Monk’s blessings.

The Wat is particularly popular during the P’Chum Ben festival which is a festival held in September to pay honor and respect passed relatives. A visit to the Wat at this time is full of colour and adventure.

How to get there: From The Independence Monument head north toward Wat Phnom. Go around Wat Phnom and continue north until you reach the roundabout. Turn a sharp right – not to go over the Japanese bridge, but underneath. When you get to the river head turn left and north along National Road No. 5. Go straight for about 12 km and then turn left at Preak Pena-oo. Now go straight for 6 to 7km. Look for the signand then turn right to Wat Prasat which is 1km further down the road.

WAT PHNOM HILL

Set on top of a tree-covered knoll 27m high, Wat Phnom is the only hill in town. According to legend, the first pagoda on this site was erected in 1373 to house four statues of Buddha deposited here by the waters of the Mekong and discovered by a woman name Penh. The main entrance to Wat Phnom is via the grand eastern staircase, which is guarded by lions and naga (snake) balustrades.

Today, many people come here to pray for good luck and success in school exams or business affairs. When a petitioner’s wish is granted, he or she returns to make the offering (such as a garland of jasmine flowers or bananas, of which the spirits are said to be especially fond) promised when the request was made.

The vihara (temple sanctuary) was rebuilt in 1434, 1806 , 1894, and, most recently, in 1926. West of the vihara is an enormous stupa containing the ashes of King Ponhea Yat (reigned 1405 to 1467) . In a small pavilion on the south side of the passage between the vihara and the stupa is a statue of the smiling and rather plump Madame Penh.

A bit to the north of the vihara and below it is an eclectic shrine dedicated to the genie Preah Chau, who is especially revered by the Vietnamese.

On either side of the entrance to the chamber in which a statue of Preah Chau sits are guardian spirits bearing iron bats. On the tile table in front of the two guardian spirits are drawings of Confucius, and two Chinese-style figures of the sages Thang Cheng (on the right ) and Thang Thay (on the left). To the left of the central altar is an eight-armed statue of Vishnu.

Down the hill from the shrine is a royal stupa sprouting full-size trees from its roof. For now, the roots are holding the bricks together in their net-like grip, but when the trees die the tower will slowly crumble. If you can’t make it out to Angkor, this stupa gives a pretty good idea of what the jungle can do (and is doing) to Cambodia’s monuments.

Curiously, Wat Phnom is the only attraction in Phnom Penh that is in danger of turning into a circus. Beggars, street urchins, women selling drinks and children selling birds in cages (you pay to set the bird free locals claim the birds are trained to return to their cage afterwards) pester everyone who turns up to slog the 27m to the summit.

Wat Phnom Hill looking from sky.(Photo by: Hun Chantha)

Fortunately its’ all high-spirited stuff, and it’s difficult to be annoyed by the vendors, who after all, are only trying to eke out a living.

Phsar Thom Thmei

Phsar Thom Thmei, also known as Central Market, is large market built in 1937 in the shape of a dome, branching out into various arms of stalls. It is located in Cambodia’s capital city of Phnom Penh.

Nowadays, the market is a hot spot for tourism. Most tourists visit this market because they want to see the varieties of products for sale. The four wings of the yellow coloured Phsar Thom Thmei are teeming with numerous stalls selling gold and silver jewellery, antique coins, clothing, clocks, flowers, food, fabrics, shoes and luggage. The market closes at around 5pm.

Psar Thom Thmei

This unique, art-deco building is a Phnom Penh landmark. Prior to 1935 the area was a lake that received the runoff during the rainy season. The lake was drained and the market constructed in 1935-37. Wet season flooding in the area around the market is a vestige of the old lake. The entrance to the market is lined with souvenir merchants hawking everything from T-shirts and postcards to silver curios and kramas. Inside is a dazzling display of jewels and gold. Electronic goods, stationery, secondhand clothes and flowers are also in ample supply.

Note: Phsar Thom Thmei in Khmer means ‘Big New Market’, but ‘Central Market’ has caught on in English.

Cambodia Cooking Class

Let’s go Cooking Cambodian

Cambodia Cooking Class is the first and only Khmer cooking school for travellers in Phnom Penh. Learning to cook Khmer food is a great way to introduce your Cambodia experience to your friends. Recreate the real recipes back home and invite them to a mouth-watering meal.

We are located in the heart of Phnom Penh, right behind the Royal Palace. You are cooking and enjoying your culinary creations on a breezy rooftop terrace.
Fish Amok, Cambodia’s signature dish

Khmer cuisine

Some guide books say that Cambodia’s cuisine is nothing to write home about and a poorer cousin to Thai and Vietnamese cuisines. Now, that is completely untrue. A thousand years ago the Khmer Kingdom, which centred on Angkor, ruled an empire that included most of south-east Asia. Hence, many of the Thai and other regional dishes have their roots in Khmer cooking from that time!

While there are similarities, Cambodian cuisine should be taken in its own right. Khmer recipes go back to the days before the introduction of the chilli, so are consequently much milder than most Asian food.
Our young but very experienced teacher-cook Heng, nicknamed Lucky, cooking Cambodian

Experienced teacher-cook

In our cooking school you learn how to prepare traditional, delicious Khmer dishes under the guidance of Li Heng (nicknamed ‘Lucky’), our young but enthusiastic, friendly and experienced English-speaking teacher-cook.

He will take you to the market, explain everything about Cambodian vegetables, herbs, spices and other ingredients and teach you the art of Khmer Cuisine.

Moreover, he will make your day of cooking a fun experience!
Hands-on action at the Cambodia Cooking School in Phnom Penh
Hands-on

Hands-on action in our cooking school! You will explore traditional methods of food preparation, particularly the use of mortar and pestle to pound and grind herbs and spices to enhance their flavours and nutrition. You’ll make everything from scratch with the freshest possible ingredients.

Every student gets his or her own working area and burner on a cool open-air rooftop terrace. You cook while the teacher demonstrates and troubleshoots.

Not only will you prepare delicious meals, but you’ll have a great time as well. Have fun, learn and relax in our Phnom Penh Cooking School!

Wat Ounalom

Wat Ounalom is the most important Wat of Phnom Penh, and the center of Cambodian Buddhism. Wat Ounalom was built in 1443 to keep a hair of the Buddha. Before the Khmer Rouge emptied Phnom Penh in 1975, more than 500 monks used to live at the Wat.

Ounalom Pagoda in the middle of Phnom Phnom City

The Khmer Rouge killed the abbot and a large number of monks and vandalized the buildings and their treasures. After the Vietnamese invasion on 1979 the Wat was restored, and today again serves as the center of Cambodian Buddhism.

It were originally founded with the birth of the city have both been extensively rebuilt with no original buildings remaining – most extant structures date from the late 19th or early-mid 20th century. These two principal religious centres house the Senior Abbots of the two principal Buddhist orders of Mohanikay and Thommayuth, respectively.