Things to Do ♥

♥♥♥ BARS & RESTAURANTS ON RIVERSIDE

An attractive boulevard running along the banks of the Mekong and Tonle Sap. It’s fronted by a large, long open space with manicured lawns, palm trees and open pathways, all recently re-done as part of a Japanese funded project to upgrade the flood infrastructure along the river. The built-up side of the street is home to cafés and shops and the better class of bar, and is popular with tourists and expat Westerners prepared to run its gauntlet of touts selling drugs, girls and tuk tuk rides. The esplanade along the river is also popular with Cambodians, who come here in the cool of the evening to enjoy the quasi-carnival atmosphere. It begins at the riverfront park opposite the Royal Palace, and is perhaps best experienced in the early evening. Dawn at Sisowath Quay is also a busy time, with locals doing calisthenics in front of the Royal Palace, and the sun rising over the river.

♥♥♥ NATIONAL MUSEUM (4 MIN BY FOOT)$1.00 with tuktuk

Street 13, opposite the Royal Palace, 8AM-5PM .Contains an excellent collection of art from Cambodia’s « golden age » of Angkor, and a lovely courtyard at the centre. A main attraction is the statue of King Jayavarman VII (1181-1219) in mediation pose; other exhibits worth seeing include graceful statues of Hindu gods, ancient stelae (tablets) inscribed in Sanskrit and Old Khmer, and artefacts from a prehistoric burial site. Unfortunately, no photos may be taken inside the museum, although photography is allowed in the central courtyard. In the middle of the courtyard is the original statue of the « Leper King » (actually Yama, the Hindu god of death) from the Terrace of the Leper King in Angkor . The pleasant little park in front of the Museum is the site of the annual Royal Ploughing Ceremony, at which the success or otherwise of the coming harvest is determined. You may have heard stories of sightseers carrying umbrellas inside to avoid showers of bat droppings, but the bats moved out after the renovation of 2002. US$2.

♥♥ ROYAL PALACE (5 MIN BY FOOT).$1.00 with tuktuk

8:00AM-11:00AM & 2:00PM-5PM. Including the two magnificent pagodas in the Palace Grounds, the Silver Pagoda and the Temple of the Emerald Buddha, are among the few public buildings in Phnom Penh really worth seeing. They were built in the 19th century with French technology and Cambodian designs, and have survived the traumas of the 20th century surprisingly well intact. See them early in the day before it gets too hot. No photography is allowed inside the Silver Pagoda and some of the Palace buildings. You’re expected to dress decently (legs must be covered to knees and shoulders must be covered), you can rent sarongs for 1,000 riel (plus US$1 deposit) and buy t-shirts for $2 at the entrance. August 2013. There is a sign now » no shawls or pashminas. » US$6.5. In general, the Palace complex has a more structured, formal, organized and harmonious layout with a clear and specific architectural style compared to that in Bangkok, which has more hodge podge of styles.

♥♥ Independence and Liberation memorials. $2 with tuktuk (10 mn à pieds)

Impressive Buddhist-style Independence Memorial, commemorating the departure of the French in 1953, dominates the centre of the city. Nearby is the Stalin-style Liberation Memorial, marking the Vietnamese capture of the city in 1979. The area is especially popular on weekend nights with locals when the multi-coloured fountains are activated and communal music is played.

♥♥♥ WAT PHNOM (Our Notre Dame De Paris 5 MIN BY FOOT) $1.00 with tuktuk

Point ZERO of the kilometre in Cambodia. The temple itself is notable more for its historic importance than physical structure, but the park is a pleasant green space and a popular gathering place for locals. . There is NO elephant ride, and Monkeys are in Tamao Zoo now . Admission: US$1.

♥♥♥ CENTRAL MARKET (5 MIN BY FOOT).$1.00 with tuktuk

Set aside time to explore the city’s most famous local market, an art deco building full of merchandises flanked on each side by a plethora of market stalls. The market has recently been renovated and northern side boasts a row of food stalls selling cheap and tasty local dishes.sea food is not cheap!

♥♥♥ KANDAL MARKET (1 MIN BY FOOT).$1.00 with tuktuk

♥ OLD MARKET (2 MIN BY FOOT).$1.00 with tuktuk

♥♥♥ NIGHT MARKET ONLY FRIDAY/SAT AND SUNDAY NIGHT

Browse through more than 120 stalls selling a huge range of locally produced silk products, handigrafts, curios, home decorations and more; there’s also a range of exenpensive food and drink.The market is open only at weekend, from 6pmto late,Fri-Sun .

(3 MIN BY FOOT).$1.00 with tuktuk

♥♥♥ (S21)TUOL SLENG GENOCIDE MUSEUM.$2.00 with tuktuk

Street 113. A school converted into Cambodia’s most important prison in 1975. More than 14,000 people were tortured here before being killed here or at the Killing Fields; only 8 prisoners survived. The museum is easily accessible and a must-see for everyone interested in Cambodia’s horrific recent past. The infamous « skull map » has been dismantled, although there are still skulls stacked in cabinets, implements of torture and disturbing photographs of people dying. . Documentary movie « S-21 » can be purchased throughout Phnom Penh for US$-2.

♥♥♥ The Killing Fields of Choeung Ek, FIRST OF THE ATTRACTION IN PHNOM PENH CITY (About 17 km south of Phnom Penh, 40 min by taxi or moto or tuktuk). A former Chinese cemetery, this is where the Khmer Rouge killed many thousands of their victims during their four-year reign of terror. Today the site is marked by a Buddhist stupa packed full with over 8,000 human skulls – the sides are made of glass so the visitors can see them up close. There are also pits in the area where mass graves were unearthed, with ominous scraps of clothing still to be found here and there. It is a serene yet somber place. Regularly throughout the day, a small museum screens a documentary with gruesome video images of human remains that were unearthed when the mass graves were found in 1979. Recommended to visit after learning more about the Khmer Rouge terror at the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum, however, like the Genocide Museum, this place is not for the squeamish. As millions were killed during the traumatic genocidal regime of Pol Pot and his Khmer Rouge, as a sign of respect you should wear respectable clothing such as long trousers with sleeved shirts or tops. Flowers and incense can be bought in front of the stupa. In 2005 the memorial site was sold to a private company . Costs US$6 which includes a very good audio tour.

♥♥ OLYMPIQUE STADIUM.$2.00 with tuktuk

Built in the 1960s for an Asian Games that never happened, this interesting complex in a modern style has been sold off to a Taiwanese company in a murky deal by the Cambodian government. The new owners have recently renovated it and it has begun to be used once again as a venue. However, in the evenings a walk around the top perimeter is worthwhile: you can see hundreds attending exercise and dance classes, and get a view of the abandoned track below. There is also an Olympic-size swimming pool and diving pool with a 10-metre platform open to the public opposite the main building, across the track. 6,000 riel to get in.

♥♥♥ RUSSIAN MARKET.$3.00 with tuktuk

Another shopping must-do with plenty of branded goods on sale for those with good bargaining skills.Be warned , however, it is not for claustrophobic.Its aisles are narrow,the humidity can be oppressive and it get unconfortably crowed in raining season .

AROUND THE CITY

1-Boxing match on the weekend .

in the TV studio.

2-TONLE BATI.

a nice Lake where people form Phnom Penh go for weekend.

3-SHOOTING RANGE.

Before S21 and the Killing Field please.

4-PHNOM UDONG.

Very nice temple at 34 kms from Phnom Penh

5-SUNSET RIVER CRUISES ON TONLE SAP.

River cruises along the tonle Sap and /or Mekong are a popular excursion, especially late afternoon or about sunset when it’s relatively cool.Boats are available for hire on the riverfront with rate from $5 per person per hour.ask us for more details.

6-SILK ISLAND.

Country Side at 15kms from Phnom Penh

7-GO-KART.

8-PHNOM TAMOA ZOO.

Very nice ZOO

9-LIGHTHOUSE ORPHANAGE.

10-THE ROYAL PHNOM PENH GOLF CLUB.

11-CITY TOUR.(1 day tour)

*Morning:Visit Killing Fiel,Russian Market,Toul Sleng Museum.
*Afternoon:Visit National Museum,Royal Palace,silver Pagoda,Wat phnom,and Victory Monument.

12-S21 & KILLING FIELD TOUR.
Departure Time: 8AM, 1h00PM
Price:$ 15/person or 25$ for 2 persons
Inclusive of A/C bus,
Exclusive of food,drink& entrance Fees

13-PHNOM CHISOR.(1 day tour)
Visit Phnom Chisor,Tonle Bati(TAPROM Temple) and Tonle Bati Lake

Tour With Tuktuk
Departure:9h00AM Finish:5h00PM
Price: $10/person.Minimum 4 people.
Exclusive of food,drink& entrance Fees

******************************************************************