Dramatic inside and out ... Royal Palace, Phnom Penh. Photo: AFP
More photos at The Melbourne Age.
October 14, 2012
The Melbourne Age
By Winsor Dobbin
1 Royal Palace
Dramatic both inside and out, the Royal Palace dates back to
the late 1860s and is noteworthy for its classic Khmer architecture,
elaborate gilding, soaring spires and golden temple nagas (carvings of
mythical reptilian creatures). The palace is an oasis of peace in the
middle of an increasingly frenetic Phnom Penh city centre and its lush
French-style gardens house life-size sculptures of Khmer warriors and
Buddhas reclining in a range of poses. Don't miss the Silver Pagoda,
also known as the Temple of the Emerald Buddha; its floors are covered
with more than 4000 silver tiles. It was rebuilt in 1962 and houses
religious and cultural artefacts.
2 National Museum
There is a lot more to Khmer history than the recent Khmer
Rouge atrocities - and this is the best place to learn about the culture
of the local people. A red-sandstone building of colonial Khmer design,
it is home to sculptures, ceramics, textiles, glass, pottery and
bronzes dating back as far as the 12th century. The building was
designed by renowned French architect George Groslier under the
direction of King Sisowath, who wanted to preserve Khmer cultural
heritage.
3 Affordable lodgings
Phnom Penh remains one of the great bargain cities; good food
and lodgings can be found for much less than in many other Asian
capital cities. The Ohana Phnom Penh Palace Hotel is just a few steps
from the Sisowath Quay Riverwalk and within walking distance of many
attractions, as well as a range of bars and restaurants. Multilingual
staff are able to help with a range of suggestions of places to visit
and the hotel has a ground-floor swimming pool with a jacuzzi, a gym,
sauna and massage facilities. There are just 75 rooms, giving the Ohana a
boutique feel, and rooms have cable TV, airconditioning, in-room safes
and minibars. Free wi-fi is offered throughout the property. Rooms from
$US75 ($74) a double. ohanahotelpp.com.
4 Get to know the locals
The Sisowath Quay Riverwalk, alongside the west bank of the
Tonle Sap river, near where it meets the mighty Mekong, is a great spot
for a late-afternoon stroll. Lined with palm trees, the riverwalk from
104 Street to 178 Street is popular at dawn and dusk with locals
practising tai chi and a variety of martial arts as well as enjoying the
French-style promenades. The three-kilometre strip is dotted with
street vendors, hotels, restaurants, bars, cafes, shops and internet
cafes. If you stroll up the Riverwalk after dark you will come upon the
night market, where clothing and souvenirs are on offer.
5 Eat like a journo
The Foreign Correspondents Club (FCC) on Sisowath Quay has
nothing to do with journalists and is not a club but a bar and
restaurant complex over several levels that is hugely popular with local
expats. Head for the second-floor terrace of this renovated colonial
building and enjoy cocktails while you take in some great views of the
boats at the confluence of the Tonle Sap and Mekong rivers. It has a
colonial ambience, Western-style food (the crab cakes are very decent
for $US5.50) and Australian and New Zealand wines by the glass. You can
eat cheaper and better elsewhere but the FCC is something of an
institution and a popular place to meet. fcccambodia.com/phnom_penh/restaurant_bar.php.
6 The killing fields
Choeung Ek, a 35-minute drive out of Phnom Penh, is the
hamlet where Pol Pot's murderous Khmer Rouge slaughtered thousands of
Cambodians and buried them in mass shallow graves between 1975 and 1979.
Many of them were bludgeoned to death to save the cost of a bullet.
Formerly an orchard and Chinese cemetery, Choeung Ek is today an eerie
place where the remains of almost 9000 were discovered and more remain
underground. It is estimated up to 20,000 people died here. Human bones
can be seen protruding from the ground in some places and skulls of many
of the victims are stored in a macabre memorial tower. Choeung Ek is
the best known of more than 300 killing fields throughout Cambodia.
Entrance costs $US3.
7 Local flavours
Khmer cuisine tends to be flavoursome without being overly
spicy. Kampot pepper is more prevalent than chillies, which tend to
appear as a side dish - good news for those who don't like their food
too hot. Rice-noodle soups, stir-fries and curries are common and you'll
occasionally find frog's legs, reminiscent of French colonial days. Sit
at local roadside cafes and pay just a couple of dollars, or try
Sophy's Restaurant and the Khmer Food Village for local cuisine on a
budget. More expensive are the Sugar Palm, Villa Khmer and Malis,
arguably the best restaurant in town. Think dishes such as Kampot crab
with green pepper ($US16). malis-restaurant.com.
8 An evil place
The Khmer Rouge ruled Cambodia for less than four years but
this short chapter devastated the country and those who survived Pol
Pot's reign of terror. Toul Sleng, on the fringes of downtown Phnom
Penh, is a former high school that became known as S21, a centre of
torture and interrogation of political prisoners that is now a genocide
museum showing in graphic detail the beatings and humiliations dealt to
more than 17,000 who passed through the doors. Some history books say
that only seven people survived, and one of them, Chum Mey, can be found
in the grounds selling a book written about his horrific experiences.
S21 remains exactly as it was, surrounded by barbed wire.
9 Ride in style
Cyclos, better known as cycle rickshaws, are dying out
throughout south-east Asia, replaced by motorbikes and tuk-tuks. Some do
survive, however, usually ridden by cyclists from poor country
families, who sleep in their cyclos at night. Tour companies such as
Footsteps in Asia, which custom-designs tours of Cambodia and Vietnam,
use cyclos supported by Cyclo Centre, a non-government organisation that
is helping keep the tradition alive. A cyclo ride gives a close-up view
of the city and its people without anything to obscure the sights,
sounds and smells. A one-hour ride can cover many highlights, including
Wat Phnom, the Central Post Office, palaces and museums. The passing
parade can be absolutely fascinating.
10 Wat Phnom
Set atop a 27-metre-high artificial hill, Wat Phnom (Temple
Hill) is the capital's tallest temple and a gathering place during the
annual Pchum Ben, the festival of the dead. Legend says the temple was
built in 1373 to house several Buddha statues found washed up on the
banks of the Mekong by a woman named Penh. Today, the gardens
surrounding the temple are popular with locals, who use them for family
gatherings, and with visitors, who use the benches as picnic areas.
11 Take a tuk-tuk
These motorised rickshaws can carry up to six people, so are
an affordable way for groups to get around town - expect to pay
$US1-$US2 for a short trip in the central area, or book a driver for the
day for about $US20. Alternatively, jump on the back of a motorbike
taxi, known as a motodop, for a quick, and sometimes hairy, way to beat
the traffic. It pays to have the name of your destination written down,
as local tuk-tuk drivers and motodop jockeys are notorious for their
lack of directional knowledge.
12 Monumental interest
The Independence Monument, built in 1958 to celebrate
Cambodia's independence from France in 1953, stands at the intersection
of Norodom and Sihanouk boulevards, one of the city's busiest
intersections. It is a high-rise lotus-shape structure that has been
modelled on the central tower of Angkor Wat.
13 Do some good
Pour un Sourire d'Enfant (For the Smile of a Child) is a
French charity working with poor and at-risk children in Phnom Penh and
surrounds. It originally began rescuing youngsters living on what they
could scavenge from local dump sites. Today, PSE helps more than 6000
children with food, education, healthcare and vocational training.
Visitors are welcome. A shop at its Stung Meanchey campus sells scarves,
clothing and artworks created by the children and their parents, and
PSE now employs more than 450 Cambodian adults as teachers, trainers,
social workers and nurses. pse.asso.fr.
14 Travel by water
One of the most spectacular ways to enter Phnom Penh is on
board one of the many ferries that ply their trade from Chau Doc in
Vietnam along the Mekong, passing tiny villages, bamboo stilt houses and
floating markets and fishing boats. For those arriving by air, cruises
on the Tonle Sap and Mekong depart throughout the day from several
riverside locations. Late-afternoon and sunset cruises, when the
punishing heat has dissipated, are the most popular, and boats are
available for hire for about $US5 a person an hour.
15 Market shopping
Phnom Penh is full of bustling street markets, all of which
merit leisurely exploration even if you have no intention of buying
anything. Bargaining is de rigueur, although you will still pay a
"foreigner's price", and expect to be bumped into on occasion. Among the
major markets are Psar Thmei (Central Market), Psar Tuol Tom Pong
(Russian Market), Psar Chas (Old Market) and O Russei, the most modern
of them all. Pick up gifts such as local coloured check scarves known as
kramas, Kampot pepper and silk purses.
16 A taste of home
Australian bars in Asian cities are often to be avoided
unless you are looking for loud and lewd. The Aussie XL Cafe & Bar
is a welcome exception to that rule. It serves cold beers and cheap
Western food (fish and chips for $US3.95) and there are helpful
waitresses but no hostesses. A mug of local Anchor draught beer costs
$US1.25. Sit on couches indoors, or on the outdoor terrace. A popular
hangout for legendary war correspondents and photographers.
17 Get pampered
Phnom Penh is home to hundreds of massage parlours and beauty
spas, offering a range of treatments and prices. A Khmer massage on a
mat costs just a few dollars but there are also plenty of upmarket spas
offering a choice of treatments. Nata Spa, Amret Spa, Amara Spa and The
Spa at NagaWorld are among the higher-end choices.
18 Get your eye in
It may seem incongruous in a country with such a violent
past, but the Thunder Ranch Shooting Range, near Choeung Ek, is a
shooting range run by a unit of the Royal Cambodian Army. Visitors can
fire anything from pistols to machineguns at targets. If firing an AK-47
takes your fancy, or maybe hurling a live hand grenade, you've come to
the right place.
19 Dine with Friends
Friends is a charity-run eatery that trains Phnom Penh street
kids in restaurant skills (kitchen, front-of-house, waiting etc) so
they can find jobs in hospitality. Now in its 10th year of operation,
Friends specialises in what it calls Western and Cambodian-style tapas
and frozen daiquiris (think Khmer glass-noodle salad with fish cake
slices and fresh herbs for $US3.50, or Cambodian chicken curry for
$US2.50). The service is charming and your dollars go a long way to
improving someone's life. Profits from the restaurant help 800 kids each
day. www.friends-restaurant.org.
20 Enjoy some space
Find hotel rooms too restrictive? Colonial Mansion offers new
luxury serviced one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments in the heart of
Phnom Penh for short- or long-term rentals. All feature daily maid
service, kitchenettes, 24-hour security, gym, swimming pool, cable TV,
daily newspaper delivery and free wi-fi. colonial-mansion.com.
The writer was a guest of Footsteps in Asia.
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