Overview
Take a trip to Phnom Penh on your Cambodia Vacation
Phnom Penh is the capital and largest city of Cambodia. Situated on the banks of the Tonlé Sap, Mekong and Bassac rivers, Phnom Penh is the country's commercial, economic and political hub and a city that should be experienced on Cambodia tours.
Once known as the ‘Pearl of Asia’ in the 1920s, after French colonialists developed and beautified the city, Phnom Penh continued its rapid growth and modern infrastructure.
However, in 1975 during the Vietnam War, Cambodia was used by North Vietnam as an army base, and many refugees flocked to Phnom Penh. The city fell to the Khmer Rouge, and all of Phnom Penh’s residents, including the wealthy and educated, were evacuated from the city and forced to do labour on rural farms as "new people".
The Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum, previously a high school which was converted to a prison and torture chamber (Prison S-21) under the Khmer Rouge regime, features various grim displays, photos, and skulls of the 20,000 tortured prisoners that passed through these walls. The Killing Fields, about 15kms away, is now a memorial to those prisoners who were marched to the area to be murdered and buried in shallow graves. On Cambodia trips, this should be experienced.
In 1979 when the Khmer Rouge was driven away by the Vietnamese, people slowly returned to Phnom Penh, and a period of reconstruction began with both the help of a stable Cambodian government, and new foreign investment and aid.
Phnom Penh has a steep history many centuries old and offers various cultural and historic sites. Newly developing for tourism, Phnom Penh is becoming established as a chic destination with newly built bistros, boutique hotels, galleries, and bustling nightlife on your Cambodian tours.
In 1979 when the Khmer Rouge was driven away by the Vietnamese, people slowly returned to Phnom Penh, and a period of reconstruction began with both the help of a stable Cambodian government, and new foreign investment and aid.
Phnom Penh has a steep history many centuries old and offers various cultural and historic sites. Newly developing for tourism, Phnom Penh is becoming established as a chic destination with newly built bistros, boutique hotels, galleries, and bustling nightlife on your Cambodian tours.
At a Glance
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Cambodian Riel (KHR)What do the experts say?
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The Royal Palace in Phnom Penh is a great photo...
The National Museum
Two buddhist monks in a temple in Phnom Penh
Monks on their daily walks in Phnom Penh
Beautiful gardens at the National Museum
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