Phnom Penh: Pebbles and Pearls

Before writing this entry, I couldn’t decide how to classify it. The Capitol is the epitome of the South East Asian one-in-all establishment; it features a travel-agency, several guesthouses under one ownership and a restaurant; as such it is the biggest establishment in Cambodia. Finally I decided to follow my heart and memories; I still have good memories of its homey food and thus defined it as a restaurant.

Location

The Capitol is on the corner of streets 107 and 182, one block away from the central Monivong Boulevard. That means Psar Thmei, the promenade, the Royal Palace and most of the main attractions in town are accessible by foot. The corner is a typical one in Phnom Penh, displaying an attractively crumbling colonial French architecture and the overwhelming Cambodian crowds.

Tours

The Capitol Agency offers buses to the following destinations:

Sihanoukville 10$
Koh Kong (return) 4$
Sihanoukville and Koh Kong 12$
Siem Reap to Bangkok (ac) 13$
Phnom Penh - Siem Reap boat 22$
Phnom Penh - Siem Reap (ac) 4$
Phnom Penh - Chau Doc (Vietnam) 6$
Phnom Penh - Saigon 6$
Phnom Penh - Battambang 4$
Phnom Penh - Poipet 12$

It is important to know that the cheap boat trips to Chau Doc do not depart from the Phnom Penh’s pier, but from one located southeast of the city. As well, prices tend to change; the ones mentioned above should be seen only as general guidelines.

Guesthouses

All the guesthouses surrounding the corner and over the travel agency/restaurant belong to the Capitol; the one called Hello Guesthouse on Street 107 is on the quietest spot.

The rooms are of various sizes, including anything from one to three beds; some of them include private bathrooms and others not. Despite the differences the pricing does not follow a clear logic. On the guesthouse atop the restaurant the prices vary between three and six dollars, while in Hello Guesthouse there is a flat $4 fee per room regardless the facilities included. In any case checking out the room before paying for it is imperative.

Food

The food served at the Capitol Restaurant is the almost typical international hybrid cuisine served in most backpackers’ establishments in South East Asia; however, being in a former French colony it features a tasty twist in the shape of fresh baguettes and the taste of French-style filtered coffee, similar to the one served in Laos and Vietnam.

Before long trips on the collapsing Cambodian roads, a big breakfast is recommended; the next meal may be several delays ahead. The Capitol offers the perfect solution; a small steak, an egg, French fries and a basic tomato salad are offered for an affordable price on clean, but rather basic, tables. Another worthy option is the fruits shakes; located near the Mekong Delta, Cambodia enjoys an awesome variety of tropical fruits. Few places offer freshest or richest options.

The service is remarkably good, especially since the place is constantly crowded with impatient, travelers. Some of the last are a reliable and updated source of the last travel information.

Carrying no less painful memories than nearby Saigon, Phnom Penh was once known as the Pearl of Asia. Nowadays it displays a strange mix of pebbles and pearls; the intrepid traveler reaching it must be patient while separating the wheat from the chaff. Few cities in Asia can provide a richest history or more dramatic turns; even fewer are more dangerous.

Ups and Downs

Following the fall of Angkor Thom to the Thai, King Ponhea Yat, moved the Khmer capital to Phnom Penh.

Under King Norodom I, the city became the permanent seat of government in 1866. Shortly afterwards, the city became one of the most important ones in the French Indochina and became known as the Pearl of Asia.

Subsequent events eroded its position. The city was a North Vietnamese Army and the Viet Cong center during the Vietnam-USA War. In 1975, the then North Vietnamese allies – the Khmer Rouge – seized the power in Cambodia, declared the frightening "Year Zero" and evacuated the city. For the next four years, Pol Pot’s terror regime used the city mainly as an interrogation and torture center.

A significant – some statistics go as high as thirty percent - percentage of the population was illegally assassinated by this regime; it is the worst registered holocaust in humanity’s history.

The former allies - now the official Vietnamese government - stopped the atrocities in 1979 (apparently, the lack of oil in Cambodia led to no interest of certain countries on a Democracy-imposing process) and since then the city is attempting to recover its former splendor.

Lefts and Rights

Categorizing Phnom Penh’s attractions is difficult; many styles and events had shaped it as a kaleidoscope. However, exploring it is easy. In the often confused cities of South East Asia, its numbered streets are a spectacular example of order, despite the houses themselves being numbered by their order of construction rather than by their geographical coordinates. The streets follow a grid layout, comfortably divided from time to time by broad avenues. The ruined or non-existent asphalt and the deep puddles that appear with every sudden monsoon rain are quickly forgotten under such circumstances.

Most houses in downtown belong to the Crumbled-Colonial style and are not interesting enough to justify the visit: Vientiane in Laos provides much better colonial surroundings. Yet, among the endless lines of three stories buildings there are a few pearls worth of consideration; not only the palaces and temples ubiquitous in the area, but also some unique structures like the Central Market and the Khmer Rouge interrogation and killing centers.

The Psar Thmei, or Central Market, is an unforgettable yellow dome covering a symmetrical cross structure. Built and kept without electricity in its interior, the dome and the roofs of the four wings host many narrow, horizontal openings, which allow the light to penetrate the structure; the light quality inside this closed space is of a superb quality.

The Killing Fields of Choeung Ek are a macabre reminder of the atrocities committed by the Khmer Rouge. Seventeen thousand people were killed here, just 15km Southwest of the city centre, and more than 8000 skulls, arranged by sex and age, are visible behind the glass panel of the Memorial Stupa erected in 1988. Prior to their murder, the victims were detained at the prison known as S-21, within the Tuol Svay Prey High School. Today, the Tuol Sleng Museum serves as silent testimony of the Khmer Rouge crimes. The dramatic display leaves few of the tortures’ details to the imagination.

Toul Sleng Genocide Museum (S21) is located on road 350 and hosts an impressive collection of the Khmer Rouge torturing devices. The Toul Svay Prey Secondary School was converted by them into a primitive prison and interrogation centre. Corrugated iron and barbed wire surrounded the perimeter, and classrooms were divided into individual cells, or housed rows of prisoners secured by shackles. During the four years from 1975 to 1979, an estimated twenty thousand victims were imprisoned in Security Prison 21 (or S21). Teachers, students, doctors, monks and peasants suspected of anti-revolutionary behavior were brought here, often with their spouses and children and were subjected to horrific tortures, and then killed or taken to extermination camps outside the city. The place has been left almost exactly as it was found by the liberating Vietnamese forces - the fourteen victims found hideously disfigured in the individual cells have been buried in the adjacent school playground. It is a thoroughly depressing sight, and it is not until you see the pictures of the victims, bloodstains on the walls and instruments of torture that you get any idea of the scale of suffering endured by the Cambodian people.

Monivong Boulevard
This is one of the main avenues and shopping centers on a nearly north-south axis.

Norodom Boulevard
This is the next broad avenue eastern to Monivong Boulevard; east from it are the National Museum, the Royal Palace and the Mekong River Promenade.

Russian Market

It is on the junction of 444 with 155, somewhat south of Mao Tse Toung Boulevard; it is an interesting market catering for locals.

Orussey Market

It is on Street 182, one block away from Monivong Boulevard; a close, big, square and old market painted white and blue, it offers many colourful knickknacks.

Old Stadium

It is located behind the big drive around at the end of Monivong Boulevard; the famous complex of the French Embassy is just before it. Perpendicular to the boulevard is Street 70, which connects the lake with the Japanese bridge. At the center of the drive-around is a figure of a knotted revolver, symbolizing the end of the civil conflict. The diagonal avenue east of Monivong, ending at the square and leading to Wat Phnom is France Street 47, which changes its name to Norodom Boulevard after the wat.

Independence Monument

It is at the junction of Norodom Boulevard with Sihanouk Boulevard. The monument was built in the shape of a classical Khmer, Angkor like structure in an impressive red stone.

Bassac River

This is the name given to the Mekong River after it meets the Tonle Sap. The Promenade along it is beautiful; cement stairs lead from it to the river flowing far below. The wide promenade neighbors the Sisowath Quay Avenue. Opposite it, the Royal Palace and the Silver Pagoda, both placed within the same compound are visible. Along the promenade, many country flags make it a colourful spot.

Wat Phnom

The Hill Temple that gave the name to the city is located north of Road 102, at the northern edge of Norodom Boulevard in a huge circular complex; the remains of King Ponhea Yat and his family are kept there. At the southeastern corner of the complex is the Central Post Office. People claiming that they are guards try to charge illegal entrance fees from tourists.

The Pier to Kratie and Siem Reap is at the end of street 102, just off Wat Phnom.

Wat Ounalom

These are the headquarters of the Cambodian Buddhist Patriarchate; they are by the promenade at the 'Y' junction of Sisowath Quay with Sothearos Boulevard, north of the Royal Palace.

Royal Palace and Silver Pagoda

Behind the park, set back from the riverbank on Sothearos Boulevard, stand the Royal Palace and adjacent Silver Pagoda (daily 7.30-11am, 2.30-5pm; $3, additional $2 charge for cameras; entrance at Silver Pagoda). These are Phnom Penh's principal tourist sights and its finest examples of twentieth-century Khmer-influenced architecture.

The National Museum is another nearby highlight, with outstanding displays of Khmer crafts mainly from the Angkor golden age. The grand, red-painted structure located north of the Royal Palace on Sothearos Boulevard, (Tues-Sun 8-11am & 2.30-5pm) was a collaboration of French design and Cambodian artisanship.

Sorya Mall - the only western style shopping mall in town - was opened during 2003 nearby the central market and features the only mechanical stairs in Cambodia. Back then, guards instructed the visitors on their use. The food plaza on the top floor is not very appealing but its huge windows offer a good view of the city.

Name

Despite literally meaning "Market New" in Khmer, Psar Thmei is usually known in English as Phnom Penh’s Central or Morning Market.

Location

The Psar Thmei is a main landmark of Phnom Penh and thus it is referred to as an address by itself. However, technically, it is on the convergence of Kampuchea Krom Boulevard with Street 130, Charles de Gaulle Boulevard, and Street 63. The Boeung Kak Lake and Wat Phnom are a few blocks to the north, while the Royal Palace is to the south; thus the market enjoys a key position in central Phnom Penh.

History

The market was constructed in 1936 by the French and despite its foreign style and - in the local context - monstrous dimensions, it soon became one of the best known city landmarks. At the time it was inaugurated it was the biggest market in South East Asia, it was one of the first concrete structures in town.

Structure

Psar Thmei is an unforgettable yellow dome covering a structure shaped as a symmetrical cross with rounded arms. Built and kept without electricity in its interior, the dome and the roofs of the four wings have many narrow, horizontal openings, which allow the light to penetrate the structure; the light quality inside this closed space is of a superb quality at all the day hours. Intended to serve as a morning market, this approach served it perfectly. Each one of the wings specializes on different type of merchandises; on their outer side many stalls complement the products variety.

Shopping

The product that caught my attention immediately was the travel guides. It was hard to ignore the stalls hidden behind high mountains of photocopied Lonely Planet guides; later – during my wanderings around – I found the nearby printing houses. However, I must emphasize that beyond being an infraction of author’s copyrights, the photocopied products are bad glued and fall apart quickly. Some of them include color copies of the pages displaying pictures and look quite professional.

House wares, food, clothing, fruits and shoes, as well as cheap electronic gadgets are the main wares here. But, more interesting for the traveler are traditional Khmer products, which include mainly silverware and colored gems. On the other hand, the best gems extracted at Pailin reach the Thai markets; the ones in display here are of low quality and not recommended. Watches, clocks, gems and silverware occupy the very center of the cross-shaped market.

The first stop of Sri Lankan Buddhist monks, Cambodia is a traditional and important source of Buddha images; those can be appreciated and purchased at the market. Unlike the Thai customs authorities, the Cambodian ones are more tolerant to such souvenirs. However, if returning to Thailand with Buddha figures bought in Cambodia, it would be wise to request some official proof of purchase; otherwise the Thais may suspect a sophisticated international attempt to contraband a single inch-tall Buddha figure. They look at these issues seriously and such an event may spoil a whole trip.

Eating

The market is surrounded by endless stalls selling anything from fruits to French-styled fast food. Uncooked food should be avoided – especially the fermented fish sauce and fresh water fish from the nearby Mekong River. Fruits are generally safe, as long as you peel them for yourself. The coffee is served here in a fashion similar to the one used in Laos; however, the beans used are of lower quality.

Sorya Mall

Near Psar Thmei is the Western-style Sorya Mall, which was inaugurated in 2003. It can be reached from the market walking down a few blocks on Street 51, its blue dome is an unmistakable landmark. The mall includes the Lucky Supermarket, one of the two best of its kind in town, as well as an attractive food plaza serving Khmer and Chinese fast food. When it was inaugurated, guards trained locals on the use of mechanical staircases, a novelty in Cambodia.

Paying

Within the market – as in most of Cambodia – a complex approach to the payments was adopted. Small dollar notes would be accepted, though the change would be given on local riel. A smart approach is to avoid changing small notes while in Thailand (if arriving from there) – because they get a bad exchange rate there – and keeping them for Cambodia. Moreover, unlike in other Asian countries, dirty and old notes are accepted.

Crossing a Name

Krong Chaktomuk or the "City of Four Faces" was an old name of Phnom Penh given by King Ponhea Yat, who transferred here his capital after the fall of Angkor Thom. The name refers to the cross shape created by the Tonle Sap, Bassac and Mekong rivers complex at Phnom Penh.

Roaming the Rivers

The Mekong River is Cambodia’s main highway, serving the transport needs along the country; using it is much faster that any land transport. The river is a picturesque option for reaching northeastern Cambodia, specifically Kratie, Stung Treng and Rattanakiri, or to cross over to Vietnam and Saigon.
The Tonle Sap River reaches the lake of the same name, which occupies a big chunk of northwest Cambodia; through it Angkor can be reached. It is interesting to note the Tonle Sap can flow in both directions, depending on the water levels. The Bassac River leads south of the capital.

South of Phnom Penh

The southern stretch of the Mekong is the best way to reach Chau Doc in Vietnam. Two kinds of tickets are available from the capital; the expensive ones use a boat directly from the capital to the border, while the cheap ones make most of the way by road and only the last hour is done by boat.

Kaamsamnar Kohrokar is the Cambodian immigration station’s name along the Mekong at the border with Vietnam. The boat approaches it, makes a short stop to allow everyone to get his passport stamped and then continues toward Chau Doc. Unusually, they have a long wanted people list and they check every passenger against all the names, so that it takes some time to cross.

North of Phnom Penh

Kratie (pronounced Kra-chee) is the first stop upstream from Phnom Penh on the Mekong. The small town is on the Mekong's eastern shore, and is trying to build a tourism industry around two topics: the Irrawaddy Dolphins and the Black Temple (Phnom Sambok).

Phnom Sambok is a Buddhist temple about 11km north of Kratie, which was used by the Khmer Rouge as a killing site. All its original wall-paintings were covered with black; hence its modern nickname. The prisoners were killed there with an axe while their head rested on the nagas alongside the entrance. The dense trees of the area hide a meditation commune on the first level and a small temple on the summit.

Around 10km further north on Route 7, a sign marks the arrival at Kampie, the only riverside point from which is possible to see the freshwater Irrawaddy Dolphins. They have short snouts, high foreheads and a bluish-grey color. Around eighteen dolphins live in the surrounding rapids, and can be seen during the mornings and late afternoons, especially when the water is low. They are best seen from a cliff located some forty-five minutes by motorcycle from the town; below it small boats take passengers to the river's center.

The only way to visit these two places is to hire a motorcycle taxi from Kratie; if hiring a motorcycle for a whole day ($6 is reasonable), then it is possible to reach Sambor, 35km north of Kratie, the site of an ancient pre-Angkorian capital.

It is possible to travel north to Stung Treng by truck or by boat. If using a truck (15,000r) it is better to leave before noon, otherwise you may arrive by night after a worrying trip through the jungle. The road is dusty and bumpy, so take a local "krama" scarf to filter the air. If travelling by boat (25,000r for the fast one), buy the ticket only before the boarding since otherwise you can get stuck if there are not enough passengers. The tickets’ office may make problems refunding the money in such a case. Speed boats only go upriver when the river is high, from July to late October.

Stung Treng

Substantially bigger than Kratie, Stung Treng is located at the eastern side of the Mekong some sixty kilometers south of the border with Laos and west of Rattanakiri.

At its center are two piers, one serves slow-boats and the second speed-boats. All road transport arrives and leaves from the transport stop on the riverfront. Nearby the piers, along the riverside there is an improvised promenade that hosts food stalls; the central market is a few blocks south from the river along the main avenue. This is another colonial riverside town, but a decidedly quiet one as it is at the end of the road.

The market in Stung Treng is a great opportunity to taste inexpensively Khmer food of the type people cooked at home. The Angkor Restaurant, down the street on the west side of the market, and the Sekong Hotel's restaurant offer good Chinese and Cambodian dishes and have menus in English.

Opposite the boat terminal is the cheapest place to stay in town, the Amatak Guesthouse (under $5), offering basic rooms with shared facilities. A notch up in price is the Sekong Hotel (under $5), a short walk west along the riverside. The only upmarket option is the Sok Sambath Hotel ($5-10) at the eastern end of the market.

Crossing to Laos

First it should be clarified: there is no legal international border open for tourists between Cambodia and Laos. However, it can be crossed if arriving at Stung Treng with a valid Laotian visa.

Since the border is officially closed, a special letter from the National Police allowing the stamping of the passport at the border is needed. The letter provider is the Chief of Local Security of the National Police, sitting at the police headquarters, roughly a kilometer from the riverside along the main street. The letter’s fee is between ten and twenty dollars, depending on many factors (mainly from where you are and who connected you).

Afterwards, there are two possibilities. The more risky is travelling the fifty-seven kilometers way to the border by road, which is not recommended for security reasons. The second is taking a boat (speed boat $7, slow boat 5$) through the Mekong to the border.

If taking a boat, make sure it is not involved in illegal traffic; if caught, the blame will be on the passenger. The boats leave only when they have enough passengers, thus booking a place in advance in more than one boat and paying only after boarding is better.

The slow boats are recommended because they offer better opportunities to enjoy the river. Travelling on shallow waters, they pass among tiny, beautiful islands along the way, an impossible task for the bigger boats. Since the distance to cross is short, the boat speed is a low importance factor.

Pay attention to the tree-logging activities at the western coast, where the rainforest was transformed into a sandy desert; wild parrots can be heard and seen.

The boat stops first at the Cambodian immigration point at Kaok Nhang, a small island west of Voem Kham. There, after showing the Laotian visa and the Cambodian Police letter, a new bargain would begin. During my visit there, the officer requested another three dollars, but was happy to get two dollars and offered a complimentary rice and meat lunch. After it, an exit stamp with no English script was added to my passport and the Mekong was crossed to an island where the village of Voem Kham is.

The village is divided at an unknown point by the international limit. At its northern exit sits the Laotian immigration. There is a small pier for the arriving boats and only one hotel at its southern side, the Cambodian one.

The Laotian police requested a fee of five dollars for the Laotian entry stamp. A pick up truck should be used to reach Ban Nakasong, the southernmost point in Laos reached by buses. Sleeping in Voem Kham is recommended, since the Mekong offers unforgettable sunrises with soft light reaching the river through the dense rainforest surrounding it.

Angkor

Fast boats connect Phnom Penh to Siem Reap, the closest town to Angkor. The trip takes around five hours and the tickets’ price can reach $30; the speed dictates an insignificant sightseeing value to the trip. Much better is to plan taking a slow boat from Siem Reap to Battambang after having explored Angkor, or to reach it through Battambang and the Sangker River. These combined river and lake trips allow exploring the Vietnamese boat houses and lake-farms in the Tonle Sap Lake.

In Phnom Penh

Night Mekong Cruises are an attractive way of spending an evening in Phnom Penh; they can be arranged by all travel agencies in town. The promenade alongside the Mekong is especially beautiful at night; most of the cultural life in town – as well as the best restaurants – is along it.

Phnom Penh offers several sites related to its royal role. Following the fall of Angkor Thom to the Thai, King Ponhea Yat, moved the Khmer capital to Phnom Penh. Later, under King Norodom I, the city became the permanent seat of government in 1866 and since then it is the royal seat.

Wat Phnom

More than any other structure, Wat Phnom defines – and gave its name to – Phnom Penh. The "Hill Temple" (Phnom means hill in Khmer) is located north of Street 102, at the northern edge of Norodom Boulevard in a huge circular complex. At the southeastern corner of the complex is the Central Post Office; the pier to Kratie and Siem Reap is at the end of Street 102.

The temple was built in 1373 and is the oldest structure in town, standing at 27 metres, it is also the tallest religious structure. It was built on an artificial hill by the wealthy widow Daun Chi Penh after a great flood washed statues of Buddha downstream, and it has since been renovated.
There have been many additions to the original shrines over the centuries; however, the largest stupa houses the ashes of King Ponhea Yat and it is the center of city celebration for the Cambodian New Year and Pchum Benh.

People claiming that they are guards try to charge illegal entrance fees from tourists; ignoring them is the best solution to the annoyance.

Royal Palace, Silver Pagoda and National Museum

The Royal Palace and the Silver Pagoda are on Sothearos Boulevard just off Sisowath Quay Avenue and the river promenade, providing thus also a beautiful natural background to the official buildings. They are open daily between 7:30am and 11am, and 2:30pm and 5pm; the fee entrance is of $3, with an additional $2 charge for cameras; the entrance is at the Silver Pagoda.

The Silver Pagoda, or Wat Preah Keo, is located on the northern side of the Royal Palace; its name refers to the silver tiles added by King Norodom Sihanouk before his exile during the Khmer Rouge era.

It houses important Buddha; a 17th century baccarat crystal Buddha and a Maitreya Buddha encrusted with 9584 diamonds are the main displays. Technically, the structure is the official temple of the king and is used for formal religious events.

Built in 1866, the Royal Palace is the formal seat of the Khmer government since then – except for the Khmer Rouge era. At first sight it is impossible to ignore its resemblance to a downscaled Bangkok’s Grand Palace. However, it is distinctively designed with more care to space – the structures have been built with sizable gardens separating them and give a more clear sense of freedom and respect for the structures and their roles. It includes three main structures: the Khemarin Palace, the Throne Hall and the Silver Pagoda.

The Throne Hall is in use today for royal ceremonies, though in the past the king actively ruled from it. The hall was designed as cross-shaped building with three spires. The central spire is 59 meter tall and features a four-faced head of Brahma, somewhat resembling the Bayon temple in Angkor. There, fifty-four towers feature four faces each – one on each direction; the sinister meaning was clear: the king watched everywhere within the fifty-four provinces of the Khmer Empire with the help of an informants’ army. Inside the modern Throne Hall are the royal throne and sculptures of past Cambodian kings.

Nearby is the Khemarin Palace, which is the formal residence of the king and cannot be accessed; it displays a typical Khmer prang (tower). Another important structure in the vicinity is the Chan Chhaya Pavilion, where Khmer classical dance performances are regularly held.

The National Museum is another nearby highlight, with outstanding displays of Khmer crafts mainly from the Angkor golden age. The grand, red-painted structure located north of the Royal Palace on Sothearos Boulevard, (Tues-Sun 8-11am & 2:30-5pm) was a collaboration of French design and Cambodian artisanship. Built with sandstone between 1917 and 1920 by the French, it houses the world's largest collection of Khmer art, and was designed in a traditional Khmer style. Its collection includes sculptures from both the Angkorean and pre-Angkorean eras, and later Cambodian art.