A Frizzy Experience… Phnom Penh
First Impressions
I reached Phnom Penh with a sour taste. I entered Cambodia from Vietnam and for the first time in my life crossed into a country via coach or foot. I was nervous about the crossing because I’d read online about others experiences and it seemed touch and go. Plain and simply I was conned by the Cambodian Chief of immigration. He made me pay for a visa on my British passport even though I had a valid passport that allowed me visa-free access to Cambodia. He refused to recognise it. Now $30 doesn’t seem like much, but he vexed me. However, by the time I’d pulled up to my hotel my good vibes energy had returned. And the energy in my hotel was on point.
Money
Dollars are the main currency used in Cambodia. They also have Cambodian Riel, which I made sure to get during a transaction for souvenir purposes as the currency is really weak and using dollars works out better for you.
What I Did In Phnom Penh
S21 and the Killing Fields
The Khmer Rouge regime is a large part of Cambodia’s recent history so I visited the Killing Fields and S21 as a day trip. They are on different sides of the city and the journey itself takes up a lot of time. One of the most intense and heavy days of my trip but also one of the most educational.
The Killing Fields is one of many sites in Cambodia where more than 1million Cambodians were killed and buried. Many had been in prison camps and lured to the fields under the impression that they were being transported elsewhere. You have to step on set paths because the site still has bones and fragments. In the middle of the Field, there is a memorial building, filled with skulls pulled from the site.
S21 or Tuel Sleng Genocide Museum is silently frightening. Originally a primary school during the Khmer Rouge era was converted into a Security prison. The original equipment has been left on display to showcase the horrors that the prisoners went through. Metal beds, and barbed wire placed around the entrance of the building. Prisoners were tortured and forced to confess to crimes that for the most part were made up.
Both places charge an entrance fee and then you have the option to pay for an audio player that talks you through the experience. Don’t move tight, I can’t recommend them enough. One, the information is so thorough. And two, it allows you to take things in and process your thoughts and feelings at your own pace.
Markets
Phnom Penh doesn’t play around when it comes to markets. The night ones I visited, in my opinion, are much better than the day ones. More lively, with live music and large food stalls. If you want to avoid tourists and experience a local market then Orussey Market is a good shout. If you want to be in with the mix up then visit the Central market. I got lost in there.
Riverfront park
Firstly, I’d say the park is a real stretch! But along the river, there are wide paths that allow you to walk or jog with the view of the river. It also curved around so you can see bars and restaurants. I went there at night time, and it was a good unwind. You can also venture into the river on a boat and have dinner. My hotel hooked me up with the river cruise.
Aeon Mall
The Aeon Mall is a large shopping centre, mostly involving food. I spent about an hour hovering around a sweet store called Sticky. They make hard candy in their store and you can watch the process. Plus you can taste the goods. I bought some rock candy back with me. Visiting shopping centres in each city throughout South East Asia became a requirement on my South East Asian trip. (Not my idea, but I can’t lie I grew to love it)
Royal palace
The Royal Palace and Silver Pagoda is something worthwhile seeing in Phnom Penh. Firstly, the grounds are so beautiful. Come on a King lives there so you’d expect 10-10 presence but the landscape is so impressive. The greenery and flowers are a whole vibe. The King lives in the grounds so tourists are restricted to certain zones. But the architecture is fire.
Food
The food in Phnom Penh was hmm… iffy. I’m not knocking the flavours of the food that I ate, but some of the setups were questionable. For example, when abroad I usually get meals from locals on stalls but I wouldn’t suggest doing it with meals in Phnom Penh. Cleanliness didn’t seem like a priority out there. Rubbish bins hanging around by the food stalls all across the floor, fly and rodent central.
There are plenty of other options, but I always take pride in eating from stalls and I just couldn’t do it in this city. I’m a risky gal, but my belly said: “hold up... tek time.” Night market food gave me the closest thing to the stalls. How it works is you pick up from the line up what you want and put into a basket. Each item is $0.50, and it is then cooked for you.
Joke O’clock… One evening, my friend bought some Cambodian jelly looking sweets from the shopping mall. I tried them and my mouth was stressed. Moral of this story, don’t fast yourself to eat snacks you didn’t buy!
Food Recommendations
Amok fish curry: A creamy curry with coconut milk as a base which is seasoned with turmeric, lemongrass and other ground spices. You can have it with chicken but it’s just not the same.
Khmer Curry: A chicken curry stew with carrots and potatoes inside.
Deep-fried prawns in batter
Small-Small Tips
If you are crossing the border into Cambodia get your visa in advance. Hassle-free.
Wear suitable clothing when visiting the Royal Palace. Arms covered to your elbows and legs to your knees. A shawl/scarf/poncho isn’t accepted. I tried and was sent to buy one of their T-shirts.
Check with different providers how long they give you in the S21 and Killing Fields. Mine was on a strict time limit and rushed the day.
Be mindful of your interactions whilst on your phone. There are lots of motorbikes and people are fast with swiping.
The hotels don’t generally deal in GDP/ £’s mine tried to exchange £1 for $1 which is incorrect so bring your dollar-dollar bills with you into the country
Ordering tuk-tuk drivers from your hotel isn’t a big difference in cost from securing it yourself so don’t break a sweat trying to save dollars!
Wrap Up
Phnom Penh is a city that I don’t regret visiting. Will I ever visit again… unlikely! But I really wanted to learn about the genocide that took place during the Khmer Rouge era and I did that. The places that I went to were very thorough. I’m clearly drawn to historical knowledge and drama! Phnom Penh gave me culture and history, but an ingredient in the sauce was missing.
One side note: I managed to take some beautiful flower photography throughout Phnom Penh. When I was at S21 and it all felt very heavy, a flower fell right beside me and it distracted me. For a solid 5 minutes, I just stared at the petals.
