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.

What city to visit in Cambodia?

I crossed the border from Vietnam into Cambodia in February 2020. Before booking to go Cambodia, I had no prior knowledge of the country, except that Angelina Jolie had adopted her son from there. But my gut said that I would love it in Cambodia. If I listened to the views of others about Cambodia I would have skrr’d and not visited. Turns out half the people with a negative opinion had heard stories “through the grapevine” and hadn’t even been to Cambodia. You might be stuck with the question, what city do I go to? So I’m breaking down the differences when it comes to staying in Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia, and Siem Reap.

Vibe

Siem Reap is all about community life. The people are super friendly and chilled. Solo travel would be ideal in this city as you can be alone but not feel lonely. There’s also the option to fully immerse yourself in the community. I was able to enter a school and be part of a 2 hour English class on the day.

Phnom Penh is more lively and gives off an “every man for themselves” feel. I was warned by hotel staff to stay alert as people stay ready to steal your phone in public. My friend was out and about one night and someone on a motorbike attempted to steal the phone of someone she was with.

*Siem Reap wins on the vibe for me. Even though I’m “anti” I like to feel welcome when I travel!*

Hotels

In both cities, I stayed in cute hotels with swimming pools. The places that I stayed in were both away from the party area, which was a must after the areas I’d stayed in before. In Phnom Penh I stayed in Okay Boutique Hotel and in Siem Reap I stayed in The Secret Corner Unique Residence

*Siem Reap wins on the hotel front. The hotel in Siem Reap was a boutique and therefore much more intimate. Plus the staff dropped us to venues in the area which was sweet*

Things To Do

Siem Reap is the closest city to Angkor Wat, also known as the city of temples. It is a major tourist attraction and the largest religious monument in the world. So a big big deal! People come from around the world to visit there, and spend anything from 1,2 and 3 days exploring. Tomb Raider was also filmed there I believe. In Siem Reap there is also a man-made beach club, which was a motive once I took over the music. They usually have live DJ sets.

Phnom Penh offers a detailed remembrance of the Cambodian Genocide and has buildings to highlight their history. You can visit the Killing Fields and S21 to learn about what happened during the Khmer Rouge era. There are also various temples and the beautiful Presidential Palace that you can visit. The views and architecture are proper breathtaking. Plus if cats are your thing they have cat cafes in this city. (They make me itch but the cafes are popular)

*Phnom Penh wins with things to do. There is just so much to see. I’m big on learning about historical events and culture in general and this city provides the biggest variety*

The Presidential Palace Grounds - Phnom Penh

Angkor Wat - Siem Reap

Markets

Phnom Penh has really lively night markets that include live bands, food stalls and clothes galore. The Russian Market and Central Market are the most popular. I got lost in the Central Market and panicked majorly because there was so much going on. They sell everything from suitcases, jade bracelets, clothing, to woodwork there.

Siem Reap has a day market just off of Pub Street, and a night market by the lake. The products are quite repetitive though. Once you’ve seen a few vendors you’ve seen them all!

*Phnom Penh wins with their markets. There are more choices and extras.*

Food Places

Phnom Penh offers river trips where you can dine on the boat. It’s a nice experience but the river isn’t appealing at all. Food stalls in the Russian night market offer floor seating and the items you put into a basket get cooked in front of you which is an experience. The restaurants and bars on the main strip were very western. And the stalls around the city were surrounded by rubbish bags, horrific smelling with dust around them. That whole set up made me feel uncomfortable so I avoided the food stalls in Phnom Penh. The only aroma I like to smell is the good stuff coming from my food.

Siem Reap has Pub Street where luxury restaurants are situated and bars. Big prices, minimal food, the usual set up. But just around the corner literally, on the side of the road by the lake bridge, there are stalls that provide the best food you’ll have in Cambodia. You’re sitting on plastic chairs at a table for primary school children but the energy and food is everything.

*Siem Reap wins here but it really comes down to preference on this one. Either way, the food in Cambodia is amazing though.*

Wrap Up

When I add up the sections Siem Reap wins. I 100% had a more enjoyable experience in Siem Reap. I’m not anti-Phnom Penh though and I’m happy I visited the city. Ultimately, I learned what I needed to about the country’s past which was my sole focus for visiting that city. There’s nothing that would pull me back to Phnom Penh, whereas with Siem Reap it’s the sort of place I would continuously go back to. It’s comforting and vibezy. I could see Siem Reap as a base for someone who could work remotely and just wanted to live and breathe freely.

If you want some in-depth deetz from my experience in each of the cities read ‘Frizzy’s guide to … Phnom Penh or Siem Reap