Phnom Penh, CAMBODIA
Airing Date: Jun 6th, 2005
Situated at the confluence of three great rivers - the 'four arms' of the Mekong, Tonle Sap and Bassac - Phnom Penh is the commercial and political hub of Cambodia as well as home to nearly a million of the country's 11.4 million people.
It is also the gateway to an exotic land... the temples of Angkor in the north west, the beaches of the southern coast and the ethnic minorities and jungles of the north eastern provinces.
Phnom Penh has started to recover from the years of civil war and Khmer Rouge rule that afflicted Cambodia.
The Royal Palace buildings and Silver Pagoda are located within the same walled grounds just off the riverfront. Marking the approach, the high yellow wall and spired Chan Chaya Pavilion are the most prominent features from the street.
The Royal Palace was built in 1866 under the French protectorate and King Norodom, though many of the buildings in the complex were added over the following decades. The site contains various buildings of interest, including the Khmer-style Throne Hall, now used for special ceremonial occasions, and ranking as the most important of the buildings here. This Khmer-style building was erected only in 1917, with a 59 metre tower attached. When visiting the Royal Palace and Silver Pagoda, do not wear shorts, singlets or a hat.
The Central Market is a unique, art-deco building and a Phnom Penh landmark. The entrance to the market is lined with souvenir merchants hawking everything from T-shirts and postcards to silver curios and karmas (scarves). Inside is a dazzling display of jewels and gold. Electronic goods, stationery, second hand clothes and flowers are also in ample supply.
The Central Market area, which includes Monivong Blvd, is the main centre for budget travellers, with cheap accommodation and plenty of food stalls. A trip to at least one traditional market (psah) is a must. If you visit only one or two markets, begin with the Russian Market and the Central Market. Both offer curios, souvenirs and a cultural shopping adventure. For the more adventurous tourist, you can try a Cambodian delicacy - deep fried tarantulas! Once taken up as a necessity during the long famines in Cambodia, fried spiders are now quite the delicacy.
Just up the street from the royal palace is the Foreign Correspondents' Club. The Club is actually a bar and restaurant that any one can visit but is still frequented by journalists. Editors from the Phnom Penh Post, stringers from the Bangkok newspapers, and assorted expatriates provide gossip of the city, of the latest political intrigue, and of ex-pat life in Cambodia.
Prior to 1975, Tuol Sleng was a high school. The building now serves as a museum, a memorial and a testament to the madness of the Khmer Rouge regime. The prison kept extensive records, leaving thousands of photos of their victims, many of which are on display. Paintings of torture at the prison by Vann Nath, a survivor of Tuol Sleng, are also on display. Of the thousands of people who the Khmer Rouge imprisoned in Tuol Sleng only seven survived.
Further Information:
Thai Airways International to Phnom Penh from $1212 ex Perth, $1314 ex Melbourne, $1316 ex Brisbane and $1329 ex Sydney.
Includes taxes. Conditions apply.
www.thaiairways.com.au.
Temples of Angkor Small Group Journey is a 5 day tour from $865 a person.
Deluxe option starts from $1445 a person, which includes a stay at the luxurious Raffles Le Royal Phnom Penh.
Travel Indochina: Ph. 1300 138 755.
Prices correct at 10/5/05.
