Disclaimer: my opinions of Cambodia differ from the humans who visited the country with me. As it is still a developing country, it is best to have an open mind whilst visiting.
My journey into country number 18 only cemented my excitement to begin exploring. The friendly humans were surely an indicator that Cambodia would be full of positive experiences, just like Vietnam. Sadly, my trip wasn’t filled with positive experiences, leaving me quite conflicted. I was very grateful to be on a tour of Cambodia because my photographer was targeted several times just as we were getting off the speed boat (and for once they had done everything possible to avoid the attention). Maybe the humans were just being friendly, or did they want to steal my photographer’s suitcase filled with smelly socks; we will never find the answer.
After a long morning on the speedboat, my priority was lunch. I chose the Titanic Restaurant, which offered a stunning view over the Mekong River. The restaurant’s location provided a lovely setting for lunch. I had a huge plate of stir-fried vegetables with noodles and a vegetable curry with boiled rice (hungry dinosaur alert). The noodle dish was delicious and just lightly spiced. However, the sad part was the vegetarian curry came with a hidden surprise of mystery meat, so it rendered it completely inedible for me. I tried a traditional Cambodian cake for dessert and it was delicious, but I cannot remember the name.
The short drive from the Titanic Restaurant to the Royal Palace opened my eyes. Phnom Penh is a city of contrasts, glittering modern skyscrapers are intertwined with beautiful golden pagodas. It is captivating to see modern life blending with tradition beautifully. However, the city’s poverty and remnants of past wars make it emotionally challenging. Surprisingly, my favourite part of the entire journey through Cambodia was the traffic. It was amazing to see motorbikes and tuk-tuks ladened up with everything from potatoes to 3 rolls of carpet, I’d love to know how they were so perfectly balanced whilst driving. I drove past the ornate Wat Ounalom Monastery, a working monastery built in the 1400s. The elaborate gold stupa caught my eye as we drove past slowly in a line of traffic. Standing silently, the monastery complex is a hive of activity, and the headquarters of Cambodian Buddhism is gradually returning to life after it took a beating during the Pol Pot era.
My first glimpse of the Royal Palace was the beguiling Moonlight Pavillion. It appeared as though it had been taken straight out of a fairytale. The pavilion is located a short distance from the main road and is separated by a small park. This structure is used by the Royal Family to view parades and Khmer classical dancing performances.
To access the Royal Palace, pass through a small gate in the Palace wall. Interestingly, there are two separate entrances: one for Cambodians and another for foreigners (but none for dinosaurs). Admission to the Royal Palace and the Silver Pagoda costs $10 (as of September 2023). However, it’s important to note that some of the buildings are off-limits due to this still being the official residence of King Sihamoni.
I wandered around the perfectly contoured gardens and decided to begin by visiting the Throne Hall. The huge golden building was incredibly ornate, stone statues held up the roof, whose golden tiles led my eyes up to the most unique part of the building. The tail of a naga (a snake god with one or many heads) is found on the corner of each roof, ornately painted gold. There is a stone carving of a seven-headed naga at the bottom of the staircase to the Throne Hall. On top of the hall is a 59-metre-high tower built in the style of Bayon at Angkor Wat, I would have loved to see it but it was hidden under scaffolding during my visit.
Unfortunately, no photography is allowed inside the Hall. I found it quite underwhelming when I peeked through the huge door. It was a long corridor-esque room with several gigantic chandeliers and an ornate gold chair at the end. I have since learned that many items on display in the hall were destroyed by the Khmer Rouge, and I may know nothing of human history, I feel it is fitting that the room is so simply decorated.
My favourite building was the tiny ប្រាសាទសំរិទ្ឋភិមាន ឬ ហោព្រះខ័ន (I think it is the Samreth Phiman Temple in English). Although only the basement was open to the public, it was full of traditional Khmer costumes. My favourite outfits were the gold ones that were jewel-encrusted and must have been incredibly heavy to wear. The Napoleon III Pavilion, hidden behind the tiny building and Phochani Pavilion, was unfortunately undergoing renovation work during my visit. However, I found a small passageway that led me to the Silver Pagoda, a huge temple housed inside walls ornately decorated with Ramayana Frescoes. The main feature of the site is the beautiful Silver Pagoda, which is white and gold on the outside.
To enter the pagoda, my photographer had to leave their trainers outside (because they smelled quite bad). Inside the pagoda was completely different to what I was expecting. The floor is made of silver tiles, most have been covered to prevent any damage. But, a few are still visible in the corner of the room. The temple is filled with very unique and ornate statues of Buddha. Including one made with 2000 diamonds and another Buddha made from a single piece of Jade. I enjoyed seeing all of the small gold Buddhas sitting happily in a row. The area surrounding the Silver Pagoda was filled with three huge silver bell-shaped stupas which contained the ashes of members of the royal family. They were all intricately carved from stone. A new one was being built when I visited and I was really surprised to see the shape was being carved by hand. The back of the complex housed a tiny model of Angkor Wat, I was excited to see this as I hadn’t done much research into the area before my visit. Upon leaving the complex, I was given a small bottle of water to commemorate my visit to the Royal Palace. It was a nice gesture as I was struggling with the high humidity and heat.
My next stop was the National Museum of Cambodia, a beautiful red building surrounded by tropical plants. Most people on the tour were not interested in the museum, but I enjoyed it. The building is laid out in a square shape, with a suggestion of doing a clockwise loop of the building. I was surprised to find out how many artefacts have been discovered in Cambodia. There are many ancient statues from Angkor Wat and other Khmer sites, some were from other parts of the world. My photographer spent a lot of time pointing out the statues who were doing fun poses. The detail of each statue was incredible, even more so when you realise the humans who made these, did so with the most basic of tools. Unfortunately, just as I was ending my visit to the museum, another torrential downpour occurred. I had to shelter in the front of the museum until my photographer found the emergency umbrella (which has never been so busy in its life).
The early start was beginning to catch up on me, so I headed to the hotel to relax for a few hours. This was the initial plan until I found the rooftop bar with a 360-degree panoramic view over the city. I am eternally grateful to have the opportunity to stay in 5* hotels, but I found it hard knowing I had this view whilst I could see the local population below living in the most heart-breaking poverty.
I decided to go to Phnom Penh at night to experience the city lights, and unfortunately found the entire experience terrifying, and that was before I left the bus. The streets were chaotic and loud, I have no idea where all the humans came from, but the night market was a bustling hub of activity. The Independence Monument was lit up beautifully in the centre of a roundabout which I passed on the way to a restaurant.
The Khmer Surin restaurant had rave reviews online, but I think I might have gone to the wrong location. I ordered a ginger, honey and coconut smoothie which was delicious but the food left me anxious and hungry. Vegetable spring rolls laced with pork and a curry spicier than a scotch bonnet were untouched and I thoroughly enjoyed a plate of boiled vegetables and boiled rice (yuck).
Unfortunately, my night ended with the wait staff trying to scam me out of my change. Beware, Cambodian currency uses both riel and USD so you can pay in one and receive change in the other. I’m glad I experienced Phnom Penh at night, but was left wondering whether I should have just sampled one of the hotel’s many restaurants instead.
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