There is More to Cambodia than the Angkor Wat

April 13, 2013

There is More to Cambodia than the Angkor Wat

at the Royal Palace

The first thing that pops into everyone's minds when they hear "Cambodia" is the Angkor Wat. And while that is definitely the most amazing destination in the country, there is more to Cambodia than the ancient temples.

Like I said in a previous post, my friends and I went on an Indochina backpacking tour last year that saw us traveling from Ho Chi Minh to Phnom Penh to Siem Reap and then back to Phnom Penh and Ho Chi Minh (this was before our favorite budget airline started offering direct flights from Manila to Phnom Penh). This post will be about the couple of days we spent in Phnom Penh.

Our visit was actually pretty short, just about two and a half days in total, but I think we were able to visit all the must-sees in the city:

The Royal Palace is the official residence of the Cambodian King, and there is in fact a section of it that is restricted to the public. We were too cheap to actually get a guide who could point out what the different structures there were, so just check out the wikipedia page on the palace here.

While there, look out for this tree with red/dark pink flowers. The blossoms have this interesting shape and are probably one of the most fragrant flowers I have ever encountered.

National Museum --- this museum is worth a visit not only because you can see interesting artifacts evidencing Cambodia's rich history (this is the national museum, after all), but the museum itself really looks quite fantastic. I particularly loved the building's rich red color. The fee, if I remember it correctly, was US$3.

The Tuol Seng/S21 Prison was a school that was turned into a prison during crazy Pol Pot's regime. If you go there, you'll see not only the photos of the people who were imprisoned here, but also the different tools used to torture them. Visitors are advised to keep silent while there as a sign of respect for the victims.

The Killing Fields is where those that were imprisoned and tortured at the Tuol Seng were taken to be killed. What struck me the most about this place was just how peaceful and serene it was. Save for the posts marking how many people were killed in specific locations in the field, or the occasional bone you'll see jutting out of the ground, you'd never even think that such grave atrocities were committed here.

One important tip I can give to those thinking about visiting Phnom Penh is to not follow our route (Royal Palace--Museum--Prison---Killing Fields) because believe me, the things you will see and learn about when you visit the prison and the Killing Fields will depress the hell out of you. Listening to the audio tour describe how babies were smashed against this particular tree to kill them quickly will wrench your heart out. You cannot help but think how anyone could commit such pointless violence against other people, let alone their own countrymen.

I therefore suggest that you go visit the prison and fields first, this way, the pretty sights you'll see at the museum and the Royal Palace will at least help uplift your spirits even just for a tiny bit.