Aside from the dark tourism in Phnom Penh (the Killing Fields and the Genocide Museum), we found the city to be a quaint, relaxing capital. The main sights are all within walking distance of each other and it's easy to find your way from one place to the next.
Of course the main attraction is the Palace, located on the riverfront at Sisowat Quay, a two minute walk from our hotel. A blue flag flies when the king is in residence (he wasn't). We passed an enjoyable afternoon wandering around the buildings within the palace walls: temples, ceremonial halls, ballrooms, etc.
In the evening after the heat of the sun has died down, the gardens in front of the palace are crowded with local families and groups of friends having picnics and drinking beers on the grass. The men stand in circles kicking a jaegi and children feed the pigeons with seeds bought from street vendors. It was a nice place for an evening stroll.
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| Outside the 'Victory Gate' at the Palace. |
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| Within the Palace grounds. |
One of my favourite experiences in Phnom Penh was Dine in the Dark. The concept of the restaurant is that you experience a meal as a blind person would; you're led into a pitch black restaurant where all the waiters are blind and you're served a mystery set meal which you eat in complete darkness. The food was amazing, even though we weren't entirely sure what we were eating, and having our sight removed was an unique experience that provided us with lots of nervous laughter. Once I felt comfortable at the table I had fun moving Ric's plate and wine glass about in the dark. After the meal we were led back into the light and we were shown photos of our food. The restaurant supports an organisation for the blind where they are trained to work as waiters, providing them with a vocation in a country that otherwise ignores disabled people, leaving them to beg on the streets.
The Central Market in Phnom Penh is one of the best we've visited so far; the building is big, light and airy and the vendors don't hassle you much at all. After kitting myself out with a new outfit we walked along Sisowat Quay and took in the sights: the red-tiled National Museum which we didn't fancy after our museum overload in Siem Reap, the Independence monument, the temples, the numerous fancy riverside hotels and restaurants. At the end of the quay we found ourselves at the very posh Himawari Hotel, and we decided to sneak in and see how the other half live. Inside we found a microbrewery! Sitting in the five star gardens overlooking the river we enjoyed a flowery pale ale called Gem and Jade, it was $5 for half a pint but it was worth it.
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| Gem stalls at Central Market. |
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| Independence Monument, Phnom Penh. |
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| Like a kid a Christmas. |
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| National Museum. |
