This city is the wealthiest and most populous city in Cambodia and is the country's political hub even though it remained a bit rough. However, things are improving, although roads remain shabby, traffic chaotic and electricity strained at times.
The city is slowly gaining high rise buildings and traffic lights. The beauty that made it a 'Paris of the East' before 1970 is unfortunately well hidden, though there are a few French colonial buildings remaining.
The wide boulevards and promenades envisaged by the French have become parking spaces and market stalls: pedestrians are not in favor.
The most pleasant strolling is to be done along the park-like river frontage, which hosts street food vendors, push carts, coffee shops and restaurants aplenty. The most dominant business is Foot Massage. There's one per every 3-4 shops we passed by.
Standard tourist sights are few, which makes the city a place to relax, to watch the street life and to absorb the local color.
Phnom Penh is a worthwhile destination for those who enjoy an 'edgy' experience and can brave the downsides of reckless driving, noise, and poverty.
Touts and beggars abound, the worst area is the tourist strip along the river. Strolling here we found many nice and clean enough street food vendors that sold fresh corn, fresh fruits, and soft drinks.
There were plenty of souvenir shops, clothing stores, shoe stores, and more foot massage parlors along the river banks and night central market.
Right in the middle of this bustling area is the food court with many diners to offer all kind of ethnic foods in Asia and other Western countries for a very good price.
Weather by then was a bit hot and humid, cooling down a little in the late afternoon and at night.
Here in the capital, are many interesting touristy sites. Beside the Royal Palace, the Silver Pagoda, the National Museum, the Toul Sleng Genocide Museum, the Choeng Ek Killing Fields and Wat Phnom, there are several market places selling carvings, paintings, silk, silver, gems, antiques and even war memorabilia.
Phnom Penh was also previously known as Krong Chaktomuk (Chaturmukha) meaning "City of Four Faces". This name refers to the confluence where the Mekong, Bassac, and Tonle Sap rivers cross to form an "X" where the capital is situated.
Phnom Penh, like many other Asian-City tourist destinations, is in the midst
of rapid change.
Over the past few years the number of restaurants and hotels have grown considerably and in the last year there had been a huge increase in the number of visitors.
Constructions are everywhere and it won't be slowing down anytime soon.
There are so many temples in Phnom Penh that I could remember which one is which. They scattered all over the city but all within a few minutes of driving from one to the other. Some big, some small but the designs are almost the same. They are so unique to compare to temples of Thailand or Vietnam.
But they are all the same in one thing that is all the statues are made or coated with gold or in the color of gold.
Crossing the river in the afternoon brought us to Phnom Penh Casino. This place attracted lots of people. Its surround area were full of junkies and in a poor neighborhood, but once you set foot inside, the casino was a fancy and as luxury as any medium size casinos in the world.
We are not gamblers at any capacity so we strolled along to take some pictures, to sit down for a few drinks and to watch other people searching for their lucks.
There were a couple of fancy coffee shops and restaurants in the main floor. Unlike the casinos in the U.S, here the menus were a lot higher to compare with restaurants outside.
I guess that people came here for serious gambling not for eating so this couldn't be their number one priority.
Spending no more than a couple of hours, we left heading out to enjoy another night in the capital.
Phnom Penh symbol Krong Chaktomok translated to English as City Of Four Faces
We found almost everything here in Central Market. From faked brand like Channel, Louis Vuitton to Iphone. It was so hilarious and blatant when a guy showed me an Iphone 5 (the latest at the time), looked very much like the real one, except its operating system was Android.
This market is always crowded with shoppers.
And lots of tourists.
There were so many different type of beautiful fresh flowers sold here.
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