Phnom Penh region

The Phnom Penh and the South region covers the capital of Cambodia and the adjacent south-eastern provinces (Kandal, Takeo) up to the south coast limits. It is the historical and contemporary dimension of the Cambodian journey — that of the painful memory of the Khmer Rouge genocide (1975-1979), the residual splendour of the Khmer monarchy, the effervescence of a city in transformation, and the francophonie inherited from the French protectorate.

Phnom Penh (1.5 million inhabitants) extends at the confluence of three rivers: the Mekong, the Tonle Sap and the Bassac. This strategic position made its fortune in the colonial era (the French installed their administrative protectorate there in 1865) and gives it a particular charm today — the riverside (3 km of landscaped quays along the Tonle Sap) is the tourist backbone of the city, with restaurants, bars, boutique hotels and excursion boat docks.

The essential visits concentrate on the west bank. The Royal Palace (USD 10 entry, still the official residence of King Norodom Sihamoni) and the Silver Pagoda (Wat Preah Keo Morokat, with its floor paved with 5,329 silver tiles of 1 kg each, housing an emerald Buddha and a life-size 90 kg solid gold Buddha statue set with 9,584 diamonds) are the unmissable royal stop. The National Museum of Cambodia (USD 10), red Khmer-style building built by the French in 1920, houses the world's finest collection of pre-Angkorian and Angkorian Khmer art — essential visit before or after Angkor to give meaning to the temples.

The memorial dimension is the unmissable but emotionally challenging stop. The Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum (S-21, school transformed into a torture centre by the Khmer Rouge in 1975 — of 18,000 detained prisoners, 12 survived, USD 10 entry with multilingual audioguide including French) and the Choeung Ek Killing Fields (memorial on the execution site of 17,000 S-21 prisoners, glass stupa containing 8,000 skulls, 15 km south of Phnom Penh, USD 6 with audioguide) are necessary stops to understand the country's recent history. Plan a half-day for each site, and don't chain them on the same day (emotional load too heavy).

Phnom Penh's contemporary life is lively. The central market (Phsar Thmei), built by the French in 1937 in Art Deco style with a 26 m high central dome — one of Asia's most beautiful covered markets. The Russian market (Phsar Tuol Tom Poung) for souvenirs, silks and antiques. The BKK1 neighbourhood (Boeung Keng Kang 1) for international gastronomy and trendy cafés. Wat Phnom (27 m hill, historical high point of the city and origin of its name — "hill of Penh", an old woman who supposedly founded the first sanctuary in 1373) for a panoramic view.