Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
1
Phnom Penh and around
“A city of white buildings, where spires of gold and stupas of stone rocket
out of the greenery into the vivid blue sky.” Such was American visitor Robert
Casey's description of Phnom Penh in 1929, in which he also noted the
shady, wide streets and pretty parks. The image bears a remarkable
resemblance to the Phnom Penh of today, and life then seems to have been
much as it is now, the open-fronted shops and shophouses bustling with
haggling traders, and roadsides teeming with food vendors and colourful,
busy markets. The capital of Cambodia and the heart of government is a
captivating city of great charm and vitality, crisscrossed by broad tree-lined
boulevards and dotted with old colonial villas. Situated in a virtually flat area
at the confluence of the Tonle Sap, Bassac and Mekong rivers, the compact
city hasn't yet been overwhelmed by the towering high-rise developments
that blight neighbouring Southeast Asian capitals, although the
construction of newer, higher, and more modern buildings is certainly
gaining pace.
Such is the city's enterprise and energy that it's di
cult to believe that a generation ago
it was forcibly evacuated and left to ruin by the
Khmer Rouge
. Inevitably, and in spite
of many improvements, some of the scars are still evident: side roads are pot-holed and
strewn with rubble, some of the elegant villas are ruined beyond repair, and when it
rains the antiquated drainage system backs up, flooding the roads.
It is testimony to the unflappable good nature and stoicism of the city's inhabitants
that, despite past adversity, they remain upbeat. Many people do two jobs to get by,
keeping government o
ces ticking over for a few hours each day and then
moonlighting as moto drivers or tutors; furthermore, the Cambodian belief in
education
is particularly strong here, and anyone who can afford to sends their
children to supplementary classes outside school hours. This dynamism constantly
attracts people from the provinces - newcomers soon discover, though, that it's
tougher being poor in the city than in the country, and are often forced to rent tiny
rooms in one of the many
shanties
on the city's outskirts, ripped off for the privilege
by a
uent landlords.
Most of the city's
sights
are located between the Tonle Sap River and Monivong
Boulevard, in an area bordered by Sihanouk Boulevard in the south and Wat Phnom
in the north. For tourists and locals alike, the lively
riverfront
- a wide promenade
that runs beside the Tonle Sap for nearly 2km - is the city's focal point. In the
Safety in Phnom Penh
p.56
Phnom Penh orientation
p.57
The Bonn Om Toeuk tragedy
p.60
Mekong cruises
p.61
King Sihamoni
p.62
The Ramayana
p.65
Spirit houses
p.70
Horror in the embassy
p.75
Kingdom Breweries
p.76
Phnom Penh addresses
p.79
Eating with a conscience
p.82
Shopping with a conscience
p.90
Preah Vessandaa
p.96
The legend of Lovek
p.98
Legends of Yeah Peau
p.101
