Phnom Penh (Cambodia) Travel Guide
I landed in Phnom Penh with the noise of Saigon still in my ears and no real plan beyond a few days on the river. I stayed for two weeks. The city has a way of doing that. It does not greet you with polish. It hits you with heat, honk-filled traffic, and a skyline that looks unfinished, and then it slowly wins you over with cheap food, quiet temples, and the friendliest tuk tuk drivers I have met anywhere in Asia.
Getting There
Most people fly into Phnom Penh International Airport (PNH), about twenty minutes west of the center. I booked my flight linking through Bangkok, and AirAsia and Cambodia Angkor Air both run multiple daily routes. Overland is easy too. I took a bus up from Ho Chi Minh City that cost about fifteen dollars and took six hours including the border crossing at Bavet, where I paid for the visa on arrival. It went smoothly, but bring a passport photo and keep a couple of US dollars handy, because everyone wants dollars here. Chinese travelers and nationals from most of Southeast Asia can skip the visa, but I would check the current rules before you fly.
I would also sort your transport from the airport before you land. The taxi counter inside arrivals charges a flat fee to the center of about twelve dollars, and a tuk tuk is half that, so I waited out front and took the cheaper ride.
Plan your timing around the weather. I went in November, right after the monsoon eased, and got clear skies and manageable heat. December to February is the sweet spot, dry and cooler, while May to October brings afternoon downpours that come and go in an hour, so the rain rarely ruins a day if you carry an umbrella.
Getting Around the City
Tuk tuks rule this town. I never once felt the need for a car. Agree on the price before climbing in, because there are no meters. A short trip across the center runs two to three dollars, and a long haul across the river might hit five. Apps like Grab and PassApp give you a set fare and save you the haggling, so I used those most of the time. The city is flat and fairly walkable in the heat of the morning, but by midday I was grateful for the shade inside a tuk tuk. Traffic is chaotic and the rules are suggestions, so cross streets slowly and watch the motos, which come from every direction.
Where to Stay
I split my time between two areas and would recommend both for different reasons. The riverside along Sisowath Quay is the tourist hub, full of hostels, bars, and hotels facing the Tonle Sap. It is convenient and lively at night, and my room there cost twenty dollars a night with a balcony over the water. If you want something calmer, the area around the Royal Palace is more Old Phnom Penh, all colonial shophouses and quiet streets. The districts of BKK1 and Toul Tompong, a bit south of the river, are where I found the best value, with boutique guesthouses and local cafes for well under thirty dollars. Book ahead in December and January, when the weather is dry and the city fills up.
Food Worth Crossing Town For
Cambodian food gets overshadowed by its Thai and Vietnamese neighbors, and that is a shame. I ate the national dish, amok, a coconut fish curry steamed in a banana leaf, more times than I can count, and the version at the restaurant Friends in the center is among the best I had. Go to the Central Market and the Russian Market for street food, where a bowl of kuy teav noodle soup or a plate of fried eggs and rice runs a dollar or two. On the riverside you will find the tourist barbecue stalls, but I preferred the night market near the Royal Palace for grilled skewers and fresh mango shakes. Drink only bottled or filtered water, and let the ice in drinks do the same.
Safety, Money, and Practical Notes
Phnom Penh is safe in the ways that matter most. I walked home alone late and never felt threatened, and the main dangers are the usual traveler ones. Phone snatching off the back of a tuk tuk is real here, so I kept mine in my front pocket and out of the open window. Money is another thing to watch. The country runs on US dollars, and I was given change in Cambodian riel more than once, so I counted everything before putting it away and always carried small bills, because shops struggle to break a twenty. Keep temple visits respectful with covered shoulders, and steer clear of the area near the river on the far bank after dark, which is quiet and poorly lit. For the darker side of the city’s story, the Killing Fields and Tuol Sleng museum are sobering and important, and I gave myself time to breathe afterward.
Two weeks in, I still had not seen everything, and that is exactly what I liked about it. Phnom Penh is not a city you rush. Give it a few days, eat at the markets, let a tuk tuk take you wherever, and you will leave the way I did, already planning a return.
