My Cambodian Journey: A Charming City
My friend and i arrived in Phnom Penh early Friday morning. With clear blue sky and cool breeze, i knew the day would be good for traveling. Done with clearing immigration and getting the map of the city, we hopped on a 'tuk tuk' (USD 7) to take us to our hostel for check-in. Along the way, i observed the messy traffic, public peeing and frequent honks by my 'tuk tuk' driver.
Mad Monkey Phnom Penh
To sum up, if i'm going to Phnom Penh again, i will book and stay in this hostel. For a 6-bed air-conditioned dorm at USD 7 per night, this hostel is clean: new bed covers, makes the bed everyday, clean toilet; has a good sitting area near the small reception counter, has large enough lockers below the bed, free wi-fi, and has a bar at the rooftop with a pool table. Even better, the beds we got were away from the bar and as the bar closes at 11pm, we need not worry of loud, breaking noises. I can see why this hostel is well rated in TripAdvisor and i personally recommend it. Worth the money.
The hostel is pretty well located; it is within walking distance to the Independence Monument and is nearby a convenience shop. Since we arrived early and our beds were not ready, we kept our bags in the available storage room and left to explore the city on foot.
Independence Monument
After a garlic and pepper bagel (USD 1) for breakfast at Vego's Salad Bar near the hostel, we walked to the iconic Independence Monument. During the day, the monument appeared ordinary but at night, with the lights and coloured water fountain, the sight was pretty. With the recent passing of the King, pictures of the King was placed. Not spending much time here, we moved on to the Royal Palace and Silver Pagoda entrance but it was closed for lunch time (11 am to 2pm) so we traversed further and strolled along the riverfront, which reminded me much of Kuching's.
KFC Riverfront
I put KFC in my itinerary and list of things to try because i saw their different menu, at least different than those in Malaysia. I had Waikiki burger, imagine zinger burger with a slice of pineapple on top of the patty, and Vanilla Blue drink for USD 3.60. Nothing spectacular for lunch and after this, we had local food until the end of the stay. With filled stomach, we continued walking up and turned to Wat Phnom.
Wat Phnom
Entrance fee was USD 1. Perched on a small hill, we hiked up the stairs into a little temple, overlooking the city. It reminded me a little of St Paul's Hill in Melaka because of the brick ground. At the other end of the diameter (it is circle and assume the entrance is one end of the diameter), there is a big clock on the ground with a giant snake sculpture. Near the entrance, there was a board with some information in English of the place. Other than that, there was not much information boards around.
Adapted from the information board at the entrance, according to a legend, there was once a wealthy, elderly woman named 'Penh' living near the banks of the four rivers. During the wet season one day, the river rose and flooded the area. Grandma Penh 'Daun Penh' saw a koki tree floating down the river and she called her neighbours to tie a rope to the tree and pulled it ashore. Inside the tree trunk, they discovered four bronze statues of Buddha and one stone statue that held a club in one hand and a conch shell in the other. Later in 1372, she and the villagers began to build upon a small hill, piling up earth after which they built a small temple on the top of the mound. The temple housed the four bronze Buddha statues, while the stone statue was kept in a shrine located to the northeast side of the temple. Presently, this site is called Wat Phnom.
Silver Pagoda
We returned to the Silver Pagoda. Entrance fee was USD 6.50, inclusive of photography. The highlight of the visit was the 90 kg gold statue of the Buddha- almost twice my weight, with thousands of diamonds. The Buddha statues on display were made from silver and emerald, with different positions depicting different stories and reasons. One asked the tour guide why with so much wealth in the pagoda, no one steals it. The guide answered if you would steal from a house of religion. Worth a visit.
National Museum
Entrance fee was USD 3. Inside, you'll see lots of sculptures and old items on display. An English speaking tour guide cost USD 6. At the heart of the museum is a beautiful garden with ponds filled with lotus plants. Unless you are interested in history, this might appear rather uninteresting to you.
Dinner at a local shop
Eager to try local food, we stopped by this shop along Boulevard Samdach Sothearos to try the local chicken porridge at USD 1.25 and fresh spring rolls. The broth of the porridge was really tasty and being the first local meal attempt in Cambodia, i became optimistic and was already anticipating good food throughout my stay. A good start.
Wat Ounalom
At the end of the street from the dinner place, we saw this Wat earlier in the day and thought to drop by for a short visit. The intricate carvings were surely one to look at- as in other temples around Cambodia for the fact. Free entrance.
Phnom Penh Night Market
Having visited many night markets in Malaysia and in Taiwan, here, what stood out to me was the picnic-style food section which i enjoyed. I felt it was a good and interesting concept. We had noodles for 5000 Riel, sugar cane with lime drink for 1000 Riel and sweet potatoes snack 2 pieces for 500 Riel.
'Tuk tuk' from the Riverfront back to our hostel cost USD 2 (after bargaining from the originally set price of USD 3- you can bargain for 'tuk tuk' too!). We could walk, but after an entire day of walking, the legs were already beginning to feel pain.
My second day will be posted in 'Saddened by History'.
The third day of our visit was meant to be a day of shopping and just relaxing to enjoy the city before leaving the next day.
Bread with Meat
One of the popular local dish, it is like the French baguette with fish, vegetables like pickles, and ham. There were many stalls selling this local delight by the roadside but we found the one that looked properly kept from the dust and smoke of close by vehicles. The whole loaf meant 2 parts, of halves, for 5000 Riel. Enough to keep us until lunch.
Central Market
Nicely built, the main building of this Central Market was spread out to four main wings: north, south, east and west; each wing with a designated theme of things. Outside, the stalls were arranged in an almost circular order, circling the main building, with stalls selling souvenir, clothes and bags, and a dry and wet market place. At the food area, we had porridge and Khmer curry noodles (each 7000 Riel) for lunch and beans with 'yaw cha kuai' for dessert (2000 Riel)- the locals opposite us were eating so we ordered. The shop worker was a Chinese Cambodian so he spoke to us in Chinese and helped us to order their local dishes. It was nice chatting with him, though he was busy with other customers as well.
Bargaining is a thing you must do, and having the skill to bargain does not come easy. Usually you'll ask for the price then they'll mention. Then you'll have to tell them your preferred price. Then you'll see how it progresses from there, but be persistent politely. Sometimes, a technique is to walk away and hopefully, they'll call you back for the price you're willing to pay.
We bought sunglasses and made friend to the local stall owner, stall 180. After having checked our eyes as we needed powered lens, we were told the sunglasses could be ready in one and a half hour. We chatted with the lady who insisted on buying us snacks or coffee. We had 'pong mun ang' or flavoured egg for 1000 Riel one encouraged by the lady- funny how we initially thought this was the fertilized egg. She said she eats this egg everyday. We asked about the rental and she said that stalls outside are more expensive than those inside because of the crowd. Also, the fee had increased because of the renovation inside. Then, she talked about her days and told us some things she's selling which are better than those that are not in her shop. Honest people too, aren't they? You can try visiting her shop and tell her about two guys from Malaysia who bought sunglasses, taught her some Cantonese and waited for more than two hours, and she might give you discounts. She gave us an extra pair of sunglasses as gift too.
Charcoal Banana
As another must-try food in Cambodia, we saw stalls by the road selling charcoal-grilled banana. A stick of 5 cost 1000 Riel. The taste and texture sure were unique. The charcoal grill made the banana so dry, and sweet at the same time.
Sorya Shopping Center
As an interval between the tight stalls in the market area (near Central Market), this shopping center was a relief with air-conditioning to cool down in the afternoon heat and to see the modern side of the city. As the largest shopping center in Phnom Penh, this eight level building has a skating ring, cinema, restaurants and fast food chains, a supermarket and other stalls ranging from electronics to clothes. Just to window shop and enjoy the air-conditioning, we spent less than 2 hours to complete the mall and returned to the Central Market to collect my pair of 'Ray Ban' sunglasses- which was a good investment when visiting Siem Reap in the second half of the visit.
Riverfront in the evening
It was a different vibe when visiting the riverfront in the evening. Come dusk, we saw children playing football barefoot with shoes or bags as goal posts (reminding me of when i was younger), some were playing 'sepak takraw' and despite the wind, they played badminton. There was also an open aerobic dance session carried out nearby where we sat to enjoy the cool evening. Frequently, we were asked if we wanted to buy bottled drinks. We met another tourist from Austria there and together, we listened to a stranger's story of how he lost part of his arm. As expected, in the end, he asked for some donations. Surprisingly, he spoke good English as he claimed to be living in US for some time. Then, we headed for dinner.
Khmer Food Village Restaurant
Initially thought to be 'Khmer Village Restaurant' by a local who recommended it, we could not find this place and even the 'tuk tuk' drivers didn't know where it was, until we asked directions from Nagaworld front desk who pointed us the way. Interesting, this eatery was like a food court with each counter serving different food: soups, grills, noodles, drinks, to mention a few; but instead of paying on the spot, after placing our orders, we swiped the card and our meal was recorded. We paid for our dinner on our way.
Nagaworld Casino
My first time in a casino after reaching the legal age ended with a funny, epic experience. Relatively new and eye catchy with its display of lights seen from afar, this building is near the Dream Land theme park, opposite the Khmer Food Village Restaurant and near the developing Diamond Island. Setting a vibrant atmosphere under the night sky, the casino was nicely decorated with a beautiful entrance and the tables were occupied with locals betting on their luck, and skills. Games of blackjack, roulette, poker, some Chinese horoscope character card game, and baccarat (which i don't know how to play) were some of the games played.
Believing in beginner's luck, we decided to buy a chip and bet USD 5 on the roulette. Being a first timer, i didn't know how to bet, which only invited their awkward stares and some laughter- it was rather embarrassing. Placing the bet, hoping to win and walk away to have nice dinner, we ball just didn't land on the numbers we chose. We walked away empty handed but with a rather good laugh and definitely a memorable first.
All these tourist areas are reachable by foot; normal speed would take about 10 to 30 minutes from the hostel. Living to its motto of a 'Charming City', Phnom Penh has set the bar high for my much anticipated visit to Siem Reap. Charmed by the city, I enjoyed Phnom Penh thoroughly, with its vibrant nightlife along the riverfront and the coming-up Diamond Island surroundings, the cool breeze along the banks of the river, the friendly people and the memorable sites visited. Even the food i had were pleasant and good. It was relatively easy to move around in Phnom Penh because of the numbering of streets system instead of long, unfamiliar names. Three full days would be sufficient to have a nice-paced time in Phnom Penh.
My Cambodian Journey: The Beginning
My Cambodian Journey: A Charming City
My Cambodian Journey: Saddened by History
My Cambodian Journey: A Scenic Ride?
My Cambodian Journey: Bow to the Magnificent Angkor Wat and More
My Cambodian Journey: Sunset at Tonle Sap Lake
My Cambodian Journey: The Next Stop
Mad Monkey Phnom Penh
To sum up, if i'm going to Phnom Penh again, i will book and stay in this hostel. For a 6-bed air-conditioned dorm at USD 7 per night, this hostel is clean: new bed covers, makes the bed everyday, clean toilet; has a good sitting area near the small reception counter, has large enough lockers below the bed, free wi-fi, and has a bar at the rooftop with a pool table. Even better, the beds we got were away from the bar and as the bar closes at 11pm, we need not worry of loud, breaking noises. I can see why this hostel is well rated in TripAdvisor and i personally recommend it. Worth the money.
Little sign at the entrance.
Sitting area and mini bar at the ground floor of the reception.
The hostel is pretty well located; it is within walking distance to the Independence Monument and is nearby a convenience shop. Since we arrived early and our beds were not ready, we kept our bags in the available storage room and left to explore the city on foot.
Independence Monument
After a garlic and pepper bagel (USD 1) for breakfast at Vego's Salad Bar near the hostel, we walked to the iconic Independence Monument. During the day, the monument appeared ordinary but at night, with the lights and coloured water fountain, the sight was pretty. With the recent passing of the King, pictures of the King was placed. Not spending much time here, we moved on to the Royal Palace and Silver Pagoda entrance but it was closed for lunch time (11 am to 2pm) so we traversed further and strolled along the riverfront, which reminded me much of Kuching's.
KFC Riverfront
I put KFC in my itinerary and list of things to try because i saw their different menu, at least different than those in Malaysia. I had Waikiki burger, imagine zinger burger with a slice of pineapple on top of the patty, and Vanilla Blue drink for USD 3.60. Nothing spectacular for lunch and after this, we had local food until the end of the stay. With filled stomach, we continued walking up and turned to Wat Phnom.
The Waikiki burger and Vanilla Blue.
Wat Phnom
Entrance fee was USD 1. Perched on a small hill, we hiked up the stairs into a little temple, overlooking the city. It reminded me a little of St Paul's Hill in Melaka because of the brick ground. At the other end of the diameter (it is circle and assume the entrance is one end of the diameter), there is a big clock on the ground with a giant snake sculpture. Near the entrance, there was a board with some information in English of the place. Other than that, there was not much information boards around.
The snake sculpture, giant clock on ground and the temple at background.
Wall decorations on the way up to the temple.
Adapted from the information board at the entrance, according to a legend, there was once a wealthy, elderly woman named 'Penh' living near the banks of the four rivers. During the wet season one day, the river rose and flooded the area. Grandma Penh 'Daun Penh' saw a koki tree floating down the river and she called her neighbours to tie a rope to the tree and pulled it ashore. Inside the tree trunk, they discovered four bronze statues of Buddha and one stone statue that held a club in one hand and a conch shell in the other. Later in 1372, she and the villagers began to build upon a small hill, piling up earth after which they built a small temple on the top of the mound. The temple housed the four bronze Buddha statues, while the stone statue was kept in a shrine located to the northeast side of the temple. Presently, this site is called Wat Phnom.
The temple from the entrance.
Inside the temple. The walls and the ceilings are completed with beautiful paintings.
Silver Pagoda
We returned to the Silver Pagoda. Entrance fee was USD 6.50, inclusive of photography. The highlight of the visit was the 90 kg gold statue of the Buddha- almost twice my weight, with thousands of diamonds. The Buddha statues on display were made from silver and emerald, with different positions depicting different stories and reasons. One asked the tour guide why with so much wealth in the pagoda, no one steals it. The guide answered if you would steal from a house of religion. Worth a visit.
View around the Silver Pagoda.
The building behind me houses the gold statue. No photography was allowed inside. Silver tiles adorned the walls and ceiling inside.
Mini Angkor Wat surrounded by a little pond with turtles and fish.
Silver elephant statues in another building inside the Silver Pagoda compound.
With the white elephant.
With the passing of the King, the Royal Palace was closed.
National Museum
Entrance fee was USD 3. Inside, you'll see lots of sculptures and old items on display. An English speaking tour guide cost USD 6. At the heart of the museum is a beautiful garden with ponds filled with lotus plants. Unless you are interested in history, this might appear rather uninteresting to you.
Museum with a garden.
Dinner at a local shop
Eager to try local food, we stopped by this shop along Boulevard Samdach Sothearos to try the local chicken porridge at USD 1.25 and fresh spring rolls. The broth of the porridge was really tasty and being the first local meal attempt in Cambodia, i became optimistic and was already anticipating good food throughout my stay. A good start.
Local chicken porridge. I can still remember being fascinated by the flavourful broth.
Not much my cup of tea because of one of the leaves inside.
Wat Ounalom
At the end of the street from the dinner place, we saw this Wat earlier in the day and thought to drop by for a short visit. The intricate carvings were surely one to look at- as in other temples around Cambodia for the fact. Free entrance.
Phnom Penh Night Market
Having visited many night markets in Malaysia and in Taiwan, here, what stood out to me was the picnic-style food section which i enjoyed. I felt it was a good and interesting concept. We had noodles for 5000 Riel, sugar cane with lime drink for 1000 Riel and sweet potatoes snack 2 pieces for 500 Riel.
Picnic-style night market eating area. Note where you order from because that's where you're allowed to sit.
'Tuk tuk' from the Riverfront back to our hostel cost USD 2 (after bargaining from the originally set price of USD 3- you can bargain for 'tuk tuk' too!). We could walk, but after an entire day of walking, the legs were already beginning to feel pain.
My second day will be posted in 'Saddened by History'.
The third day of our visit was meant to be a day of shopping and just relaxing to enjoy the city before leaving the next day.
Bread with Meat
One of the popular local dish, it is like the French baguette with fish, vegetables like pickles, and ham. There were many stalls selling this local delight by the roadside but we found the one that looked properly kept from the dust and smoke of close by vehicles. The whole loaf meant 2 parts, of halves, for 5000 Riel. Enough to keep us until lunch.
A very popular breakfast i reckon.
Central Market
Nicely built, the main building of this Central Market was spread out to four main wings: north, south, east and west; each wing with a designated theme of things. Outside, the stalls were arranged in an almost circular order, circling the main building, with stalls selling souvenir, clothes and bags, and a dry and wet market place. At the food area, we had porridge and Khmer curry noodles (each 7000 Riel) for lunch and beans with 'yaw cha kuai' for dessert (2000 Riel)- the locals opposite us were eating so we ordered. The shop worker was a Chinese Cambodian so he spoke to us in Chinese and helped us to order their local dishes. It was nice chatting with him, though he was busy with other customers as well.
Entrance to the Central Market, flocking with people.
Local chicken porridge- not as good as the first day's though.
Nicely made Khmer curry noodles. Tastes a bit like the Sarawak's Laksa.
Dessert was delicious.
Bargaining is a thing you must do, and having the skill to bargain does not come easy. Usually you'll ask for the price then they'll mention. Then you'll have to tell them your preferred price. Then you'll see how it progresses from there, but be persistent politely. Sometimes, a technique is to walk away and hopefully, they'll call you back for the price you're willing to pay.
We bought sunglasses and made friend to the local stall owner, stall 180. After having checked our eyes as we needed powered lens, we were told the sunglasses could be ready in one and a half hour. We chatted with the lady who insisted on buying us snacks or coffee. We had 'pong mun ang' or flavoured egg for 1000 Riel one encouraged by the lady- funny how we initially thought this was the fertilized egg. She said she eats this egg everyday. We asked about the rental and she said that stalls outside are more expensive than those inside because of the crowd. Also, the fee had increased because of the renovation inside. Then, she talked about her days and told us some things she's selling which are better than those that are not in her shop. Honest people too, aren't they? You can try visiting her shop and tell her about two guys from Malaysia who bought sunglasses, taught her some Cantonese and waited for more than two hours, and she might give you discounts. She gave us an extra pair of sunglasses as gift too.
Funny how we thought this was the fertilized egg in front of the stall.
As another must-try food in Cambodia, we saw stalls by the road selling charcoal-grilled banana. A stick of 5 cost 1000 Riel. The taste and texture sure were unique. The charcoal grill made the banana so dry, and sweet at the same time.
Sorya Shopping Center
As an interval between the tight stalls in the market area (near Central Market), this shopping center was a relief with air-conditioning to cool down in the afternoon heat and to see the modern side of the city. As the largest shopping center in Phnom Penh, this eight level building has a skating ring, cinema, restaurants and fast food chains, a supermarket and other stalls ranging from electronics to clothes. Just to window shop and enjoy the air-conditioning, we spent less than 2 hours to complete the mall and returned to the Central Market to collect my pair of 'Ray Ban' sunglasses- which was a good investment when visiting Siem Reap in the second half of the visit.
Riverfront in the evening
It was a different vibe when visiting the riverfront in the evening. Come dusk, we saw children playing football barefoot with shoes or bags as goal posts (reminding me of when i was younger), some were playing 'sepak takraw' and despite the wind, they played badminton. There was also an open aerobic dance session carried out nearby where we sat to enjoy the cool evening. Frequently, we were asked if we wanted to buy bottled drinks. We met another tourist from Austria there and together, we listened to a stranger's story of how he lost part of his arm. As expected, in the end, he asked for some donations. Surprisingly, he spoke good English as he claimed to be living in US for some time. Then, we headed for dinner.
Watching them play made me want to join them.
Khmer Food Village Restaurant
Initially thought to be 'Khmer Village Restaurant' by a local who recommended it, we could not find this place and even the 'tuk tuk' drivers didn't know where it was, until we asked directions from Nagaworld front desk who pointed us the way. Interesting, this eatery was like a food court with each counter serving different food: soups, grills, noodles, drinks, to mention a few; but instead of paying on the spot, after placing our orders, we swiped the card and our meal was recorded. We paid for our dinner on our way.
Our card for the dinner.
Squid with Kampot peppers. Tasty and good choice especially with the Kampot peppers.
Garlic Frog. The gravy was good. The frog was small and the meat was tougher.
Nagaworld Casino
My first time in a casino after reaching the legal age ended with a funny, epic experience. Relatively new and eye catchy with its display of lights seen from afar, this building is near the Dream Land theme park, opposite the Khmer Food Village Restaurant and near the developing Diamond Island. Setting a vibrant atmosphere under the night sky, the casino was nicely decorated with a beautiful entrance and the tables were occupied with locals betting on their luck, and skills. Games of blackjack, roulette, poker, some Chinese horoscope character card game, and baccarat (which i don't know how to play) were some of the games played.
Believing in beginner's luck, we decided to buy a chip and bet USD 5 on the roulette. Being a first timer, i didn't know how to bet, which only invited their awkward stares and some laughter- it was rather embarrassing. Placing the bet, hoping to win and walk away to have nice dinner, we ball just didn't land on the numbers we chose. We walked away empty handed but with a rather good laugh and definitely a memorable first.
All these tourist areas are reachable by foot; normal speed would take about 10 to 30 minutes from the hostel. Living to its motto of a 'Charming City', Phnom Penh has set the bar high for my much anticipated visit to Siem Reap. Charmed by the city, I enjoyed Phnom Penh thoroughly, with its vibrant nightlife along the riverfront and the coming-up Diamond Island surroundings, the cool breeze along the banks of the river, the friendly people and the memorable sites visited. Even the food i had were pleasant and good. It was relatively easy to move around in Phnom Penh because of the numbering of streets system instead of long, unfamiliar names. Three full days would be sufficient to have a nice-paced time in Phnom Penh.
My Cambodian Journey: The Beginning
My Cambodian Journey: A Charming City
My Cambodian Journey: Saddened by History
My Cambodian Journey: A Scenic Ride?
My Cambodian Journey: Bow to the Magnificent Angkor Wat and More
My Cambodian Journey: Sunset at Tonle Sap Lake
My Cambodian Journey: The Next Stop
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