insight cambodia travel

Phnom Penh Travel Guide

Phnom Penh is the vibrant bustling capital of Cambodia. Situated at the confluence of three rivers, the mighty Mekong, the Bassac and the great Tonle Sap, what was once considered the ‘Gem’ of Indochina. The capital city still maintains considerable charm with plenty to see. It exudes a sort of provincial charm and tranquillity with French colonial mansions and tree-lined boulevards amidst monumental Angkorian architecture. Phnom Penh is a veritable oasis compared to the modernity of other Asian capitals. A mixture of Asian exotica, the famous Cambodian hospitality awaits the visitors to the capital of the Kingdom of Cambodia.

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 and even antiques. Indeed, an ideal destination for a leisurely day tour. The whole area including the outskirts of Phnom Penh is about 376 square kilometres big. There are currently 2,009,264 people living in Phnom Penh.

The city takes its name from the re-known Wat Phnom Daun Penh (nowadays: Wat Phnom or Hill Temple), which was built in 1373 to house five statues of Buddha on a man made hill 27 meters high. These five statues were floating down the Mekong in a Koki tree and an old wealthy widow named Daun Penh (Grandma Penh) saved them and set them up on this very hill for worshiping. 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 is also the gateway to an exotic land – the world heritage site, the largest religious complex in the world, the temples of Angkor in the west, the beaches of the southern coast and the ethnic minorities of the North-eastern provinces. There are also a wide variety of services including five star hotels and budget guest houses, fine international dining, sidewalk noodle shops, neighbourhood pubs international discos and more.

Geography
Phnom Penh is located in the southern heard of the country and fully surrounded by the Kandal Province. The municipality consists of the typical plain wet area for Cambodia, covering rice fields and other agricultural plantations. The province also features three of the biggest rivers of the country the Tonle Bassac, the Tonle Sap and the mighty Mekong.

All three rivers cross to form an “X” at their confluence, where the capital is situated. These rivers provide potential freshwater and other resources. The city, located at 11.55 N 104.91667? E (11?33′ North, 104?55′ East) covers an area of 375 square kilometres (145 sq mi) which some 11,401 hectares (28,172 acres) in the municipality and 26,106 hectares (64,509 acres) of roads. The agricultural land in the municipality amounts to 34.685 square kilometres (13 sq mi) with some 1.476 square kilometres (365 acres) under irrigation.

Population
The current population in this municipality is about 2,009,264 people or 14 % of the country?s total population (14,363,519 person in Cambodia, 2007, provincial government data), with 621,948 male and 658,833 female. The population density is therefore 5,343.8 people per square kilometre. The population is Original Khmer 60%, Chinese 15%, Vietnamese 20% and 5% other. The population growth in the city is about 3.9%.

Climate
The country has a tropical climate – warm and humid. In the monsoon season, abundant rain allows for the cultivation of a wide variety of crops. This year-round tropical climate makes Cambodia ideal for developing tourism. Travellers need not to fear natural disasters such as erupting volcanoes or earthquakes, and the country is not directly affected by tropical storms.

Climate: Cambodia can be visited throughout the year. However, those plans to travel extensively by road should be avoided the last two months of the rainy season when some countryside roads may be impassable. The average temperature is about 27 degrees Celsius; the minimum temperature is about 16 degrees. December and January are the coolest months, whereas the hottest is April.

General information about the provincial climate
– Cool season: November- March (22-28c)
– Hot season: March- May (28c -38c)
– Rainy season: May – October (24-32c, with humidity up to 90%.)

The city temperatures range from 15 to 38 C and experiences tropical monsoons. Monsoons blow from the Southwest inland, bringing moisture-laden winds from the Gulf of Thailand and Indian Ocean from May to October. The northeast monsoon ushers in the dry season, which lasts from November to March. The city experiences the heaviest precipitation from September to October with the driest period occurring from January to February.

Economy
Double-digit economic growth rates in recent years have triggered an economic boom, with new hotels, restaurants, bars, and residential buildings springing up around the city. Phnom Penh’s wealth of historical and cultural sites makes it also a very popular tourist destination. The main economy is based on commercial such as garments, trading, small and medium enterprises. The property business is booming since the past few years. Real estate is now getting very expensive. The two new sub-cities are under construction, where investors from Korea and Indonesia join with Cambodian investors. The investment project of Camko-city is estimated about more than 200 millions and will be finished in 2018.

Because of its budget airlines flying from nearby countries directly to Phnom Penh, the leisure and business travellers are coming to enjoy themselves or to look for investment opportunities in Cambodia. So also the hotel business is likely more and more improving.

As Kandal province is around Phnom Penh it serves as an economic belt of the capital. For instance Cambodia has become the sixth largest garment exporter in the world in 2007 (most of these factories are in Kandal Province). The industry created job opportunities for about 0.5 million Cambodians and generated some 0.3 billion U.S. dollars of monthly payment for the employees. Also agricultural exports flourished in 2007, as palm oil, peanuts, rice, pepper and other rural products became ever more popular in the international markets.

Finally, luxury real estate project like the Longing Resort in Kandal province was demolished on July 31, as it expanded its land illegally and in effect constituted menace to the safety of the capital. The Asia Development Bank put Cambodia’s economic growth rate for the past year at 9.5 percent and nine percent in 2008, while the Cambodian government gave a conservative estimation of seven percent both in 2007 and 2008.

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   Asia Private Guide Service
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   Bob SFO 
 2023-11-05
 
 
  Great tour of Angkor Wat
We requested a 3-day tour with Lekh and we were very happy with our experience. Lekh is very knowledgeable and provided a great tour. I had been to Angkor Wat several years ago and this visit was to share the experience with a family member. Lekh took us to several interesting temples that I missed on my prior visit. The pace of the tour was perfect. Plus, Lekh was very good at avoiding the crowds and taking us to the perfect spot for photos. I would definitely recommend Lekh for anyone wanting to visit Angkor Wat.
  
 
       
   Becky M 
 2023-08-23
 
 
  Excellent
Lekh was the BEST tour guide ever. My son and I did a tailored trip seeing four temples. The knowledge Lekh had was immeasurable and he explained everything with impeccable English in as much detail as was necessary for the heat, time of day and need. He is also a budding photographer and managed to cajole my teenage son into having photos all day, when normally he only allows one! if you are lucky. Lekh made the whole experience a pleasure and when we go back we will look him up again. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
  
 
       
   WillTravelSingapore 
 2023-03-23
 
 
  Perfect Angkor Temple experience!!
We had an amazing tour with Lekh - he took such great care to ensure that we had an optimal experience! If you plan to visit Angkor, don’t hesitate to book a tour with him, you will definitely not be disappointed!!! First off, the communication was extremely good. Lekh replied to all our questions very fast and with very helpful answers. He understood immediately what we were looking for and put together a perfect tour just for us. In the preparation of our visit, he was very flexible to accommodate a change we made in our plans, and he carefully monitored the situation at the temples, so that when one part was not accessible due to a royal visit, he changed the itinerary so that we didn’t miss anything. Then, when we were on the tour, he did a fantastic job explaining everything to us. I’ve been at the temples before, but thanks to his explanations, knowledge of history and culture, I now have a much better understanding of the historical context and the significance of the art and architecture. More than that though, Lekh knows the temples so well, that we always knew where the best spots for pictures are, and when to go to have less crowds. Thanks to that, we have so many amazing pictures of the beautiful temples without people! Finally, Lekh and his driver made sure we always drank enough water, and stayed refreshed with cold towels. They treated us to juicy coconuts and showed us local treats like the palm cake (very yummy) and the special BBQ pig. We felt very welcomed like the in company of friends. A big thank you again to Lekh!!!
  
 
       
   Boracay99 
 2023-02-20
 
 
  Excellent
I made a 3 Day Tour and it was excellent, very competent and frendly. There was nothing negative. Beautifull. Highly recommended.
  
 
       
   Connector47927127529 
 2023-01-23
 
 
  Highly recommended
We had an amazing day visiting the temples with Nol and our lovely driver. Everything from booking the trip to hotel pick up to visiting the temples was very well organised and we had an excellent day. Nol’s knowledge of the temples, Hindu and Buddhism religions and local history was extensive. We had a full day but it was nicely paced and we never felt rushed or hurried. We had a great stop off for lunch and we were also treated to a local delicacy of palm sugar and rice cake which was delicious. All in all, a fantastic day which was very good value. I would like to thank Nol and our driver for a great and memorable day. We would highly recommend this company.
  
 
       
   Shremz 
 2023-01-23
 
 
  Superb Guide, Amazing Service, Unforgettable Experience!
Lekh is the most amazing guide ever! While my husband had been in Siem Reap before, this was my very first trip to Cambodia and Lekh made sure that we saw everything that needed to be seen (and could be seen based on our schedule) in Siem Reap. My husband was even impressed with the sites as Lekh took us to both the very "touristy" places (i.e. Angkor Wat Temple) but also less "touristy" but just as amazing places within Angkor (though arguably everyone also wants to see the Tomb Raider temples). To start off the trip, Lekh and his wonderful colleague who was our driver picked us up from our hotel lobby in an air-conditioned SUV. They had plenty of ice cold water and cold towels ready for us throughout the entire trip. These little things are important given the heat as well as the amount of exploring that you will do with Lekh. Don't worry if you are worried about the tour being too tiring, Lekh will plan the tour exactly to your needs and base it upon how much (or little) you wish to do. We had to make a number of last minute changes on both days due to various reasons and Lekh was perfectly accommodating and able to get us back to the hotel when we needed (even on short notice) and still managed to squeeze in all of the sights that we originally signed up to see. Lekh's colleague was always waiting for us at the end of our exploring so we were picked up immediately after each of our adventures in an air-conditioned car with ice cold water and a refreshing towel waiting for us. Lekh also took us to explore truly local cuisine in the local villages throughout Angkor. He also made sure (at least to the best of our knowledge) that we were not "ripped off" because we were tourists. He handled all of the negotiations on costs and we had some of the most delicious local cuisines that we never would have had an opportunity to try had we explored the sites and area on our own. For example, we had a delicious huge portion of roasted pig (more than enough for 4 people), vegetables with locally made sauces, a local dessert consisting of coconut pieces and what I would call 汤圆 filled with palm sugar, and cold Angkor beers for US$ 5. He also introduced us to palm fruit and a local omelette dish filled with minced pork and fish. None of these dishes were offered in any of the restaurants that we went to in Siem Reap (or perhaps we just did not know what to order) and we were only able to try them because Lekh knew where to bring us and how to order. Lekh is also extremely knowledgeable about the history of the temples as well as of Cambodia. He was very communicative and able to show us all of the popular and not so popular sites and explain the background of everything. He was also able to answer any and all questions that we had about Cambodia. It was so interesting hearing about Cambodia's history from Lekh's perspective as well as the stories of the neighboring countries and their interaction with Cambodia. None of this information can be easily found in the history books or online websites, they are stories you can only get from locals who grew up in Cambodia during those times. Unfortunately, 2 days (especially with various unexpected obstacles) was not enough time for us and we will definitely be back to explore more of Siem Reap. We are very much looking forward to having Lekh as our private guide again and cannot wait to return!
  
 
       
   Domee 
 2022-12-08
 
 
  3 Days of Angkor Wat and Floating Village
We did a 3 day tour with Lekh and visited all the main temples including Angkor Wat as well as some lesser visited but equally beautiful temples. We also visited the amazing floating village Kampong Phluk. Lekh was a great guide. Very knowledgeable about history and knew all the best areas to visit and take pictures. We travelled around in an air conditioned van which which was so nice because it gets super hot and muggy walking around the temples. He provided ice cold bottled waters and cold towels, which were a lifesaver! He was flexible with the tour and made adjustments according to what we wanted. He also took us to some cool markets that only locals go to and we got to try some local delicacies like stuffed frog which was super tasty! Definitely recommend.
  
 
       
   Jacquelyn Sunsh... L 
 2022-12-01
 
 
  Fantastic experience
We had an excellent time on this tour! We were able to see such a wide range of temples - hidden and overgrown, popular must-see, small and off the beaten path. Lekh was a great tour guide - so much knowledge not just of the temples but of Cambodian ancient and modern history and politics. He also served as an excellent photographer and conversationalist. Definitely recommend!
  
 
       
   Christie L 
 2022-11-28
 
 
  An absolute must! No need to look any further and it made our Ankor experience the best it could be.
This was the best decision we made regarding visiting the Ankor complex. A private guide gives you so much more insight and Lekh is AMAZING!!!! His knowledge, stories and personal detail are on point and make the visit so much more worthwhile. He knew the best order to visit temples, how to avoid crowds and the best places to take photographs. He is an excellent photographer himself and it felt like we had our own personal photographer with us! Walking round the temples is tiring. Every time we got back in the car it was chilled and we got cold towels to freshen up with which were a godsend. Having a private tour means you can go at your own pace and Lekh is THE best. Thanks for everything 🙏
  
 
       
   Chm061987 
 2022-11-24
 
 
  Amazing places, great guide.
We have made our 2 days trip with Lekh and we have been really really happy about this. Lekh is a really professional guide and can give an answer to any question you have. I could notice love and passion in his eyes while walking around the temples and this reflects how positive your experience can be by visiting these amazing places with someone who really loves his job. Recommended!!!