Phnom Pehn is the second leg of our Indochina trip. We arrived there by bus from Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.
Phnom Pehn is the capital city of Cambodia and according to Wikipedia, it is the most populous city in the country and it was once known as the "Pearl of Asia", being considered as one of the loveliest French-built cities in Indochina. Phnom Pehn, just like Siem Reap, is also one of the most famous destinations in Southeast Asia. Most Cambodians understand and speak English.
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| The Indepence Monument was built in 1958 for Cambodia's independence from France in 1953. (Source: Wikipedia) |
HOW TO GET THERE
BY AIR
As Phnom Pehn is one of most popular destinations in the world, most major airlines have a direct flight to and from the city. If your city of origin does not have a direct flight to and from Phnom Pehn, try a connecting flight via your country's capital city. Try these airlines, Cambodia Airlines, Vietnam Airlines, Cebu Pacific, Philippine Airlines, Air Asia, Jetstar Asia, Thai Airways, Singapore Airlines, Malaysia Airlines, Garuda Indonesia, Japan Airlines, ANA, etc.
BY BUS
How to travel overland from Ho Chi Minh City to Phnom Pehn
How to travel overland from Ho Chi Minh City to Phnom Pehn
As mentioned above, we arrived in Phnom Pehn by bus via a Kumho Samco bus from Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC), Vietnam but the most popular Cambodian bus is Mekong Express, I suggest you use this bus company instead. Mekong Express' boarding point is at 275F, Pham Ngu Lao St., for drop off point, just check your ticket when booking, but no worries, tuktuks are widely available in Phnom Pehn when you disembark from your bus. Travel time from HCMC to Phnom Pehn is 6 hours. Find out how we travel overland from Ho Chi Minh City to Phomn Pehn to Siem Reap to Bangkok.
GETTING AROUND
You can get around Phnom Pehn via a Moto, a Cyclo or via a Tuktuk (the most popular among tourists). When we disembarked from our bus at Preah Sihanouk Blvd, we were greeted by Chan Thol, a tuktuk driver, we hired him and we negotiated for our fare to and from Tuol Sleng. After that, we asked to be dropped at the National Museum where we then rested for awhile before walking back our way to our hostel. Chan Thol understands and speaks English, his number is 086-936-185 or 010-961-638.
CURRENCIES ACCEPTED: US Dollar & Cambodian Riel are used but quite surprisingly, some of the vendors of souvenir items accept our Philippine peso especially in Siem Reap.
WHERE TO STAY
There are many places that you can stay in Phnom Pehn but when we were there, we stayed at Longlin House I, a backpacker's area. Other hostels/hotels nearby are: Lovely Jubbly Place, The Happy House, The Happy House Zone, The Pavilion Hotel, Aura Thematic Hostel, Blue Lime Hotel, Asia Tune Hotel, Okay Boutique Hotel, Rachana Hostel, La Maison D'Ambre Hotel, etc. Although we did not have a good accommodation because we booked for a fan room (book an aircon room and thank me later), Longlin House has a very friendly staff, and the location is just a walking distance from the National Museum of Cambodia.
TOURIST ATTRACTIONS & THINGS TO DO
Because we only had an overnight stay in Phnom Pehn, we only visited and did the following:
THE INDEPENDENCE MONUMENT
(picture above)
NATIONAL MUSEUM OF CAMBODIA
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| Me at the National Museum of Cambodia. On the left side behind me, there are several seats that you can use for relaxation. We did not enter the museum, upon entering the gate, no fee is collected. If you want to go inside the museum, you can purchase the ticket at the right side near the gate. |
TUOL SLENG GENOCIDE MUSEUM/S-21
Entrance: US$3.00 without audio (price may increase)
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| The Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum is a museum in Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia, chronicling the Cambodian genocide. The site is a former high school which was used as the notorious Security Prison 21 (S-21) by the Khmer Rouge regime from its rise to power in 1975 to its fall in 1979. Source: Wikipedia |
CAMBODIA POST OFFICE
FRIED FROG
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| I cannot say that this is a must try but if you love exotic food, you might want to give it a try. How this tastes like? This tastes like chicken. |
ICED CAMBODIAN COFFEE - US$1
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| I love coffee and I love this. This is a must try for coffee lovers. |
OTHER SITES AND THINGS TO DO IN PHNOM PEHN
Silver Pagoda
Central Market
Russian Market
Wat Phnom
Wat Ounalom
Tonle Bati
VISA REQUIREMENTS
ASEAN passport holders are visa-free in Cambodia. If you are from other countries, click here for your visa requirements.
How about you? Have you been to Phnom Pehn or Chaktomukh? Or have you been to any places in Cambodia? How was your experience?
BUS TICKET: You can book your ticket from Ho Chi Minh City to Phnom Pehn, Ho Chi Minh City to Siem Reap, Ho Chi Minh City to Sihanoukville and other destinations. IMPORTANT: When booking, always double check the date and time, the destination and the boarding and drop-off points.
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