Holidays to Phnom Penh

Cambodia’s exciting capital, Phnom Penh sits at the confluence of the meandering Mekong and Tonle Sap rivers in the country’s south-central region. Once the focal point of both the ancient Khmer Empire and Cambodia’s French colonial overseers, its diverse heritage is still evident throughout its thrumming streets, which today flaunt many of the hallmarks of a 21st-century city.

Along with the stunning Royal Palace, whose elaborately spired pavilion roofs shimmer with gold, travellers today flock here to explore the many ornate temples and pagodas which litter Phnom Penh’s pulsating streets and to admire the grandeur of its Art Deco French colonial buildings, which earnt it the nickname “The Pearl of Asia”. More recent additions include buzzing restaurants and bars, leafy urban parks and an irresistibly strollable riverfront.

Phnom Penh’s beating heart is its thriving Central Market, an Art Deco landmark whose interior teems with locals and travellers who navigate the throngs in search of fresh produce, fragrant flowers and lustrous jewels. Another notable attraction not to be missed, the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum showcases the tragedy of the Cambodian Genocide perpetrated by the Khmer Rouge, a Communist regime whose totalitarian rule over Cambodia between 1975 and 1979 brought terror and devastation to the country – a poignant reminder of the traumas of Cambodia's past and of the need for a continuing strive towards a brighter future.