Welcome to my review about Phnom Penh city tour. I'm Nancy Amanda, and today, I want to share with you my extraordinary journey participating in the Phnom Penh city tour organized by Auasia Travel. Explore the special experiences and impressions during this adventure with me.
Phnom Penh City Tour
After touring 14 days exploring Vietnam, I continued my trip for 10 days in Cambodia, visiting fantastic places and making my vacation unforgettable. In particular, the last time in Cambodia's capital, one day in Phnom Penh, left a deep impression on my mind.
Phnom Penh city
Walking through the corners of Phnom Penh, from the Reunification Palace to the Golden Pagoda, and experiencing the Phnom Penh city tour, I felt immersed in the atmosphere of the dynamic and energetic city.
Memories of Phnom Penh became special when I met and interacted with the locals during the city tour Phnom Penh. At this moment, writing this review is not only a way to share with everyone about my journey but also a way for me to review and reunite with the rich cultural world of Phnom Penh.
Travel to Phnom Penh
During the Phnom Penh city tour, I visited Wat Phnom first, a big place named after Phnom Penh city. It's 27 meters high, the tallest spot around. It's the main temple in the capital and a special place that many tourists visit every year. The guide told me a lot about the history and beliefs of the Cambodian people.
Wat Phnom - one day in Phnom Penh
Next, I visited Wat Ounalum, a Buddhist monastery serving as the headquarters for one of the most revered Buddhist sects in Cambodia.
Wat Ounalum
In my memory, the atrocities of the Khmer Rouge regime are deeply etched when I visited the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum, formerly a high school transformed into an interrogation prison known as S-21 during the Khmer Rouge era. Today, it serves as a serious reminder of the terrible crimes that happened during that dark period in Cambodian history. Walking through the narrow hallways and the haunting classrooms of this site, especially during the Phnom Penh city tour, immersed me in Cambodia's tumultuous past. The museum allows you to understand the pain that innocent Cambodians went through while being tortured on the museum grounds. I witnessed the documentation of the victims' stories and observed torture devices, including profound black-and-white photographs taken during the prisoners' time in the prison.
Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum - Phnom Penh
I went with the guide and my friend during the Phnom Penh day tours to have lunch at a famous and delicious Cambodian restaurant called Khmer Surin Restaurant. The restaurant has a beautiful view and cozy atmosphere which made me feel comfortable. I had the opportunity to enjoy the traditional dishes of the Khmer people.
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After lunch at Khmer Surin Restaurant, we continued to visit two other significant places in Phnom Penh.
Space of Khmer Surin Restaurant
The Royal Palace, a significant stop during the Phnom Penh city tour, is a very old and important place in Cambodia. It was built a long time ago in the 19th century and has seen many important events in Cambodia's history. People from the royal family and the king live there, and they also do traditional prayers and ceremonies.
Royal Palace
On one day in Phnom Penh, Silver Pagoda, also known as Wat Ounalom, is one of the largest and most important pagodas in Phnom Penh. In the middle of the city, the Silver Pagoda has nice and holy buildings. It's where one of the top Buddhist groups in Cambodia works, and it keeps a lot of important cultural and spiritual things. Going to the Silver Pagoda helped me understand more about Buddhism in this country.
Silver Pagoda
At the end of the Phnom Penh city tour day, we went to the National Museum, which had really cool Khmer art and statues from different times in Cambodia. I learned a lot about the country's rich culture.
National Museum
I selected the Sofitel Phnom Penh Phokeethra, one of the best 5-star hotels in Phnom Penh, for a one-night stay before returning to Lyon, France.
The following circuits should be considered:
Sofitel Phnom Penh Phokeethra - one day in Phnom Penh
I appreciate the excellent services provided by Auasia Travel, Vietnam travel agency and the hotels and restaurants they selected for me. My time in Vietnam and Cambodia allowed me to immerse myself in an authentic life, and these memorable experiences will stay with me forever.
Lyon, 7th July 2023
Nancy Amanda