When planning a Camboisa tours, you shouldn’t exclude its Capital---Phnom penh. As the capital city of Cambodia, Phnom Penh is fairly young, only rising to the role in 1866, but it is still a city steeped in tradition and history, offering several cultural and historical sights. Phnom Penh is a port or a trading village and occasional capital city in the post-Angkorian period. The city came under French colonial control from 1863-1953, flourished in independence in the late 1950s through the 60s, was besieged and then evacuated by the Khmer Rouge in the mid and late 70s, repopulated in the 80s, revitalized in the 90s and now undergoing rapid change and development. The two main attractions in Phnom Penh are Royal Palace and National Museum, which can enrich your Cambodia holiday. Both of them were built during the French period. Most of important Angkorian artifacts and rare pieces from the whole country are displayed in the above two buildings. Phnom Penh is also a gateway to Cambodia. Siem Reap in the west, Sihanouk Ville on along the southern coast, the minority people, jungles and wildlife of the northeast provinces, and a wide-open, unspoiled countryside of rice paddies, villages and lost temples across the country. Phnom Penh can always provide you a way to be there. As the most important travel destination of Cambodia, Phnom Penh has different hotels and restaurants. Hotels along the river bank allow you to walk and access good restaurants Phnom Penh’s tour attractions include Independence Monument; Wat Phnom; National Museum, River Cruises; Royal Palace, Silver Pagoda; Architecture of Phnom Penh; Genocide Museum, Killing Fields. Find a professional Cambodia tour operator to make you a personal itinerary. We are the one.


PRACTICAL INFORMATION

1. Getting there & away

Land

Bus
Bus services have improved dramatically with the advent of revitalised roads in Cambodia, and most major towns are now accessible by air-conditioned bus from Phnom Penh. Most buses leave from company offices, which are generally clustered around Psar Thmei or located near the northern end of Sisowath Quay.Leading bus companies:

Capitol Transport (217627; 14 St 182) Services to Battambang, Poipet, Siem Reap & ¬Sihanoukville.

GST (012 895550; Psar Thmei) Services to Battambang, Poipet, Siem Reap, Sihanoukville & Sisophon.

Hua Lian (880761; 217 Monireth Blvd) Far-flung services include Ban Lung and Sen Monorom in the northeast, plus Battambang, Kampot, Kompong Cham, Kratie, Poipet, Siem Reap, Sihanoukville, Svay Rieng and Takeo.

Mai Linh (211888; 391 Sihanouk Blvd) Vietnamese company with buses toSiem Reap, plus Ho Chi Minh City.

Mekong Express (427518; 87 Sisowath Quay) Upmarket services to Battambang and Siem Reap (both US$9) complete with in-drive hostesses. Plus Ho Chi Minh City.

Neak Krohorm (219496; 24 St 108) S ervices to Battambang, Poipet, Siem Reap and Sisophon.

Paramount Angkor Express (427567; 127 St 108) Double-decker buses to Siem Reap and ¬Sihanoukville.

Phnom Penh Sorya Transport (210359; Psar Thmei) Most established company serving Battambang, Kampot, Kep, Kompong Cham, Kompong Chhnang, Kratie, Neak Luong, Poipet, Siem Reap, Sihanoukville, Stung Treng and Takeo.

RAC Limousine Bus (884179; 81 St 130) Luxury limousine bus serving Siem Reap (from US$10).

Rith Mony Transport (991329; 137 St 118) Buses to Kompong Cham, Kratie, Siem Reap, Sihanoukville and Stung Treng.

Virak Buntham (012 322302; St 106) Buses to Krong Koh Kong via NH48 and Cardamom gateway communities. Most buses charge a similar price, with the exception of premium services. The following list of destinations includes price, duration and frequency: Ban Lung (US$17.50, 12 hours, one daily), Battambang (US$4, five hours, frequent until midday), Kampot (US$3, three to four hours, several per day), Kompong Cham (US$2.50, two hours, frequent until 4pm), Kompong Chhnang (US$1.50, two hours, frequent), Kratie (US$5, five hours, several in the morning), Neak Luong (US$1.25, two hours, frequent), Poipet (US$7, eight hours, several early departures), Sen Monorom (US$10, 10 hours, one daily), Siem Reap (US$5, six hours, frequent until midday), Sihanoukville (US$4, four hours, frequent until midday), Stung Treng (US$9, seven hours, twice daily) and Takeo (US$2, two hours, frequent).

Most of the long-distance buses drop off and pick up in major towns along the way, such as Kompong Thom en route to Siem Reap or Pursat on the way to Battambang. However, it is necessary to buy tickets in advance to ensure a seat, plus a premium is usually charged for this service.

Train

There are currently no passenger services operating on the Cambodian rail network, but this should be seen as a blessing in disguise, given that the trains are extremely slow, travelling at about 20km/h. Yes, for a few minutes at least, you can outrun the train!

Just for reference, Phnom Penh’s train station is located at the western end of St 106 and St 108, in a grand old colonial-era building that is a shambles inside.

 

Boat

There are numerous fast-boat companies that operate from the tourist boat dock (Sisowath Quay) at the eastern end of St 104. Boats go to Siem Reap up the Tonlé Sap River and then Tonlé Sap Lake, but there are no longer services up the Mekong from Phnom Penh.

The fast boats to Siem Reap (US$20 to US$25, five to six hours) aren’t as popular as they used to be now that the road is in such good condition. When it costs US$5 for an air-conditioned bus or US$20 to be bundled on the roof of a boat, it is not hard to see why. It is better to save your boat experience for elsewhere in Cambodia if you have the choice.

Several companies have daily services departing at 7am and usually take it in turns to make the run. The first stretch of the journey along the river is scenic, but once the boat hits the lake, the fun is over as it is a vast inland sea with not a village in sight.

Express services to Siem Reap are overcrowded, and often appear to have little in the way of safety gear. Most tourists prefer to sit on the roof of the express boats, but don’t forget a head covering and sunscreen as thick as paint. Less-nimble travellers or fair-skinned folk might prefer to be inside. Unfortunately, not everyone can sit inside, as companies sell twice as many tickets as there are seats! In the dry season, the boats are very small and dangerously overcrowded, to the point that one or two have sunk.

2. Getting around

Being such a small city, Phnom Penh is quite easy to get around, although traffic is getting worse by the year and traffic jams are common around the morning and evening rush hour, particularly around Monivong and Norodom Blvds.

 

Bus & tram

Bus

Local buses don’t exist in Phnom Penh. Most Cambodians use motos or cyclos to get around the city. With the long, straight boulevards crisscrossing the city, it would be perfect for trams or trolley buses, but developments like these are still some years away

3.Money & costs

Money

Those looking to change cash into riel need look no further than jewellery stalls around the markets of Phnom Penh. Psar Thmei and Psar Tuol Tom Pong are the most convenient.

A number of upmarket hotels offer money-changing services, although this is usually reserved for their guests. Many travel agents can also change travellers cheques and offer credit-card advances for a 5% commission or higher. Most banks in Phnom Penh are open from roughly 8.30am to 3.30pm weekdays, plus Saturday mornings.

ANZ Royal Bank (726900; 265 Sisowath Quay) ATMs galore all over town, including at supermarkets and petrol stations.

Canadia Bank Head Office (215286; 265 St 110) Changes travellers cheques of several currencies for a 2% commission, plus free cash advances on MasterCard and Visa. Has an ATM.

Foreign Trade Bank (723466; 3 St 114; 7am-3.45pm Mon-Fri) Lowest commission in town on US dollar travellers cheques at 1%.

SBC Bank (990688; 315 Sisowath Quay; 8am-8pm) Convenient hours and location, plus represents Western Union.

Those needing to organise an international money transfer can use the Foreign Trade Bank. It may be quicker (and more expensive) to use an international company such as MoneyGram or Western Union. MoneyGram is represented by Canadia Bank, while Western Union can be found at SBC or Acleda Bank (998777; 61 Monivong Blvd).

 

4. Health & safety

Dangers & annoyances

Phnom Penh is not as dangerous as people imagine, but it is important to take care. Armed robberies do sometimes occur, but statistically you would be very unlucky to be a victim.

Should you become the victim of a robbery, do not panic and do not, under any circumstances, struggle. Calmly raise your hands and let your attacker take what they want. Do not reach for your pockets as the assailant may think you are reaching for a gun. You will most likely get any documents back later via your guesthouse or embassy, as the robbers often want only cash and valuables. For the time being, even passports and credit cards seem to be returned. Do not carry a bag at night, as it is more likely to make you a target.

It pays to be cautious in crowded bars or nightclubs that are frequented by the Khmer elite. Many pampered children hang out in popular places, bringing their bodyguards along for good luck. This is fine until a drunk foreigner treads on their toes or they decide they want to hit on a Western girl. Then the problems start and if they have bodyguards with them, it will only end in tears, big tears.

If you ride your own motorbike during the day, some police may try to fleece you for the most trivial of offences, such as turning left in violation of a no-left-turn sign. At their most audacious, they may try to get you for riding with your headlights on during the day although, worryingly, it does not seem to be illegal for Cambodians to travel without their headlights on at night. The police will most likely demand US$5 from you and threaten to take you to the police station for an official US$20 fine if you do not pay. If you are patient with them and smile, you can usually get away with handing over US$1. The trick is not to stop in the first place by not catching their eye.

The riverfront area of Phnom Penh, particularly places with outdoor seating, attracts many beggars, as do Psar Thmei and Psar Tuol Tom Pong. Generally, however, there is little in the way of push and shove.

Flooding is a major problem during heavy downpours in the wet season (June to October). Phnom Penh’s drainage system is notoriously unreliable and when the big rains kick off, some streets turn into canals for a few hours. The Japanese government is currently reworking the drains and sewers along the riverfront, which may well ease things. The downside is that much of the riverfront promenade has been fenced off during this work, which is scheduled to continue until 2009.

 

While you're there

Medical services

It is important to be aware of the difference between a clinic and a hospital in Phnom Penh. Clinics are good for most situations, but in a genuine emergency it is best to make for one of the hospitals.

Calmette Hospital (426948; 3 Monivong Blvd; 24hr) French-administered and the best of the local hospitals.

European Dental Clinic (211363; 160A Norodom Blvd; 7.30am-12.30pm & 1.30-7.30pm Mon-Sat) With international dental services and a good reputation.

International SOS Medical Centre (216911; www.internationalsos.com; 161 St 51; 8am-5.30pm Mon-Fri, 8am-noon Sat) One of the best medical services around town, but with prices to match. Also has a resident foreign dentist.

Naga Clinic (211300; www.nagaclinic.com; 11 St 254; 24hr) A French-run clinic for reliable consultations.

Pharmacie de la Gare (430205; 81 Monivong Blvd; 7am-7pm Mon-Sat, 8am-noon Sun) A pharmacy with English- and French-speaking consultants.

Royal Rattanak Hospital (365555; www.royalrattanakhospital.com; 11 St 592; 24hr)New international hospital affiliated to Bangkok Hospital and boasting top facilities.

U-Care Pharmacy (222399; 26 Samdech