Phnom Penh Views

25JAN2014 - Chinese New Year is an important celebration for local residents in Phnom Penh. Dragon dances are displayed for good lucks to the new year.

25JAN2014 - Praying for ancestors is crucial for the celebration of Chinese New Year. Many homes in Phnom Penh pray their ancestors with food, beverages, flowers, fruits and fakes money with the belief that the ancestors would use the money for their after life. 

25JAN2014 - Perhaps the most common dances is this dragon dance. During the Chinese New Year, dragon dances are believed to bring good lucks, wealth, and happiness to the family. 

06JAN2014 - Papaya Salad, a very well known street food dish. The main ingredient is green sliced papaya and it is mixed with other fresh vegetables and other spices. The more spicy, the more yummy. But wait, you can also order a non-spicy Papaya Salad.

16NOV2013 - Water Festival - a big and traditional festival of Cambodia. Celebrated for 3 days, water festival is to honoured the Cambodian navy during the 12th century who won the wars with the neighbouring countries. It is also an occasion for thanks giving to the Mekong and Tonle Sap rivers for offering fertile soil for the Cambodian agricultural sector, and marking the change of the water flow of the rivers. 

16NOV2013 - During the water festival, there are displays of fireworks, decorated lighting boats on the river, concerts and celebration of honouring the moon. While this festival is celebrated around Cambodia, Phnom Penh is always the biggest host of the festival attracting tens of thousands of people to the city each year. 

12OCT2013 - Memorial of the former King Norodom Sihanouk - the inauguration of the Memorial took place on October 11, 2013. The Memorial stands in the East of the Independence Monument.

12OCT2013 - Memorial of the former King Norodom Sihanouk - The Memorial costs USD 1.2 million. It consists of a 27-meter-high stupa sheltering the 4.5-meter-high copper statute of the former King Norodom Sihanouk. 

12OCT2013 - The former King died on October 15, 2013 at 89 years old. His life was dedicated to the independence from the French colony, national reconciliation and development.

12OCT2013 - A big religious and traditional funeral of the former King Norodom Sihanouk was held last year in Phnom Penh. His coffin was travelled across main boulevards of Phnom Penh before it was finally transferred into his crematory. The funeral was attended by tens of thousands of Cambodians from across the nation to pay their last respect. 

12OCT2013 - The Crematory of Norodom Sihanouk - the crematory was constructed just next to the Royal Palace. The cremation ceremony was held 3 consecutive days and was attended by the Royal family, members of the Cambodian Government, Cambodian citizens and leaders from around the world.

17SEP2013 - Most young adults in Phnom Penh has their own a motobike. It facilitates the transportation from home to school or workplace because there is no public transportation in the city at present. So in the evening, after school and work, it's very common for young adults to hang out with friends and driving their motobike sightseeing across the city. 

17SEP2013 - Phnom Penh Kids - The first picture is the most funny one when I came across a bunch of photos of Phnom Penh Kids. The boy who's showing his tongue is acting like a monkey lolz. They are happy, funny and like to smile. With gradual economic prosperity, children have been raised in a better way with education, food and entertainment. 

26AUG2013 - Le Moon, a perfect place to grab a beer or cocktail. It's an open terrace bar where you can see the night view of the street around. It's a very good place to hang out and have some chat, or just grab a drink and listen to the music while enjoying the view. 

14AUG2013 - Koh Pich. It's a new satellite city of Phnom Penh. It's a big river island. It's being developed into residential areas, commercial centers and entertainment clubs. Right now it's a very popular place for people to hang out in the evening. It's also a very expensive and famous wedding reception center. 

16AUG2013 - A security guard with a christmas tree. Christmas, although is not a national holiday, is becoming popular amongst young cambodians. Decorations are not commonly made at homes, but in supermarkets, malls and other places where people like to hang out. 

12AUG2013 - Skateboards are becoming more popular amongst young people in Phnom Penh. Something like this may not be seen 5 years ago, but not groups of skateboaders can be found in many big parks of the city.

12AUG2013 - Buddhist monks praying in front of the royal palace. The funeral of the former King Norodom Sihanouk last year attracted millions of people from all type to the city to pray in front of the royal palace. Each evening, there were thousands of monks organized in front of the palace to pray for the last seeing for the former king.

12AUG2013 - The Olympic Stadium. It's the biggest stadium in Cambodia. The building in the picture is the basket ball hall and it is also used as a place to address thousands of people during national celebrations. The stadium locates in downtown Phnom Penh; unfortunately, it is now being developed with high-rise buildings and being relocated to the suburb. 

10AUG2013 - Eclipse Sky Bar - It's an open-roof bar on the top floor of a 22-storey building downtown Phnom Penh. The view is amazing at night. There are a variety of food from snacks to main meal such as steaks and rice. But perhaps it's a very good place for some drink and chats with some friends or your spouse. You can have beers, wine, cocktails or soft drinks under the moon light with the view to the whole city.

10AUG2013 - Le Moon - Another sky bar but Le Moon is on a 4-storey building. It's a very good place for some drinks, chit-chat and listening to some music. The view from Le Moon is pretty amazing because it's located in the tourist block along the river so you can see many different activities and the view nearby. 

29JUNE2013 - Today is the second day that all political parties are allowed to advertise themselves to the public for the election in late July this year. In Phnom Penh, you will see a large scale of different political parties going along the streets with microphones. 

29JUNE2013 - Old Stadium. Well it's not the original name. Since a new stadium was constructed, people give name to this stadium as OLD Stadium. It's quite small for today's sport events and today it is used by residents nearby for some sports and jogging field in the evenings. 

29JUNE2013 - The National Assembly of Cambodia

28JUNE2013 - Phnom Penh Semi-Marathon - This year the city hosted its first semi-marathon in front of the Royal Palace. It was open to public but advanced registration was required. It was a great event.

28JUNE2013 - Cooking class - There are a few cooking schools that teach you to cook Cambodian food in Phnom Penh. It's quite popular and I don't think it's expensive. They will offer all the ingredients you need to cook and they will help you steps by steps as you cook. I think it's fun!!!

28JUNE2013 - Grand Phnom Penh, a satellite city of Phnom Penh. Grand Phnom Penh locates approximately 30 minutes drive from Phnom Penh downtown and it's under construction. It's designed for high class with villas and a big golf course. 

26JUNE2013 - I will never ever eat these ones. They're fried spiders!!! Well some local people eat them along with other insects. It's TRUE!!! Come and witness in Phnom Penh. I don't like spiders and they just look awkward to me even if they are friend or grilled!! Not my type of food by the way lol

26JUNE2013 - Steamed snails!!! A really good food!!! It's really delicious and you have to try it. We usually use a kind of spicy vinegar with steamed snails to add the taste. Probably it's a really good food for late afternoon snacks and it's a kind of street food so you can find it on many streets. I've tried it many times and it's just YUMMY!!!

25JUNE2013 - What are these??? Well they are fried crickets!!!! They're probably the best food for local people. Usually they serve as snacks and you can find them in many local markets. It's REAL crickets!!! But don't ask me how they taste because I've never tried them lol.

25JUNE2013 - local fast food store???? Perhaps it can be compared to modern fast food restaurants. Food is already cooked and you just order the one you like. It is sold in local markets and the price is cheap. 

25JUNE2013 - Olympic Stadium - locating downtown Phnom Penh. It's a place for hanging out and sports of course. Well besides sports, it's perhaps the most popular place for jogging, aerobics, and other types of exercise. Some just have a walk and see people around. It's really FUN!!!

21JUNE2013 - Not far from Sorya Shopping Center (see picture below) is the Golden Sorya Mall. Actually it's a night market. Although you can find a few shops opening during daytime, there are a lot more at nights. It's a mall but I think it's a good place for some dinner and beers lol.

21JUNE2013 - Ski shoes. It's very famous among local teenagers. You can find this place on the top floor of Sorya Shopping Center (see picture below). If you like ski shoes, this is perhaps the best place for you to go. It's not expensive and I think it's very entertaining with music on. 

21JUNE2013 - Sorya Shopping Center. This is the first and the biggest shopping complex in Phnom Penh. You can find almost everything from clothes to jewellery, CDs, games, food and cinema. This is perhaps the most attractive place for local teens and young adults because of many activities you can find. It's very crowded at weekends and on national holidays. 

21JUNE2013 - There are flag displays along the river side in Phnom Penh. I am not sure if there are flags of every country in the world but if you have a chance to take some sightseeing in Phnom Penh, why not find your country flag??? It will be fun :D

18JUNE2013 - Want to try some local desserts? You can find them along some streets in the evening (night desserts) or in almost every local market during daytime. Have a seat and point out to the seller the one you would like to try. They're not expensive and delicious. My favorite is the yellow one in the picture :-)

18JUNE2013 - A French colonial styled building. Not many of the colonial buildings remain in the city nowadays. 

Some have been renovated and conserved while others are left original by the owners. 

18JUNE2013 - Phnom Penh City Hall - a French colony style building located in the heart of phnom Penh. 

It's probably the biggest and the most preserved colonial building in the city. 

18JUNE2013 - Riverside - a very famous tourist place in Phnom Penh. Bars, clubs, restaurants, night market, souvenir shops, clothes shops and skybar make it the best place for visiting in the evenings. Grap some food or a glass of beer or some cocktails and listen to music and talking to people. I really like to go there to hang out with friends. It's a very good place!!!

13JUNE2013 - A small muslim market. This is an ordinary muslim market in the suburb of Phnom Penh. Muslims have been practicing fishing for centuries so their main products for the market are mainly fish. This is probably the reason why they like to live along the river for generations.

13JUNE2013 - This mosque locates along the National Road N.5, around 45minutes from Phnom Penh. There is a big muslim community there so there are many different mosques and muslim schools.

13JUNE2013 - There is quite a large muslim community in the suburb of Phnom Penh. While originally they migrated from central Vietnam, they have lived in Cambodia for hundreds of years. The community has their own schools, mosques, and traditions different from the rest of Phnom Penh.

13JUNE2013 - There are many activities you can do at Wat Phnom. While sightseeing is normally a nice way to enjoy, at the same time you can take photos, give fruits to monkeys, talk to local people and probably do some praying in the temple at the top of the hill. There used to be an elephant for riding there but now he is retired.

11JUNE2013 - Slum Houses. The buildings were built during the 1960s as modern condos and they are now locating in the richest part of the city. 

11JUNE2013 - Cambodian-Vietnamese Friendship Monument at Botom Park. 

10JUNE2013 - This is what the traffic is like in Phnom Penh during rush hours. So congested and so difficult to move around. Because of the fast growing population of the city, the traffic becomes worse from one year to another. Sometimes it is faster to drive through blocks of buildings along smaller streets.

10JUNE2013 - Jewellery sellers inside the Central Market. The Central Market is very popular for jewellery and souvenirs. They sell many types from traditional to modern styles and have a range of prices to suit the need of customers.

10JUNE2013 - the craft of an angel. This is a part of the gate of the Royal Palace.

06JUNE2013 - A local young female dancer. It is said to dance beautifully, you should learn when you are young. It's probably true. For the Cambodian Royal Ballet Dance which is a very popular traditional dance, it takes years to practice and to dance correctly. It's not easy. 

06JUNE2013 - The Unesco Office. The office is a french colony building situated just opposite the National Museum. Right now not many colony buildings remain and they are now under conservation. Normally, the colony buildings are painted with dark yellow.

06JUNE2013 - Illuminated Royal Palace, Phnom Penh. During national holidays or national festivities, sightseeing around the river side is probably the best idea. There are so many fun activities and a lot of amazing views such as the illuminated palace.

05JUNE2013 - Egg seller. She sells chicken eggs, duck eggs, salty eggs. It's a common type of a small business. If you go to ordinary markets in Phnom Penh, you will find a lot of egg sellers.

05JUNE2013 - Central Market Today. The market has just been renovated recently and now it becomes a very well-known shopping centre for tourists. There are good souvenirs and jewellery. It's probably the best shopping place for you. 

05JUNE2013 - Central Market in the 1960s. It was the most modern and biggest market in Cambodia at that time. 

04JUNE2013 - Local people doing Taiji. Taiji is a traditional Chinese exercise and it's becoming popular amongst late adults and seniors in Phnom Penh. They usually have their own group and a leader and sometimes with music on. Taiji is a slow motion exercise so it is safe and helps facilitate blood movement.

04JUNE2013 - Tuk Tuk. It's a TAXI!!! There are many types of taxi in Phnom Penh. You can have a Tuk Tuk, a moto taxi, a Cyclo or a car taxi. Tuk Tuk is becoming very popular right now especially amongst both local and foreign visitors. They are safe and cheap and you can travel around the city easily. You can find Tuk Tuk in every corner of the city.

04JUNE2013 - Phnom Penh two centuries ago. It was just a small village and river was an important route for internal trades. People built their houses on water and formed a floating village and used boats as a form of transportation. Right now only a few floating houses remain and they belong to fishermen.

03JUNE2013 - Monivong Blvd during rush hour. It's very crowded with lots of traffic lights and it's moving so slowly. It's a very busy commercial street, yet it's not a street you should drive along if you do not intend to buy anything. I prefer to take up smaller roads because there is less traffic.

03JUNE2013 - Sunset at the National Museum. It's very quiet at the National Museum in the late afternoon yet you can capture the best view from sunset. It's so beautiful that an old find-art building is turing into black and disappearing into the dark.

02JUNE2013 - Local people praying. The majority of Cambodians are buddhists. Usually people pray with incenses, candles and lotus. Praying is not necessarily done to Buddha because people also believe in spirits and they pray for good health, good fortune and happiness.

02JUNE2013 - Traffic at the Independence Monument. It's one of the busiest traffic in the city because it's the most popular place to travel around at night. There are many restaurants and entertaining activities around the Independence Monument so local people usually go around there for hanging out and have some fun. It's also a good place for sightseeing.

28MAY2013 - Royal Ploughing. Each year in May, the royal ploughing ceremony takes place in the ploughing field in front of the national museum in Phnom Penh. It's also the national holiday. The field is ploughed by the king and queen as an indication of the arrival of the harvesting season. Since Cambodia is an agricultural country, the ceremony is celebrated to predict the agricultural activities of the year.

28MAY2013 - While the king is the one to do the ploughing, the queen throws the seeds different types of crops commonly harvested in Cambodia. 

28MAY2013 - Vesak Day, one of the biggest buddhist ceremony in Cambodia. This year there is a march of buddhist monks along the riverside in front of the Royal Palace. Vesak Day is the birth anniversary of Buddha.

23MAY2013 - The Royal Palace is one of the most attracting tourist destinations in Phnom Penh. The Royal Palace was constructed in 1866 and it is home to the Cambodian Royal Family. The Royal Palace is the symbol of king, religion and culture of Cambodia.

23MAY2013 - There are a lot of birds that naturally come to find food in the garden in front of the Royal Palace. The garden has now been converted into a bird feeding place where we can buy corns, rice and other food for all these birds.

23MAY2013 - There are many temples inside the Royal Palace to serve different purposes. This picture is the Silver Pagoda. It is a buddhist temple made from silver inside and it severs religious purposes of the Royal Family.

23MAY2013 - The Royal Palace at sun set. The palace is situated in front of Chaktomuk River, the main river of Phnom Penh. It takes around 5 minutes walk from the Royal Palace to the river bank.

23MAY2013 - Ounalom Pagoda, the most famous buddhist temple in Phnom Penh. Built in 1443, it is one of the oldest buddhist temple in Cambodia. The pagoda is housed to buddhist monks who practice the religion everyday. It is open to publics and it is just around 10 minutes walk from the Royal Palace. 

21MAY2013 - Cambodia Angkor Air. This is the new and the first Cambodia's airline. It's been operating for less than one year. Its price and the service is very comparable to other foreign airlines you can find in Cambodia.

21MAY2013 - Phnom Penh International Airport, the biggest airport in Cambodia. It's around 15 minutes drive from the city center. The number of arrivals is on the rise and to the recent data, around 3 million tourists arrive at this airport annually. 

20MAY2013 - People wearing traditional clothes from the 10 countries of Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN). They are praying with lotus flowers at a small temple on the river side near the Royal Palace. Local residents have a strong belief with this temple. 

20MAY2013 - The Office Council of Ministers, situated on the Russian Blvd. The construction was completed in 2010 with modern architecture. There is a little pyramid inside the building and you can see it as you pass along the Blvd. 

20MAY2013 - Next to the Office of the Council of Ministers is the Peace Palace, a mixture of traditional and modern Khmer architecture. The construction was completed just before the meeting of Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) in November 2012. The building is used to welcome important foreign officials and to host important national and international meetings.

18MAY2013 - Sunset in front of the Royal Palace. Along the Mekong River, there are many nice traditional buildings like the Royal Palace and it is a great place to see the sunset. We can take a boat trip along the river and the view of the river bank at sunset is amazing.

18MAY2013 - Night in Phnom Penh

17MAY2013 - Constructed in the early 1890s, the Naga Bridge (Dragon Bridge) was destroyed during the Khmer civil war. This bridge linked from the main boulevard (now Norodom Boulevard) to Wat Phnom, the central part of Phnom Penh.

17MAY2013 - New Naga Bridge was re-constructed and completed in 2006. It reminds the history of Phnom Penh in the old days and helps raise the beauty of the city. In the past, the bridge was built over a canal, but today the canal is converted to a park (Naga Bridge Park).

17MAY2013 - On 14 April 2013 came the Khmer Lunar New Year. This year is represented by a Snake, an animal among twelves others of the lunar new year. The celebration is widespread across the country from 14-16 April. Wat Phnom (see the picture) is the central place in Phnom Penh to welcome the new angel with religious ceremonies, traditional dancing, games and firework displays. 

16MAY2013 - Aerobics is very popular in Phnom Penh, especially among female adults. Starting from 5pm, it's aerobics time in many parks across the city. There is usually a group leader who organizes the music and leads the dances, and each person is charged for around USD 0.25 for a whole evening exercise. Everyone is welcome to dance!!!

16MAY2013 - Street food in Phnom Penh is very popular. It's where usually teen friends gather and have some food together. Most street food shops open from 3pm until late at night but normally street food is usually for late afternoon snack. It's cheap and delicious. 

10MAY2013 - Former Phnom Penh Railway Station Center!!! The building is of French architecture and constructed during the French colonial era. The building used to be in yellow but in white because it is converted into the office of Asian Development Bank (ADB). Now the government is planning to convert this whole block for pedestrians and I'm waiting for this project :D

10MAY2013 - Cambodia Post Office!!! This is the first and the biggest post office in Cambodia. The building is of French style since it was built during the French colonial era. It is now one of the few colonial buildings remained in Phnom Penh.

10MAY2013 - These are buddhist monks. More than 80% of the Cambodian population are buddhists. Therefore, monks are very respected. These monks are coming back to a pagoda (buddhist temple) from a buddhist school.

09MAY2013 - This is Monivong Blvd and it's the busiest commercial street. There are problems with traffic jams during rush hours. 

09MAY2013 - These are cyclos (cee-clo). They are like taxi in the modern days. You can call them to drop you at a place and they will charge a price. Cyclos originated during the French colonial era in 1900s but now they are disappearing since local people prefer modern type of vehicles. 

08MAY2013 - The elephant being welcomed by a Phnom Penh resident. Although it is not common that local people provide him some fruit while he is on the road, there is a place called Wat Phnom in the middle of the city where he used to live that allows tourists and local people to buy some fruits for him. I've never tried though and I'd love too.

08MAY2013 - This is the only elephant you can see in Phnom Penh. His name is Sambo. He used to carry tourists on its back for sightseeing. However, he now retires due to its very old age. He is now being taken care of in Ta Mao Zoo. In January 2013, he was celebrated his 53th birthday.