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Phnom Penh: Still a pearl of Asia
Wat Phnom, one of the landmarks in the north of Phnom Penh, is built on a man-made hill
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Wat Phnom, one of the landmarks in the north of Phnom Penh, is built on a man-made hill.
But even if tarantula isn't your thing, there are the golden spires of the Royal Palace or the distinctive saffron robes of the monks ' often with saffron umbrellas to match, as they go on their early morning rounds.
Or, there are the dilapidated art deco style French colonial-era buildings lining the streets of the old city and the tree-lined promenade along the banks of the mighty Mekong.
Phnom Penh is also a city of extremes: chaos and calm, poverty and glitz, an ancient past and a young capital on the move.
The city is not just another Asian metropolis, but represents an older, slower Asia that still retains many of the characteristics that gave it the title of 'Pearl of Asia' in former decades.
As a resident of Jakarta, Phnom Penh seems like a veritable oasis in comparison. It has much to offer visitors: first, with a population of just over 2 million, Phnom Penh is a much more manageable city that the likes of Jakarta or Bangkok.
It is easy to get around, has superb restaurants and bars, including a good selection of French as well as Khmer restaurants, and is one of the cheapest cities in Asia.
One of the special attractions that go with the French and Italian cuisine is that wine comes at a fraction of the price in Jakarta. There is no tax on alcohol yet!
Almost everything of interest can be reached with a short ride by tuk-tuk. These are ubiquitous, comfortable ' unlike Jakarta's smoky and noisy bajaj (three-wheeled taxi) ' and also cheap. It's like riding around town in your own little chariot.
One of the jewels in the crown of old Phnom Penh is its gleaming gilded Royal Palace, the official home of King Sihamoni.
Hidden behind its protective walls, the classic Khmer structure with its low curving roofs is an oasis of calm and green gardens. Much of the complex is off limits to provide the King with a little privacy, but the impressive Throne Hall and Silver Pagoda are both open to the public.
The Throne Hall is topped by an impressive 59-meter tower and used for coronations and the presentation of credentials by visiting diplomats. Despite its strongly traditional Khmer character, the Hall of Thrones was inaugurated relatively recently in 1919.
The other major building open to the public is the Pagoda of the Emerald Buddha, also known as the Silver Pagoda in reference to its floor that is covered with over 5,000 silver tiles each weighing 1 kilogram.
The Silver Pagoda was one of the few buildings not plundered by the Khmer Rouge, as they wanted to prove to the outside world that the treasures of Cambodia were in good hands. Despite being badly looted in the turmoil surrounding the Vietnamese invasion in 1980, it remains a spectacular testament to the richness of Khmer civilization.
Located northwest of the Royal Palace and within easy walking distance is the National Museum of Cambodia housed in a traditional Khmer-style building.
The museum is well worth a visit, especially if you intend to go on to visit the temples of Angkor, from where many of the exhibits have been taken for safekeeping.
On display is a millennium's worth of evolution of Khmer sculpture, the likes of which can be found in no other museum in the world.
Centered on a courtyard garden, it is best to turn left at the entrance and move clockwise in chronological order, starting from the Indian-influenced human forms of the 5th century, through to the more divine Khmer forms of the 8th century, and then on to the classical Angkorian styles from the 10th to the 14th century.
One of the highlights is a sublime statue of Jayavarman VII, who reigned from 1181 to 1219 and under whose rule the 'new' city of Angkor was designed and built.
Phnom Penh has several lively and curious markets, where you can easily haggle away half a day. The most central is the Psar Thmei market ' a landmark art-deco building that is also called the Central Market in reference to its size and location. It has recently been renovated back to its former glory with assistance from the French government.
Housed under a huge dome with four wings, this is a thriving cacophony of humanity selling just about everything. The fresh food section to the west is a photographer's dream, with piles of crabs, strange-looking shellfish, live eels in tanks, and skinned frogs.
No one who comes to Phnom Penh for the first time can easily ignore the tragic and brutal history of the city under Pol Pot's murderous Khmer Rouge.
For those inclined to pay their respects to those unfortunates who lost their lives here in the late 1970s, a visit to Tuol Sleng Museum is an experience that provokes serious contemplation and introspection.
In 1975, the junior school of Tuol Svay Prey was turned into Security Prison 21, or S-21, which soon became the largest torture center in the country. Between 1975 and 1978 more than 17,000 people passed through here almost all on their way to their demise in the killing fields outside the city.
It is all the more shocking that such a banal building as a school should have been converted to such a use. Some of the rooms display harrowing black and white photographs of some of the thousands who suffered here, including many women and children.
After visiting S-21, it's probably time to chill out and sample Phnom Penh's legendary nightlife. I used to think that Jakarta was Asia's best kept secret when it came to nightlife, but now I have to admit that Phnom Penh takes the prize.
Happy hour cocktails are the best way to get started, with many bars offering two-for-one deals. Popular bars are the sophisticated Elephant Bar in the colonial Hotel Raffles Le Royal, whose 'happy hour' stretches all the way to 9 p.m.
Another option, but one with cool breezes and a superb view across the Mekong, is the famous Foreign Correspondents' Club.
Then there are literally hundreds of hole-in-the-wall bars and restaurants along the riverfront and running into the streets behind, some like the Memphis Pub with great live music.
Later night clubs on or close to Rue Pasteur include the infamous Heart of Darkness, with its Angkorian themes, together with the slick Pontoon around the corner, where the young and trendy go dancing until around 5 a.m.
And finally, back to those tarantulas. If you really want to be adventurous then check out the Romdeng restaurant, situated in a lovely old French era villa with a swimming pool, which gives valuable work experience to previously out-of-work young Cambodians.
Included in a huge choice of Khmer recipes are its legendary deep-fried tarantulas with sauce. If you're in Phnom Penh, you've got to try them once ' a bottle of red wine will help to wash them down.
' Photos by Peter Milne
