According to Wiki,
Phnom Penh is the capital and largest city of Cambodia. Located on the banks of the Mekong River, Phnom Penh has been the national capital since the French colonized Cambodia, and has grown to become the nation's center of economic and industrial activities, as well as the center of security, politics, economics, cultural heritage, and diplomacy of Cambodia.
Once known as the “Pearl of Asia”, it was considered one of the loveliest French-built cities in Indochina in the 1920s. Phnom Penh, along with Siem Reap and Sihanoukville, are significant global and domestic tourist destinations for Cambodia. Founded in 1434, the city is noted for its beautiful and historical architecture and attractions. There are a number of surviving French colonial buildings scattered along the grand boulevards.
Situated on the banks of the Tonlé Sap, Mekong and Bassac rivers, the Phnom Penh metropolitan area is home to more than 2 million of Cambodia’s population of over 14 million. The city is the wealthiest and most populous city in Cambodia and is home to the country’s political hub.
My second visit to Phnom Penh together with Kathy, the capital city of Cambodia was never short of new exploration and experience. Besides the foods and the historical architecture of the French Colonial building, we are also immense by a strong influence of Thai architectural significance of this city. Our first transit point was at the Bavet-Moc Bai checkpoint, where we travel from HCM city to this border town of Vietnam-Cambodia that takes us about 2 hours ride from Pham Ngu Lao St.From there, we have to take another stop @ a small town near Chau Doc where we have to cross the river.This small town where we are bound to meet lots of peddler selling their goods. Here is wat we were offered:
The living condition of the hardcore poor really touched our heart and truly remind us to be grateful and appreciate things that we have around us. As we know child labour is a common scene in this part of the world, we really ponder how the kids at this age suppose to be at school in my own country where here there are wandering around looking for more income and food to sustain their daily living....
As we reach the out pit stop around the city, heaps of TOYOTA's car can be seen around being it the Camry, Vios, to upper range Ninja King, making it as though we are in the Toyota City!
I was wondering how the heck this city can be cramped with vast of luxury cars whereby another layer of community is barely making ends meet at the vicinity suburban area!
We come to know the reality from our TUK TUK english speaking local (khmer), that likely most of the car here can sometime be smuggled in from neigbouring country of Thailand, and some from as far as America and Canada,and selling it to the locals middle income at a real dirt cheap price than offered in the America Continent!! NO wonder, those bugger can easily flashing their big huge luxury car around the town; (Some even have no car plate number on it).
After checking in to our hotel, we go straight towards the ROyal Palace area for our first local delights, known to most traveller to cambodia, a trip will not be complete without trying out their ever famous dish of AMOK (USD5), a green curry gravvy of chicken/beef or seafood, the vegetable spring roll (USD3), and Mango Salad (USD3)....of course not forgetting the famous Angkor beer (USD1.50), :)
We love the clear and not so spicy mushroom soup (USD5) too..
In the evening, we do drop at one of the largest and only City Casino Hotel in Phnom Penh, the NAGAWORLD (said to be owned by Singaporean company), where we are immense by the grandeur entrance and the glittering LED light ushering visitors and locals for its hive of outdoor activities and street play not to mention visitors who are here for their luck in gambling.
Apart from that, the hotel offers varieties of restaurant to choose from and a after dark hype lounge with mostly filled foreigners of different nations.
Yeap, we love the chandelier being hung on feature celing and wall of motif leaf made out of C&C cut-out gold-coated plate, brilliant idea. Kudos to the designer.:)
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