Southeast Asia Travel Journal

Those who follow me on Twitter or Facebook have probably seen my updates promoting Phnom Penh as a good "chill-out" destination. A few people have questioned this choice, so I thought I might provide some elaboration.

Now, I’ve never suggested that Phnom Penh was a destination in itself. You wouldn’t fly all the way from North America or Europe just to visit Phnom Penh, but as part of a trip to see the temples of Angkor, the Cambodian capital makes a nice "decompression stop" to relax and take things easy after several days spent exploring the ancient temples. There are things to see and do in Phnom Penh, but it’s more a place of atmosphere, where you can take it easy and just soak it all in.

Granted, there are other places that might fit the bill, but here’s my five reasons why I like Phnom Penh:

1. It’s not Bangkok
   Bangkok is a crazy, maddening place that never sleeps and nothing ever makes sense. I love it. As much as I’ve tried to wrap my head around living somewhere else in the last few years, I just can’t do it. Still, I am a traveler, so as much as Bangkok is my "home", the urge to go someplace else for a while is never far away. While I may like to get away from Bangkok from time to time, I’m still something of a city-person, so my preferred getaway destinations are still cities. But as cities go, Phnom Penh is, figuratively, as far away from Bangkok as you can get in an hour. Vietianne also fits this bill, but not quite as well.
2. Architecture
   A long time ago, I planned to be an architect. I even spent the five years in university to get a degree in it, but that was several careers ago. However, I still have an interest in architecture, which probably explains my fascination with every pile of stones that dots the region. But it doesn’t have to be old to interest me, and Phnom Penh has probably the best collection of pre-modern architecture in Southeast Asia. There are some lovely old colonial era villas, in various states of decay, as well as some fine art deco and modern public structures built in the post-independence years. There are, as yet, no high rises in the city, although I don’t think that will last much longer. There’s even an organization that offers Khmer Architecture Tours.
3. Boutique Beds
   Phnom Penh seems to exist in some kind of strange hotel chain-free zone, devoid of any international hotel brands, save for a single Intercontinental hotel and the Raffles affiliated Le Royal. This has left the market wide open for a cornucopia of small hotels and guesthouses. Many of these places make use of the old villas and shop-houses that dot the city, especially the quay-side. I’ve stayed in several of them now. Each has its own charms, and all have the pleasure of staying in a small hotel with character.
4. Fantastic Food
   Southeast Asia is a foodies paradise. It’s hard to beat the native foods of Thailand, or Cambodia for that matter. But variety, as they say, is the spice of life. Phnom Penh is second only to Siem Reap in the number of great restaurants, cafés and coffee shops. There’s probably the best Khmer restaurant, Malis, as well as what may be the best cookies in Southeast Asia at Java Gallery.
5. Dancing in the Park After Dark
   One of the things that struck me on my most recent trip in December 2009 is how much the locals seem to enjoy the city’s many open spaces at night. Once night falls, almost every park is filled with locals hanging out, eating or dancing. Yes, you read that right, dancing. I found this activity happening at the park in front of Wat Botum, near the Royal Palace. The park was filled with people, and projection screens showing the photos from a year in Phnom Penh as the result of the Photo Phnom Penh festival. But near the end of the park, close to the Independence Monument, I heard music. As I approached I spied rows of people dancing to the music. This was not aerobics mind you, this was… line dancing. It was a strange, and quite endearing sight.

So, there you have it, five reasons to consider Phnom Penh, whether for a long weekend or as part of a tour to Angkor.