clog blog: Cambodia: Phnom Penh and Koh Rong Samleom

Also known as Kampuchea and Cambodge, Cambodia has hovered near the top of the travel wish-list for some time and a 10 day break over Christmas proved the perfect opportunity. The 12^th century temple of Angkor Wat is often the main draw-card for visitors, but Cambodia is so much more than just one temple. Over the 10 days we squeezed in Phnom Penh, Siem Reap, Sihanoukville and Koh Rong Samleom, and even that was just a taster!

In Phnom Penh, it was a very sobering afternoon at the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum. In order to understand a little bit about Cambodia, one should attempt to have some understanding of the Khmer Rouge regime and the impact it had and still has on Cambodia today. The aim of the Khmer Rouge was to make a classless society. In order to do this they executed all the educated people while everyone else was forced to work in the rice fields where many died of malnutrition, exhaustion and disease. Money, education, religion, freedom of movement and many other things were banned to create a ‘free’ society. The regime eventually turned on itself searching for imaginary enemies. No one was safe. The history of the Khmer Rouge is complicated and won’t fit into one paragraph. If you want to know more, read up on Pol Pot, Brother Number 1 and the Khmer Rouge. It is harrowing, be prepared to be disturbed.

Tuol Sleng Security Camp, or S-21 for short, was an ordinary high school in central Phnom Penh that was converted into a prison and torture camp during the Khmer Rouge. Prisoners were transported to S‑21, kept in cramped conditions, and tortured into giving false statements which then condemned them to death, even for something as simple as breaking a sewing machine needle in a factory (as part of a plot to undermine the regime, obviously). Inmates sometimes died at S-21 but most of the executions happened at the Killing Fields of Chuong Ek located a bit outside of the city to isolate the noise and smell. We chose not to go to Chuong Ek, S-21 was chilling enough. The audio guide at S-21 is very well done, respectful and essential to a visit here. We didn’t take any photo’s at S-21 as we thought this would be inappropriate.

Some 17 000 men, women and children passed through S-21 on the way to Chuong Ek. S-21 was one of many such camps all around the country. Between one and three million people died at the hands of the Khmer Rouge, with two million the most quoted figure, about a quarter of the population. Let that sink in for a minute. A quarter of the population. We struggled to make sense of the senseless killing and waste of life. The impact of this loss is still felt in Cambodia today with the country definitely still developing and emerging from its past. Having said that, we found Cambodians in general to be a friendly, welcoming and peaceful people.

Exploring in Phnom Penh also included a trip to the National Museum, a graceful terracotta structure with a beautiful and peaceful enclosed courtyard. The museum is home to a fine collection of Khmer sculptures including Pre-Angkorian and Angkorian works and also a collection of pottery and bronzes. Between the National Museum in Phnom Penh and the Angkor National Museum in Siem Reap, it is a wonder that there is anything left at Angkor itself! (Don’t worry, there is plenty.) We found the Museum to be really useful preparation for visiting the temples of Angkor, understanding the history behind the kings who built the temples and also the symbols of Hinduism and Buddhism that we would see at the temples. Definitely worth a visit and the audio guide is also worthwhile too.

The inner courtyard and terracotta buildings of the National Museum in Phnom Penh

Elephant statue

Bron trying to stay cool!

From the National Museum we went around the corner to the Royal Palace and Silver Pagoda. The palace is a striking structure on the riverfront with classic Khmer roofs and ornate gilding, and bears a strong resemblance to the Grand Palace in Bangkok. The palace is the official residence of the king and many areas are closed to the public. Remember to take a t-shirt with you, as wearing a wrap and being covered head to toe is apparently not sufficient, you have to be wearing an actual t-shirt as Bron discovered. If they are not happy with your dress you will be directed to buy a t-shirt and/or long pants before they will even sell you an entry ticket. The palace is worth a visit but unfortunately we did find it in need of some repair and maintenance.

Gardens and various buildings of the Royal Palace

Buddha statues in the garden

Stupas near the Silver Pagoda

Mural depicting the Hindu epic Ramayana

Buddha in the defeating evil pose

Phnom Penh is also full of wonderful NGOs making a difference in the lives of Cambodians. The few we experienced and enjoyed are Seeing Hands Massage (training blind people in massage therapy and offering employment), the Daughters of Cambodia shop and Sugar and Spice Café (helping victims of human trafficking), and the TREE restaurants and associated shops (Friends and Romdeng in Phnom Penh). Google, visit and support these wonderful initiatives!

On the streets of Phnom Penh at sunset

The Independence Monument at sunset

After a brief 1.5 days in Phnom Penh we made our way to Siem Reap and the temples of Angkor. Stay tuned for a separate bumper photo edition of our time at Angkor!

From Siem Reap we travelled to Sihanoukville. Sihanoukville is a super seedy town, there's no other way to put it, but it is also the gateway to the islands and we would not have stayed here unless we had to due to flight schedules. We avoided going into the town itself and just hung out at the two places we stayed at which we did enjoy. From Sihanoukville we caught the Speed Ferry fast-boat service to the island of Koh Rong Samleom for 3 days of sea, white sand, and tranquillity.

Not much happens on Koh Rong Samleom and that’s the point. Our accommodation was a rustic but comfortable bungalow in Saracen Bay, set in the sand with cosy chairs on the veranda. We spent 3.5 days combing the beach, swimming, napping, and enjoying BBQ grilled fish at night with our feet in the sand and a cat snoozing in our laps. The island doesn’t start waking up until about 08:00, we got up earlier and enjoyed the quiet early mornings on the beach before anyone else was around and before the heat set in. Most days we did the 30 min walk to Lazy Beach on the other side of the island where there was still shade until about 12:00 or so, and did just that, laze. And played a competitive game of the Saigon card game Traffic Oi or two. The restaurant on this side was also really good and cosy and perfect for an extended mid-day brunch. Overall a good way to end our time in Cambodge.