AREA ATTRACTIONS IN Phnom Penh

Situated on the site of the former Citadel, it was built by King Norodom in 1866 on the banks of the Mekong River. Inside its gleaming yellow walls are the Throne Hall; the Chan Chaya Pavilion, specially made for performances of classical Cambodian dance; the Napoleon III Pavilion, offered to King Norodom by Queen Eugenie, wife of Napoleon III, and the King's and Queen's residential quarters. Nowadays, only the Silver Pagoda can be visited.

• (Sothearos between Street 240 & 184 - $3.00/person, $2.00/camera, $5.00/video cam. Open everyday, 7:30-11:00 / 2:30-5:00)
  
  

Located just next to the Royal Palace, this is the most famous pagoda in Phnom Penh . It was built in 1962 to replace an earlier wooden temple. The name comes from the 5281 tiles of silver, each weighing a little above one kilogram, that cover the floor. The altar houses a life sized Buddha, made of 90 kilograms of pure gold and covered with 9,584 diamonds, the largest being 25 karats.

• Admission: USD2 (included in the ticket to the Royal Palace ). Cameras are USD2 extra and videos USD5. Flash cameras are prohibited.

Located just north of the Royal Palace, the museum houses distinctive Khmer art sculptures dating from 6th-7th century and ancient pottery dating from the pre-Angkorian periods of Funan (4th-9th centuries) to the classical Angkor period (9th-10th centuries). Visiting the museum, ones will not only be enthralled with ancient artifacts but also the recent works of craftsmanship.
Walking behind the main building you will be impressed with students of the School of Fine Arts who practise traditional Khmer dances for the sake of pursuing the heritage of their forefathers

• Admission USD2. Street 178 & Street 13, next to the Royal Palace - 8:00-11:30 and 2:00-5:00 , open everyday.

Prior to 1975, Toul Sleng was a high school. When the Khmer Rouge came to power it was converted into the S-21 prison and interrogation facility. Inmates were systematically tortured, sometimes over a period of months, to extract confessions, after which they were executed at the killing fields of Choeung Ek. S-21 processed over 17,000 people, seven of whom survived. The building now serves as a museum, a memorial and a testament to the madness of the Khmer Rouge regime. Much has been left in the state it was when the Khmer Rouge abandoned it in January 1979. The prison kept extensive records, leaving thousands of photos of their victims, many of which are on display. Paintings of torture at the prison by Vann Nath, a survivor of Toul Sleng, are also on display. The museum's famous and controversial “skull map” has recently been dismantled.

• Admission USD2. Corner of Street 113 & Street 350 - Open everyday, including holidays, 8AM-5PM Closed for lunch

From 1975-1979 the ultra-Communist Khmer Rouge regime, led by Pol Pot, controlled Cambodia . During their short reign, between 1 and 2.5 million Cambodians perished, some killed outright, others dying from disease, malnutrition and mistreatment. Many of the dead ended up in “killing fields” I that can be found across the country. The memorial at 1 Choeung Ek just outside Phnom Penh was an orchard! and a Chinese cemetery prior to 1975. During the Khmer Rouge regime it became one of the killing fields the site of the brutal executions of more than 17,000 individuals, most of whom first suffered through torture and deprivation in Toul Sleng Prison. Choeung Ek is now a group of mass graves and a memorial stupa containing thousands of skulls. Combine with a visit to Toul Sleng Genocide Museum .

• 15km southwest of Phnom Penh - Take Monireth 8.5 km past the bridge at Street 271