Dan's Adventure

In Pnhom Penh there is evidence of both a grand past and of the atrocities committed by Pol Pot’s Khmer Rouge.

Royal Palace

The Royal Palace is the official residence of the King and as a result various sections are out of bounds and armed guards patrol the grounds. The Royal Palace and the Silver Pagoda are both stunning buildings but apart from the impressive architecture and sculptures, there isn’t too much to see here.

National Museum

The National Museum of Cambodia is home to the world’s largest collection of Khmer sculpture. It is fascinating to see how the styles and focus developed over the centuries. The museum itself is a beautiful building with an open courtyard in the middle.

Independence Monument

The Independence Monument commemorates Cambodia’s independence from France which it gained in 1953. It is modelled on the central tower of Angkor Wat, the symbol of Cambodia.

Central Market

This giant yellow structure is difficult to miss. You can find absolutely anything you want here, from fresh food to knock off DVDs and shoes. In the middle there are a few food stalls offering cheap eats.

Cambodia-Vietnam Friendship Monument

The Cambodia-Vietnam Friendship Monument was built in 1979 in a rather communist style.

Tuol Sleng Museum

In 1975 Tuol Svay Prey High School was taken over by the Khmer Rouge and transformed into the largest centre of detention and torture in the country. Known then as S-21, more than 17,000 people were held there before being taken to the killing fields. People were rounded up under the pretence that they were going to re-education centres, hence the “studied” in the photo above. The brutality of the Khmer Rouge is documented through a series of photography exhibits which are all extremely well done. The one which impressed me most was a then and now exhibit which displayed photographs taken by a visitor to Cambodia whilst the Khmer Rouge were in power and his thoughts from then as well as what he now thinks about what he saw.

Killing Fields of Choeung Ek

The total number of people who were buried in the mass graves at Choeung Ek is still unknown, some of those that have been excavated have uncovered up to 1000 sets of remains in the tiny mass graves. In 1980 the remains of almost 9000 were exhumed and are now contained within the Memorial Stupa which was constructed on the site in 1988.