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National Museum

Why? Its recent history has left the Cambodian capital in a sorry state, but those who travel to Phnom Penh will find that its post-war infrastructure is slowly recovering and the city is slowly redeeming a glimmer of its former reputation as the 'Paris of the East'. Wide avenues, parks along the riverfront, cafes and colonial architecture are the city's beauty spots, worth enjoying as one absorbs the local colour on a Phnom Penh holiday.
When? It is best to avoid travel to Phnom Penh during the heavy rains and strong winds of the monsoon season, between June and October, and during the hottest month of the year, which is April. The tropical climate means the city is hot and humid all year round, but temperatures are more bearable between November and January, so this is the best time to holiday in Phnom Penh.
Who for? Westerners who are shocked by rubbish piled in streets and put off by touts and beggars accosting them on the crowded pavements are not likely to enjoy a holiday in Phnom Penh. Anyone, however, who is keen to see and experience the hidden charms of one of Asia's greatest cities, should travel to Phnom Penh.
More Info: Find out all there is to see and do during a Phnom Penh holiday in our informative Phnom Penh travel guide, which also contains details of how to get around the city.

Overview

Legend has it that in 1372, a local widow named Penh, discovered four Buddha statues that had been washed up by the waters from the Mekong River. She saw them as bearers of good fortune and erected a temple on the hill to house them, and so the city grew around this structure, known as the Hill of Penh (Phnom Penh).

Once considered to be the loveliest of Indochina's French-built cities, this untidy capital sprawls at the confluence of the Mekong, Bassac and Tonlé Sap Rivers. Concrete buildings in need of repair, unsealed roads riddled with potholes and a confusion of boulevards crammed with traffic, all make uninviting first impressions. Traces of Khmer and colonial eras can be found in the little details, redeeming those first hasty conclusions. These can be found in the heart of the city where French villas and street-side cafes perch along tree-lined boulevards and the occasional majestic Khmer building catches the eye.

Phnom Penh has a number of Wats (temple-monasteries), museums and other places of interest in and around the city, as well as sunset cruises on the Mekong and Tonlé Sap Rivers, and a bustling market place. There has also been a recent boom of new hotels, restaurants, bars and nightclubs sprouting up through the city and a nightlife that promises fun and flavour.