With its most notable areas located close to one another, Phnom Penh continues to be a compact metropolis as it moves westward from the confluence of the Tonle Sap and Mekong rivers. From the ancient Wat Phnom to the opulent Royal Palace complex, enormous grids of concrete apartment complexes, lush boulevards lined with colonial-era houses, and dense, sweeping slums on its periphery, it contains a wide range of architectural styles. Odd-numbered addresses run north-south and even-numbered ones run east-west on its streets, with the numbers getting bigger the farther you get from the river.
The Tonle Sap to the east, Monivong Boulevard to the west, Sihanouk Boulevard to the south, and Wat Phnom to the north nearly encircle the city center. The majority of the city’s most popular tourist attractions and posh eateries are grouped together close to the riverbank along the palm-lined Sisowath Quay. The Royal Quarter, with its traditional Khmer architecture and expansive public areas, is located to its southwest. The bustling Central Market District, which encircles Psar Thmei, the city’s commercial district, is located farther north. Backpackers are drawn to the east end of Boeng Kak in the town’s northwest as well as Street 182 in the south. Both are home to inexpensive lodging options.
Other neighborhoods worth your time include Toul Tum Poung, the location of the renowned Russian Market, and Prek Leap, a restaurant district across the Japanese Cambodian Friendship Bridge.
Sisowath Quay
The most picturesque axis in Phnom Penh is this palm-lined shoreline. Sisowath Quay is a favorite of both promenading Phnom Penh locals and latte-sipping foreigners. It is home to a full mile’s worth of restaurants, cafés, pubs, and a sprinkling of hotels located in exquisite French colonial architecture. Sisowath, albeit fairly lifeless during the day, comes alive at night with crowds of hawkers that target both locals walking along the riverbank route and tourists and upper-class residents relaxing across the street while watching the sun set.
The rebuilt National Library and the U.S. Embassy are both located on Rue de France, which runs parallel to the quay and a short distance to the west. Embassy. The tallest hill in the city, Wat Phnom, is where Lady Penh is said to have created the settlement in the fourteenth century. It is located just below Rue de France.
Royal Quarter
The Royal Quarter’s magnificent monuments are dispersed around the city’s center, immediately south of Sisowath Quay. A sizable public area that stretches to the river is ostentatiously loomed over by the Royal Palace and its neighboring Silver Pagoda. The unassuming square, a well-liked meeting place, frequently sees a flurry of activity, including kite-flying children and merchants selling dteuk k’nai choo alongside picnicking families and monarchical orators.
The National Museum and Wat Ounalom, both to the north of the Royal Palace, are further noteworthy locations nearby. The National Assembly, Chaktomuk Theater, and Liberation Monument are to its south. The Independence Monument is near the intersection of Norodom and Sihanouk Boulevards, and to its east and west are crowded public parks.
Central Market District
From the thriving Psar Thmei central market, which is also known as Chinatown, emanates Phnom Penh’s commercial district. This market in the art deco style is bustling with activity, and the low-rise colonial blocks that surround it, most notably Norodom, Preah Monivong, and Sothearos Boulevards, are lined with hotels, government offices, banks, and commercial enterprises.
Boeng Kak
This suburb surrounds Boeng Kak Lake and is just a short stroll northwest of the Central Market District. Many of its flimsy buildings dangle well over the edge of the lake, supported by stilts, and are favored by backpacker groups for their affordable guesthouses, restaurants, and internet cafés along the lakefront Street 93. Although the majority of the lakefront businesses are technically squats and there are frequent reports that the area would soon be leveled, the neighborhood provides many contrasts to the wide French boulevards of central Phnom Penh, including packed tiny lanes bustling with motorbike and pedestrian traffic, temporary stilted residences, inexpensive restaurants, and picturesque sunset views over the lake (minus the heaps of floating trash). The French and British embassies, as well as the Phnom Penh Hotel, are located on Monivong Boulevard, which extends farther east of the lake. On the southeast end of the lake lies the Royal Railway Station.
Prek Leap
This district, which is just over the Cambodian-Japanese Friendship Bridge, is well-known for its abundance of dining and entertainment options. Numerous traditional Khmer and Chinese eateries along Route 6, and Prek Leap, a well-known weekend destination, is a few kilometers farther down the road and has even more roadside restaurants and drink kiosks.
Toul Tum Poung
Outside of Psar Toul Tum Poung, this extensive residential grid to the south of the city center does not include anything that attracts tourists (the Russian Market). At its southernmost point is Wat San Samkosal.