Phnum Pénh is a Provinces of Cambodia. Phnom Penh has a land area of 290 square kimlometer. Bordering with Kandal and Kampong Speu provinces.

Introduction

Phnom Penh is the Capital of Cambodia. Stretching North of South on West side of the confluence of the Tonle Sap & Mekong River. The area is 12square kilometers.

Phnom Penh is a vibrant bustling city nestling majestically on the banks of confluence of the two mighty rivers of the Mekong and the Tonle Sap.

These rivers then split again as the Mekong and Tole Basarc at a place known to the Khmers as Chaktomuk, meaning four faces Main spots for sightseeing in Phnom Penh are suggested for travelers to visit such as Wat Phnom, National Museum, Siliver Pagoda, Tuol Sleng and Choeng Ek Killing Fields.

Phnom Penh is a veritable oasis compared to the modernity of other Asian capitals.

A mixture of Asian exotica, the famous Cambodian hospitality awaits the visitors to the capital of the Kingdom of Cambodia. Situated at the confluence of three great rivers the ‘four arms' of the Mekong, Tonle Sap and Bassac forming the "four arms" right in front of the Royal Palace Phnom Penh is the commercial, political and cultural hubs of the Kingdom and is home to over one million of the country's estimated 11.4 million people.
It is also the gateway to an exotic land….the world heritage site, the largest religious complex in the world, the temples of Angkor in the west, the beaches of the southern coast and the ethnic minorities of the northeastern provinces. The city offers several cultural and historical attractions including the Royal Palace, Silver Pagoda and the National Museum. There are also a wide variety of services including five star hotels and budget guest houses, fine international dining, sidewalk noodle shops, neighborhood pubs international discos and more.

Phnom Penh, like other Asian-City tourist destinations, is in the midst of rapid change. Over the past few years the number of restaurants and hotels have grown considerably and in the last year there had been a huge increase in the number of visitors.

History

Phnom Penh first became the capital of Cambodia after Ponhea Yat, king of the Khmer Empire, moved the capital from Angkor Thom after it was captured by Siam a few years earlier. There are stupa behind Wat Phnom that house the remains of Ponhea Yat and the royal family as well as the remaining Buddhist statues from the Angkorean era. There is a legend that tells how Phnom Penh was created.

It was not until 1866, under the reign of King Norodom I, that Phnom Penh became the permanent seat of government, and the Royal Palace (pictured) was built. This marked the beginning of the transformation of what was essentially a village into a great city with the French Colonialists expanding the canal system to control the wetlands, constructing roads and building a port.

By the 1920s, Phnom Penh was known as the Pearl of Asia, and over the next four decades continued to experience growth with the building of a railway to Sihanoukville and the Pochentong International Airport.

During the Vietnam War, Cambodia was used as a base by the North Vietnamese Army and the Viet Cong, and thousands of refugees from across the country flooded the city to escape the fighting between their own government troops, the NVA/NLF, the South Vietnamese and its allies and the Khmer Rouge. By 1975, the population was 2,000,000, the bulk of them refugees from the fighting. The city fell to the Khmer Rouge on April 17. Many of its residents, those who were wealthy and educated, were forced to do labor on rural farms as "new people". Tuol Svay Prey High School was taken over by Pol Pot's forces and was turned into the S-21 prison camp, where Cambodians were detained and tortured. Pol Pot desired a return to an agrarian economy and therefore killed anyone who was educated, who wore glasses, or who did not have calloused hands to cleanse the population of the taint of westernization. Many others starved to death as a result of failure of the agrarian society and the sale of Cambodia's rice to China in exchange for bullets and weaponry. Tuol Svay Prey High School is now the Tuol Sleng Museum in which Khmer Rouge torture devices and photos of their victims are displayed. Choeung Ek (The Killing Fields), 15 kilometers away, where the Khmer Rouge marched prisoners from Tuol Sleng to be murdered and buried in shallow pits, is also now a memorial to those who were killed by the regime.

The Khmer Rouge were driven out of Phnom Penh by the Vietnamese in 1979 and people began to return to the city. Vietnam is historically a state with which Cambodia has had many conflicts, therefore this liberation was and is viewed with mixed emotions by the Cambodians. A period of reconstruction began, spurred by continuing stability of government, attracting new foreign investment and aid by countries including France, Australia, and Japan. Loans were made from the Asian Development Bank and the World Bank to reinstate a clean water supply, roads and other infrastructure. The 1998 Census put Phnom Penh's population at 862,000;[3] by 2001 it was estimated at slightly over 1 million.

Climate

The climate is hot year-round with only minor variations. City temperatures range from 10° to 38 °C (50° to 100 °F) and experiences tropical monsoons. Southwest monsoons blow inland bringing moisture-laden winds from the Gulf of Thailand and Indian Ocean from May to October. The northeast monsoon ushers in the dry season, which lasts from November to March. The city experiences the heaviest precipitation from September to October with the driest period occurring from January to February.

It has two distinct seasons. The rainy season, which runs from May to October, can see temperatures raise up to 40 °C around April and is generally accompanied with high humidity. The dry season lasts from November to April when temperatures can drop to 22 °C. The best months to visit the city are November to January when temperatures and humidity are lower.

People

The population is Original Khmer 60%, chinese 15%, vietnamese 20%, other 5%. There are 669,904 male and 728,651 female and total: 1,398,555

Get in

Phom Penh can be reached by either domestic flights, international flights or overland and speedboat from neighboring provinces.

Phnom Penh is a fairly easy city to get around. Though traffic is getting more congested these days, you can still travel the length of the city in less than 30 minutes.

By Plane

Phnom Penh International Airport:
On arrival, taxis and motorcycle taxis (motodups) can be hired just outside the arrival lobby. There are no meter taxis. Taxis cost $7.00 for the 20-30 minute ride into the city center. Cheaper, slower and less comfortable, motorcycle taxis can be hired for $2.00 into town. A taxi to the airport from town costs $5-$7. Allow a minimum of 30-40 minutes to get to the airport.

By Boat

Port of Phnom Penh:
The ferry port in Phnom Penh is on Sisowath Quay (the riverfront road) at Street 104, just north of the main riverfront park/restaurant area. If you are arriving in Phnom Penh, there are always motor taxis and car taxis waiting for fares. Motorcycle taxis run about R1500-R3000 and car taxis about $3-$5 to downtown hotels.

By Taxis

Cars and Taxis:
More common are unmetered, unmarked taxis, which can be arranged through your hotel or travel agent, and can also be found outside hotels along Monivong near Kampuchea Krom. A car with driver costs $20-$30/day. Shorter jaunts, minimum $2-$3. 4WD vehicles can run $60/day and up. For short and long term rental of a wide variety of vehicles:

Get around

Motorcycle Taxis (Motodup)

The omnipresent motors are the most common and fastest form of public transportation but are certainly not the safest. They are more prone to accidents and robberies than cars. Motos cost from 1000R-3000R for a trip in town and $5-$8 per day. Prices go up at night.

Bicycle Rental

A few guesthouses, (e.g. Capital Guesthouse) rent bicycles for around $1/day. Bicycle stores are clustered near the intersection of Streets 182 and 107. They do not rent bikes, but a used bike can be bought for about $50 and resold for around $30.

Motorcycle Rental

Motorcycles (100cc - 650cc) can be rented for $5 - $9/day. Tourists often rent 250cc bikes dirt bikes, though they are a bit to much bike for the slow city traffic. For in-city driving, 100cc is recommended. A 250cc is perfect for the poor roads outside Phnom Penh. Chaotic traffic makes cycling in the city challenging in the extreme. Roads outside the city vary in condition. If you do decide to ride, drive slowly, stay right, wear a helmet and remember that medical services are limited.

Buses

Ho Wah Genting offers bus service to nearby destinations using modern buses. Get off or on at any point along the line. Buses depart every 15 minutes to one hour, daily from 6am-6pm. 1200R-12000R. The station is at the corner of the Central Market. Route #1: Koki, Kien Svay, Neak Luong, And Route #2: Takhmao, Takeo, And Route #4: Kampong Speu, Sihanoukville, And Route #5: Oudong, Kampong Chhnang, Route #6: Raw Kakong, Kampong Cham.

Cyclos

The humble cyclo can be a romantic and practical form of transport though not as safe as a car or fast as a motor. Cyclos are easier than motors and during a rain they offer a drier ride. Cyclos often charge twice as much as a motor and are notorious for overcharging tourists.

Administrative Divisions