Cambodia: Part I- Phnom Penh

Spires on Silver Pagoda

My sister wondered why I chose to go to Cambodia. Most of my travel choices originating from New Delhi usually have to do with cost, ease of travel, historical significance and recommendations from friends who like to travel as I do. In addition, I am from the generation of the Vietnam and Cambodia wars. I have thirsted for more understanding and forgiveness from this time and place in history. Some of my wonderings have been answered...

My friend Kaye and I chose to start in Phnom Penh because it was cheaper to fly into Phnom Penh. At first I thought it would be just another big dirty city. Wrong! Phnom Penh is a developing city with street-side cafes, art shows, fair-trade folk art, museums, lovely boutique hotels (I recommend Hotel Villa Langka), easy transportation and full of friendly, gracious people. The restoration and rebuilding of ancient temples and ruins is impressive.

The Silver Pagoda at the Royal Palace

The Royal Palace is the official residence of King Sihamoni. However, some parts of this enormous compound are opened to the public during specific hours each day.The Silver Pagoda is one of the open buildings.There are over 5,000 silver tiles lining the floor. Most of the tiles are covered to protect them, but a small area at the entrance is visible. It also enshrines the Emerald Buddha. Amazingly, the Silver Pagoda was preserved by the Khmer Rouge regime, who massacred two million people between 1975-1979.

Silver Pagoda

Girl in temple door

Kaye, reluctantly, and I decided to visit one of the Killing Fields, Choeung Ek, the next day. We hired a driver to take us about 15km out of the city where over 17,000 men, women, and children were tortured and killed and buried in mass graves during Pol Pot's regime. To save on precious bullets, the victims were often beaten to death.

As we were driving through dusty villages with thatched-roofed huts that I remember seeing on television during the 70's, I couldn't help but be amazed at how resilient the Cambodian people are.

Mass grave pits

In 1980 about 9,000 people were exhumed from several of the mass graves. Their skulls are housed in the Memorial Stupa on the grounds. As we walked amongst the graves, we could still see pieces of clothing and fragments of bones that become unearthed during the monsoon season.

Memorial Stupa with over 8,000 skulls

Today visitors can walk along a peaceful designated path. An audio tour is available, which I highly recommend. No words to describe the overwhelming feeling that gripped me.


To lighten up our day a bit, I asked our driver to stop in one of the villages on the way back to the city.

Children running home for lunch

Lunch time

Monk making terracotta pots

After an afternoon of lounging by the pool at our hotel, we ventured out again to Wat Ounalom, the headquarters of Cambodian Buddhism. A wat is a monastery temple in parts of Asia.

Stupa at Wat Ounalom

A stupa holds relics (ashes, teeth, etc.) of important Buddhist monks. They are places for meditation.Notice the five-headed snake, or naga, at the entrance. In some writings, the naga is a protector.

Monk performing special blessing for Kaye and me

The Khmer Rouge attempted to exterminate Buddhism in Cambodia. Wat Ounalom was badly damaged by Pol Pot's regime but today it is thriving and home to many monks. There are 44 structures on a relatively small area, but quite lovely to roam.

Next: Wat Phnom

Inside the temple at Wat Phnom

Wat Phnom is a special place for locals to come and pray and make offerings. I especially enjoyed my time sitting and observing the activities while dozens of locals came to worship.

According to legend, Madame Penh discovered four Buddha statues in the Mekong River in the 1300's, and this wat was erected to house them.

Pay to set a bird free

But...the birds are trained to come back to the cage!

The next day we continued to visit other landmarks of interest like the National Museum, the Foreign Correspondents Club (where many journalists gathered during the war to report and share stories), and shop, shop, shop! After four days we still were enjoying Phnom Penh, quite to my surprise!

Next: Siem Reap and Angkor Wat