Our first surprise in Phnom Penh wasn't the Royal Palace, but our hotel room. After several hours on a bus from Ho Chi Minh City, we arrived in the rain at the Ocean Hotel, where we were told we'd been upgraded. Always good news! Except that our new room was in a corridor where several guests seemed to be competing in a smoking contest. Doors wide open, smoke everywhere and conversations at full volume: apparently there are still hotels where smokers feel right at home. Not quite the upgrade we'd imagined! Fortunately, our first evening ended on a much better note, with a delicious meal at a small local restaurant, Khmer Women’ Food. And that brought our first big surprise: why had nobody told us Khmer food was this good? We tried lok lak, stir-fried beef served with a pepper and lime dipping sauce; fish amok, a delicately spiced fish curry with coconut milk, traditionally steamed in a banana leaf; and lort cha, short, thick rice noodles stir-fried with vegetables and a savoury sauce, often topped with a fried egg. Three very different dishes that immediately made us want to discover more Cambodian food. What a lovely way to begin our stay in Phnom Penh!
The next morning the sun was back, and we enjoyed breakfast on our hotel's beautiful rooftop, with a fantastic view over Phnom Penh. We decided to spend the day at the Royal Palace, but soon discovered that the capital was having a rather unusual weekend. Cambodia was celebrating Pchum Ben, one of its most important Buddhist festivals, when families honour their ancestors. Several attractions were closed, and some central streets were also blocked off for an official visit by the Vietnamese prime minister. Luckily, the Royal Palace was open and, once inside, we almost felt as though we had it to ourselves. The buildings were gorgeous, the gardens immaculately maintained, and every courtyard made us reach for the camera. We spent ages admiring the golden roofs, architectural details and pavilions.
Our personal favourite was the Napoleon III Pavilion, a surprising metal structure amid all that Khmer architecture. According to a frequently repeated story, it was built for the inauguration ceremonies of the Suez Canal in Egypt, before being dismantled and presented to Cambodia's king by France. Historians still debate its precise origins, but one thing is certain: a European metal building in a tropical climate is quite an unexpected sight! The Royal Palace also survived the Khmer Rouge era without suffering the destruction inflicted on so many other places in the country. King Norodom Sihanouk was notably held here under house arrest. We left impressed by its beauty and history, then continued wandering through the capital's streets.
That evening we stumbled upon Bassac Lane, a small area of narrow streets packed with bars, just a few minutes from our hotel. What a pleasant surprise! With its little terraces, lights and bars one after another, the place was genuinely charming. We especially loved The Welsh Embassy, a tiny two-storey Welsh pub with wooden interiors, flags and an incredibly welcoming atmosphere. The manager was lovely, the music excellent, and the drinks flowed a little faster than planned. We also discovered The Library, another small bar in the area. We tried a gay bar housed in a former hair salon, too, but the atmosphere really wasn't for us. The staff were particularly pushy and touchy-feely, making us uncomfortable pretty quickly. After one drink, we preferred to return to Bassac Lane, where we felt much more at ease.
The following day, after a relaxed morning and a workout, we visited Tuol Sleng, better known as S21. This former high school was turned into a prison and torture centre by the Khmer Rouge between 1975 and 1979. Thousands of people were detained, interrogated and tortured there before being murdered, either on site or at execution centres. The regime spared no one, not even babies or children. Entire families were wiped out, following the terrifying logic that removing a weed wasn't enough: its roots had to be pulled out too. We spent nearly three hours there, using an audio guide that was essential to understanding what we were seeing. The former classrooms, photographs and testimonies made the visit profoundly moving. Beyond the horror, what struck us was the absurdity of this ideology and how a handful of leaders could draw so many people into murderous madness, ultimately causing the deaths of nearly two million Cambodians. And all this less than fifty years ago. We left with a thought that was hard to shake: sometimes it takes only a few men convinced they hold the truth to drag an entire country into horror. The visit reminded us how important it is never to stop questioning those who claim to have all the answers.
Afterwards, we needed something a little lighter. We enjoyed the rooftop pool, then went back to Bassac Lane for a few drinks, especially at The Welsh Embassy, whose atmosphere we'd really loved. The next day, our last, the sun was still shining despite some frankly pessimistic weather forecasts. After another workout and a few hours by the pool, we wandered around the centre again, this time without the numerous road closures of previous days. We came across another temple, a few squares and the capital's lively waterfront. But above all, we'd booked one final activity that would become one of our favourite memories of the stay.
In the late afternoon, we boarded a sunset cruise on the Mekong. We'd booked online for about $7 per person, compared with the $15 price offered on site. There are packages including meals or unlimited drinks, but a basic ticket suited us perfectly. And what a wonderful experience! We watched the colours of the sky change, boats cross the river and lights gradually come on in Phnom Penh's buildings. From the water, the city looked even more beautiful, especially as the Royal Palace began to light up. We ended the evening strolling along the waterfront, past market stalls and little places to eat, before the rain returned.
We left Phnom Penh with very different memories, but all of them memorable. We loved its Royal Palace, lively little lanes, rooftops and beautiful sunset cruise. Yet it was also a city that confronted us with one of the darkest chapters of modern history. Our visit to S21 will stay with us for a long time. Seeing life fill the capital's streets again today, we couldn't help admiring how far Cambodia has come, without forgetting the wounds that remain. Phnom Penh made us smile, think and sometimes fall silent. That's quite a lot for just a few days.