The Best of Cambodia & Laos

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PHNOM PENH
5
PHNOM PENH ATTRACTIONS
graves all over the country dating from the days of Democratic Kampuchea. This particular
site is a collection of innocuous-looking mounds, near a towering monument of
cataloged human skulls. The monument is 17 stories high, reminding visitors of April
17, 1975, the day the Khmer Rouge took over Cambodia. As a sign of respect, you take
your shoes off before mounting the steps to view the monument up close. Human skulls,
arranged by age and gender, are set at eye level, while other bones are placed on higher
levels. The Killing Fields are often visited in conjunction with a tour of Tuol Sleng (see
below).
15km (91 ⁄4 miles) south of Phnom Penh. Arrange a private car or motorbike. Admission $3. Daily 7:30am–
5:30pm.
National Museum What the British Museum is to the Elgin Marbles of
Greece’s Parthenon, the National Museum of Phnom Penh, opened in 1920 by King
Sisowath, is to the statuary of Angkor Wat. This important storehouse holds artifacts and
statuary from all regions of Cambodia and is housed in a beautiful building built in the
1920s. The sad fact is that many pieces didn’t make it here—they were plundered and
smuggled out of the country. Nevertheless, this grand red-sandstone edifice has a beautiful
and informative collection of Khmer pieces displayed around a pretty central courtyard.
From the entrance, begin on your left with a room of small prehistoric artifacts. A
clockwise loop around the central courtyard walks you through time, from static, stylized
pieces of stiff-legged, standing Buddhas, to contra-posed and contorted forms in supplication.
There are good accompanying descriptions in English, but this is not a bad
place to have a knowledgeable guide (ask in the lobby). The central courtyard features a
Shiva lingam and large temple fragments. Near the more significant works, the statue of
Jayavarman VII for example, elderly women, looking like museum docents, hand out
incense and flowers and instruct visitors to place them on makeshift altars. Don’t feel
obliged—kind of off-putting to some—but feel free to do so if you wish.
Just north of the Royal Palace at St. 178, and a short walk from the river. Admission $3. Daily 8–5pm.
Royal Palace and Silver Pagoda Don’t miss this glittery downtown campus,
the ostentatious jewel in the crown of Cambodia’s monarchy. Built in the late 1860s
under the reign of Norodom, the sight is comprised of many elaborate gilded halls, all
with steep tile roofs, stupa-shape cupolas, and golden temple nagas denoting prosperity.
The grand Throne Hall at the center is the coronation site for Khmer kings and the
largest gilded cathedral in the country. Don’t miss the many royal busts and the gilded
umbrella used to shade the king when in procession. The French built a small exhibition
hall on the temple grounds, a building that now houses the many gifts given to the
monarchy, among them cross-stitch portraits of the royal family and all manner of brica-brac.
Just inside the door, don’t miss an original by Cézanne that has suffered terrible
water damage and hangs in a ratty frame like an unwanted diploma: a shame. The balcony
of the exhibition hall is the best bird’s-eye view of the gilded temples. The facade of
the neighboring Royal Residence is just as resplendent and is still the home of the now
abdicated King Sihanouk and his son and successor.
The Silver Pagoda is just south of the palace and entrance is included with the same
ticket. The floors of this grand temple are covered with 5,000 blocks of silver weighing
more than 6 tons. The temple houses a 17th-century Buddha made of Baccarat crystal, and
another made almost entirely of gold and decorated with almost 10,000 diamonds. That’s
not exactly what the Buddha had in mind perhaps, but it’s quite beautiful. The temple
courtyard is encircled by a covered walkway with a contiguous mural of Cambodia’s history