Beyond the Killing Fields:
Slightly Off-Trail in Phnom Penh
The kids were cute – aren’t they always? As soon as we left the car, they surrounded us: a girl selling flowers, another selling coconuts, and several boys who couldn’t speak English wanting to be our guides. Ta Prohm temple, outside Phnom Penh, isn’t so vast a guide is needed, but the boys never left our side just in case we changed our minds.
We were on a three-day stop-over in Phnom Penh and trying a new approach because, if you’re anything like me, the prospect of climbing into a vehicle at 8am to spend the day driving from one tourist site to another holds very little appeal. And let’s face it, most of the roads around Phnom Penh are not exactly smooth sailing, with potholes the size of small elephants and drivers whose credentials are suspect to say the least.
So I planned three half-day trips that would let us to enjoy our hotel breakfast before spending a couple of hours hiking through ancient ruins and the Cambodian countryside, followed by lunch at a country stall. We’d still be back in time to shower and take in a city site before hitting happy hour by the river. And since we’d already seen the major tourist draws on previous visits, we chose some of the less popular ones.
The first day saw us at Ta Prohm temple which sits next to Tonle Bati, a lake located about an hour south of Phnom Penh. Built in the same Bayon style as its large namesake in Siem Reap, it was constructed under Angkor's king Jayavarman VII in the beginning of the 13th century. A sanctuary for Hindu deities, Ta Prohm’s walls were decorated with bas-reliefs illustrating Hindu myths, some of which are still scattered about the grounds. The temple also has some amazingly well-preserved statues, including the remains of a 13th C Buddha in the main sanctuary. And just a short walk brought us to Yeay Peau, a 7th century, single sandstone tower which sits before an active pagoda displaying its own aged carvings.
Once we’d finished exploring, and the kids who’d followed our every move realised we weren’t going to hire a “guide”, we walked to Tonle Bati where restaurant huts built out over the water ran along the shore for as far as we could see. Each raft is pretty much the same and is reached by a bridge of one or two logs; in an effort to stay dry, we chose one that had a sturdy looking hand railing. As for the food, it didn’t really matter which restaurant we chose. When there’s no one there, half the restaurants are closed and all the food seems to come from the same central kitchen. Our driver did mention that the weekends were a very different story. Apparently, Tonle Bati is a favourite lunch and dinner spot for locals in Phnom Penh trying to escape the city heat and crowds.
If you really insist on spending the day in the car, a silk weaving village stands not too far away, as well as the 10th century Prasat Neang Khmao, also known as the temple of the Black Virgin, and the 11the century Phnom Chisor temple.
Back in the Phnom Penh, we toured the National Museum to help place the history we were exploring into perspective, after which we hit the ever-popular Foreign Correspondence Club. It may not be the cheapest happy hour on the river, but if you’re lucky enough to get a stool by the windows upstairs, there’s no better place in town to watch the Mekong, and the people, drift by.
On our second day we headed in the opposite direction to Oudong, Cambodia’s capital city from 1618 until 1866. Many of the temples and stupas there were damaged or destroyed by heavy bombing and fighting in the 1970’s, leaving behind crumbling, bullet-strafed remnants. In some cases, what the bombs left standing, the Khmer finished off with explosives. But there’s still plenty to make the trip worthwhile.
First, you have 509 steps to climb to the top of Phnom Oudong, but there are plenty of drink vendors along the way, and while they may be a bit more expensive than those found below, they did carry their coolers up those same stairs! Once at the top, the richness of the Mekong delta stretches out before you, including the Sontte Wan Buddhist Meditation Centre which, on a sunny day, shimmers like a golden jewel against this backdrop of lush green fields.
The path then heads over the mountain past temples housing statues of Buddha in various condition and down the other side. At the bottom are stall upon stall offering traditional local fare, a small barbeque lit and smoking beside each. And, of course, there are the mandatory souvenir stands for the collector in us all.
Since we were already in an imperial mood, we visited the Royal Palace that afternoon. It really doesn’t take that long as access to most buildings is restricted. From the palace we headed north along the river until we reached the Paddy Rice, a favourite watering hole among the local expats.
For our final day, we decided to avoid all driving and hiked along the river a kilometre and a half south of the Royal Palace to the Kampong Chamlong ferry quay from where we crossed the Mekong to Areyksat. Here you need only a desire to wander and a good sense of direction – or a gps on your phone.
As we unloaded from the ferry, we were immediately greeted by the stinging smell of deep fried chicken feet and the damp odour of slabs of pork and chicken that have been out in the sun amusing the flies. Hurriedly escaping that sensory overload, we took the first road left and discovered the village’s Catholic church. Small and simple, it was a surprise find considering the ubiquitous golden tips of stupas and temples that inundate the Cambodian countryside.
From that point on, we took whichever track caught our fancy, criss-crossing the countryside through temples and villages, pausing to chat with children and adults alike in the many huts that clung to the narrow dirt tracks between the flooded rice paddy fields.
Once back across the Mekong, we continued our wandering, heading ultimately to the Central Market to make our final purchases – it’s so much easier to make a decision when you know it’s your last chance to spend your money! And for a final Riverside drink we headed to – where else? – the Riverside Bistro. Another favorite of locals and tourists, it’s often busy but they do have live music to take you into the wee hours. If, however, you’re looking for something with more atmosphere and romance, Le Moon roof top lounge a block away at the Amanjaya Pancam Hotel can’t be beat.