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  A mixture of Asian exotica, the famous Cambodian hospitality awaits 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, form right in front of the Royal Palace. Phnom Penh is the commercial, political and cultural hub of the Kingdom and is home to over one million of the country's estimated 11.4 million people.  Phnom Penh is the capital and largest city of Cambodia. Located on the banks of the Mekong River, Phnom Penh has been the national capital since the French colonized Cambodia, and has grown to become the nation's center of economic activities. Phnom Penh has grown to become the industrial, commercial, cultural, tourist and historical center of Cambodia.  The capital of the Kingdom of Cambodia, Phnom Penh, is located at the confluence of three rivers - the Mekong, the Bassac and Tonle Sap. The city is divided into three sections - the north, an attractive residential area; the south or the French part of the city with its ministries, banks and colonial houses; and the centre or the heart with its narrow lanes, markets, foods stalls and shops. One of the better preserved French relics in Southeast Asia, the Cambodian capital Phnom Penh has a lot more to offer travellers than a quick, depressing swing through Tuol Sleng and a run out to the Killing Fields. Situated at the confluence of the Mekong, Bassac and Tonle Sap Rivers, Cambodia's capital, Phnom Penh, has a population of approximately 1.5 million people. Despite the dilapidation resulting from decades of war, the city retains its traditional Khmer and colonial charm. French villas along tree-lined boulevards remind the visitor that the city was once considered the gem of Southeast Asia. Phnom Penh, once known as the "Pearl of Asia", is the capital and largest city of Cambodia. It is now an economic, commercial, cultural and tourist center. Tourists can experience a fresh wave of Cambodian hospitality in this city of more than 2 million people. Cambodians are by nature cordial and friendly. Here in the capital city, people are more enterprising. The city is now a center of diverse economic and urban development. A mixture of Cambodian hospitality, Asian exotica and Indochinese charm await the visitor to Phnom Penh. Situated at the confluence of three great rivers - known as the 'Chaktomuk' (four faces) or 'Quatre Bras' (four arms) of the Mekong, Tonle Sap and Bassac rivers - Phnom Penh is a city of more than 2 million people, the capital of Cambodia and the country's commercial, economic and political hub. A mixture of Cambodian hospitality, Asian exotica and Indochinese charm await the visitor to Phnom Penh. Situated at the confluence of three great rivers - known as the 'Chaktomuk' (four faces) or 'Quatre Bras' (four arms) of the Mekong, Tonle Sap and Bassac rivers - Phnom Penh is a city of more than 2 million people, the capital of Cambodia and the country's commercial, economic and political hub. Fast resuming its former status as the Pearl of Asia. this French Colonial city has one of the most beautiful waterfronts in Asia. The mighty Mekong meets the Tonle Sap and Bassac Rivers here. Phnom Penh is the commercial Heart of Cambodia. With over a million population and in area about the same size as my home city Southampton England, it is not a big city. We met our local guide Veng, and were off to the Royal Palace and Silver Pagoda. Built in 1434, the Royal Palace was rebuilt in concrete in 1866 by the French. The main building on the grounds is the Throne Room. It was built in 1917 in the Khmer style - a tiered roof and tall center tower - much like Angkor's Bayon Temple. The Throne Room is used for coronations and other official occasions like when foreign ambassadors present their credentials to the King. Phnom Penh: the name can't help but conjure up an image of the exotic. The glimmering spires of the royal palace, the fluttering saffron of the monks' robes, and the luscious location on the banks of the mighty Mekong; this is one of Asia's undiscovered gems. But it's also a city on the move, as a new wave of investors move in, perhaps forever changing the character, and skyline, of this classic city. Phnom Penh is a crossroads of Asia's past and present, a city of extremes o |
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