Broad boulevards and old colonial buildings characterise the French part of Phnom Penh. Many older buildings have survived and make for good, photogenic wandering, along with bustling restaurants and shops.
Along the waterfront sits the impressive Royal Palace, and Silver Pagoda. Five tonnes of silver was used to create its glistening floor tiles, along with a solid gold life-size Buddha effigy taking centre stage.
On a darker note, the notorious Killing Fields lie nearby and are a grim reminder of the brutality of the Khmer Rouge. These mass burial grounds are both sobering and touching and, in light of Cambodia's resurgence since then, are perhaps best regarded as a positive reflection of a nation's resilience.
