Phnom Penh A clean and tidy city with wide boulevards on the outskirts, narrow lanes and food stalls in the centre and dotted with large green spaces and a strong French colonial influence.

Located at the confluence of the Mekong River and Tonle Sap, it’s an energetic and hopeful city with tasty cafes, stylish boutiques, colourful marketplaces, art galleries and plenty of restaurants, shops and trade schools set up for and run by disadvantaged Cambodians, providing them with skills and an honest living.

Charming, in a dilapidated kind of way, its origin dates back to the 14^th century when it was named after a wealthy, elderly lady called Penh. Legend has it she found four sacred Buddhist statues on the banks of the Mekong. She had a hill (or a phnom) built to place them on and the city became known as Penh’s hill or Phnom Penh. This hill can be seen where Wat Phnom lies and where the statues now sit.

The glittering Royal Palace, where the King still resides, is located on the waterfront with the spectacular Silver Pagoda and Napoleon Pavilion. Next door is the elegant looking National Museum which contains ancient statues of Shiva and Vishnu and displays of pottery and bronzes from pre-Angkor periods.

See the Independence Monument in the heart of the capital. It was built in 1958 after winning back independence from France. Stroll through the bustling Old Market, a traditional market and photographers delight where locals purchase fruit, vegetables, motorbike parts and everything in between! The New Market or Central Market is located in a cross-shaped, yellow, art deco building. With a busy bazaar feel to it, there is more for tourists to buy in the form of souvenirs, sunglasses, jewellery and electronic items. The Russian Market is a large, hot and sweaty marketplace that’s the best place to find local souvenirs and imitation brand-name clothing.

Just 15 kilometres outside of Phnom Penh are the gruesome Killing Fields of Cheung Ek, where 17,000 civilians were executed and buried in mass graves during the Pol Pot regime between 1975 and 1978. A haunting yet historically significant place, it’s a disturbing reminder of the atrocities that were inflicted on the Cambodian people.

The Toul Sleng Genocide Museum, or S-21 as it was known, was a high school taken over by Pol Pot’s security forces. Tucked away in suburban Phnom Penh, it’s hard to believe such indescribable acts of barbarism occurred here. The largest centre of detention and torture in the country, this is the horrific place the 17,000 Cambodians spent their last days before being sent to the Killing Fields. Room after room contains chilling black and white photos of the doomed men, women and children. Depressing and disturbing, it is an important part of the country’s history. Once you have been here, and heard the stories and experiences of the guides, you are better able to appreciate and admire the newfound hope that is felt by the people all over Cambodia. Most have a connection to these places of horror, and are trying desperately to make positive changes to their city that was once left deserted by war.