Much like Cambodia in general, Phnom Penh has a bad reputation with some travelers. I've personally heard the word hate thrown at this city more than any other I've been to. However, much like Cambodia, the nation's capital is buzzing with beautiful chaos, delightfully sarcastic and regularly smiling locals, and some well used remnants from French colonialism. Even with a continued revitalization in the city, the fact remains that Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum and Choeung Ek Genocidal Center (Killing Fields) are two of the main reasons people make their way to Phnom Penh. And with good reason. While there's plenty to look over at each memorial, these are more locations that need to be felt and experienced. I've scarcely been more affected by a place than Choeung Ek and often had to take time to collect myself before moving along with the audio tour. Especially as an American who was previously unaware of the extent of my nation's involvement in creating and later supporting the Khmer Rouge, these monuments were a vital step towards a better understanding of history, the atrocities humanity is capable of, and the Cambodian people.
But these two places do not a city make. It seems to me an inability to separate the raw emotions evoked in these two locations from the current incarnation of Phnom Penh is why so many travelers have an aversion to the city. For some, when thinking of Phnom Penh they only call up the distressing memories of visiting the Killing Fields or Tuol Sleng. But rest assured, there is an abundance of light to mix in with the darkness and it's more than possible to have a great time in Phnom Penh while learning of its troubling past. If nothing else, it's a city that will never leave you hungry with cheap eats galore and some of the most affordable fine dining in Asia. There's also a myriad of street art to take in, live music, and theater to show how alive this city of over two million truly is.
(header photo by Mallory Dowd)