36 Hours in Phnom Penh
International New York Times | 3 December 2014
Even as high rises transform the skyline,
a comfortable intimacy can still be found in Phnom Penh’s tree-lined
streets, tranquil pagodas, stylish restaurants and thriving local
markets.
Video by Jonah M. Kessel and Will Lloyd on
Publish Date December 3, 2014.
Photo by James Wasserman for The New York Times.
On Norodom Boulevard, one of Phnom Penh’s oldest arteries, a huge, new LED screen dramatically outlines the tiered eaves of the Buddhist temple Wat Langka in shadow. Around the corner, the recently erected, towering statue of the late King Norodom Sihanouk, founding father of modern-day Cambodia, looks on as teenagers dressed like K-pop stars zip by on motorbikes, and uniformed officials in SUVs navigate the thronged streets. It’s this juxtaposition of traditional and modern life, of the enduring and the mutable, that defines the capital today. As high-rises transform the skyline, stylish restaurants serving food and drink that spans the globe have arrived. Yet, the city retains a provincial intimacy found in its tree-lined streets, tranquil pagodas and thriving local markets.
Friday
1. Drinking Up History | 5 p.m.
Jacqueline
Onassis, Catherine Deneuve, Angelina Jolie: Phnom Penh has been luring
the chic for decades. And they’ve all stayed at the Raffles Hotel Le
Royal, which has witnessed Phnom Penh’s many incarnations since 1929,
even providing safe haven for journalists before the Khmer Rouge
evacuated the city in 1975. Nowadays, embassy and workers in
nongovernmental organizations gather at its Elephant Bar, lounging on
rattan furniture along arched windows overlooking gardens, sipping
drinks like the Femme Fatale — Champagne, crème de fraise sauvage,
Cognac — which Jackie is said to have enjoyed in 1967 . (A
lipstick-stained glass on display supposedly touched the former first
lady’s lips.) The bar is named for the 1,396 elephants in its décor,
though a renovation is planned.(Drinks, $12; U.S. dollars are the de
facto currency in Cambodia.)
2. Dance With the Stars | 7 p.m.
With
its tusk-like eaves, the century-old terra-cotta red building housing
the National Museum, which displays pre-Angkorean and Angkorean
artifacts, is stunning, especially at sunset. Several nights a week, its
tranquil garden provides a backdrop to Plae Pakaa, performances
organized by Cambodian Living Arts, a nonprofit dedicated to preserving
Khmer song and dance. In ornate costumes and makeup, performers as young
as 14 recreate tales and ceremonies, contorting their hands and feet to
awe-inspiring angles. Musicians playing traditional instruments provide
the hypnotic soundtrack. Tickets, $13.50.
3. Cambodian Cuisine | 8:30 p.m.
Still
recovering from the Khmer Rouge’s near-total cultural annihilation,
Cambodian cuisine has struggled to find a spot among Southeast Asia’s
more familiar flavors. Luckily, the food — known for its subdued
qualities and expert use of herbs — has its champions. At Malis, the
country’s celebrity chef Luu Meng produces sophisticated renditions of
traditional recipes in a romantic outdoor setting with water features,
dim lighting and a life-size Buddha. Try the green mango and smoked fish
salad and prahok ktis, a pungent, fermented fish dip ($7.50 each). At
the Common Tiger, the South African Timothy Bruyns creates a five-course
tasting menu that stimulates the eyes as much as the palate. Sit on the
leafy terrace sampling dishes like a deconstructed tom kha, or coconut
soup, with sea bass and cured raw tuna with hot basil gel ($50 per
person).
4. Serious About Drinking | 10:30 p.m.
Leading
the new wave of sleek bar options is Bar.Sito, a smoky, moody,
masculine cocktail bar hidden down a narrow lane off Street 240.
Espresso martinis and negronis ($5) go down easily to the lounge and
dance beats. With arched brick doorways and spacious booths, the
French-run Bouchon is a charming spot for a glass of Médoc or a
home-infused vodka martini. Head to the anything-goes intersection of
Streets 51 and 178, where the expat party goes late. At the
black-and-white-themed dive bar Zeppelin Cafe, order a $2 gin and tonic
and dumplings while rocking out to the Taiwanese owner’s vinyl rock ‘n’
roll collection.
Saturday
5. Sweaty Shopping | 8 a.m.
Every
neighborhood market has its own charm, though most are sweaty,
labyrinthine obstacle courses. Central Market, a 1937 Art Deco
structure, rises like a giant yellow four-legged spider in the city
center. Thanks to an upgrade in 2011, it offers a cool, comfortable
opportunity to shop for jewelry, clothing and flowers with middle-class
Khmers. Farther west is O Russei market, a three-story structure that
sells everything from dried fish to minidresses and matching heels. A
15-minute drive south is Toul Tumpuong, or Russian Market, stocked with
knockoff DVDs, cheap silk, Buddha statues and palm wood kitchenware.
Stall 696 sells film and music posters depicting Cambodia’s swinging
1960s; natural bath products can be picked up at Bodia (Stall 284-285),
which is air-conditioned, miraculously. Bargaining is unaggressive.
6. Conscientious Eating | Noon
At
Romdeng restaurant, your tourist dollars work double time: Not only is
the food excellent, but the place also offers former street children a
hands-on training program. Don’t let the large tour groups deter you —
the regional specialties are among the best in town, and the setting, in
a colonial villa, is lovely. Try the pomelo salad with shrimp, topped
with mint and bird’s eye chiles, and fragrant chicken soup with straw
mushrooms and preserved limes. If you hear shrieking at any point, don’t
fret — it’s just a preview of an adventurous diner’s lunch; fried
spiders are a Khmer delicacy (lunch, $15 per person). At the nonprofit
Bloom, women enrolled in an economic empowerment program produce the
city’s best and prettiest cupcakes ($1.50 each).
7. Mind and Body | 3:30 p.m.
Many
young Cambodian men shave their heads, don an orange robe and devote
themselves to Buddha not only as a path to enlightenment, but also to
get an education. They’re often eager to practice English while offering
insight into their lives. On the grounds of Wat Botum, just south of
the Royal Palace, there have been spiritual gatherings since the 15th
century. Walk a block south to Neak Banh Teuk Park, which comes alive at
dawn and dusk with aerobics classes, men playing Chinese hacky sack,
and elderly couples on brisk walks. The new bronze statue of Norodom
Sihanouk, who died in 2012, near the Independence Monument marks the
loss of a beloved figure.
8. Ride the River | 5:30 p.m.
Take
a sunset cruise along the Tonle Sap River, which runs parallel to the
tourist area called “the Riverside.” Private boats whisk you away for
two-hour jaunts near the intersection of Street 100 and Sisowath Quay.
Prices start at around $25 for a two-level wooden vessel; splurging for
an operator like Crocodile Cruise — from $50 for two hours — will get
you comfortable sofas, an acceptable toilet and the option of food and
drink. You’ll sail by fishermen, stilted huts and the newly developed
waterfront on the eastern bank. Sunsets rarely disappoint.
9. Savory Moment | 8 p.m.
For
a taste of la vie en rose, book a table at Armand’s, an intimate French
bistro. Run by Armand Gerbié, a French-Cambodian who is accustomed to
entertaining from his days at Paris’s famed Lido club, it’s a seductive
spot with leather seating, nostalgic melodies and French wine and
Champagne. Try the Cognac-flambéed Australian rib eye, which Mr. Gerbié
prepares tableside (dinner, $40 per person).
10. Creative Infusions | 10 p.m.
With
its soaring ceilings, carved doorways and Chinese-meets-French colonial
design, Tepui at Chinese House, a restaurant and lounge not far from
Armand’s, offers a mesmerizing environment. Order a 21 Points (rum,
Coke, Angostura bitters, sugar cane, $5), sink into a sofa and listen to
Latin jazz. Along the new Bassac Lane, an alley off Street 308, you’ll
find a half-a-dozen tiny, stylish cocktail bars, including Cicada, where
gin reigns supreme, and the Library, which serves daiquiri variations.
Sunday
11. Corner of History | 10:30 a.m.
French
colonial life, which endured here for nearly a century, centered around
the northern part of town near Wat Phnom. Though many of the era’s
grand structures have succumbed to time or developers, you can glimpse
the past at Place de la Poste. Start at the 1890s Central Post Office,
renovated in 2004, whose airy space is punctuated by pillars.
Commemorative stamps depicting Angkorean dancers and flora and fauna at
the Philately Counter make a nice souvenir, as do the hand-carved
figurines and silks across the street at Artisans d’Angkor. Van’s
Restaurant, which opens at 11:30, in the Indochina Bank building, with
stained-glass windows, is a wonderful French establishment. Lunch, about
$15.
12. Made in Cambodia | Noon
From
water hyacinth baskets to ikat scarves, crafts abound. Shelves at the
artist-run Theam’s House are lined with lacquered elephants and fish-
and lotus-adorned boxes. Nearby, at Garden of Desire, Ly Pisith, a
former Philippe Starck eyewear designer, sets gems in silver settings.
The owners of Trunkh, a short walk away, scour the country for forgotten
beauties — hand-painted signs, old shutters — and reimagine them as
modern-day treasures.
LODGING
Phnom
Penh is full of charming boutique hotels, where you’ll get a stylish,
clean room and small pool for between $50 and $100 per night. The
recently opened Rambutan (29 Street 71; rambutanresort.com; from $50) and Teav (14 Street 310; teavboutiquehotel.com; from $88) are good options in the centrally located, expat area of Boeung Keng Kang.
Down the street from the Royal Palace, the 70-room Plantation (28 Street 184; theplantation.asia;
from $88), popular among Europeans, is spread across three renovated
historic buildings and boasts one of the city’s prettiest pools.
For the ultimate indulgence, look no further than the Raffles Hotel Le Royal (92 Rukhak Vithei Daun Penh; raffles.com; from $195).
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