Phnom Penh Trip (July 9-12, 2025)

 Phnom Penh Trip (July 9-12, 2025)

I traveled to Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia, from July 9 to 12.

Phnom Penh is a developing city among Southeast Asian capitals.

Perhaps because of this, I was able to sightsee peacefully.

Even though the temperature is almost the same, it is cooler than KL.

This is probably because the density of high-rise buildings has not yet occurred, and the river breeze of the Mekong River and the Tonle Sap River passes through.

   

Photo shows sightseeing boats lined up on the Tonle Sap Riverbank

  

The City Of Tuk Tuk

Phnom Penh is a developing city compared to other Southeast Asian capitals.

It does not have a city tram like Bangkok or KL.

It does not have high-end shopping malls like those cities or Jakarta.

However, the city is neatly divided and there are plenty of sidewalks and crosswalks with traffic lights.

Having said that, it is hot, so I do not recommend walking around.

Basically, tourists will use a three-wheeled vehicle called a Tuk Tuk to get around.

You can call one in a short time using the Grab app, and it's cheap.

Tuk Tuks don't have air conditioning, but the breeze blows through them while they're moving, so it's cool.

(It gets hot when you're stuck in traffic, though.)

     

The photo shows the Independence Monument from a Tuk Tuk

The National Museum and the Killing Fields Museum are worth visiting.

The former has many relics that help you imagine Cambodia's history.

Since Cambodia had a relatively old writing system in Southeast Asia, many stone slabs still have writing carved into them.

The latter has turned the site of a massacre during the Pol Pot era into a museum (there are similar facilities in other cities).

They lend you an audio guide, and when you see a place with a number plate, you listen to the number’s program.

It's scary when they tell you, "Even if you find a bone under your feet, don't touch it."

In general, there are not enough tourist attractions in Phnom Penh.

(The sunset cruise looked good, but I ended up drinking beer near the hotel in the evening, so I regret not being able to go.)

It would be convenient if there were more shopping malls, where tourists could take a rest.

Aeon Mall, located a little south of the Royal Palace, seemed to be the largest and most luxurious mall.

The Prices Are Displayed In USD

Cambodia has a currency called the riel.

However, in reality, both US dollar and riel banknotes are used.

In shops and restaurants (where foreigners are likely to use), prices were noticeably displayed in dollars.

I basically paid using Bakong, an e-wallet introduced by the Central Bank of Cambodia in 2020.

The system is a QR payment using a QR code of the KHQR standard.

    

Screen of the Bakong Tourists app

Bakong QR payment was successful at 70-80% of the stores.

I paid the rest by card.

(However, the museum requested US dollar bills. It's exactly these tourist spots that should be introducing Bakong!)

At Bakong, you register your VISA or MasterCard and top up US dollars and riels.

When paying, you can choose to pay in either dollars or riels.

In fact, dollars or riels are specified when the QR code indicated at the shop's cashier  is scanned.

For foreigners, it's easy to understand the dollar display, but it was a strange experience to use two currencies all the time.

Well, since the upper limit is set when you first deposit money into Bakong, there's a sense of security that you won't overspend (get ripped off excessively).

Next, I'd like to visit Siem Reap, the city of Angkor Wat.