3 days and 2 nights in Phnom Penh – A late late review.
Day 1: The bus left at 9 am and was in the border around 12:30. It took about 1 hour for us to obtain a visa and 3 more hours to reach the bus station in Phnom Penh. After buying some stuff from a supermarket, we walked to the hotel and checked in. Owing to the long tired journey, we decided not to go anywhere far, but make it an easy night.
Phnom Penh’s riverside area was our first choice to visit. It was a lively hangout spot, especially as evening fell. The whole area took on even more energy as more people arrived, street vendors set up their food carts, and bright lights casted their multi-coloured reflections on the water’s surface. After strolling along the park, we took a turn to the night market. Actually, all the market we visited were almost the same as those in Vietnam, as well as the food. We closed the night with beers and some stuff bought from a Circle K store – the most awesome place in Phnom Penh in the whole trip 
Day 2: We kickstarted the second day with rice soup with pork tripe. Then we headed to the Royal Palace, which was made up of a complex of buildings. Ornate and striking buildings sat in well-tended gardens. Though several parts of the site were off limits to visitors, we could still get a good sense of the opulence and grandeur.
In the afternoon, we took a walk along the Wat Botum Park before entering NagaWorld – a luxury premium casino and hotel in Cambodia. There were serveral duty-free shops selling branded goods under the basement of the building, they costed an arm and a leg though.
Leaving NagaWorld, we bought stir-fried bugs from a vendor and strolled along the riverside park, again. Then we headed to Phsar Market, bought a roasted chicken, a roasted fish (I didn’t know what kind of that fish), some kinds of fruit, and of course, something to drink. We dropped by some souvenir stores on the way back to the hotel and then, we rocked the night
Day 3 – Day of shopping: Housed within an interesting art deco building with four arms that branch out from a central dome, Central Market is one of Phnom Penh’s main bustling market. We found everything here, from clothing, jewelry, to ornaments, household goods, flowers, and so on. We shopped till we dropped, actually, just me 😉
We stopped by a supermarket, bought some stuff before taking grab back to the hotel to check out. Then we headed to the bus station and came back home.
Phnom Penh is a marvel in its own right, but there isn’t as much to see here, I think. I almost forget to mention what I really like about Phnom Penh is the traffic. The drivers will stop and wait for us at crosswalks so that we can cross the road easily. Anyway, it is a amazing vacation, and I will be back, if I have a chance
HCM 03/05/2018