Wat Phnom, Phnom Penh

No visit to Phnom Penh is complete if you haven't gone to Wat Phnom, the tallest buddhist temple and religious site in the city, standing 27 metres above ground. If it looks somewhat familiar to you, well then it may be due to the fact that Wat Phnom is the symbol of Phnom Penh. Take a good look at any of those souvenir magnets/stickers/etc.

Wat Phnom is situated on a hill and actually serves as a roundabout, making it impossible to miss when you're cruising along the city centre on a tuk-tuk. 

Built in 1373, rebuilt in 1926, before getting a full facelift in 1998, Wat Phnom continues to be one of the city's most popular sites.

Legend has it that Daun Penh (Lady or Grandmother Penh), a wealthy lady, discovered four bronze statues of Buddha in the trunk of a koki tree that washed up on the banks of the Tonle Sap. She took this as an omen to construct a small shrine on a manmade hill to protect the statues. Once it was built, villagers would come to the sacred shrine to pray for blessings from the Buddha and they began to call the site 'Phnom Penh' (the Mountain of Daun Penh).

It is also said that in 1437, after Angkor was invaded and the Royal Court moved to Phnom Penh, King Ponhea Yat (the last King of the Khmer Empire) ordered the hill to be raised, making Wat Phnom an official sanctuary.

You can find hundreds of locals here daily, giving offerings and praying for good luck. 

The statue of King Sisowath (king from 1904 - 1927), King Norodom's brother and successor. 

Walking around I couldn't help but think of the place as a sort of Central Park with a Cambodian twist - I mean, it's a tourist spot but a lot of locals also come here daily, there's a lot of greenery that you can take photos of and lounge by, and it's surrounded by a busy road. 

Here's the main entrance to Wat Phnom, located on the eastern side of the roundabout. You can also go up on the other side of the hill where the giant clock and King Ponhea Yat's statue can be found (the south-eastern side if you want to be precise), but the entrance there isn't as grand as this. 

Guarding the main entrance of Wat Phnom are lion and naga (snake) statues. 

Wat Phnom
St. 96, Norodom Blvd., Phnom Penh

Entrance to go inside Wat Phnom is $1 per person - you have to pay once you get to the top of the hill. But you're free to roam around the lower section. 

Unfortunately we didn't have the time to go inside as we were in a bit of a rush, but from what I've heard, there are hundreds of statues and paintings in the sanctuary depicting stories from the Khmer version of Ramayana and stories of Buddha's reincarnations before his enlightenment. There are also several shrines adorned with various items of devotion and worship. 

Given the time, I'd definitely want to go back and reach the top of the hill. And perhaps get a glimpse of those so-called gangster monkeys Wat Phnom is also pretty famous for. 

Happy discovering!

Paul's BrewHouse, Phnom Penh

Just a few steps away from the Royal Palace and Supreme Court is Paul's BrewHouse, one of Cambodia's biggest coffee shop chains after Brown Coffee. It's the perfect place to cool off after a few hours of walking around the grounds of the Royal Palace. 

Paul's BrewHouse is famous for their donuts that have the 'original U.S. taste' which sets them apart from other coffee shop chains such as Brown Coffee and Costa Coffee. Apparently, to get that distinct 'American' flavour, almost all of the components of making the famous donuts and pastries are all U.S. imports. Even the baker.

After 20 years in the donut business in California, Cambodian-American founder Paul Quach decided to bring the original American donut taste to Cambodia, opening his first store in Boeng Keng Kang 1, Phnom Penh in November 2012.

This particular branch on Sothearos Blvd. opened February of this year, making it the sixth chain. In an interview with Cambodia Daily, CEO Mengly J. Quach mentioned how they had plans to open yet another branch later on this year. So watch out for that.

The Sothearos branch (No. 52, Sothearos Blvd., neat St. 246) is decorated with European accents, with a mini replica of the Leaning Tower of Pisa and a mural of the Venice waterfront. 

Paul's has a huge variety of food and drink options - all sorts of hot or iced lattes, smoothies, sandwiches, pastas, etc. Their drink sizes mimic those of Starbucks: tall, grande or venti. But the staff do just refer to them as small, medium and large.

Hmm... how good do those pastries look?

Seating area outside 

No denying that the coffee shop gives off the whole modern, Western vibe. It's got the whole industrial/rundown, yet classy feel. No complaints here. 

How much does that table scream coffee-inspired-modern art?

Paul's seems like a perfect place to hang out and do some work - there were a few people, both foreigners and locals, typing away on their laptops whilst munching on a few snacks. It's pretty quiet and chill. You could spend the whole day here. I would.

On to the donuts!

They had such a wide variety of donuts it was sooo hard to pick which one to get. We ended up getting (starting from top left to the center) the white peanut, glazed and coconut donuts. I also got an iced hazelnut latte, which was so nice after being out in the heat.

Urmf... I could definitely have a donut right now. 

As I didn't really eat breakfast that morning, I also got myself an egg and bacon croissant which tasted SO GOOD. No jokes. You have to try it. And oh my gosh, I would definitely recommend you try the coconut donut. It is absolute heaven! It's so fluffy and light, not too sweet and very filling. I'd definitely put it up there with J. CO Donuts (although the range isn't as wide as J. Co's). 

Price-wise, pretty affordable. A donut costs about $1, while lattes are about $2-5 depending on what size you take. The croissant was $2.75 and the price was definitely worth it. 

If you're thinking that it's somewhat like Starbucks and J. CO thrown together, you're probably right. If they had Paul's back in the Philippines or Canada, I'd be all over it. That is how much I love it.

I whole-heartedly (yes, I mean it) recommend you check out Paul's BrewHouse if you're ever in Phnom Penh. It's a great place to unwind after a day of exploring, and the food so good you'll want to come back for more. 

I'm definitely going to come back and try out the pastas. They've also got a whole breakfast menu I'd love to try. And of course, to have another donut.

Happy discovering!

The Royal Palace, Phnom Penh

So after a bit of stress due to class registration for the next school year, I decided to take a breather and felt that a distraction was needed to calm my nerves. What better way than to do more exploring here in Phnom Penh to take my mind off a few things?

Alas, we found ourselves at the Royal Palace - and this time we arrived early to check out and appreciate the whole place *ahem* 8:45am *ahem*

The Royal Palace of the Kingdom of Cambodia was built in 1866 by King Norodom after relocating the capital city from Oudong to Phnom Penh. It is a compound of buildings which serves as the royal residence for the King of Cambodia, presently His Majesty Norodom Sihamoni. He is the son of former King Preah Bat Samdech Preah Norodom Sihanouk.

(Yes, the names are quite confusing)

According to Phnom Penh's website, the grounds are opened to the public except for when the King is in residence. The King's actual living area, as well as a couple of other buildings, are closed to the public (but the tourist guides do definitely point out which buildings are which, or you can always tell what with the gated area). So you can only imagine how big the compound truly is.

Statues along the gardens by the entrance 

 Preah Tineang Tevea Vinichhay - the Throne Hall, used for religious and royal ceremonies and as a meeting place for guests of the King. We couldn't go inside as they were cleaning the place, but apparently there are three thrones that can be found here, as well as golden busts of the previous Cambodian kings and queens. 

This is the second throne hall to be built on the grounds, with the first having been made from wood. It was demolished in 1915 and two years later was replaced with the throne hall we can see today. 

How gorgeous are those golden coloured roofs?

Can I live in this one please?

 To the left of the Throne Hall you'll find the Phochani Pavilion (left) and the Royal Treasury (right). 

You can find a lot of golden, silver and wooden antiques at the Royal Treasury, as well as a few of the traditional royal costumes. So definitely check that out.

 Also found at the Royal Treasury - coloured garments worn according to the days of the week, starting from Sunday (left-most) to Saturday. Which day of the week is your favourite according to these colours?

 A lot of the entry ways are so gorgeous, you can't help but take a few snapshots of them. 

 The Temple (or Pagoda) of the Emerald Buddha, also known as the Silver Pagoda, houses hundreds of national treasures such as gold and silver buddhas and head dresses, and of course, you guessed it, the 17th century emerald buddha, made of baccarat crystal and solid gold. 

 Before you enter, you've got to remove your shoes as you'll be walking on carpeted floors. It's no biggie as you'll be so in awe of the beautiful treasures, you won't care. Just you know, don't drool as you walk around.

Unfortunately, you're not allowed to take any photos as you walk inside the Silver Pagoda, so take your time, pace yourself and embed everything in your mind slowly. There are a lot of signs to explain to you what each item in the glass encasements are, so don't worry if you haven't got a clue what it is you're marveling at.

Right in front of the Silver Pagoda is the statue of His Majesty King Norodom on his white horse. To the left and right of this statue are the stupas (dome-shaped structures erected as Buddhist shrines) of His Majesty King Norodom and His Majesty King Ang Duong (founder of the current dynasty), respectively. 

His Majesty King Norodom's stupa

Buddha statues on top of Phnom Mondop, a small artificial hill next to the Silver Pagoda, meant to represent Kailassa Mountain. Here you can find a shrine that contains a large Buddha footprint, along with 108 Buddha images that symbolize Buddha's 108 past lives. 

Apparently you can also get your future told here for a small contribution if you catch any of the fortune tellers at the shrine. There seemed to be one while we were here, but I was too chicken to have my fortune told. Perhaps another time?

Her Royal Highness Kantha Bopha's stupa, daughter of former King Sihanouk who died in 1952 at the age of four due to leukemia, situated behind the Phnom Mondop

In one of the exhibition halls, you can find a whole range of different palanquins, a conveyance used especially in eastern Asia usually for one person that consists of a seat carried on the shoulders of men by means of poles (think, Ancient Roman times and how they carried emperors like Caesar).

 Here's the gold-adorned palanquin used by His Majesty Preah Bat Samdech Preah Boromoneath Norodom Sihamoni during His royal procession of Ascending the Throne. (No kidding, that's what the sign said)

Displayed in another exhibition hall are the different elephant howdahs, chairs mounted on the backs of elephants, used by members of royalty and officials.

Below, left - the elephant howdah used by His Majesty

Elephant howdah used by military officials

Outside the elephant howdah exhibition, we spotted this lady making silk scarves. 

Though I have seen this particular machine used before, it still was pretty amazing watching her do her job. And although it seems really easy, it definitely is much more complicated than it looks. 

Of course this post wouldn't be complete if I didn't include statues such as these. Now I won't lie, these two were the ones that creeped me out the most. If you can remember Lara Croft: Tomb Raider (the first movie), you'll understand why. They're creepy, but beautiful nonetheless.

Entrance fee to the Royal Palace is $6.50 per person, and the price is definitely worth it. 

Apparently there used to be a fee if you had a camera with you ($2-5), but I'm guessing that price is now included in the entrance fee (which used to be only $3).

You also have the option of getting a local guide who'll walk around the Palace grounds with you and give you a little history lesson. They speak really good English, and from my observations, they do have guides who speak French and a few other languages, so don't fret. I do believe that you have to pay them $10 per 45 minutes or so. We decided to explore the place without one, to get a more adventurous type of vibe. Besides, they give you a map of the compound so you won't wander around aimlessly and there are plenty of signs to tell you pretty much what everything is. Plus, the people are friendly and you can always ask for directions.

Oh, and one more thing. When you visit, be sure to dress modestly - meaning no strapless, no straps, no shorts that are shorter than knee length, etc. In short, cover your shoulders and your knees. Even a shawl won't suffice. You won't be able to go in if you aren't dressed accordingly. They are pretty strict about the dress code, so just keep that in mind. But if you do happen to forget about it, they do sell white shirts and coloured trousers - I believe those are about $3?

Outside of the Royal Palace
Samdech Sothearos Boulevard, between St. 184 and St. 240

So again, if you're ever in Phnom Penh, the Royal Palace is a must-visit to get a feel of their culture and history. It's open from 7:30am to 11:30 and 2pm to 5pm everyday, provided King Sihamoni isn't home. I'd definitely recommend coming in the morning though, so it's not too hot while you're walking around and marveling at the gardens and buildings.

Happy discovering!