Cities

Cambodia’s urban landscape tells the full story of the country — from pre-war grandeur and French colonial architecture, through the trauma of the Khmer Rouge years, to a twenty-first century city finding its creative voice.

Phnom Penh

The capital sits at the confluence of four rivers — the Mekong, Tonle Sap, Tonle Bassac, and Chroy Changvar — and it shows in its relaxed riverside energy.

Don’t skip:

• Royal Palace & Silver Pagoda — the working royal palace complex, with the famous Emerald Buddha
• Tuol Sleng (S-21) and Choeung Ek — confronting, essential, moving
• Russian Market — the best shopping in Cambodia for silk, spices, and crafts
• Street 278 / BKK1 — Phnom Penh’s most sophisticated dining corridor

Eat: Malis (fine Khmer), Daughters of Cambodia (social enterprise café), Friends the Restaurant (social enterprise training restaurant), Romdeng (elevated street food in a garden).

Siem Reap

More than just an Angkor base, Siem Reap has grown into Cambodia’s most visitor-ready city. The Old Market area, Pub Street, and Kandal Village make for excellent evenings after a day of temples.

Don’t skip:

• Angkor Night Market — lantern-lit, artisan-focused, genuinely local
• Artisans Angkor — silk weavers, stone carvers, and lacquerware craftspeople trained in traditional skills
• Phare, the Cambodian Circus — extraordinary acrobatics woven around Cambodian stories. Book ahead.
• Tonle Sap floating villages — 15 minutes from town

Eat: Cuisine Wat Damnak (Cambodia’s best restaurant), The Sugar Palm (traditional Khmer), Haven (training restaurant for former street youth).

Battambang

Cambodia’s second city punches well above its weight. The French colonial quarter along the river is the most intact in the country. The street art in the alleys around Psar Nat market rivals anything in Southeast Asia.

Don’t skip:

• Bamboo train (Nori) — hand-built bamboo platforms on railway wheels, speeding through rice fields. Totally unique.
• Phnom Sampeau — hilltop temples, bat cave (millions of bats at sunset), and a haunting reminder of the Khmer Rouge era
• Battambang Bat Caves — at sunset, 3+ million golden bats spiral from the limestone cliffs in an extraordinary natural display

Eat: Lonely Tree Café, Jaan Bai (social enterprise), Riverside Night Market.