by Charles Ray

Created on: August 02, 2009

Phnom Penh, capitol city of the Kingdom of Cambodia, sits at the juncture of the Mekong and Tonle Sap Rivers. The very name evokes a kaleidoscope of images; French colonial administrators in their white linen suits sitting on the verandah of the Cambodiana Hotel sipping Angkor beer; ornate temples of the Angkorian period reflecting the syncretic mix of Buddhist and Hindu cultures; grim-faced Khmer Rouge soldiers dressed in black herding the population to execution or starvation in the countryside.

The Khmer Rouge were defeated, and that image is now only a part of the city's tragic historic past; seen in such places as Tuol Sleng Museum or the Killing Fields. The other images, however, endure. The French have been largely replaced by American, Chinese, Korean, and other businessmen and tourists, and white suits are no longer in fashion. But, sitting on the verandah of hotels like the Cambodiana or Raffles LeRoyale, or one of the many others, sipping a cold Angkor beer while watching the sun set, is still a favorite pastime of locals and visitors alike.

Before the 1970 coup that overthrew Norodom Sihanouk, Phnom Penh was known as one of the "Pearls of Asia." The city was devastated during the Khmer Rouge reign of terror (1975-1979). While the Cambodian political situation continues to develop and stabilize; since 2003, Phnom Penh has undergone a remarkable transformation. Still relatively uncrowded by Southeast Asian standards, it remains one of the sleepiest cities in the region (bested only by Vientiane, Laos). Thanks in large part to the resurgence of international tourism and the development of a vibrant textile industry, Phnom Penh has begun to restore some of the charm and allure it had in the 1950s.

A renovated international airport now receives flights from Singapore, Hong Kong, and most other major Asian cities, as well as local and regional flights to Bangkok, Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, and Vientiane. In 2005, the Tourism Ministry estimated that over one million foreign tourists visited Cambodia.

Phnom Penh offers a lot to make a visit memorable. Friendly people, international class hotels, and an exotic cuisine, with service and prices that are competitive with neighbors Thailand and Vietnam (without the traffic snarls typical in Bangkok and Ho Chi Minh City) greet visitors.

In addition to Tuol Sleng (a famous Khmer Rouge prison that was originally a secondary school) and the Killing Fields, which are obligatory stops on any tour itinerary,

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