At a glance
The short version
- Riverfront
- Views over the Tonle Sap and Mekong, walking distance to the Royal Palace and National Museum
- BKK1
- Quieter, leafier, and where you will eat best
- Daun Penh
- The old administrative quarter, closest to the main sights
- Traffic
- Distance on the map understates travel time, particularly between five and seven in the evening
- What you pay for
- A pool worth using, a quiet room, and a location that saves you an hour a day
- What to check
- Which side of the building your room faces - riverfront roads are loud
Phnom Penh is a city where the address does more work than the star rating, because of the traffic.
The riverfront
Sisowath Quay runs along the confluence of the Tonle Sap and the Mekong, with the Royal Palace and the National Museum a short walk away. The view is the reason to be here, and the road noise is the price. Ask which way the room faces.
BKK1
A twenty-minute walk south, or ten minutes in a tuk-tuk, BKK1 is where the city’s restaurant scene is concentrated and where the embassies and better apartments are. It is leafier, quieter and duller in the best sense. If you are here for more than two nights, we would stay here.
On timing your day
Between five and seven in the evening the city solidifies. Build that into the plan rather than discovering it on the way to a dinner reservation.
Questions travellers ask
Riverfront or BKK1?
Riverfront for the view and the sights, BKK1 for the food and the quiet. If it is a short stay built around the Royal Palace and the museums, choose the river.
Is Phnom Penh walkable?
In patches. The riverfront and Daun Penh are pleasant on foot; anything further calls for a tuk-tuk, and a PassApp or Grab ride costs very little.
Is it noisy?
The riverfront road is busy until late. Ask for a room away from the street, or on a high floor.
How long do I need in Phnom Penh?
Two nights covers the Royal Palace, the National Museum and the genocide sites without rushing. Three if you want to eat properly.
