Phnom Penh

Cambodia's capital since French colonial days has been Phnom Penh, the country's largest metropolis. Phnom Penh, formerly known as "the gem of Asia," is regarded as one of the most beautiful of the towns established by the French in Indochina, despite the fact that the city is still recuperating from war and revolution. Today, French influence may still be found. The city, which is located on the Mekong River, dates back to the 15th century.

The Royal Palace, the house of Cambodia's royal family, and the Silver Pagoda, which is coated in 5,000 silver tiles and has a life-size gold Buddha adorned in diamonds, are among the top attractions. The night market, also known as Phsar Reatrey, is a great spot to buy handcrafted handicrafts and souvenirs.

Before the conflict in the 1970s, Phnom Penh was known as the "Paris of the East," with gorgeous white facades intermingled with temples (wats) dating back millennia. Though the Khmer Rouge dictatorship is no longer in power, the roughness of Phnom Penh is slowly fading. One of the city's most appealing features is that it has not been westernized to the extent that other of its surrounding nations have, providing a more authentic Southeast Asian experience.

Of course, there are more melancholy sights in Phnom Penh that commemorate the Khmer Rouge regime's atrocities, such as the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum and the famed Killing Fields of Choeung Ek. The Killing Fields feature 129 mass graves and a memorial stupa with the skulls of almost 8,000 victims who were slaughtered there.