Phnom Penh - The Witness of Khmer Rough Genocide

• Cambodia - A great historical destination

From many students in Vietnam, especially in the south of Vietnam, Cambodia (or Campuchia) is one of the most attractive destinations for short trip.

Although it might seem unlucky, many international students studying in Hanoi just want to visit Ho Chi Minh City which is the biggest city in Vietnam whereas they do not know that it just about 300 km from Ho Chi Minh City to Phnom Penh, the city which I would the pearl of Mekong River.

• Phnom Penh - The Pearl of Mekong River

I am quite lucky to have visited many beautiful cities along the Mekong River such as Ho Chi Minh City, Phnom Penh, Chiang Mai or even Golden Triangle in Thailand where the Mekong River becomes the natural border between three countries: Thailand, Laos and Myanmar.

I think your guys must know about the Golden Triangle, the place used to be famous for cocaine and heroin trading. However, today we are not going to that place, I will write it down in another time.

Today I will provide your some tips for students living in Ho Chi Minh City or Hanoi to visit Phnom Penh, the city which used to be regarded as the pearl of Asia.

• Phnom Penh - The last death city in 20 century

Before I start to share tips for travelling to Phnom Penh, I just want to remind you that Phnom Penh is not just a beautiful city but also a city of history.

One of the most terrible events in the 20thCentury has happened in this city.

About 36 years ago, Phnom Penh was called the Death City, the abandoned city or The City of the Death. I love history and that is one of the main reason I visit Phnom Penh. At that time, 36 years ago, it was a dark age in the history of this Buddhism belief country, The Red Khmer (Communist Khmer) had overthrown the King of Cambodia, and then they started their terrible killing machine in Cambodia and Vietnam.

In fact, at that time, there were about 7 million Cambodians after the killing period, 3 million people has been killed. It is the fact that Communist Khmer in Cambodia believed in Maoism and Stalinism, they had ordered all the people in the city to leave city to live in the countryside, in other words, they robbed everything money, education, house even the relationship, then gradually by hard-working condition in the field, they killed one by one.

• Pol Pot - Stalin of Cambodia

Khmer Pol Pot was so terrible that they killed people in the cheap ways, because they were poor, poor army, poor government, poor with their communist policy. They used the way of killing people like in medieval age in Europe.

(Pol Pot was a communist leader of Cambodia at that time, who was described the same as Kim Jong In, Mao or Stalin. He believed in the idea of aggressive communism in which the only way to make a country better is to destroy all the remains of capitalism. That is the reason why they want to kill some many people. However, it is very hard to kill all the people at the same time so they decided to make them poor fist, make them weak later thus easier to kill).

My best photo taken with Phnom Penh, how lucky I am? My shirt has the color which is the same with the roof of the museum. :v

First making people working very hard, then kill them by stick, by rock or stones hitting people‘s heads.

Pol Pot ‘army was so arrogant that they attracted and killed Vietnamese people near the border with Cambodia. Genocide of Khmer Rouge stopped until Khmer people asked Vietnam for help.

The result was the Vietnam army came cross the border and liberated Khmer people from Pol Pot.

• 1, how to get there

Travel Phnom Penh by road

Road from Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon): This is the shortest route (240km) and most convenient to Phnom Penh.

- Bus to Phnom Penh (from Ho Chi Minh City): you catch the bus on Pham Ngu Lao (most cars run through here) and Bui Vien. Ticket price from 210 - 250. 000VNĐ. The bus runs every day, one hour.

• Mailinh bus,
• Kumho bus,
• Sapaco bus,
• Long Phuong bus,
• Khai Nam bus,...

You can buy tickets on Pham Ngu Lao Street in District 1. Fares are very cheap only. From 170 – 200 000 VNĐ ( 8 euros) / person and on the fare already includes the fee through the border.

I ride Kumho, new bus, clean, super-fast customs procedures - fare 210, 000 / one way. Round trip 380. 000VNĐ. If you go Kumho can buy tickets at 239 Pham Ngu Lao, District 1 and Lot E, Tan Da, District 5. Departure time: 07h00, 08h00, 09h00, 11h00, 13h00, 15h00.

In addition to the other private vehicles, you can see in the article itself sum up the car list to Phnom Penh.

* Note: If you book your room in Sisowath Quay (Western Quarter and Royal Palace area), make sure you drive to the nearby Phnom Penh bus station, do not go back to the bus station will take tuk tuk back. It costs $ 2-3 more.

- Ride the motorbike from Ho Chi Minh City: Take the direction of Cu Chi, then through Tay Ninh to Moc Bai border gate for immigration procedures, remember to bring full papers and license.

- From Hanoi: You should take the train, plane or bus to Ho Chi Minh City and go in the direction of the fastest and most economical. There is another way is to go through Laos, through Thailand and then through Cambodia but very laborious and time consuming. Unless you combine a trip across Indochina, go this route by road.

I highly recommended making like a long trip. You should stay in Ho Chi Minh City for 2 or 3 days discovering the city and then prepare for visiting Phnom Penh. Of course, it is for students who are from the North of Vietnam.

At that trip, 2 years old, I had to say that it was a little time-consuming for you to cross the border, I mean the border gate between Vietnam and Cambodia but Phnom Penh will give a very good time.

• 2, Where to stay

For me, Phnom Penh is small city with the population of 2 – 3 million people, it is quite small compared to Ha Noi or Ho Chi Minh City, however it is good for us to walk or by foot discovering the city, actually, most of the places are just 1-2 km apart. Therefore, we have saved a lot of time and money to discover the city, in my experience, you should book at two points: Western Sisowath Quay (the most convenient and convenient point) and the area near the independent monument.

* Sisowath Quay: This is a new West Street near the Royal Palace, the Mekong River, the night market... the tourist shops are all concentrated in this area. You should see the list of rooms at the Booking.com page and reservation, the last time you came to new subject is very hard, go to some new places.

If you travel alone and want to save money you can view the list and book the price from $ 5 (dorm)in Phnom Penh at Booking.com) - Previously set in Dolphin, for $ 5, Ideal location, clean room.

If you are going for a couple, family, private or a good hotel you can view the list and book private (private) prices from $ 10 at Booking.com.

• Independence Monument: This area also houses many bars and shelters for tourists, but it is not as convenient as in the afternoon and evening. I was also in this area, it was clean and the night bar was fun.

There are some good places here: I have listed down, actually you can find these hostles by using booking.com. Here down price for 2 people.

• Kim guesthouse
• Address: Prampir Makara, Phnom Penh. (295, 000 VND per night) ( 11 euros)
• It is just 1km from the city center
• The Happy House Zone:
• Address: Dau Penh, Phnom Pench. ( 67955 VNd per night) ( 3 euros)
• Tuk Tuk Hostel & Café
• Address: Chamkar Mon, Phnom Penh ( 67 955 Vnd per night) ( 3 euros)
• The Happy House
• Address: Daun Penh, Phnom Penh ( 68 182 VND per night) ( 3 euros)
• Panorama Mekong hostel
• Daun Penh, Phnom Penh (4 euros)

By the way, from my experience, if you visit Asia in general or Phnom Penh in the summer, be careful checking the right hostel with the air conditioner because the weather could be quite hot.

I have been in Phnom Penh for 3 days; I have to say that your experience could be terrible with the air conditioner.

• 3, Where to visit

1, Killing Field: 15km from the city center.

Briefly, if you ignore this place, you do not come to Phnom Penh. This is my favorite place, more than Angkor Wat. Killing Field is where the Khmer Rouge executed the Khmer and buried 20, 000 people in a burial pit. This is not a normal tourist destination, it is a place to keep a dark, tragic past of the Khmer. I call it the second world wonder in Cambodia, causing the whole world to be stunned, next to Angkor Wat. Admission $ 3, radio tour ticket ($ 3) - should buy both.

I remember that there is a film called Killing Fields, filmed in Cambodia, the film is quite famous among Vietnamese old generation, as it has related the dark period of Cambodia before the help from Vietnamese army.

2, Toul Saleng Genocide Museum: Along with the Killing Fields, the Toul Sleng Genocide Museum (also known as S21) is where the Khmer army imprisoned, tortured and forced more than 20, 000 intellectuals in Phnom Penh. Then take them to Killing Fields for execution. This place is right in the heart of the city.

This museum is nothing but an old school, then during the time of Pol Pot Red Khmer period, it has been converted into a jail for killing people.

At first I did not recognize that but then actually the building is just like normal building, here we have heard the story of Phnom Penh 37 years ago. It is something related to my country also.

• The story of 37 years ago

The story is back to 1975, at the time, my country ( Vietnam) after many years of war, North Vietnam Communist has won the war, taken the city of Saigon after we changed name of the city to Ho Chi Minh City ( HO Chi Minh is communist leader).

That helped Khmer Communist force in Cambodia also took over the power from the puppet government of the King.

Then Cambodia Communist leader – Pol Pot, he used to be a friend to Vietnam Communist but then he turned back to believe in Maoism of China.

• Many communism styles in the world

So for me, you must understand that there are communists over Russia, China, Korean, Vietnam and then Cambodia but they are not the same.

Each communist party has it own belief, in this case, Cambodia Communism is very different from Vietnam.

I will tell you later below the story of this museum, the place I think that is very interesting, a lot useful information about politics and killing in Cambodia.

• The gallows to tortured people

This pole with cables attached to it had been used for students to practice their exercises. The Khmer rouge utilized this place as interrogation room. The interrogators tied both hands of the prisoners to the back by a rope and lift the prisoners upside down. They did like this until the prisoners lost consciousness. Then they dipped the prisoner’s head into a jar of smelly, fifthy water, which they normally used as fertilizer for the crops in the terrace outside.

This is one of the normal torture that Khmer Rough used, in other writing I will write down in detail.

• Vietnamese voluntary army in Cambodia

Taking photo with the survivor

He is the typer and fixor of the typing machine, most of Khmer Rouge Communists are less- educated, they cannot fix and type the words.

After killing people, they need the document so that is the main reason why he has been survived. Tragiclly, it was still a miracle. When Khmer Rouge is being overthrown by Vietnamese voluntary Army, they had tried to kill him but unsuccessful, Vietnam Soldiers have released him and helped him. At that time he was terribly weak and faint.

• Royal Palace of Cambodia - Royal Family so rich in the least developed country in the world.

This is the working and living place of the King of Cambodia. The Royal Palace is divided into two areas: the Temple of the Emerald Buddha (also known as the Silver Pagoda) and the palace where the King lived and worked. The Jade Buddha Temple is a very special (rich) pagoda: the tiles are paved with more than 2, 000 bricks cast from silver; in the temple there are golden Buddha statues and a jade Buddha statue

Fare to foreigners: $ 6

Opening hours: 8 am - 11 pm (14 - 17 pm)

The dominant feeling that I have in this palace is that it is quite big compared to Hue, the ancient capital of Vietnam, for me, Cambodia is the poor country, nearly of the least developed countries in the world, but there is still royal family ruling in cambodia along side with the government.

Throughout history, Cambodia has built a lot of temples, palaces which for me, their people of Cambodia have to bear that burden..

It was just unfair that royal family was so rich that most of people are poor.

That is the reason why I don’t really like this place.

• 5. National Museum of Cambodia:

An interesting destination if you are interested in the past, the history of the Khmer people. It also houses Khmer artifacts dating from the reign of Chan Lap (pre-Angkor) to the most glorious Angkor Wat.

I have been here and learnt a lot about the history of Cambodia. There is a fact that in the past during the Khmer Shining period or Khmer Empire, the land of that Empire was very large spearing from Thailand to Laos and the South of Vietnam, which the capital in Siem Rieap,

Cambodia people have the right to be proud of their ancestor’s empire with the richness and glory, however, today I can see that many political parties in Cambodia are using the propaganda that Vietnamese people have robbed the land of Cambodia.

It is totally no true. However, many poor people living in the countryside are believing them, they are trying to use nationalism in the aggressive way to get vote from people.

which I cannot agree with.

$ 3 fare for foreigners. Hours open 8 - 17h.

• 6. Vietnam – Cambodia Friendship Monument

If you have the opportunity to visit Wat Botum Park in Phnom Penh, take the time to visit this iconic Communist monument. For many Vietnamese People, this is must- visit place in Phnom Penh.

The golden golden pinion helped the Vietnam-Cambodia Friendship Monument become a prominent symbol. This pillar is an extremely recognizable landmark in the Cambodian capital, Phnom Penh.

As you have mentioned the Khmer Rouge genocide ended by the help of Vietnamese People, many Vietnameses have died for the life of Cambodia. Of course, I do not really like the communist monument but it is quite important that we respect the deaths of many voluntary vietnamese teenagers joining the voluntary army to help Cambodia at that time.

So you can, please come then and respect our people.

The Vietnamese Communist Party built the monument in 1979 to commemorate the Cambodian-Vietnamese War, especially Vietnam's victory over the Khmer Rouge genocide that then occupied Kampuchea (Cambodia).

This noble significance is reinforced by the numerous flags of Vietnam and Cambodia.

7, Note when traveling Phnom Penh

• - When entering and exiting free of charge, however, there are customs officers, you definitely do not pay and remember to ask them in English "Why do i need to pay for you? We (Vietnam & Cambodia) are in Asean group, they will let you through. They just bully and pinch people through labor. If you ride Kumho's car do not worry because there are customs fees in the ticket always.
• - You should book your room before you go to have a cheap room, without having to look for work (just take the work, just take the rent tuk tuk move). The ideal location is Sisowath Quay.
• - Motorbike rental costs an average of $ 7 a day (can be rented at the hotel or ask them for help)
• Cambodian people are generally enthusiastic, gentle, hospitable so do not be afraid to ask people if you have difficulty
• - You should avoid wearing sexy clothing (short and open) when traveling to Buddhist countries such as Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, Myanmar because the temple, the major tourist attractions often forbidden dress.
• - In Phnom Penh the Khmers spend two kinds of currency: Riel (denominations 4000 riel = 1 US Dollar) and USD. You should change the dollar denominated in small denominations for convenience. Only a few places spend Vietnamese money: it is in the central market and the Russian market.
• - You should bring cash according to the person who is spending (according to the above calculation) to avoid withdrawing money by Visa card ($ 100-200 to $ 4-5 fee)
• - Ask price before buying anything. In the Center Market and Russian Market you can wear a 30% discount to the price quoted.
• - Phnom Penh rice / rice noodles / rice noodle / pho in Phnom Penh prices average 4000 - 6000 riel, higher than you are cut.
• - You should know some simple sentences in Khmer for easy conversations, as there are many people who do not speak English or Vietnamese.
• - Travel Phnom Penh, the souvenir to buy the most is a Krama scarf (symbol for luck, peace in the Khmer concept).
• - If buy sim you should buy from Metfone (Viettel investment) cheap call charges to Vietnam. Buy a $ 2 sim card, charge $ 2 more you can call back to Vietnam comfortably.
• -At the hostel there is a free map, you should go for a move, or buy another $ 2. 00 for 3G

• 8, Plan

I have in Phnom for 3 days after heading to Siem Riep but in this article, I will share you a plan of visiting Phnom Penh for 2 days only, in case you really need to save money or you would like to visit in just Phnom Penh, so 2 days in Phnom, 2 days in Siem Riep, I think that is quite enough.

My advice is to spend more time in Vietnam, the charmless Vietnam.

Day 1: Pick up from Pham Ngu Lao to Phnom Penh, the most suitable time is 15pm or 9am Friday to return to Sunday night. Trip 15h you will be in Phnom Penh at 21h, check-in hotel and overnight stay to wait tomorrow morning to explore Phnom Penh. Or go to sleep in the car overnight.

Day 2: First day in Phnom Penh you should walk or bike to visit the locations in the center first. These points are not far apart, tuk tuk is the number 1 choice for large groups and families. Note in Cambodia very few taxis (almost none).

Wat Phnom: The first destination you should visit in Phnom Penh. This is the place to tell you about the history of the city and the name "Phnom Penh". You should spend 2 hours at this temple.

Center Market, also known as the new market. This is not only a shopping mall with all kinds of items, from gold and silver to gems, electronics, clothes, souvenirs, food... but also a Western-inspired architecture. Standing in a dome building in the middle of the market you will feel like you are in a European terminal. Center Market is also a good place for you to buy for friends, relatives a Krama scarf as a souvenir. 2 hours is a reasonable time to go to Center Market.

Royal Palace - Silver Pagoda: the most tourist attraction in the city center. The place to find out about life in the palace and especially to admire the famous Silver Pagoda with the background is paved with more than 2000 silver tiles, gold Buddha statue with 2000 diamonds and Buddha statue Made from precious stones in Asia only a few pictures.

National Museum of Cambodia is the last tourist destination of the day. You can spend two hours at the royal palace, and then spend an additional 1. 5 hours walking to the Cambodian National Museum, which preserves antiquities from the time of the kingdom of Chan Lap (the first kingdom). The Khmer empire) until the heyday and decline of the Angkor empire.

On the afternoon of Monday you can sit back, relax, eat pavement food and take pictures with thousands of pigeons on the square in front of the royal palace. This is one of the most beautiful places in the city. In the evening you can walk along Sisowath Street. Spend the baked insect, walk in the night market not too far away. Or rent a motorbike to go to Phnom Penh during the night, when the weather is cooler than daytime.

On the third day you should rent a motorbike to go because today you will visit the location more than 15km away from the city, the most special place in the city of Phnom Penh.

Toul Sleng, the Khmer Rouge genocide museum. Starting the day you can find a noodles, noodles or rice for breakfast. Then set out for the Toul Sleng Genocide Museum (on the way you remember through the independent monument to take a photo memorial). Toul Sleng (also known as S21) is home to evidence of the brutal crimes of Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge.

Killing Field, a dead field - is located 15km from the city center where you should visit after visiting Toul Sleng.

Finally, you can return to the city center, visit the Russian market or the mall, take a glass of ice coffee at "The best ice coffee in Phnom Penh" and then return to the bus station. Back Ho Chi Minh City.

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