The Royal Palace of Phnom Penh, Cambodia is a complex of buildings which are the royal abode of the Kingdom of Cambodia. Its full name in the Khmer language is Preah Barom Reachea Vaeng Chaktomuk. The Kings of Cambodia have occupied it since it was built in 1866, with a period of absence when the country came into turmoil during and after the reign of the Khmer Rouge.The palace was started after King Norodom relocated the royal capital from Oudong to Phnom Penh after the mid-1800s. It was gradually built atop an old citadel called Banteay Kev. It faces towards the East and is situated at the Western bank of four divisions at the Mekong River called Chaktomuk

The Royal Palace - Phnom Penh
The official home of King Norodom Sihanouk, the Royal Palace is a grand building in keeping with its status.The predominant colours are yellow, representing Buddhism, and white, representing Brahmanism. As it is the home of the King, much of the palace complex is off-limits, but visitors have access to the Chan Chaya Pavilion, from where the King and head of state deliver their speeches to the nation. You can also see the impressive Throne Room and the quirky iron pavilion of Napoleon III, a gift to King Norodom in 1876.

The palace grounds are open to the public. Open: 07h00-17h00. Admission: USD3. Additional charges for cameras and videos are payable. Note that a guide is needed for some parts of the palace at an additional charge.

The Silver Pagoda - Phnom Penh
Also known by the name "The Temple of the Emerald Buddha", the Silver Pagoda is part of the palace complex. The entire floor of the pagoda is covered with silver tiles, over 5,000 of them, each more than 1kg in weight.
The temple is home to a host of other treasures including glittering Buddhas made of gold, silver, jade and of course the exquisite Emerald Buddha. As if they weren't valuable enough many of these ancient statues are studded with precious stones besides - and any one of them would be worth a king's ransom. Along the walls of the compound a mural depicts the tale of the Ramayana, while outside the temple various stupas house the ashes of past royalty. Open: 07h30-11h00 & 14h30-17h00..

National Museum - Phnom Penh
This deep-red building built in traditional Khmer pagoda style looks far more venerable than its age suggests. Only built in 1913 the museum is today home to thousands of cultural artefacts, some dating back to the 4th century. The collection also contains many Angkorian statues, which miraculously escaped damage or destruction during the Khmer Rouge years. These include rare sculptures of some of the kings of that time - most notably Jayavarman VII, considered the greatest of the Angkor leaders.

The museum is inhabited by thousands of bats, which, around sunset, when the museum guides stir them into action, take flight in droves, making for a remarkable sight. The courtyard in the centre of the complex, complete with ponds, pagodas and formal plantings is an incredibly peaceful sanctuary from the city outside, and from the squeaking of the bats that is a constant companion to any tour of the galleries. Open: 08h00-11h00 & 14h00-17h00. Admission: USD3.