Where to stay

Daun Penh, commonly referred to as Riverside, constitutes the historic center of the city. Stay here to be near the Royal Palace and some of the city's best-preserved French colonial architecture. For close proximity to the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum, also known as S-21 Prison, book a hotel in Chamkar Mon. The museum somberly commemorates the site where over 12,000 people were tortured and murdered during the Khmer Rouge regime. Just west of Daun Penh, Prampir Makara offers plenty of accommodations and easy access to Olympic Stadium, which was built but never used due to cancellation of the Asian Games in the 1960s.

Phnom Penh is well known for its nightlife, for good reason. Stay in Daun Penh, along Sisowath Quay, to be within walking distance of the city's riverside bars. The streets of nearby Chamkar Mon are home to numerous hole-in-the-wall bars as well as some of the city's best clubs. Boeung Keng Kang 1 is another neighborhood filled with lively bars and lounges. This area is popular with locals and expats, so book a hotel room here if you are looking for a less touristy vibe.

Book lodgings in Toul Tom Poung to be within walking distance of Phnom Penh's most famous market. Popular with Russian expats in the 1980s, the Russian Market stocks everything imaginable, from textiles and jewelry to ceramics and handicrafts. The hotels in Tonle Bassac put dedicated shoppers near the Aeon Mall and a street lined with boutique stores. To be able to walk to the Central Market and Sorya Center Point mall, find a hotel in the neighborhood of Daun Pen.