THE CHARM OF PHNOM PENH

Historic as well as modern, Cambodia's capital city providing visitors with a unique proposition of old world charm interspersed with modern luxury

- MARK EVANS

WORDS AND EMOTIONS can't describe when one journeys back to a destination only to find it far removed from their first visit. That's the consensus of most who haven't had the privilege of visiting Phnom Penh in the last decade or two. That's because the Cambodian capital has certainly transformed in the past 20 years.

Back then, it wasn't quite the city it is today with pockets of lakes with nary an international hotel in sight. Going around town was predominantly achieved by local tuk tuks. But the city has changed and for the better too in a lot of ways.

Today, Phnom Penh is a sprawling capital city with high rises, condominiums, apartments, and malls. It even hosted the recent SEA Games, solidifying its presence as one of Southeast Asia's most rapidly developing cities. Nevertheless, despite the construction and changing cityscape, Phnom Penh is not without its charm.

Omakase restaurants operated by Japanese chefs vie for attention alongside staple street food stalls selling an assortment of local delicacies such as Fish Amok and Lort Cha. Local rest houses are situated a stone throw's away from international luxury chains but in the chaos of a transforming city where old meets new, Phnom Penh remains a city that deserves the same prominence as more established Southeast Asian cities such as Jakarta and Hanoi. Here are some of the reasons why.

WORLD CLASS HOTELS