Phnom Pehn - Not as many photos 📷

September 02, 2024

Our bus trip to Phnom Pehn went well and was very smooth, which is good cause we're using the same company to get to Ho Chi Minh today. The highlight was the complimentary croissant!

We didn't really have any big plans for the city so knew we'd take some time to relax here. On all the must-do lists are the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum (S-21) and Choeung Ek Genocidal Center (The Killing Fields). S-21 is an old secondary school which in 1976 was turned into a prison/integration centre for those who seemed a threat to the Khmer Rouge regime. The Killing Fields are what you would expect from the name, prisoners were taken there to be executed, so when the Khmer Rouge fell in 1979 mass graves were found on the site.

We set off on the first day with an aim to do them both but after S-21, I felt one Genocide Museum was enough for one day. Hence the reason for not many photos, as we spent a large amount of each day here at the museums. The only photos I took were of the monuments at each of these sites where huge atrocities occurred. The monument from the Killing Fields, a Buddist style stupa, holds 5000 skulls in layers whilst the one from S-21 reads 'Never will we forget the crimes committed during the Democratic Kampuchea Regime'.

This made me think, to never forget I need to know about it in the first place. I never enjoyed history at school, in fact it was probably one of my least favourite subjects, but even so I doubt you learn about the vicious rule of Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge in any pre-GSCE history lesson.

My point? Well, I suppose I'm glad I now know and after visiting these sites it will be pretty hard to forget. Both offer great audio guides which I would recommend as they take you through some pretty horrific events in a calm and contained way. There's also space to sit and contemplate, and as is often the case with areas where terrible acts have occurred, you can hear birdsong, watch the butterflies, and feel the wind thorough the trees.

We spent some time wandering through the city, walking past the Independence Monument and the Grand Palace. I think it's been one of the most difficult cities to walk through so far. There are some pavements but they're mostly blocked by scooters, tuk-tuks, and shops which extend right to the road, so you have to walk in the road and like most roads in this part of the world they're chaotic to say the least. You can walk easily along the river which is nice but that's when the weather started to turn.

Our hostel had a lovely rooftop pool and bar, which even in the rain we tried to enjoy. It was a great way to spend and evening as there was a fantastic view across the river (when it wasn't raining) and there was beer for about 75p, so Matt was very happy.