Wat Preah Keo
Located just next to the Royal Palace, this is the most famous pagoda in Phnom Penh. It was built in 1962 to replace an earlier wooden temple. The name comes from the 5281 tiles of silver, each weighing a little above one kilogram, that cover the floor. The altar houses a life sized Buddha, made of 90 kilograms of pure gold and covered with 9,584 diamonds, the largest being 25 karats.

Housed in an airy, traditional style building finished in 1920, is the archaeological collection of the National Museum. The collection features Khmer artifacts including large statues of deities, pre-Angkorian pottery and Brahmanist stone phalluses called lingas. The museum’s exhibits are poorly labeled and fairly incomprehensible to those not versed in the subtleties of Cambodian culture so it is worth taking advantage of the guided tours offered in French or English. Even if such artifacts are not of interest, the museum is worth a visit for its architecture including high ceilings, glassless windows and a serene inner courtyard.

The Royal Palace commands a fine location overlooking the river at the heart of Phnom Penh. Though most of the buildings of the palace are in fact 20th century constructions, the designs are inspired by traditional Khmer religious and monumental architecture. Important buildings in the palace compound include the Throne Hall and the Silver Pagoda, though, at present the public may only visit the Silver Pagoda and surrounding grounds. Personal greetings to the King can be posted in a special letterbox on Street 240 on the south side of the palace.

With phnom meaning “hill” in Khmer, legend has it that Phnom Penh was named after this small hill. At 27 metres above the surrounding plain it is by far the highest point in the city. Though the Wat is by no means the biggest or most impressive in Phnom Penh, it is a focus for the city, particularly during Khmer New Year when crowds gather to celebrate and cover each other in water and talcum powder. The large stupa to the west of the vihear (central sanctuary) contains remains of King Ponhea Yat .