We made it to the capital of Cambodia (Phnom Penh) in one piece after one of the most terrifying bus journeys of the trip.

Once we’d recovered, we spent some time exploring the city itself. There were lots of beautiful green parks, markets, and amazing food. One of our favourites was the amok, which was a bit like a fish curry served in a banana leaf.

We spent our first two days visiting S-21 and the Killing Fields. S-21 was the brutal prison where the Khmer Rouge regime imprisoned and tortured men, women, and children for “crimes” as small as having an education, wearing glasses, or simply being suspected of thinking differently. From there, prisoners were taken to the Killing Fields, where they were murdered in the most horrifying ways.

This all happened in the late 1970s, so many Cambodians today still vividly remember living under the Khmer Rouge. The audio tours were incredibly emotional, with first-hand stories, and S-21 even had survivors there in person to talk about their experiences.

Many parts of the tours almost brought us to tears, but I’m grateful we took the time to understand and reflect. It really highlights how important it is to learn from history and ensure nothing like this ever happens again. For obvious reasons, we didn’t take many photos.

We balanced the heaviness with some lighter moments. We explored the Royal Palace, local malls, markets and food stalls. We also enjoyed relaxing by the pool which was one of favourites we’ve had on the trip so far.

Even leaving Phnom Penh was memorable. We flew out of the brand-new Techo airport, which is huge, architecturally beautiful and had some of the best food we’ve ever had in an airport.

Phnom Penh gave us a thoughtful and steady few days. We learned a lot, enjoyed exploring different parts of the city, and appreciated having time to see everything at a pace that suited us.