Both of us · Phnom Penh, Cambodia · 18–19 November 2025
Phnom Penh felt lively from the moment we arrived. After a long bus journey, we were glad to stretch our legs in the city’s parks and markets and start eating our way around the capital.
Our favourite dish was amok, a gently spiced fish curry served in a banana leaf. We also visited the Royal Palace, wandered through malls and food stalls, and cooled off by the pool when the afternoon heat caught up with us.
Two of our days were devoted to the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum, formerly S 21 prison, and the Choeung Ek Genocidal Center, often known as the Killing Fields. These sites preserve the memory of the people imprisoned, tortured, and murdered by the Khmer Rouge.
Because this happened only in the late 1970s, it is not distant history. The audio tours shared testimony from Cambodians who lived through it, and at Tuol Sleng we had the privilege of hearing directly from survivors.
We took very few photos. We were quiet on the ride back and talked about little else that evening. We were grateful to the survivors whose testimony made this history possible to understand.
Later we walked through parks and markets, visited the Royal Palace and went back for fish amok. Those ordinary parts of the city sat beside the difficult history without resolving it.
We left through the new Techo airport. It was huge, polished, and served some of the best airport food we have had.
From there, we flew to Hanoi, grateful for the time we had spent in Cambodia.
Open the camera roll (18 photographs)
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