While the ancient capital of the Khmer Empire was near Siem Reap, Phnom Penh has been the capital of the country since its days as French Indochina. The city has strong French architectural influences and a fusion of South Asian and French styles can be seen on the streets of its older downtown area.
Central Market 
Central Market
The city has a huge indoor market with a concrete dome that sells everything from bracelets to electronics. You’re allowed to haggle but I wouldn’t buy anything from this tourist trap. Since Cambodia is a kingdom, the palace with a golden roof is located in Phnom Penh as is the country’s tallest skyscraper.
Fried ants 
Security Prison 21
Cambodia has come out of a bloody civil war in the 1970’s that led to the Cambodian genocide 25% of the country’s population were killed. Former Security Prison 21 was notorious for torturing and executing enemies of the Khmer Rouge regime among other civilians. It is now the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum where you can see rows of human skulls and gruesome images of torture while roaming around the torture cells.
If you’re lucky you might be able to meet Chum May – one of 7 adult survivors of Tuol Sleng out of 20,000 prisoners in a 4-year period. I bought his book Survivor from him and he even signed it for me.
