Phnom Penh Days (19, 20, 21, 22 Dec 2014)

Day 3 - 19 Dec

We only reached Phnom Penh around 2pm and were joined by a new tour guide.  I guess he heard the rumbling noises from our tummies as he immediately brought us to enjoy a late lunch at 230pm :D After a quick lunch, we started our Palace tour. At 330pm, it was pretty warm to be walking around. Fortunately for us, there were several shady places for us to seek shelter.  Its superb location on the bank of Tonle Sap River & Mekong river also ensured constant breeze to cool us down. 

Throne Hall (primary audience hall of the King, used for coronations & other official state functions) was the highlight as we could get a glimpse inside to witness the grandeur - trademark of any royal events.  Other notable buildings include pavilion to hold banquets, waiting room for the King before he mounts an elephant, repository to house royal regalia & presents from other heads of state.

Angkor City served as the capital of Cambodia till the 15th century.  Only after the defeat by Siam / Thailand, Phnom Penh became the new capital for Khmer Kingdom.  This current royal palace was constructed over a century ago to serve as an official residence of the royal family. 

First Visit to Cambodia with Mom

In Dec 2014, a few of my friends from the Junior College days were visiting me in Myanmar for 4 days 14-17 Dec.  Only after their trip was planned, I learnt of a trip to Cambodia from 17-22 Dec.  I had to accompany my mom and a few of her clients to attend a training course in Phnom Penh. Fortunately for my friends, the overlap between 2 trips was just 1 day! Nonetheless, I couldn’t help but feel bad to leave them alone on their own.  Like a mother hen, I was quite worried if they could find their way around, if they got cheated, if they managed to get to the airport on time for their flight and so on :D I can share more about Mister's Myanmar trips and my friends' trip in the future if you guys are interested. I also went on the most epic trip of my life in Sep & Oct 2014 to the States but as it was a month-long trip, there will be many posts and let me share about it at a later date too. For now, let us focus on Cambodia.

Angkor Wat - 8th Wonder of the World