The Royal Palace

The Silver Pagoda

Toul Seng Genocide Museum

National Museum
Wat Botum

The Royal Palace

The Palace is a magnificent example of Khmer architecture, all the buildings are set in beautifully maintained courtyards, filled with pots of flowering plants. The Throne Hall is used for official functions, such as Ambassadors presenting their credentials and is decorated with murals depicting the Khmer version of the Ramayana epic

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The Silver Pagoda

Located beside the royal palace, this is one of the richest shrines in the world and is named for the magnificent floor. Each of the 5,000 tiles is pure silver and in total weighs more than 5 tons. That isn’t the only treasure in the Pagoda: the Emerald Buddha made from Baccarat crystal and another Buddha statue is made of solid gold encrusted with almost 10,000 diamonds. Beside them, the other gems and artefacts look meagre, but the collection of treasures is in itself impressive.

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Toul Seng Genocide Museum

In 1975, the Khmer Rouge's Security Forces took over a former High School and turned it into Security Prison 21. The prison has been preserved in the state it was in after the Khmer Rouge abandoned it. Over 17,000 people were held in the Prison for torture and interrogation before being executed in the "killing fields". Detainees who died whilst being tortured were buried in mass graves with the prison grounds. Each detainee was meticulously photographed and the photos cover the museum walls from floor to ceiling. Only seven people survived prison S 21. A wall map of Cambodia made up of skulls was once on display, but has since been removed.

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National Museum

Housed in a traditional red pavilion, the National Museum is dedicated exclusively to Khmer art and sculpture. The majority of the exhibits are from Angkor period (9th to 15th Centuries), but some date from as early as the 4th Century. There are many magnificent sculptures, many of which are unique in the world.

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Wat Botum

This is one of the original and most important wats or temples in Cambodia. Founded by King Ponyea Yat in the 15th century, Wat Botum also forms the burial ground for many local dignitaries over the years, with a pair of large green and yellow dragon guarding its entrance.

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