I went to Phnom Penh and was stunned by this city on the rise

This Mekong River cruise gave me a fresh look at Phnom Penh, Asia’s rising star.

When I spot the Phnom Penh skyline in the distance as we sail down the Mekong my first thought is, “What’s that?”  Given we’re on our way to the Cambodian capital, the answer is pretty obvious, but I still can’t believe what I’m seeing.

It’s been 12 years since I last cruised into Phnom Penh, back when the 39-storey Vattanac Capital building was still under construction and towered over the mostly flat city. Now it looks like skyscrapers have popped up like mushrooms.

At 185m, Vattanac Capital was the tallest building in Cambodia when it opened in 2014. Now it’s barely in the top 10, with the Shangri-La Phnom Penh in first place at 228m, and the under-construction Naga 3 Complex heading for the 358m mark.

I may not recognise the shiny new buildings but am happy to see some spectacular old ones again as I take in the Royal Palace of Cambodia’s golden spires from my position on the sun deck of APT’s Mekong Serenity.

The ship we’re calling home for our seven-night cruise from Kampong Cham in Cambodia down to My Tho outside Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam is a new and luxurious way to travel. Mekong Serenity, which launched last year, carries up to 88 passengers in 44 all-balcony suites that start at a generous 28 sqm, and has a pool and lots of comfortable spots to relax.

APT’s “Freedom of Choice” excursions in Phnom Penh give guests a number of options, including a visit to the National Museum of Cambodia.

APT’s “Freedom of Choice” excursions in Phnom Penh give guests the option of a cyclo tour of the city, a visit to the National Museum of Cambodia, a Royal Palace tour or a trip to the Killing Fields and Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum. As much as I believe the Killing Fields are incredibly important to visit, it’s not somewhere I want to go again. The cyclos, on the other hand – sign me up!

These traditional cycle rickshaws first took to the Phnom Penh streets in 1936 and continue to be one of the best ways to see the city. As the drivers may not be able to speak English, if your cyclo tour hasn’t been arranged for you, it’s best to book one with an English-speaking guide. My driver and I may not speak the same language, but we definitely understand each other with our wide smiles as I take my seat. As an Aussie from a colder part of the country, the Cambodian heat and humidity is too much for me to enjoy walking very far.

In the cyclo, we can see life on the streets as we visit the French Colonial-style railway station, Independence Square and Royal Palace. I do worry about my driver in the heat, but every time I look back he’s smiling with his eyes as well as his mouth and giving me a happy thumbs-up.

These traditional cycle rickshaws first took to the Phnom Penh streets in 1936 and continue to be one of the best ways to see the city.

When the tour is over we have some time to relax on the ship, where the refreshingly cool waist-deep pool is a popular spot to be. While some enjoy the pool deck, others opt for the air-conditioned comfort of the Harmony Lounge downstairs. Both spots have bars where the international house wine, local beer and cocktails made with local spirits are all included.

After freshening up, we hop on a coach to the Central Market. Locally known as Phsar Thmei, the market was the largest of its kind in Asia when it opened in 1937 and has a large dome in the centre that branches out into four wings. Along with the fake watches and lots of “Chanals” and “Lois Vittons”, I spy an unexpected “Zimmermann” dress and am happy to find the stallholders are less likely to pounce if you pause, which makes for a more pleasant market stroll.

Having told our tour director I’d find my own way back to the ship, I hop in a tuktuk and head for Street 240. This leafy street is where you can find local designers and creators and I start at A.N.D, a Cambodian fair-trade brand that works with local artisans and village weavers, before exploring home wares at Sayon Silkworks and eco-conscious Cambodian clothes and gifts at The Green Store.

Mekong Serenity, which launched last year, carries up to 88 passengers in 44 all-balcony suites.

When you want to wet your whistle, the Elephant Bar at Raffles Hotel Le Royal is where you can admire the heritage hotel’s French Colonial style while ordering the Femme Fatale cocktail of Cognac, crème de fraise des bois and sparkling wine created for Jackie Kennedy’s visit in 1967. And if you can find the monkey in the elephant paintings, the next drink is on the house.

Phnom Penh’s tall building boom has also led to more than a dozen rooftop bars, including the La Vida Skybar on the 48th floor of the Morgan Tower and the revolving Celeste Skybar on the 43rd floor of The Penthouse Residence. I only have time to visit one, so decide to go to a bar where I know the cocktails will be as good as the views.

As beverage manager for Rosewood Hong Kong’s DarkSide, KT Lam helped steer the bar to ninth place on Asia’s 50 Best Bars list. Now he has taken over as bar manager for Rosewood Phnom Penh’s Sora bar on level 37 of the Vattanac Capital building. Here the inside bar is luxurious and the views from the sky deck are spectacular. As I sip an excellent cocktail and hear about KT’s plans for the future, I have a moment when I realise I’m standing in the tower I saw under construction and I’m looking out at a new Phnom Penh. And it’s beautiful.

The writer was a guest of APT Touring.

How much does a Mekong River cruise cost?

APT’s 11-day Spiritual Cambodia & the Mekong itinerary includes a seven-night Mekong River cruise with two overnights in Phnom Penh from $6095 per person, including a saving of $2000 a person. 

Originally published as I went to Phnom Penh and was stunned by this city on the rise