PHNOM PENH, CAMBODIA

Phnom Penh is a lovely, laid-back old city. Once the jewel of French Indochina, it still has a particular crumbling grace and beauty not found in other Asian capitals. It is divided up by a few major thoroughfares—Monivong and Norodom Boulevards going north-south and Pochentong and Sihounouk boulevards going east-west. These, along with major wats, markets and monuments, form the skeleton of Phnom Penh from which the city grows. Whether you are off to explore cultural highlights, take in the nightlife, eat a hearty meal, or just find a place to sit and watch the bustle of the city, most places can be found if you know the nearest landmark.

North and Wat Phnom At the end of Norodom Boulevard in the northern part of town, Wat Phnom, at 27 meters above sea level, is the Cambodian capital's highest point. It was around this wat that the city is supposed to have been centered, and it is after the woman who built this structure-a lady named Penh-that the city is named. Locals still come here to pray for luck. This is also the place to ride Sam Bo the Elephant or sit and drink fresh coconut... more