PHNOM PENH

Phnom Penh is the capital and largest city of Cambodia, located at the confluence of the Mekong and the Tonle Sap rivers. Despite its reputation as a 'rough' city, Phnom Penh is easy to get around and is a great introduction to Cambodia.

Overview

For western visitors, Phnom Penh can be a rough change. It can be very hot and (in the dry season) dusty, its infrastructure is largely lacking, and it is very poor - much poorer than, for example, Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Visitors who can't handle rubbish and dust in the streets, risky traffic, blocked sidewalks, prowling tuk tuk and moto-drivers, touts and beggars may not enjoy the city.

All that said, Phnom Penh has become far more pleasant and relaxed in the past five years or so. It is striving to architecturally become more of a 'developed capital', including high rise buildings, while still retaining much of the beauty that made it a Paris of the East before 1970. The city's French colonial buildings are beautiful, so its streetscapes make for a pleasant walk.

 
Cambodia's Department of Land Management still allows many architectural horrors to be built, though a determined group of Khmer architects is fighting the trend. Unhappily there are few green spaces as yet.

Infrastructure is improving - fewer power outages, streets are paved, rubbish is collected more frequently. Beautiful wide boulevards, fine colonial architecture and a park like riverfront with cafés and restaurants aplenty help make Phnom Penh a worthwhile destination for some. Not necessarily for its standard tourist sights, which are few. But as a place to relax, watch the street life and absorb local color, Phnom Penh rates very high among Asian cities.

Orientation

All of Phnom Penh's streets are numbered, although some major thoroughfares have names as well. The scheme is simple: odd-numbered streets run north-south, the numbers increasing as you head west from the river, and even numbers run west-east, increasing as you head south (with some exceptions, e.g. the west side of the Boeung Kak lake). House numbers, however, are quite haphazard. Don't expect houses to be numbered sequentially in a street; you might even find two completely unrelated houses with the same number in the same street.

Getting around

Phnom Penh's main streets are in good shape; however other streets and footpaths are often rutted and pot-holed, clogged with garbage, stagnant water, parked motos, sleeping people, livestock and building materials. Many smaller streets either lack signage or bear misleading signs, however, Phnom Penh is logically laid out (see orientation) and navigating the city is not difficult if you know where you're going.
Motorbikes (but not self-drive cars) are available for rent, however Phnom Penh traffic is chaotic and dangerous even by Asian standards: public transport (other than motorbike taxis) is safer.

Motorbike-taxis (motodops, motodups or simply motos in local parlance) are ubiquitous and will take you anywhere for a small fare. A trip from Sisowath Quay to Central Market costs about 2,000 riel (50 US cents). Fares are higher at night and with more than one passenger.

Taxis are available at a few locations - most notably outside the Foreign Correspondents Club on Sisowath Quay. Taxis do not have meters, and fares must be agreed in advance. Fares vary, due to fluctuating fuel prices; ask hotel/guesthouse staff for assistance (hotels and guesthouses will organize taxis on request).

Tuk-tuks Cambodian-style consist of a motorcycle with a cabin for the passengers hitched to the back. They are cheaper than taxis and offer a scenic experience of the city. Their clientele is exclusively tourists, and most drivers in tourist areas speak some English.

Cyclos are three-wheeled cycle-rickshaws. Considerably slower then a motodop, and gradually becoming less common in the city, they are still popular with locals and foreigners alike. The nature of the seat lends itself to a quick and easy way to transport all manner of goods from one place to another, even other cyclos and the occasional motorbike as well.

Walking can be a challenge, as cars and motos sometimes do not stop for pedestrians. To cross safely, judge gaps in the traffic and proceed with care - give oncoming vehicles ample time to see and avoid you, or try to cross with the brightly coloured and revered monks. On larger roads, two streams of traffic travel in each direction, totaling four streams of traffic you have to watch for: thus constant 360 surveillance is required when crossing roads. There is almost no street lighting off the major boulevards, and walking there at night is not recommended.

Cautions:

1. As a huge number of scarred or maimed locals can attest, motorbikes - either as rider or passenger - are the least safe alternative. On a motorbike you are exposed to the worst consequences of the city's bad drivers and appalling accident rate.

2. To obviate later disagreements, bargain a fare before you leave.

3. Sometimes the only English a driver knows is something like "Yes, no problem" - leading you to believe he knows where he is going when he does not. Most tuk tuk and moto drivers in Phnom Penh come from rural villages. Incredibly, some cannot find Sisowath Quay or Sihanouk Boulevard. Notwithstanding, drivers are not above some bluffing to get you onboard. Make sure the driver knows where he is going before getting in/on.

4. Don't leave bags or other goods exposed to snatchers on motorbikes: such thefts from tuk tuks and motorbikes are now epidemic in Phnom Penh.

Sisowath Quay as seen from FCC

Sisowath Quay (often known as Riverside) is an attractive boulevard running along the banks of the Mekong and Tonle Sap. It is normally fronted by a pleasant park, however this has been torn up for flood works and re-landscaping for most of 2008-2009. The built-up side of the street is home to cafés and shops and the better class of bar, and is popular with tourists and expat Westerners prepared to run its gauntlet of touts selling drugs, girls and tuk tuk rides. (Unhappily there is no police presence in Cambodia's prime tourist stretch.) The esplanade along the river is equally popular with Cambodians, who come here in the cool of the evening to enjoy the quasi-carnival atmosphere. It begins at the Royal Palace (or rather, at the river-front park opposite the Palace), and is perhaps best experienced in the early evening. See A Stroll on Sisowath Quay for a self-guided tour.

The Royal Palace and the two magnificent pagodas in the Palace Grounds, the Silver Pagoda and the Temple of the Emerald Buddha, are among the few public buildings in Phnom Penh really worth seeing. They were built in the 19th century with French technology and Cambodian designs, and have survived the traumas of the 20th century amazingly intact. See them early before it gets too hot. They are in any case closed 11:00-14:00, when all sensible Cambodians take a nap. Entrance fee is US$6.25 (25000 riel) for both. No extra fee for camera. No photography is allowed inside the Silver Pagoda and some of the Palace buildings. You're expected to dress decently (no bare legs or shoulders), but you can rent sarongs and oversized T-shirts for a token 1000 riel (plus US$1 deposit) at the entrance.

The National Museum (opposite the Royal Palace; admission US$3). Contains an excellent collection of art from Cambodia's "golden age" of Angkor, and a lovely courtyard at the center. Main attraction is the statue of King Jayavarman VII (1181-1219) in mediation pose. Unfortunately, no photos may be taken. The pleasant little park in front of the Museum is the site of the annual Royal Ploughing Ceremony, at which the success or otherwise of the coming harvest is determined. You may have heard stories of sightseers carrying umbrellas inside to avoid showers of bat droppings, but alas, the bats moved out after the renovation of 2002.

Wat Phnom (admission US$1) is on a hill at the center of a small park near Sisowath Quay, on St. 94. The temple itself is notable more for its historic importance than what you'll see there today, but the park is a pleasant green space and a popular gathering place for locals. A few monkeys keep quarters there as well and will help themselves to any drinks you leave unattended. If you like, take a ride on the elephant there. His owner is kind of inventory of Wat Phnom and always nice to tourists. However one circuit of the wat costs $US15, so this attraction is apparently pitched at wealthier tourists. Wat Botum, about three kilometres south near the Royal Palace, was historically the wat favoured by royalty. In the 1930s it housed a charming young novice named Saloth Sar, who "never caused anyone any trouble, never started fights - a lovely child". Later in life he changed his name to Pol Pot.

Independence and Liberation memorials - impressive Buddhist-style Independence Memorial, commemorating the departure of the French in 1953, dominates the centre of the city. Nearby is the very ugly Stalin-style Liberation Memorial, marking the Vietnamese capture of the city in 1979. Although the Cambodians were glad to see the back of the Khmer Rouge, they don't like the Vietnamese much either, and have demonstrated this by neglecting the memorial for 20 years. It seems to be used mainly as a convenient urinal.

Tuol Sleng Prison

Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum (S-21) (Street 113, Boeng Keng Kang 3, Chamkar Morn, Phnom Penh; tel. 855-23-300-698, fax 855-23-210-358) was a school converted into Cambodia's most important prison in 1975. More than 14,000 people were tortured here before being killed at the Killing Fields south of Phnom Penh; only 8 prisoners made it out alive. The museum is easily accessible and a must-see for everyone interested in Cambodia's horrific recent past. The infamous "skull map" has been dismantled, although there are still skulls stacked in cabinets, implements of torture and disturbing photographs. For a introduction and further reading, try David Chandler's "Voices from S-21" (ISBN 0520222474). Documentary movie "S-21" can be purchased throughout Phnom Penh for US$1.50-2.

The Documentation Center of Cambodia (66 Preah Sihanouk Blvd. P.O. Box 1110 Phnom Penh; tel. 855-23-211-875, fax 855-23-210-358) manages the museum as part of its mission to record the history of the Khmer Rouge, and gather evidence against Khmer Rouge leaders.

The Killing Fields

The Killing Fields (Cheoung Ek), (About 17km south of Phnom Penh). This is where the Khmer Rouge killed many thousands of their victims during their four-year reign of terror. Today the site is marked by a Buddhist stupa packed full of human skulls - the sides are made of glass so the visitors can see them up close. There are also pits in the area where mass graves were unearthed. It is a serene yet somber place. $2.  edit
How to get there: A tuk tuk should cost $8-12 return, including waiting for you at the Genocide Museum (S-21).

The Olympic Stadium Built in the 1960s for an Asian Games that never happened, this interesting complex in the Modern style has been sold off to the Taiwanese, in a murky deal by the Cambodian government. The new owners have not kept to pledges to renovate it, thus it remains a shabby shadow of its former self. However in the evenings a walk around the top perimeter is worthwhile: you can see hundreds attending exercise and dance classes, and get a view of the abandoned track below.

Stung Meanchey Garbage Dump, where hundreds of the poorest of the poor, including many small children, swarm over the refuse (which includes burning plastic and syringes) hoping to find anything of value. In addition to - or instead of - visiting the dump, you can stop by the impressive French NGO, "Pour sourire un enfant" nearby, which takes in thousands of adolescents from the dump and its surrounding areas, and sends them out into the world two or three years later fluent in English and French, and more sought-after by employers than university graduates. PSE staff will give you a guided tour of their learning centre on request. PSE is also in need of foreign volunteer teachers who can commit a little time.

Phnom Penh's many orphanages are frequently visited by foreigners wanting to help out with time, money, food, school books, etc. But many are exploitative and poorly run. (Your money goes to the owner rather than the kids.) Try to get a reference to a 'legit' orphanage before showing up; and preferably phone first to learn a non-disruptive time to drop in. Cambodian children are sheer delight, and none more so than its orphans. For many Westerners, time spent hanging out with orphaned kids is the high-point of their visit to Phnom Penh.

Things to do.

Hash House Harriers running club meets every Sunday at 2.15PM at the railway station.

Khmer massage, US$3 for 1 hour @ Apsara - 13 Ph. 63 (0900-2100hrs, 7 days a week). Tel: 092 294 024. Beware: although the price had an official quote in English, you may have to bargain to get the real price. Offers the local Khmer massage - a relaxing form distantly related to Thai massage. The massage environment is extremely cosy and you will even get a free platter of fruit after your massage is over.

Lighthouse Orphanage, Around 25 minutes from the center of Phnom Penh lies this small orphanage housing 70-80 Khmers aged from 1 year through to 18 years. Visitors are always extremely welcome at this completely independent organisation - expect to be greeted with smiles and handshakes from staff, quickly followed by a tour. However one should take some form of donation, ideally a bag of rice (i.e.. 50kg). (Sweets are not allowed.) If using a Tuk Tuk to get out there, the driver will be more than happy to show you something to pick up along the way. The children at Lighthouse love nothing more to have a chat and practice their English/French/Japanese with you, have a game of soccer, or even just pose for a few photos. Do however think about the consequences of visiting an orphanage as a "tourist attraction". Respect the children's privacy and do not disturb their lessons.

Mekong Cruises - boats leave every evening for a river cruise. Many provide snacks or dinners at sunset.

Mekong Island - a nice trip across Phnom Penh to enjoy rural life and see weaving households in a rural area.

Meta House Art gallery, bar, mini-cinema and production house. Shows free, high quality foreign and Cambodian films Tuesday to Sunday nights at 7PM, in the bar-lounge on the roof. N° 6, Phuong (St. 264), opposite Wat Botum.

French Cultural Centre movies - Less English subtitles than there once were, plus an incomprehensible schedule and website (even the CCF staff can't decipher them), have now put these excellent movies out of reach of all but the most determined Anglophone.

Thunder Ranch shooting range, near Cheoung Ek. Moto drivers, apparently oblivious to the reaction most visitors have, will try to include this in a trip to the killing fields. Rumors abound that cows and other farm animals used to serve as targets, but this is probably no longer the case. Prices range from US$40 for an AK-47 to US$200 for a rocket launcher.

Shopping

Most manufactured goods you buy in Cambodia will be of dubious quality: this especially applies to electronic goods of any kind. At least a third of anything electronic will cease to work within days, if it ever does. Handmade goods (shoes and silks for example) are generally of good quality.

As elsewhere in Cambodia, transactions are made in US dollars and in Cambodian riel, and only up market places will accept plastic (normally with a 3 percent surcharge). Take lots of low denomination US notes - notes above US$20 can be difficult to change. In place of coins you will get back riel, at a set exchange rate of 4000 to the dollar. There are a number of international ATM machines dispensing US currency around the city, including the Sisowath Quay tourist strip and in Sorya Market. They also work with international maestro cards. You can change USD into smaller denominations at the currency booths along the footpath on Sisowath.

Note that cashing traveler's cheques can be a big problem, and even major banks may refuse to exchange traveler's cheques of value above US$100.

Popular tourist buys include Cambodian silk, local silverware, traditional handicrafts and curios (including Buddha figures), and made-to-order clothes (these are often of good quality, unlike electronic goods). If you want to support businesses that are noted for supporting Cambodia's culture and heritage, look for the Heritage Friendly Business Logo from Heritage Watch, an organization that is promoting the preservation of Cambodia's cultural legacy.

Beware that DVDs and CDs you buy in Phnom Penh have a minimum 33% failure rate; with sunglasses bought from roaming street vendors it is 100%. Watches also approach 100%, including those bought in the Central Market. Pirated books are widely available from street sellers, but spend a minute or so leafing through the book before buying: sometimes they lack contents pages; or pages are in the wrong order, or missing; or the book inside the cover is not the book described on the cover.

The Art Deco dome of the Central Market

Central Market (in Cambodian called Psar Thmei - "New Market") is a 1930s Art Deco covered market near the Riverfront (Sisowath Quay) district. The market is well set out, and sells everything from flowers to video games. Sorya Mall, currently Phnom Penh's main Western-style mall, is nearby - less colorful than the traditional markets, but it is air-conditioned and contains a range of cheap fast-food outlets as well as a well-stocked supermarket named Lucky Supermarket. If looking for Sorya, go SOUTH of the Central Market. It's on a north-south street on the west side. Asking anyone in the Central Market will be futile, however they DO understand "Sorya". On the south-west edge of town is the even newer Sovanna mall. Freezing aircon and modern shops make this popular too, though the food court has given some Westerners food poisoning.

Russian Market (Cambodian "Psar Toul Tom Poung" - it gained the "Russian Market" moniker following the Vietnamese occupation of the city in the 1980s, but many motodops are not familiar with the name) offers the opportunity to buy REAL designer clothes at a huge discount price. A lot of the factories for Levi's, CK, Ralph Lauren and many other brands are in Phnom Penh, however a lot of the clothes sold here are deemed unfit to be shipped abroad due to very small fault in the clothing which a majority of people wouldn't even notice, therefore they are sold at the Russian market. You can also purchase fake Swiss watches and pirated software at low prices. It also has the best ice coffee in the city. Russian Market is located away from normal tourist areas, but motodop drivers who cater to tourists will know it.

Street 178, just north of the National Museum, is known as Artist Street and has many interesting boutiques.

Colors of Cambodia, 373 Sisowath Quay. Handicrafts from around the country.

Kravan House, #13 St. 178. Has a wide range of Cambodian silk products, including a wide range of ladies' handbags at a fraction of the price you would pay in a hotel gift shop.
Stef's Happy Painting, Sisowath Quay (near St. 178, directly under FCC). Features brightly-colored fun and funky paintings of Cambodian life - a welcome relief after visiting some of Cambodia's more heart-breaking attractions.

Antiques dealers in Phnom Penh are an unscrupulous lot and may sell goods that theoretically should not be exported from Cambodia. See Heritage Watch for listings of bad apples. For better or worse, however, most of the "antiques" being sold are fake.

Hidden Treasures, #9 Street 148, has antiques, art and curios from Cambodia's past and nearby South-East Asian cultures.

Monument Books, #111 Norodom Boulevard (near Independence Monument), has a focus on books about and from Cambodia - e.g. Angkor Wat, Khmer Rouge Regime, Cambodia history - in many languages. You can also get a good tea or coffee and cake there. A nice place to sip and read without being pestered.

Beautiful Shoes one street behind Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum, at #138 Street 143 (in the suburb of Boeung Keng Kong 3 – about ten minutes from the Riverside). They will make you a good quality pair of men's business shoes for about $27. Sandals are cheaper. Pick from their styles, or customize. Officially orders take 4 days, but there may be delays. There are several similar shops alongside and opposite. You would pay $100 to $200 for shoes of this quality in a Western shoe store.

Contact

Telephone

Cheap SIM cards for GSM phones are available on almost any major street. A vendor should have an activated test card to be used to make sure your phone will operate on that network. Calls between mobile networks can be be spotty and Skype calls from abroad to mobiles in Cambodia are sometimes dropped, so be prepared to redial frequently.

It's now easier than ever to buy a sim card in Phnom Penh, just have your passport and expect to pay no more than $10. There are plenty of phone stalls around central market. Mobitel has the best coverage around the whole of Cambodia and seems to have cheaper calls. Be warned when sending and recieveing international SMS's and Calls as they only have about a 50% sucess rate of being recieved.

Internet

There is no shortage of Internet cafés in Phnom Penh. Most are in the 1,500 riel/hour bracket (a little under 50 US cents), but provide slow service, suffer occasional power outages and do not run firewalls or anti-virus programs.
Sunny Internet, 178 Street (opp Foreign Correspondents Club), also Sisowath Quay (next to the Riverstreet restaurant). Provides a faster service at US$1/hour and is popular with tourists and expats.

Galaxy Web, Street 63, near Sihanouk Boulevard. Excellent service, popular with Westerners.
Wireless and wired connections for laptops are available at a number of outlets - most five-star hotels (which provide high-speed broadband access, but at a premium).

Stay healthy

As in most developing world countries, avoiding cold, cooked food is desirable to obviate stomach upsets. Salads are also suspect at times. Surprisingly, ice is usually OK as it is made from filtered water in factories, and then sold to shops/restaurants.
Bring your largest pair of sunglasses, as Phnom Penh is dusty year-round (even to a degree in the wet season), and riding round in tuk tuks means a lot of the dust ends up in your eyes.

Noise

Phnom Penh is possibly the noisiest city in Southeast Asia (which is saying something). Unrestrained blasting of car horns, and a city-wide construction boom, put strains on the sanity of the visiting foreigner. There is barely a location in the city that is not within earshot of sledgehammers and power saws. Stay away if you are noise-sensitive - or at the least bring earplugs, earmuffs, an iPod, or whatever it takes. The worst noise above all are from weddings and funerals where one can suffer hours of monotonous chantings. Funerals can last up to 7 days of audio torture, which will blow you out of bed at 5 in the morning and last till 8pm. If you are unfortunate to have a funeral event start near you, it is strongly advised to change hotels and move as far away as possible or risk a complete mental breakdown (there is no way you can hide, escape or muffle this noise). In the past it is known that some foreigners have ended up in jail for their actions to stop a Cambodian funeral.

Hospitals

In seeking medical help in Phnom Penh, the ground rule should be: Ascertain that the doctor has a Western medical degree. If not, get out of there: local training is poor, and treatment is sometimes fatal. The medical standard of the local hospitals can be very basic as well. This also applies to Calmette Hospital - the number one hospital in Phnom Penh. If you need to see a doctor it is recommended you go to one of the international clinics. They can also arrange transfer to a hospital in Thailand if necessary.
American Medical Centre, (#313 Sisowath (in the Hotel Cambodiana)), 023 991 863 (out of office hours 012 891 613). Provides health care of international standard.
Dr Marissa Regino-Manampan, (Filipino MD @ 262B, Street 63), Clinic phone: 023-217 349.

International SOS medical and dental clinic, #161, St. 51 (Pasteur), 023 216 911. Has local and foreign doctors providing the whole range of standard health care as well as a 24h emergency service. This clinic is experienced with foreigners and with travel insurance requirements and will ensure that all documentation for insurance claims are provided.

Naga Clinic, N° 11, Senei Vinna Vaut Oum (St. 254), ☎ 023-211 300, Mobile: 011-811 175. Some of the Khmer doctors here are foreign-trained and competent - but a little abrupt and uncommunicative (in the Asian doctor style). The two French doctors are both competent and communicative, and tend to be favoured by expats. One of them, Dr Garen, speaks good English.

Royal Rattanak Hospital, No 11, Street 592,Boeung Kak 2, Toul Kok, ☎ 023-365-555. The second hospital of BDMS (Bangkok Dusit Medical Services PCL) in Cambodia. Private hospital open since March 2008,. The hospital provides full operating secondary health care services including : Emergency medicine, General Surgery, Plastic Surgery, Orthopedic Surgery, Anesthesiology, Pediatrics, OBGYN, General internal medicine, Intensive care, Rehabilitation and Health Promotion etc.

The cost of a blood test for malaria in Calmette Hospital is $27.50 (April 2009).

Stay safe

Crime-wise, Phnom Penh has a partly deserved bad reputation. In terms of armed robbery you are safer now than before - but not exactly safe. As population and incomes have grown, so has vehicle ownership - but not driving skills - meaning the city's roads are its most dangerous places. Augmenting that danger is the present wave of bag-snatching.

Armed robbery

There are still more bad guys with guns than in some Asian cities. Official figures (almost certainly underestimates) report an average of 50 incidents per month (Cambodians and foreigners), leading to 5 deaths and 10 serious injuries. Most commonly Cambodians are victimised for their cell phones or motorbikes. As of June 2008, Phnom Penh's Expat Advisory website reported a resurgence of armed robberies against foreigners - usually women - involving motorbikes with young men on them carrying knives or guns. (Often around Streets 51 and 57 in the wealthier area of town - but it can happen anywhere.) Avoid walking in quiet areas at night, try to find a dependable tuk-tuk driver, and don't carry unnecessary valuables or cash.

Additionally, there is street violence between groups of young men to watch out for; and the occasional street shooting.

Bag snatching

In recent times Phnom Penh has endured a wave of bag-snatching and many foreign residents attested to - a large upsurge in this crime, both in broad daylight and at night; in crowded streets and deserted ones alike. The victims are almost entirely Western women riding in tuk tuks or on motorbikes (either as passengers or drivers). Sometimes these incidents are violent, with women dragged off moving motorbikes and thrown to the road. I

When targeting pedestrians, thieves grab bags, or snatch mobile phones and purses out of hands.

If you must carry a bag - and preferably don't - when using motodops put it between you and the driver. In tuk-tuks put it under your seat. Apart from their appalling road safety record, motorbikes do not allow you to protect your bag as well as you can in a four-wheel vehicle.

Bag-snatching happens all over Phnom Penh, including outside popular expat hang-outs (e.g. Elsewhere) on weekend nights. Some moto drivers may be in league with the thieves. Moto drivers who work the riverside are generally quite reliable.

Unsafe sex

Most girlie bars catering to foreigners are in the cross-streets going back off the river, and there are dozens. Freelance girls are picked up at establishments like Heart of Darkness, Sharkey's Bar and Martini Bar.

Thus another Phnom Penh danger is HIV, which surveys reveal is carried by about one in eight of Cambodia's female sex workers.

Additionally, certain high-risk sexual behaviours are emerging in recent Cambodian population studies: nearly 100% of men who have sex with men (MSM) also have sex with women; a new class of 'hidden' sex workers, such as beer girls and park-based prostitutes, is often out of reach of educators; there is very low condom-use among 'sweethearts', and many Cambodians have multiple sweethearts in one year; male clients persuade or force prostitutes not to wear condoms. (This happens to 67% of Cambodian prostitutes every week!)

NGOs have got the HIV rate down from around 2% to around 1% over the past decade. But it's possible these emerging behaviours will cause that to reverse.

If you engage in paid sex, use a condom - with water-based lubricant if needed - without fail. Have the necessaries ready in your room (or pocket) before you embark on a night out drinking: condoms can be hard to find at 2AM with a number of bottles of beer onboard, but if you're in need, ask a driver to take you to a 24 hour shop.

The Asian-made condoms on sale everywhere - such as the Japanese brand Okamoto - are too small for most Western men. Your bargirl will often refuse to have sex with you if the condom doesn't fit right; and if she doesn't refuse, you are in danger.

Touts

The worst area is the tourist strip along the river - where some Phnom Penh residents won't venture, for that reason. Here drivers tout not only rides, but massage, sex and drugs. They may want to engage in conversation, but a polite, positive, dismissive attitude will almost always guarantee being left alone. Older or disabled beggars in the market or other places will be happy to accept half or a quarter dollar (2000/1000 riel), and some older people might even try to invoke a blessing on you for your actions. Younger kids with modern needs may want a dollar, or try to sell you a (pirated) book that costs around five dollars.

There have also been instances of gangs of Vietnamese boys in this area who cause trouble such as pick pocketing and physically abusing tourists. Sadly, some foreign visitors cut short their stays in Phnom Penh after a day or two of such harassment.

The DRP ('Don't Reward the Pests') movement is growing among Phnom Penh residents: who do not engage touts and drivers who harass them, but seek out those who wait to be approached.

Traffic

Having said all that, the greatest danger in Phnom Penh is none of the above: it is getting hit by a motorbike - or thrown off one - in the city's unpredictable traffic.
Cambodia has arguably the worst drivers in Southeast Asia. Although traffic tends to be slower than Bangkok's and less dense than Saigon's, it is literally all over the road: two streams going in each direction at any one time; plus endless switching from one stream to the other.

Crossing the road in this city is dangerous. Constant 360 degree vigilance is essential.
Using motorbike taxis, or riding your own motorbike, in the stead of tuk tuks, will save you a few dollars a week. However an airlift to a Bangkok hospital will quickly make that seem like a false economy.