Phnom Penh City Tour

Phnom Penh, Cambodia
Sunday, 12 Feb 2017

Phnom Penh merupakan ibu negara dan bandar terbesar di Kemboja, yang terletak di pertemuan Sungai Mekong dan Tonle Sap rivers. Kalau nak compare Kemboja yang sekarang ni dengan Kuala Lumpur, memang jauh sangat beza. Rasa macam Kuala Lumpur era 80-an, pendapat akulah, tak tahu orang lain macam mana. Hahaha, macam dapat feel sangat padahal belum nak kenal dunia lagi masa tu. Anyway, kalau tengok cerita lama-lama dulu... haaa, macam tulah Phnom Penh city yang digambarkan sekarang. Ini semua gara-gara pembangunan tersekat disebabkan penderitaan rakyat dibawah pemerintahan Pol Pot diantara tahun 1975 to 1979.

Back to main story, after Dalan (our Tuk Tuk’s driver) pick-up kami di Phnom Penh Giant Ibis Bus Terminal, kami terus dibawa ke City Centre Hotel di mana kami akan stay for one night. Tapi sebab masih awal pagi sangat, maka, kami decide terus ke Masjid Al-Serkal. Masjid ni tak jauh pun dari Hotel and also the Bus Terminal, so, kalau sampai awal pagi di Bus Terminal Phnom Penh, minta driver Tuk-Tuk bawa terus ke masjid ni. Boleh lah solat & buat apa yang patut dulu before check-in to Hotel.

The Al-Serkal Mosque, the biggest mosque in Phnom Penh

The Al-Serkal Mosque is the main mosque in Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia. It was a gift from Al Serkal Family, United Arab Emirates and opened in 1968. It is situated north of the town, near the Boeung Kak lake, which is now dry. (source: wikipedia)

Cantik & besar masjid ni. Dan penduduk disekitar masjid ni mostly Muslim Champa. Dan kalau nak cari makanan Halal, memang terdapat banyak kat area sini juga. Kami spend 1 hour kat Masjid ni. Lepas tu, kami ke restaurant Muslim berhampiran untuk breakfast. 

One of the Halal Food Restaurant located just nearby to Al-Serkal Mosque

Breakfast Meehun Sup

Al-Serkal from the street

Ohh, nak cerita sikit pasal tuk tuk service kat Phnom Penh ni. Actually, kami dapat contact Dalan ni dari member yang dah pergi seminggu lebih awal. He’s a Muslim & can speak Malay too. Overall, ok service with Him walaupun Dalan ni nampak pendiam. Compare to Siem Reap, rate tuk tuk per day kat Phnom Penh agak mahal sikit. Nak nego pun susah sebab memang rate dia macam tu kat sini. Kami dapat USD20/day after dah nego. Kata Dalan, sepatutnya USD25/day kalau ikutkan tapi sebab member kami yang recommend dia kat kami, so, dia kasi USD20/day.

Boleh contact/sms Dalan for tuk tuk service at --> +855 86258521

Inilah Dalan... driver tuk tuk kami di Phnom Penh

Done with breakfast, kami ke destinasi seterusnya for today’s tour at Phnom Penh city. Phnom Penh ni lambat 1jam dari Malaysia, so, kalau pukul 7am kat sini dah macam 8am kat Malaysia. Destinasi kami yang pertama pagi ni, The Royal Palace. Located conveniently in the center city. Kami tak masuk dalam pun, just view dari luar saja.

Ada saja bangunan yang masih mengekal ciri traditional Cambodia

 

Nice weather

In front of Pavilion Royal Palace

Chanchhaya Pavilion serves as a venue for the Royal Dancers, as a tribune for the King to address the crowds and as a place to hold state and Royal banquets. Actually, there was a lot happening around the Palace at night... food stalls, balloon sales, lots of tuk tuks and people hanging out and eating. Later, will story more on the next entry during sunset at Royal palace.

Chanchhaya Pavilion Royal Palace

Tonle Sap River

 

Just across the road in front of of Royal Palace is the Tonle Sap River. Kat sini pun best juga nak lepak sambil layan view pagi di depan Tonle Sap river. Angin kuat, best sangat. We spend about 1 hour here. And then, proceed to next destination. 

Kuat gila angin kat sini sampai huru-hara shawl ereka

Tonle Sap River in the morning

The Flags along the river

Nice view

There's so many pigeons around here

Tuk Tuk kami 2 hari di Phnom Penh

Destinasi seterusnya ke Phnom Penh Independence Monument and kawasan sekitarnya. Masa ni serius dah panas sangat tapi kami gagahi juga sebab lepas ni kami akan check-in hotel.

Phnom Penh’s Independence memorial

Phnom Penh’s Independence Monument

Thanks to the beautiful weather

Still under construction... later will be opened to visitors

Done with the morning tour, kami pun terus pulang ke Hotel nak check-in. Ohh, actually kami dah tinggal backpack kami kat Hotel pagi tadi. Alhamdulillah, kami dapat check-in awal. Boleh lah rehat & mandi dulu... opps, hehehe. Baru ingat nak mandi ya lepas dah tour Phnom Penh city. Masih awal lagi waktu kami check-in, around 10.30am. Ada masa 2 jam nak rehat before kami ke Killing Field petang nanti.

Hotel kami ni tingkat 4 tapi nasib baiklah ada lift. Tak best sebab agak sempit tapi still ok lah kalau berdua saja. Nak komplen juga juga sebab pintu toilet dia rosak tapi nasib baik toilet dia bersih & ok. Kami dapat rate City Centre Hotel RM109/night booked thru Agoda.

City Centre Hotel

Bathroom

To be continued...