My name’s not actually Juice

This article has a somewhat poetic style to it – there were certain descriptions which I felt sounded better in lyrical form (hopefully you can spot it). 

Rattling along a rickety road on a lacklustre bus journey, I was feeling rather cynical about my next (and final) destination in Cambodia: Phnom Penh.

From what I’d heard, Cambodia’s capital was lacking in both life and culture, with little to say for itself but the harrowing S21 Prison and Killing Fields… though no one leaves those on a positive note.

Nearly every person I’d met who had already been said they’d arranged to leave almost immediately upon arrival.

My understanding was that Phnom Penh was simply a place to pass through (which by way of transport routes, it was).

This preconceived idea is perhaps what caused me to fall so deeply in love with the place.

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Thrift stores, pop-ups, galleries, theatre – you name it, Phnom Penh’s got it. Not to mention the extensive culinary scene. I ate everything from traditional Indian dosa, to an Ethiopian tasting tray, to some of the most delicious noodle soup I’ve ever tasted. 

There are jazz bars and sky bars, gay bars and rock bars,

Open-mic, live music, comedy, drag.

World-renowned DJs blast beats until dawn.

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Sundown Social Club is a spectacular experience – somewhat comparable to London’s counterparts (think Pergola, Bar Elba etc.), with its pink décor, trendy cocktails and views over the city. Yet, the juxtaposition is mind-blowing.

As I sat, chatting to two British dads who had invited me to join them, sipping my Pimms, we looked out at the view below: us vs them.

Bustling markets

and families of four on one moped

and fish, still alive, flipping onto the floor having fled from their fate for one second.   

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One afternoon, I was planning on visiting the night market which didn’t open until 5pm – it was currently 3pm and absolutely sweltering.

To pass the time I wandered over to a local shop to buy a drink to cool down with… 5 minutes later I was sitting at a table outside the shop with a can of beer and a table full of local tuk-tuk drivers.

I had been invited over by an American expat who had moved over a few years ago and was friendly with the locals. Most households don’t have fridges, so we were drinking beer out of bags filled with ice.

Despite having little, they were offering me their all – dried fish and bagged nuts, fruit from their friend’s stall across the road, not to mention that every time I finished a drink they would crack open another for me.

Through mouthfuls of boiled peanuts and fresh watermelon, we communicated as best as we could and it was one of the most memorable afternoons of my life. 

Finally, I can’t discuss Phnom Penh without mentioning the enchanting greenery that infuses the city.

I don’t know what exactly it is about this that is so charming to me – perhaps the exoticism of it… and exotic is never a bad thing.

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Blossoming stalks grip tightly to buildings

As if justifying the tropical climate

(The sun in its glory – next minute it’s pouring)

Trees infiltrating the man-made land

A juxtaposition of urban with nature.

Each street is laden with foliage.

As if nature is making a stand,

determined to leave its mark throughout the concrete jungle.

The simplicity of Phnom Penh life is endearing. While Cambodia is not rich economically, it is rich in both culture and joy.

Here are 51 free/cheap things to do in Phnom Penh.