Riverfront - Phnom Penh

Phnom Penh’s riverfront was once a hive of port activity. Where today restaurants, bars and small hotels compete with beggars and book sellers for traveller attention, Phnom Penh was once supplied by ships travelling along the Mekong River.

Photo: Mark BowyerPhnom Penh's riverfront

These days, some of the best bars and restaurants catering to travellers have taken up spaces on the riverfront. Few travellers escape Phnom Penh without a visit to the Foreign Correspondents Club - an especially popular late afternoon haunt.

The riverfront hasn’t been totally colonised by travellers though. Locals gather in large number each morning and afternoon to promenade along the Ton Le Sap or partake in exercises that are becoming increasingly popular with visitors. The spacious parks that front the river outside the National Museum and the Royal Palace are also well patronised by locals.