Tuesday, December 17, 2019 | Phnom Penh, Cambodia | Language: Khmer, French and English widely spoken | Population: 1,501,725 | Currency: Cambodian Riel

We spent our last morning in Phnom Penh visiting the Royal Palace, the residence of the King and National Museum.

Phnom Penh hasn’t always been the capital of Cambodia. In fact, in the country’s lengthy history it’s only held the title for a relatively short amount of time. In 1866, King Norodom relocated the capital to Phnom Penh. He recruited architect Neak Okhna Tepnimith Mak to design palatial grounds that were made of marble, gold and other precious stones – literally fit for a king. Eager to leave his mark on the residence another monarch, King Sisowath, made changes during his reign from 1904 through 1927. He added a new Hall, replaced and expanded the Pavilion and the Throne Hall. In the 1930s, King Monivong added the Royal Chapel and demolished and replaced the former Royal Residence, which serves as the monarchy’s official home today. Note, if the blue royal flag is flying it means King Sihamoni is at home.

Most of the photographs are outside. Photography is not allowed in most of the buildings.

The Pagoda was preserved by the Khmer Rouge to demonstrate to the outside world its concern for the conservation of Cambodia’s cultural riches. Although more than half of the pagoda’s contents were lost, stolen or destroyed in the turmoil that followed the Vietnamese invasion, what remains is spectacular. This is one of the few places in Cambodia where bejeweled objects embodying some of the brilliance and richness of Khmer civilization can still be seen.

We went even deeper into Phnom Penh’s cultural history with a visit to the National Museum. Inside the terracotta walls of this traditional building awaits a display of over 5,000 artifacts of the world’s finest Khmer sculptures. Pearls of the collection include the Leper King and an 11th-century bronze Vishnu.

We departed under a watchful eye. Next, onto to a magical dinner.