Phnom Penh & Cambodian History

After a strenuous few days partaking in service projects in Angtasom and Kampot we were looking forward to a more relaxed couple of days in the capital of Cambodia, Phnom Penh. We woke up early and said goodbye to the Mango Trees guesthouse - a place that we all agreed was our favourite accommodation on the trip so far. We drove around 4 hours to Phnom Penh and made a stop at the Killing Fields.

Walking through Killing Fields was an educational and emotional experience. We were given headsets and an audiotour to listen to... it was insightful and featured a variety of personal stories and anecdotes. We had learned a fair amount about the Khmer Rouge through group discussions and reading books, but the Killing Fields really put all the knowledge into context. During the short reign of the Khmer Rouge up to 2.5 million Cambodians are said to have died; many of whom were murdered at the killing fields. The fields marked a place where executions took place and the bodies were dumped into large pits. The particular killing field that we visited (Choeung Ek) was the site of the executions of over 17,000 men, women and children. We walked around, listened to our audio tours and absorbed the heart breaking information we were being told. It was a valuable insight into Cambodian history.

After visiting the fields we dropped our bags off at the guesthouse and had some free time to explore the city before dinner. We dined at Friends, a restaurant that contributes to a good cause. The company who own it run training and educational programs for street children and educate young people about HIV/AIDS. The restaurant is used as a place to reach the students vocational skills, and serves incredibly delicious food!

The following day we woke up bright and early to visit the Toul Sleng museum - the S-21 prison in Phnom Penh. The prison used to be a school but the Khmer Rouge converted it into a detention and torture centre for Cambodian people before they were sent to the killing fields. We took a tour around the 4 main buildings and the grounds lead by a woman whose parents lived through the Khmer Rouge regime. We saw the cells and torture tools, and learned about the horrific experiences the prisoners went through. A total of around 20,000 individuals passed through the walls of the prison and only 7 adults and 4 children survived. We met two of the survivors and were inspired by their stories.

We returned to the hotel and had a free afternoon to explore Phnom Penh. The group split up, some visited the Royal Palace, others got massages and a few tried out the local gym. We all agreed that Phnom Penh was a diverse and friendly city that we thoroughly enjoyed visiting.

Zanna Van Dijk