Daun Penh

Daun Penh is named after Mrs Penh. According to legend, a wealthy widow named Penh found a huge ancient tree at the end of the river after the storm. Inside the tree, she found four bronze statues of Buddha and a stone Buddha. She asked the people in the village to build a temple on the artificial mountain to protect the sacred statue. In the end, it became a holy place for people to pray and refuge --Wat Phnom.

National Museum is a must-visit for people who are interested in culture and history. In place since the 1920s, the National Museum is Cambodia’s leading historical and cultural museum. The museum is a repository for the world’s largest collection of Cambodian art, housing more than 14,000 sculptures, ethnographic objects, and other artifacts dating from the prehistoric times to the post-Angkorian period.

Daun Penh is not only a commercial and tourist hot spot, but also the most concentrated area of ​​administration, culture and history. It can be called the "Wall Street" area of ​​Phnom Penh. Thanks to the unique location of the Mekong River, Long Bien District has become the most popular area for expatriates. The restaurants, hotels, bars, and cafes are dense, very popular, and the nightlife is extremely rich. It is considered to be a vibrant central area.

Daun Penh District is also an indispensable place for the tourism service industry. Competition is fierce. Shophouse shops rent the most expensive areas, such as the riverside, the central market and surrounding areas, and the National Museum. Food, entertainment and nightlife are complicated. There are many financial institutions such as commercial bank headquarters and stock exchanges.

From what everybody hears and see, investors are not discouraged by the hefty price tag for land and other property in Daun Penh. In fact, the opposite is happening. More and more local and foreign investors are investing heavily or developing major property in the district and surrounding areas. Barring some unexpected disaster or tragedy, the next few years point to Daun Penh becoming the most progressive and developed strip of Phnom Penh. Many people say that Daun Penh will become the next “Orchard Road”, referring to the iconic shopping and tourism belt in neighbouring Singapore that is famous the world over.

Khan Daun Penh is the most important district in Phnom Penh. According to the statistics of 2008, the total population of Khan Daun Penh is 126,550, which is a decrease from the statistics of 1998. Among them, except for the population growth of Srah Chak and Voat Phnum, the population of other regions has decreased. The population of Phsar Thmei Bei has decreased by 21.55%.

Daun Penh is among the most popular shopping destinations in Phnom Penh. Several of Cambodia’s most well-known markets and shopping centres are located in the district. Central Market, O’Russey Market, Pencil Market, and Sorya Shopping Center are all here. Daun Penh is also host to an impressive array of retail shops and supermarkets selling everything from jewellery, handicrafts, artwork, souvenirs, footwear and clothing. 

The Central Market is an Art Deco landmark in Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia. This bright yellow building was completed in 1937. The central height is 26m. The dome has four high arched roofs that extend diagonally to form a spacious corridor that can accommodate countless stalls and various commodities.

Sorya Shopping Center is a large shopping mall in Phnom Penh. It has eight stories, including stores that meet the various needs of customers.O’Russey Market sprawling, buzzing indoor market with stalls selling food, housewares, clothing & electronics. Pencil Market includes clothes, Jewelry, Fruit, Vegetable, Baby milk, Kitchenware and many other products.

Oh, and don’t forget about the groceries stores like Lucky and Super Duper if you just need a snack or a soda.

Originally built in 1866, the Royal Palace serves as the residence of Cambodia’s royal family. The Royal Palace is a splendid example of Khmer architecture. The Khemarin Palace, Throne Hall, Silver Pagoda, and Moonlight Pavilion are some of the buildings inside the palace compound. The Royal Palace is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Cambodia, with hundreds, or sometimes thousands, of tourists from all over the world visiting it every day.

Shaped like a hand-held fan, the Chaktomuk Theatre is a landmark of the style known as New Khmer Architecture. It was designed by the late Van Molyvann, Cambodia’s most famous architect. 

Completed in 1961, the building hosted the 6th Conference of the World Fellowship of Buddhists that same year. The People’s Republic of Kampuchea (PRK) also used it as a venue for the trial in absentia of senior Khmer Rouge leaders in 1979. Today, Chaktomuk Theatre is used as a venue for conferences and cultural events organised by the Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts (MCFA).

Built in 1372, Wat Phnom Penh is a historic hilltop temple sitting in the centre of Phnom Penh. Wat Phnom is the tallest religious shrine in the city, standing some 27 metres above the ground. Wat Phnom Penh serves as a venue for major religious ceremonies during Khmer New and Pchum Ben. Wat Phnom is visited by hundreds of foreign tourists every day. Also, many locals visit Wat Phnom to pray and seek divine intervention.

If you are a food lover and would like to try the cuisines of many different countries, Daun Penh is the place to go. Along the riverside, you can find restaurants serving: Western food like French, Greek, Italian and American, Other Asian specialties like Japanese, Korean, Chinese, Singaporean and Malaysian, Indian, Mexican and even Middle Eastern food. 

Chinese House, KFC, Lucky Burger, Le Point Café, 5 Drunk Men, Hops Craft Beer Garden, Le Deli Bistro Gourmet, Gulai Restaurant, Mother India Restaurant, and Hummus House are some of the most popular names. There is even a Cuban restaurant along the riverside called Havana Café & Bar and a Filipino restaurant named MeMates Resto Bar.

If you are looking for an inexpensive yet delicious local meal, the Small Restaurant & Bar is an excellent choice. For $3, you can have such favourites as pepper squid with a plentiful heap of rice. There are also numerous coffee and beverage shops in Daun Penh, including such popular brands as Brown Cafe, KOI Cafe, Costa Coffee, and Café Amazon.

Daun Penh, especially the area along the river, is well-known for having a vibrant entertainment scene. The district hosts the highest concentration of bars and similar establishments in Phnom Penh.

As soon as the sun sets, Streets 51 and 172 come alive, as the many nightclubs, pubs, bars and other entertainment joints in the area open their doors to customers, both locals and foreigners. The dancing, singing, and drinking last well until the morning.

The most well-known in Daun Penh’s nightlife scene include Pontoon, Vito Club, The Wall, and The Red Fox. The Phnom Penh Pub Street is also a good place to hang out at night. While Daun Penh is generally a safe place, phone snatchings and other petty crimes targeting foreigners do happen from time to time in the district, especially in the area close to the riverside. Serious crimes, however, are rare.

There are 5 ways from Phnom Penh Airport (PNH) to Khan Daun Penh. You can take a bus, train, taxi, car or municipal bus. The most economical way is to take a bus, which can be reached in just $1 and 29 minutes. There is a direct bus from Phnom Penh International Airport to Kantha Bopha Children’s Hospital, which departs every hour and is open every day. The fastest way is to take a taxi. It takes only 8 minutes to get from Phnom Penh Airport (PNH) to Khan Daun Penh, but it costs $12-$15. There is a direct bus from Phnom Penh International Airport to Phnom Penh Station, which departs every half hour and is open every day. It costs $3-$7 and takes half an hour.

Daun Penh is one of Phnom Penh premier residential areas. Its location close to the centre of the city and proximity to many amenities makes it popular among many locals and expats. Many of the condos and apartments in Daun Penh are considered high-end. Naturally, apartment and condo units in Daun Penh are more expensive to rent than their counterparts in the outer areas of the city. Rents start at around $300 per month. But many places are much more. High-end condos will usually be over $900 per month. However, you will usually have access to a pool, gym, parking and workspace.

Daun Penh is home to some of the highest-grade office space in the capital. Canadia Tower, Vattanac Capital, Exchange Square, Raintree, Aura Condominium and Phnom Penh Tower have some of the best office space you will find anywhere in Phnom Penh. For now, Vattanac Tower and Exchange Square are the only property developments in Cambodia that offer Grade A office space. Renting office space in Daun Penh will typically cost between $10 and $30 per square metre a month.