Phnom Penh · Where to stay
Checked 31 August 2026 · 3 official sources
PICK YOUR BASE
Phnom Penh's bases are a straight trade between being near the river and the palace, being near the food and the cafes, or being near neither and paying half as much.
Daun Penh and the riverside
The strip along Sisowath Quay, with the Royal Palace, the National Museum and the boat landings within walking distance. The busiest and most touristed part of the city, with the hawkers to match, and the only one where the headline sights are on foot.
📍 Map · $$
BKK1 — Boeung Keng Kang One
The grid of cafes, small hotels and restaurants south of Independence Monument, about ten minutes by tuk-tuk from the river. Tuol Sleng sits on Street 113 at its edge, which is either convenient or a lot, depending on your evening.
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Tonle Bassac — towers and the mall
Modern blocks around Sothearos, with AEON Mall at No. 132 and the Bassac Lane bar alley nearby. Air conditioning, lifts and chain coffee; very little street life at ground level.
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Toul Tom Poung — the Russian Market quarter
The cheapest beds and the most ordinary neighbourhood life, built around the covered market. You pay for tuk-tuks to everything, and you eat where people actually eat.
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