Cliff(y) Goes Travelling

PNH-SIN (2h) Boeing 737-800 ETD: 6.10pm (GMT + 7)  ETA:  9.10pm (GMT + 8) Overseeing the Overseas Community Involvement Programme in Phnom Penh, Cambodia for a week was tiring, but nothing short of excitement. At the end of it, all I wanted was to go home and rest in the comfort of my bedroom. It was a pity that the flight was delayed though due to the late arrival of the incoming aircraft.

Angkor Phnom Penh Street, Phnom Penh, Cambodia One week flew like a rocket. It was finally time to say goodbye to our beneficiary, the Methodist School of Cambodia, as well as our beloved tour guide. Being the largest airport of the kingdom, Phnom Penh International Airport occupies a land area of 400 hectares. It's located approximately 10 km west of the capital city.

Preah Sihanouk Boulevard 274, Phnom Penh, Cambodia Today's entry is a very short one on two important landmarks in the capital city of Cambodia, which can be found along one of the main roads called Preah Sihanouk Boulevard 274. The picture below shows the Independence Monument that was built in 1958 after gaining independence from France in 1953.

Samdach Sothearos Boulevard 3, Phnom Penh, Cambodia Daily: 8.00am - 11.00am, 2.00pm - 5.00pm We were supposed to visit the Royal Palace to learn about the Cambodian history on the day of arrival. However, due to the cancellation of the morning flight as mentioned previously, we had not choice but to postpone the visit all the way close to the end of the trip. The full name of the royal residence of the king is Preah Barum Reachea Veang Chaktomuk Serei Mongkol.

Preah Moha Ksatreiyani Kossamak Avenue 106, Phnom Penh, Cambodia Fri-Sun: 5.00pm - 11.00pm Known as Phsar Reatrey among the locals, Phnom Penh Night Market is the only formal night market in the capital city of Cambodia. Size wise, it isn't very big, but you can find all sorts of things from apparels to toys, statues to spices and of course, food and drinks.

Preah Sisowath Quay, Phnom Penh, Cambodia Literally meaning 'large freshwater river', Tonlé Sap river flows from the lake at Siem Reap, which is the largest freshwater lake in Southeast Asia designated as a UNESCO biosphere reserve in 1997. The riverside is a popular place for locals and tourists alike to enjoy the view, along with the gentle breeze of the wind.

Roluos Village, Sangkat Cheung Aek, Phnom Penh, Cambodia Daily: 8.00am - 6.00pm Situated approximately 17 km outside from central Phnom Penh, Choeung Ek used to be the biggest killing field under the Khmer Rouge regime. From the genocide museum, it took us slightly more than an hour to get there by chartered bus due to traffic jam. Over a million people were executed there between 1975 and 1979.

Street 113, Phnom Penh, Cambodia Daily: 7.00am - 5.30pm I recall how disturbing and heart-wrenching it was when I watched a documentary about the Cambodian genocide under the Khmer Rouge regime led by Pol Pot. I finally had the chance to be physically present at the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum last December, which name means 'Hill of the Poisonous Trees' in Khmer.

No. 36 Street 232 Corner 115, Phnom Penh, Cambodia Rose Emerald Hotel (3*) situated at central Phnom Penh. From the property, it is 1.1 km to Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum, the former school-turned-prison that chronicles the genocide carried out by the Khmer Rouge regime, while Wat Langka and Independence Monument are 1.6 km away.  

SIN-PNH (1h 55m) Boeing 737-800 ETD: 4.20pm (GMT + 8)  ETA:  5.15pm (GMT + 7) On 28 November last year, my colleagues and I brought a group of thirty students to Phnom Penh, Cambodia for an Overseas Community Involvement Programme. We began our journey with SilkAir, which is regional wing of Singapore Airlines. It was unfortunate that SilkAir called a few days earlier to notify us regarding the cancellation of the earlier flight, MI606, that we were supposed to take. Thus, we had no choice but to take MI608 and wasted a day that could've been put to good use.