Legend has it that in 1372, a local widow named Penh discovered four Buddha statues that had been washed up by the waters from the Mekong River. She saw them as bearers of good fortune and erected a temple on the hill to house them, and so the city grew around this structure, known as the Hill of Penh (Phnom Penh).

Once considered to be the loveliest of Indochina's French-built cities, this untidy capital sprawls at the confluence of the Mekong, Bassac and Tonlé Sap Rivers. Concrete buildings in need of repair, unsealed roads riddled with potholes and a confusion of boulevards crammed with traffic, all make uninviting first impressions. Traces of Khmer and colonial eras can be found in the little details, redeeming those first hasty conclusions. These can be found in the heart of the city where French villas and street-side cafes perch along tree-lined boulevards and the occasional majestic Khmer building catches the eye.

Phnom Penh has a number of Wats (temple-monasteries), museums and other places of interest in and around the city, as well as sunset cruises on the Mekong and Tonlé Sap Rivers, and a bustling market place. There has also been a recent boom of new hotels, restaurants, bars and nightclubs sprouting up through the city and a nightlife that promises fun and flavour.

The Royal Palace

Address: No. 63, Street 348, Sangkat Toul Svay Prey II, Khan Chamkamorn, Phnom Penh Phnom Penh

Admission: US$3, with an additional camera charge of US$2 Daily, from 7.30am to 11am, and 2.30pm to 5pm

Telephone: (0)2 321 1593

National Museum

Address: Next to the Royal Palace, on Streets 178 and 13 Phnom Penh

Admission: US$3 Open daily, from 8am to 5pm (last ticket sold at 4.30pm)

Telephone: (0)23 21 1753

Tuol Sleng Museum

Address: Corner of 113 and 350 Streets Phnom Penh

Admission: US$2 Open daily, from 8am to 11.30am, and from 2.30pm to 5pm

Choeung Ek (The Killing Fields)

Address: Just over 9 miles (15km) southwest of Phnom Penh Phnom Penh

Admission: US$2 Daily

Rantanakiri

Address: Phnom Penh

Sihanoukville

Address: 115 miles (185km) southwest of Phnom Penh Phnom Penh

Krong Kep

Address: 3 hours southwest of Phnom Penh Phnom Penh

River Dolphins

Address: Kratie, about 4 or 5 hours from Phnom Phen Phnom Penh

Blind Massage

Address: 6 Street 94, At Wat Phonm, Phnom Penh Phnom Penh

Admission: From US$6

Telephone: (0)16 85 6188

Central Market (Psah Thmay)

Address: Neayok Souk, Phnom Penh Phnom Penh

Foreign Correspondents Club

Address: 363 Sisowath Quay Phnom Penh

Telephone: (0)2 321 0142

Shooting Range

Address: Dangkor, in west Phnom Penh, near the airport Phnom Penh

Memphis Pub

Address: No 3, Street 118, near Sisowath Quay Phnom Penh

Admission: Monday to Saturday evenings

Telephone: (0)12 871263

Lakeside

Address: Boeung Kak Lake Phnom Penh

Cambodia Cooking Class

Address: 67 Oknha Chhun, Street 240, Phnom Penh Phnom Penh

Admission: $15 (half-day), $23 (full-day). Includes transportation to and from the Frizz Restaurant and a recipe booklet Advance booking essential – check website for details

Telephone: (0)23 220953

Russian Market

Address: Phnom Penh

Chat Preah Nengkal

Where: Near the Royal Palace,Phnom Penh

When: 1 - 10 May 2011

Water and Moon Festival

Where: ,Phnom Penh

When: 30 October to 11 November 2011