Seaports and harbors

Cambodia has two major ports, Phnom Penh Port and Sihanoukville Port, also known as Kampong Som, and five minor ones. Phnom Penh, located at the junction of the Bassac, the Mekong, and the Tonle Sap rivers, is the only river port  capable of receiving 8,000-ton ships during the wet season and 5,000-ton ships during the dry season. It remains an important port for international commerce as well as for domestic communications.

Sihanoukville port reopened in late 1979. It had been built in 1960 with French assistance. In 1980 some 180 Soviet dockworkers, having brought with them forklifts and trucks, were reportedly working at Kampong Som as longshoremen or as instructors of unskilled Cambodian port workers. By 1984 approximately 1,500 Cambodian port workers were handling 2,500 tons of cargo per day. According to official statistics, Sihanoukville had handled only 769,500 tons in the four prior years (1979 to 1983), a level that contrasted sharply with the port's peacetime capacity of about 1 million tons of cargo per year.

History (Pochentong International Airport)

Phnom Penh airport's former name was Pochentong International Airport.

On July 6, 1995, the Royal Government of Cambodia (RGC) signed a concession agreement with the French-Malaysian joint venture company Société Concessionaire d’Aéroport (SCA), to operate Phnom Penh (PNH) - Pochentong International Airport. In return for a 20-year concession, SCA—70 percent owned by Groupe GTM and 30 percent by Muhibbah Masterron of Malaysia—committed to a $110 million improvement program that includes the construction of a new runway, terminal and cargo buildings, hangars, installation of a Cat III level Instrument Landing System (ILS) and associated approach lighting.

The Berger Group was selected by the RGC to provide independent engineering services during the concession, to audit the design and to advise on the practicality and cost of the concession’s proposed improvements. The Berger team also supervised the initial works to accommodate widebody aircraft such as 747s, including asphalt concrete runway overlays; installation of new ILS, metrological equipment, runway lighting and generator and power systems; and construction of a new fire station, taxiway and turn-pad extensions.

Following the successful completion of the initial works, the Berger team provided design review and independent engineering services for the construction of a new 18,000-square-meter terminal building to accommodate growing tourist traffic. The $22 million terminal building includes three mobile aerobridges, over 700 auto parking spaces and VIP and CIP facilities.

The airport also has a Dairy Queen inside. It is one of the first international franchises that have opened up in Cambodia.

Economy

Phnom Penh's is Cambodia's economic center as it accounts for a large portion of the Cambodian economy. Double-digit economic growth rates in recent years have triggered an economic boom in Phnom Penh, with new hotels, restaurants, bars, high rises, and residential buildings springing up around the city.

The main economy is based on commercial interests such as garments, trading, and small and medium enterprises. In the past few years the property business has been booming as real estate is now getting very expensive in the city. Tourism is also a major contributor in the capital as more shopping and commercial centers open, making Phnom Penh one of the major tourist destinations in the country along with Siem Reap and Sihanoukville.

The US$2.6 billion new urban development, Camko City, is meant to bolster the city landscape. The Bureau of Urban Affairs of Phnom Penh Municipality has plans to expand and construct new infrastructure to accommodate the growing population and economy. High rise buildings will be constructed at the entrance of the city and near the lakes and riverbanks. Furthermore, new roads, canals, and a railway system will be used to connect Camko City and Phnom Penh.

Riverside

Along the banks of the Tonle Sap at its junction with The Mekong is the area known as Sisowath Quay. This is where a lot of bars and restaurants for visitors are based many with balconies and terraces overlooking the river. On the other side of the road along the river bank is a grassy area where lots of Cambodians meet for picnics or other family gatherings. Among the best known bars is the FCCC (Foreign Correspondants Club of Cambodia). Other good bar/restaurants are the Garden Bar, the Riverside, the Pink Elephant and the Rising Sun (for that English food you're bound to be missing so much). Also here is the Happy Herb Pizza place - don't ask what the happy herb is!!

Ounalom Pagoda (Wat Ounalom)

on the riverfront is reputedly the oldest Buddhist foundation in the city, probably predating the abandonment of the capital at Angkor in the 15th century. The founding date is variously cited as 1422 and 1443. This wat is the home to the Buddhist patriarch. Sothearos Blvd. about 200m north of the Royal Palace.

Botum Pagoda (Wat Botum)

Significant in part because it is one of the city’s original wats, possibly founded in 1422 by King Ponhea Yat. Wat Botum took its current name in 1865 and its present structure in 1937. Of photographic note: The wat compound is crowded with ornate and colorful stupas, including the towering ‘Buddha’s Relic Stupa’ pictured left.

 

Langka Pagoda (Wat Langka)

Wat Langka is reputedly one of Phnom Penh’s five original wats (1422). First established as a sanctuary for the Holy Writings and a meeting place for Cambodian and Sri Lankan monks, the Wat was named in honor of these meetings. Just southwest of the Independence Monument.