From Taipei to Phnom Penh: A Journey Starting at 5:30 AM

June 9, 2017. I dragged myself out of bed before dawn to catch Cathay Pacific CX463 from Taoyuan Airport to Hong Kong at 5:30 in the morning, then transferred to Cathay Dragon KA208 bound for Phnom Penh. It was my first time visiting Cambodia, and I was equal parts excited and nervous.

Boarding passes for TPE to HKG to PNH — departing at 05:30, connecting through Hong Kong

Transferring at Hong Kong airport — the geometric ceiling of the international terminal is quite a sight

A sea of clouds at 30,000 feet, heading toward Southeast Asia

The flight from Hong Kong to Phnom Penh took about two and a half hours. As the plane began its descent, a patchwork of farmland appeared outside the window — green rice paddies alternating with brown dry fields, stretching endlessly in a checkerboard pattern. It reminded me a bit of the Jianan Plain back in Taiwan, only much, much bigger.

Cambodia from above — an endless checkerboard of farmland stretching to the horizon

Touching down at Phnom Penh International Airport, colorful buildings lining the runway

The arrivals hall at Phnom Penh airport — surprisingly spacious and clean

First Impressions from the Back of a Tuk-Tuk

The moment I stepped out of the airport, I was hit by a wall of 30-something-degree heat and the enthusiastic calls of tuk-tuk drivers. I hopped onto one, and just like that, Phnom Penh started unfolding before my eyes — chaotic yet somehow orderly, bustling yet strangely laid-back.

Seeing Phnom Penh from the back of a tuk-tuk — the most authentic way to get to know this city

The Independence Monument (Vimean Ekareach) — built in 1958 to commemorate Cambodia's independence from France, its design inspired by the lotus towers of Angkor Wat

Passing by the King Sihanouk memorial from the tuk-tuk, its golden stupa gleaming in the sunlight

Phnom Penh streets — motorbikes rule the road, and traffic lights are merely suggestions

A Chinese MCC construction site — back in 2017, tower cranes were everywhere in Phnom Penh

Curved corner buildings from the French colonial era — Phnom Penh at dusk has a kind of faded beauty

Phnom Penh streets at twilight, power lines and signboards tangled together like a chaotic painting

Wat Phnom and the Temple Trail

The very name "Phnom Penh" traces back to Wat Phnom — "Phnom" means "hill" in Khmer. This temple atop a small hill is where the city was born. Legend has it that in the 14th century, an old woman named Penh fished four Buddha statues out of the Mekong River, then built a temple on this hilltop to enshrine them.

The Naga serpent staircase at Wat Phnom — the very place that gave Phnom Penh its name

Stone lions and statues guarding a temple entrance — Cambodian Buddhist architecture is endlessly detailed

Birds for merit release sold outside the temple — pay to set a dove free and make a wish, a common sight at Cambodian temples

Staying Riverside: Phnom Penh's Incredible Value

The biggest surprise on my first visit to Phnom Penh was the hotel prices. A boutique hotel on the riverside with a rooftop infinity pool and a room overlooking the Mekong River — all for less than sixty bucks a night. Breakfast was a proper buffet spread, too. Completely blew my expectations out of the water.

The hotel lobby — crystal chandeliers, marble floors. At this price point, I honestly couldn't believe what I was seeing

The rooftop infinity pool, crystal-blue water against the Phnom Penh sky

Looking out over the Mekong River and the far bank from the rooftop — a sweeping view

The hotel's breakfast buffet, with both Western and Asian options

Looking up at the Phnom Penh sky from the hotel — the clouds right before rainy season are always extra dramatic

The Flavors of Phnom Penh

Food in Phnom Penh is so cheap it almost feels wrong. A bowl of beef noodle soup from a roadside stall costs less than a dollar and comes in a portion so generous you can barely finish it. Street waffle stands, supermarket aisles packed with Southeast Asian snacks you've never seen before — every bite was a new discovery.

Beef noodle soup from a roadside shop — generous portions, rich flavor, all for under a dollar

A local eatery — tiled tabletops and plastic chairs, the most authentic Phnom Penh dining experience you can get

A fresh waffle from a street vendor, piping hot — the perfect snack on the go

Drinks on the table — Fanta, Red Bull, the quintessential Southeast Asian lineup

A wall of snacks at the supermarket, brands and flavors I'd never seen before

The drinks aisle — everything from soy milk to Leo beer, you name it

The haul brought back to the hotel — Cambodian beer, Anchor, and sweet potato chips

Diving into a traditional market, vegetables and fruits piled everywhere — this is the real Phnom Penh

Phnom Penh After Dark

Phnom Penh is sweltering during the day, but once the sun goes down, the whole city comes alive. Neon lights flicker on, the orange signs of Smile convenience stores mark every corner like beacons, and warm golden light spills out of restaurants and bars nestled inside colonial-era buildings.

Smile convenience store — Cambodia's answer to 7-Eleven, open 24 hours

Phnom Penh streets at night — colonial buildings look even more atmospheric under the lights

A busy market street during the day, tuk-tuks and pedestrians sharing the road