The Markets of Phnom Penh - A Traveller’s Guide
In South East Asia markets form the beating heart of the city. Even as skyscrapers crowd the horizon, markets still remain the soul and centre of the community.
The markets of Cambodia’s bustling capital of Phnom Penh are no exception to the rule. The city, especially compared to the rest of the country, seems to have been hit with modernity in full force glass and steel skyscrapers are rising up next to the old temples and palaces. The markets of Phnom Penh still, endure, the engines powering the heart of communities. From hairdressers to bamboo shoots, watches to pork bones, Phnom Penhians still rely on the good old fashioned market.
Phnom Penh's markets are a whirlwind of color smell and sound.
As long term travelling backpackers we love exploring markets. From the grand to the local neighbourhood, the tourist trap to off the beaten path, you will always find something unique and interesting in a market.
This is our guide to some of our favourite markets in Phnom Penh.
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The Old Market
A short walk from the riverfront and bar district is the ‘Old Market’ or Phsar Chas. Set in the Old French Quarter this is a proper working market. Clustered into a rough square building the Old Market sells everything from jewellery and artwork to watch repair and hairdressing. There is a wet market as well as fruit and vegetable sellers.
When we visited we started by orbiting around the stalls and shops on the outer rim of the market. On the river facing sides the market was dominated by colourful fruit stalls, their tasty wares displayed in pyramids and piles. On the main road edge of the market was a mix of stalls selling Chinese temple offerings alongside grilled fish and clothing. The back of the market had some food stalls set up and a car park (not amazingly interesting we know).
We visited mid morning on a random weekday and most of the food stalls were yet to open, but they looked interesting and like they would have some very tasty treats later in the day. The final side of the market (the opposite side to the main road), was the main wet market, with stalls and stalls of vegetables on the outside and meat and fish shops on the inside.
We love wet markets in Asia, they are something we simply don’t have anymore back in the UK. We are so used to our meat being over sanitised, appearing in a cling film wrapped box as if it never was part of a living thing. Even our butchers and fishmongers have been cleaned up and hide the grisly stuff. Asian markets are the opposite, an assault on the senses with live chickens, fish and hanging slabs of meat. You certainly know where your food is coming from in an Asian market.
As a quick aside from the above - if you are squemish or do not want to see dead animals (or sometimes the death of poultry), then the markets may not be for you. They are full on and just part of life for people but if you are easily upset or have sensitive young kids with you, consider this a warning
You cannot argue its freshness - most of these fish will have been taken live from a tank next to the stall and bludgeoned before being offered for sale.
The Old Market has a small food court with noodles, lort cha (more about this later), soups and curries for sale. Just go through the wet market towards the centre and you cannot miss it.
Where is the Old Market?
The Old Market can be found here. The old market is a short walk from the Phnom Penh riverfront, Night Market, Palace or National Museum. It is just outside of the bar district and near to a lot of accommodation.
Old Market Opening times:
The Old Market’s opening times can vary but are listed as between 6:00am and 17:00pm every day.
Phnom Penh Central Market
The most iconic of Phnom Penh’s many markets Phsar Thmei - Central Market is housed in a fantastic art deco building. Its famous yellow and white cross building spikes out around the massive central dome. Built under the rule of the colonial French it was, once, the largest market in Asia!
The Central Market (sometimes called the New Market), is much more “touristy” than some of Phnom Penh’s other offerings but don't let this put you off. It is busy for a reason!
The central dome is an Aladdin's cave of gold and jewellery. The huge dome overhead and the dim lighting adding to the vibe of a treasure trove. Sparkling light is reflected off cabinets full of watches, necklaces, rings and bracelets. Now we over here at Jellie are very much budget backpackers and know next to nothing about jewellery and precious metals so we cannot comment on the value or legitimacy of any of these shops. What we can say however, is that it was very pretty!
The dome in the middle of Central Market holds its iconic clocktower and dozens of jewellery stalls.
The Central Market has four straight ‘spokes’ radiating out from the central dome, each with a slightly different focus. There are electronics on one spoke - the laser pens and gadgets proving very distracting to the children of various holidaying families.
Another spoke contained the standard tourist market clothing and tat displays. Do you want elephant print trousers and a novelty candle? If you do, you have found the right place! Of course there are several hundred of these exact same stalls throughout Phnom Penh but hey it wouldn't be a market without them!
The other ‘spokes’ have beauty products, toys and clothes (that actual non-tourist people may wear). Between the spokes is where we enjoyed ourselves the most. A proper wet market sprawls out between the walls of the official Central Market. Fish of every description and meats of all shapes and cuts were everywhere. One of our favourite market stalls we stumbled upon was a man selling huge bricks of ice. From what we could tell you could either buy the huge clear blocks whole, or you could ask him to hack it up and put it through a massive grinder.
There is also a fantastic food court full of Cambodian treats to try. You can feast on roasted birds or grilled snakes (we can report - too many bones!), chow down on kuy teav (read more about that and other Cambodian breakfast dishes here) or order a plate of rice porridge. We ate there and enjoyed a great bowl of pork noodle soup and a delicious bowl of pork porridge (do not knock it until you have tried it, we are now obsessed with borbor).
Borbor is literally comfort in a bowl
Pork noodles with all the trimmings!
The whole market is great to just wander around and look at. The setting and architecture are amazing and definitely worth a visit.
Where is the Central Market?
You can find the Central Market here. It is a short walk into the centre of town from the riverside. Nearby you can find lots of restaurants, some of the higher end accommodation as well as the famous Wat Phnom Daun Penh.
Opening times:
The Central Market is open from 6:30am until 17:30pm every day, however many of the stalls on the outside will stay open longer.
The Russian Market
The Russian Market of Phnom Penh sits a little further out to the south of the river. The Russian Market - also called Toul Tom Poung Market got its name in the 1980’s in the Cold War. The market became an outlet for Russian designed goods and Soviet made items, this along with the sizable Russian population that lived around the market led to the nickname. The nickname stuck and now everyone from tourists to taxi drivers calls it the Russian Market.
Nowadays, the Soviet era products are gone, replaced by artists, souvenir shops and ceramic and stone carvers. Towards the back of the market there is a whole section dedicated to machine and scooter parts with huge jumbles of brake discs, lights, electronics and metal cogs piled high.
How do they find anything?
The market now is sort of a mix between the Old Market and the Central Market. There is a large “proper” market with vegetables and meat sellers as well as a big section devoted to tourists and tour groups. There were lots of bangles, elephant trousers and paintings of questionable originality for sale.
The Russian Market is included in many tours and cooking classes as a good “safe” market to walk around. This doesn’t mean the other markets are “unsafe” at all! Just that the Russian Market can be relied upon to be colourful and pretty with well maintained stalls and plenty of things tourists may want to buy or photograph.
The chaos of markets are..
Very photogenic!
We did enjoy getting lost in the rabbit warren of shops selling art supplies and stone statues. It is, like the Central Market, touristy but, also like the Central Market, fun!
There is a food court in the middle of the market that seemed to cater exclusively to tourists - this is no bad thing! If you are looking to dip your feet in Cambodian cuisine this would be a nice easy way to start. If you are a backpacker however, literally any stall or restaurant outside the market will be significantly cheaper. We, for example, had a delicious fried rice from a stall opposite the market.
Where is the Russian Market?
The Russian Market can be found here. Many travellers visit the Russian Market either before or after visiting the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum. The museum is only a fifteen minute walk or six minute drive away.
Opening times:
The Russian Market opens between 7:00am and 17:00pm every day, but you will find some of the tourist stalls open quite a bit later on into the evening.
The Riverside Night Market
We love a night market, we have been to dozens now and they are always good fun and interesting to nose around. The Phnom Penh Riverside Night Market is set a short distance from the bar streets and just off of the riverfront.
Inside the market is a large ‘U’ shape with stalls all down the sides. These side stalls sell clothing and souvenirs. It is not as ‘cheesy’ as some of the souvenir stands we have already passed by in the markets of Phnom Penh and may even have some things you would want to buy!
We were visiting in the depths of the wet season and it was starting to rain pretty hard when we arrived at the market. In the high season (November - April), with the better weather and more tourists, the centre of the market (between the straights of the ‘U’) would be buzzing with activity and stalls. On the days we visited however, the rain had driven everyone away from the open areas. Luckily, the whole of the main market (the U) was covered from the rain.
At the back of the market (the bottom of the ‘U’) is the reason most people come to the Riverside Night Market - the food court. There are stalls on all sides selling every kind of hot-pot, stir fry, noodle or soup you can think of. From spring rolls and fried rice to instant Korean ramens and grilled meats, there was a stall for everyone. We had a great couple of plates of lort cha.
Lort cha is a dish of stir fired short pin noodles and we had fallen in love with it in Siem Reap (read all about that here). The noodles came out sizzling and charred from the wok with a crispy but runny fried egg perched on top. Just what we needed on a rainy evening.
Smokey, sweet and delicious - you cannot go wrong with lort cha!
The Riverside Night Market is definitely worth a stop on your Phnom Penh itinerary. It is friendly, fun, the food is tasty and (for a touristy place) well priced. We are suckers for night markets, there is just something fun about dining under a creaking canvas eating quick fried delicious food.
The Riverside Night Market Food Court looked great even in the rain.
Where is the Riverside Night Market?
The Riverside Night Market can be found here The Riverside Night Market is right next to the bar district and loads of accommodation. Our hostel was less than five minutes walk away - a definite bonus in the rain!
Opening Times:
The Riverside Night Market opens around 17:00pm and will keep serving food until around 23:00pm with some stalls shutting earlier. The market should be open every day.
Other Markets of Phnom Penh
We had limited time in the Cambodian capital and missed out on several markets we would have loved to explore. If you get to go around any of these let us know in the comments how it was!
Orussey Market
Shockingly, we didn't visit what may be the largest of Phnom Penh’s markets. Selling everything from clothes and food, to tailoring supplies and vintage electronics if you need an obscure item, we have heard it is probably in Orussey Market. You can find Orussey market on a map here.
Riverside Flower Market
We did stumble across the riverside flower market but far too late in the day to see it at its best. Go down the river, in front of the palace early on in the morning to see all the flower vendors in full bloom. You can find the market here.
Konda Market
Another half-visit from us saw us trying to take a shortcut back to our hostel through the sprawling stalls of the Konda Market. Definitely not a tourist market we would have loved to properly explore its produce and food stalls. You can find the street market portion of Konda Market here.
Market Tours and Guided Experiences
If you want to explore the markets and get some real local insight at the same time, or you want to have an expert show you the best food the markets have to offer, then consider going on a guided tour. You can be shown around the markets and walked through the food courts by a local who knows exactly what is good and how much it should cost.
Have a look at Get Your Guide. They offer lots of market experiences as well as loads of tours and trips in Phnom Penh.
Another option for prebooking a tour is Viatour, they offer a more premium selection for a slightly higher price. Have a look at what they are offering here.
Where to Stay in Phnom Penh
Being the capital city of Cambodia there are plenty of accommodation choices in Phnom Penh. The question is what is right for your budget?
We are long term travellers, backpackers with a budget to match. We would recommend Onederz Hostel as a great place to stay. Set on the riverbank next to the bar district and the Old and Night markets and only a short walk from the Central Market, Royal Palace and National Museum, Onederz is perfectly situated. Staying there meant we could pack a lot into a short while and minimise taxi travel. The Onederz Hostel offers private rooms, dorms as well as having a cafe and even a rooftop pool. You can book a stay here.
If hostels are not or no longer your thing then Phnom Penh has a room for every budget. Check out our handy hotel map below.
The map is focused on the central market - zoom out for other areas and more choices.
Getting Around in Phnom Penh
Phnom Penh is an easy city to get around. We were centrally located at our hostel and could walk to the vast majority of the markets.
Phnom Penh used to have a reputation as being one of the more dangerous cities in South East Asia and one you needed to be very careful in. We are not sure if it has just dramatically improved since our last visit or that we are just blind to the danger but it felt safe and welcoming when we walked around. Do make sure you're not stuck somewhere unfamiliar after dark and be cautious of your belongings, but don’t panic and write off walking anywhere!
Out of all the locations we have talked about in this blog we only needed a taxi to get us to the Russian Market. Speaking of taxis…
Taxi’s Remorques and Tuk Tuk’s in Phnom Penh
For any venture further afield in through Phnom Penh or if you want to spare yourself a walk, you will need a set of wheels.
If you have mobile data then we would recommend downloading the PassApp and Grab apps. Grab can be linked to your credit or debit card and lets you summon a taxi to take you anywhere. PassApp works similarly but you may not be able to link your card and have to pay in cash. The advantage of these apps is that the price is non negotiable, agreed in advance and set by the program - so no ridiculous fares for being a tourist! They also allow you to track your route so you can be sure you are going where you wanted to!
Phnom Penh’s taxi’s come in three main types: the traditional car - the most expensive option but has air conditioning. The tuk-tuk - the fun, familiar three wheeler popular all across Asia, this is usually the cheapest option but you may struggle to get four adults in one! Finally there is the Cambodian special - The remorque. Think chariot or stagecoach but pulled by motorbike rather than a horse, that is pretty much what a remorque is. They can comfortably fit four people and are in the middle when it comes to price.
In the wet season it pays to have alternate methods of travel to walking!
You can hail any of the above on the street. Remorques especially are very common in the bar area and outside tourist hotspots. Just remember to agree on a price in advance and be firm about where you want to go.
Phnom Penh is a buzzing, changing city with one foot in its tumultuous past and the other striding out into modernity. It has a unique charm and character all of its own. It is very different from Bangkok or Ho Chi Minh City and, despite sharing many cultural and culinary genes with both, is very much its own beast. The markets are perfect examples of this, they sell lots of the same goods you will find across Asia but in a distinctly Cambodian style. Phnom Penh is changing at a rate of knots, but the markets still remain the same. From dawn until dusk, the markets are the foundations of the city. If you’re visiting Phnom Penh don’t miss out and make sure you include at least one market (if not all of them). It’s a true insight to Cambodia and you’ll never know what you’re going to come across!
We loved our stay in the Cambodia capital, the short time we had there has whetted our appetite for more and we can’t wait to go back and discover more of its markets.
Thank you for reading,
John & Ellie x
#Adventuresofjellie
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