Accommodation in Phnom Penh, Cambodia

Phnom Penh truly is a city of contrasts. The rapidly expanding city blends traditional and western in a swirling mass of heat, stench, and energy. It is a heady mix that is dizzying and baffling and will not let you go once it has you in its grip. Amidst the rotting refuse littering the streets, deafening traffic, lights and smog, you can find pockets of peace. Here is a brief overview of out flat in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

Phnom Penh grew around the meeting of the Mekong and Tonle Sap Rivers and is divided up into 12 Khans (administrative districts), 76 Sangkats (communes) and 637 Kroms. Boeng Keng Kang 1 (BKK1) is one of the most popular foreigner areas and has a rich variety of restaurants, bars, and clubs. We stayed in BKK3 on the border of BKK1 and BKK2: close enough to enjoy the shops and restaurants, and far enough away to be relatively cheap.

The front gate to our flat complex was at the end of this narrow alley. At night, this pathway was carpeted with cockroaches the size of rats and rats the size of cats.

The entrance to our flat complex.

The owners lived on the bottom floor of the building and there were multiple flats above, all laid out in the same way. Here’s a view of the front gate.

The entrance to the flats.

The owners decorated the stairwell with some lovely plants.

The entrance hall to our flat was a narrow passage way that became a walk-in cupboard/laundry room.

Just to the left was a small kitchen with a washing machine and fridge. A camping stove served as our way of cooking food and boiling water for tea.

The view from the kitchen.

There were two bedrooms, one of which served as my office/yoga room.

The view from the bedroom.

Each bedroom had an ensuite bathroom.

One of the bedrooms was slightly larger than the other, and had a tiny balcony.

A really tiny balcony.

Lastly, here is a schematic of the flat.

Phnom Penh is an incredible place to live, however, it must be said that living expenses in Cambodia are really high, and the money earned is not really enough to live comfortably at all.