Oudong, the Old Royal Capital

A long ridge crowned with royal stupas rising from the rice fields, where the kings of Cambodia ruled for more than two centuries.

Area

Day trips

Start from

Phnom Penh

Distance

about 40 km north-west

Time needed

1 day

Best season

November – March; climb early to avoid the heat

Difficulty

Moderate

Transport

Car or tuk-tuk (1–1.5 hours each way)

Tickets & rules

None for the hill; modest dress at the stupas

Why go

Oudong is a ridge of low hills rising from the flat, green plain north of Phnom Penh, and along its spine stands a line of tall stupas, white, grey and golden, holding the ashes of kings. It is one of the most atmospheric day trips from the capital: part pilgrimage, part picnic, part gentle hike.

You climb a long staircase of several hundred steps through the trees, past beggars, vendors and families, to the ridge, then walk along it from stupa to stupa. From the top the view opens over rice fields and sugar palms that seem to stretch all the way to the Tonle Sap.

At the foot of the hill, food stalls sell grilled chicken, papaya salad and coconuts, and families picnic in huts. I always end the day with a long late lunch here, sweaty and happy.

The story

Oudong was the royal capital of Cambodia from the early seventeenth century until 1866, when King Norodom moved the court to Phnom Penh. Over the following centuries kings and members of the royal family were cremated and their ashes kept in great stupas along the ridge.

The ridge has seen hard times. During the civil war of the early 1970s there was heavy fighting here, and the Khmer Rouge later destroyed many of the shrines. The great seated Buddha of Vihear Preah Ath Roes was blown apart; the ruins of its hall and the partly restored image are still visible.

In the early 2000s a new, grand stupa was built at the summit to house a relic of the Buddha, which was moved here in a great procession from a stupa near the Phnom Penh railway station. It glows white and gold and has become an important place of pilgrimage.

At the foot of the hills, the Vipassana Dhura Buddhist Meditation Centre has white buildings and gardens where monks and nuns study and meditate. The area is a mix of royal history, religious life and countryside, and it changes character through the day.

Getting there

Oudong lies about forty kilometres north-west of the city, off National Road 5. By car it takes around an hour, by tuk-tuk perhaps an hour and a half in traffic. Arrange a round trip with a driver for the day.

Some travellers combine Oudong with the riverside villages along Road 5 or with a visit to a silversmithing village.

A suggested plan

1. 7 amLeave Phnom Penh early to beat the heat and the traffic.
2. 8:30 amClimb the main staircase to the ridge; take your time, with stops in the shade.
3. MorningWalk along the ridge between the stupas, from the relic stupa to the older royal stupas and the ruined Buddha.
4. Late morningDescend on the other side and visit the meditation centre.
5. LunchEat at the food stalls and picnic huts at the foot of the hill, then return to the city.

Where to stay

Visit from Phnom Penh; there is little accommodation nearby.

Good to know

• Wear good shoes; the steps are steep and uneven in places.
• Bring water, a hat and small notes for donations and food.
• Go early; the ridge has little shade.
• Cover shoulders and knees at the stupas.