Dusk on Sisowath Quay

A long riverside promenade where the whole city comes out at sunset to exercise, dance, pray and flirt under the flags of the world.

Area

Royal riverside

Start from

Royal Palace park

Distance

about 3 km on foot

Time needed

an evening

Best season

All year; magical in November during the Water Festival

Difficulty

Easy

Transport

On foot

Tickets & rules

None

Why go

In the hours before dark, Sisowath Quay becomes the city’s living room. The heat breaks, a breeze comes off the water, and people pour out: aerobics groups dancing in neat rows to booming pop, children chasing pigeons on the palace lawns, monks in saffron strolling in pairs, couples sitting on the river wall, vendors pushing carts of grilled squid and sugar-cane juice.

I could watch the open-air dance classes for an hour. The instructors stand on a little platform with a loudspeaker, and anyone can join in for a few coins or nothing at all. Grandmothers, students and the odd foreigner stumble through the steps together, and nobody seems to care how well they do it.

Behind you, the old French shophouses along the quay light up with bars and restaurants, and in front the river glows orange and then violet. It is the simplest pleasure in Phnom Penh and costs nothing.

The story

The quay looks out on the Chaktomuk, the Four Faces, the place where the rivers divide into four arms: the Upper Mekong from Laos, the Tonle Sap from the great lake, and the Lower Mekong and the Bassac heading south to Vietnam. It is one of the great river meetings of Asia, and the reason a city grew here at all.

Every year this confluence does something remarkable. In the rainy season the Mekong rises so high that it pushes water backward up the Tonle Sap, filling the lake in the middle of the country to several times its dry-season size. Around October or November the flow reverses again and the lake drains back toward the sea. The Water Festival, Bon Om Touk, celebrates this moment with long boat races in front of the palace, illuminated floats and huge crowds, when it is held.

Halfway along the quay stands Wat Ounalom, one of the city’s oldest and most important monasteries, founded in the fifteenth century. It is traditionally said to hold a hair from the eyebrow of the Buddha. Pop in on your walk; the courtyard is quiet, and young monks are often happy to practise their English.

The flagpoles along the river carry the flags of many nations, and near the palace stands a small, busy shrine called Preah Ang Dangkar, where people come every evening with lotus flowers and incense.

Getting there

Start in the park in front of the Royal Palace and walk north along the river wall. The whole stretch from the palace to the Night Market area is flat and easy, with pavements and benches.

For the return, tuk-tuks wait at every corner; agree the fare before getting in or use a ride-hailing app.

A suggested plan

1. Around 5 pmArrive at the palace park as the light softens; visit the Preah Ang Dangkar shrine.
2. SunsetWalk north along the river wall, stopping at the dance classes and food carts.
3. TwilightDuck into Wat Ounalom for a few quiet minutes.
4. After darkContinue to the riverside Night Market, open on weekend evenings, for snacks and stalls.
5. LaterDinner or a drink on a rooftop overlooking the river.

Where to stay

Anywhere along or just behind the riverside, from Street 178 north to Street 108, puts this walk on your doorstep. Rooms right on the quay can be noisy; one street back is calmer.

Good to know

• Try sugar-cane juice pressed fresh at the carts; ask for no ice if you are cautious.
• Join a dance class for a few minutes: it is the fastest way to make people laugh with you.
• During the Water Festival, book accommodation far in advance.
• Bring mosquito repellent for after dark.