A Stunning Display of Cambodian Culture

Due to the Water Festival, the Palace was not open in the afternoons. We had to come back the next day in the morning to gain admittance.

We opted to take a guided tour and were glad we did, as he was a good source of information on the palace, exhibits, and all its history.

Some of the highlights included:

The throne room could only be viewed from the outside, and no photos were allowed of the inside.
Silver Pagoda - beautiful wooden floors mostly covered by carpet and housing Buddha statues
Hor Samritvimean contained replicas of the coronation regalia as well as staff outfits (one color for each day of the week)
Pavilion of Napoleon III - made from iron and brought over from France
Ankor Wat Model
Funeral stupas
Moonlight Pavilion in the front was decorated and lit up every night of the Water Festival
Historical palanquins and a model of the albino elephant in the old elephant stable
Ramayana/Reamker mural - quite a large and vivid mural of an Indian tale. Some parts still needed to be restored.

After the tour, we were able to go back and wander around on our own. Overall, it was nice to have this level of access to explore the palace grounds (except where the King lived). Very beautiful and ornate buildings with manicured landscaping.
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Post by Travelogist | Sep 15, 2025