Being a fast-growing capital city, Phnom Penh is a thriving place with that special feeling of many things happening at the same time, a small but motivated art scene and new urban trends breeding all over.
If you already visited places like Royal Palace or National Museum and are feeling more in the mood of seeing different sights and get a glimpse of the real non-touristic city, one option is to head up to one of the epicenters of Phnom Penh street art scene, the area around the old Boeung Kak lake.
Ask a tuk-tuk or moto-taxi to drop you at street 93 and take some time to explore the area by foot, or if you want to feel part of the chaotic-looking but very fluid and easy-going traffic of Phnom Penh, rent a bicycle and drive north along the Monivong boulevard until the French embassy. Ask any friendly local for help with directions, Cambodian people are always eager to help out!
Walk or drive on the streets around the old lake and behind the French embassy to spot some nice graffitis, if you are lucky maybe you can even catch some artist painting when you’re there! Check as well this great organisation before you go, they organise events with the local community to motivate kids into street art and education: DBK Art.
You can also bring an empty stomach in order to explore the delicious and cheap street food you will find around, this is a poor neighbourhood and that’s a great way to give back to the community and help them to support themselves.
And, of course, don’t forget to bring your camera for some nice photos of these walls. Just for the challenge, can you find the graffitis of a fish, a sleeping girl, a shark and a happy kid with a bowl of noodles?
Let us know on the comments which other cool graffitis or other kinds of Phnom Penh Street Art you found out!