The Royal Palace

The Royal Palace in Phnom Penh was constructed in the mid-19^th century after King Norodom relocated the royal capital from Oudong to Phnom Penh. It served as the residence of the King of Cambodia, his family and foreign dignitaries, as a venue for the performance of court ceremony and ritual and as a symbol of the Kingdom. Today it is the home of King Norodom Sihamoni and former King Norodom Sihanouk however to my knowledge neither stays there on a regular basis, opting to stay at the quieter palace in Siem Reap.

The large grounds are comprised of a complex of buildings including The Throne Hall, Moonlight Pavilion, Silver Pagoda, Khemarin Palace and about 18 other structures which are all surrounded by impressive landscaping. Almost all of the buildings are closed to the public and the few that are open to peer inside from the entrance do not allow pictures.

After buying a $3 t-shirt at the entrance for one of the girls in the group (you must cover your knees and shoulders and we soon found out that a scarf over your shoulders does not count) we settled in with the waves of tourists milling about the grounds. Unfortunately the provided map was not very clear on what building is what (hence no captions) but we had a nice time anyway. 

The detail is amazing.

Same stupa from further away.

Goofing off at the gates.