Visiting The Royal Palace Of Cambodia

Wonderful Khmer Architecture! Everywhere is "instagrammable"!

But let's start from the very beginning!

Visit Times & Duration
Foremost, you may encounter a 'minor issue' on the web, about opening and closing times for palace visits. Some say 7-11AM & 1-4PM; some say 7AM, 8AM and so on.

On this visit, it was written everywhere, 8:00AM~11:00AM AND 2:00PM~5:00PM.

Heads up to my boldly written AND above. It can make or break your satisfaction! It means that: at 11AM the palace closes (for lunch?), so all guests will have to leave.

Di ko alam kung me loudspeaker yan or megaphone na ipagtatabuyan kayo, o baka me mga guards na umiikot para sabihan kayo, o maybe the paths are cordoned-off.

Basta ang sa akin, isang tanga at kalahati ka, kung papasok ka pa ng 10AM. Eh ang laki kaya ng compound na yan! Many tour groups aim for the earliest entry - at 8AM.

I surmised, sangkaterbang busloads siguro ang tourists entering at 8AM. Hiyay! So, I decided to enter at 2:30PM. Well, I thought about a 9AM, but the 2:30PM prevailed.

Was it the best? I'm not sure. But it went well with my walking pace and projections.

How Much as in Magkano Naman?
Upon entry at the palace's south gate, you'll immediately see "where to pay". I know this is the main reason why not that many Pinoys like to visit this 'tourist attraction'. But I've also read online, some tourists from other countries find 40,000 Riel, costly.

10 US Dollars nga naman per head. More than 500 pesos din. But, I had to "endure"! Kelangan ko talaga pumasok at makita and loob ng palasyo nila, for many reasons.

Inisip ko nalang, I will have something new to tell you, my dear readers, at makukulit na family and friends. Eto pictures at kwento nalang dahil walang pasalubong. Ever!

Then You Roam Freely?
Yes! Ay anubayan, parang pang-livestock farming ang word na ginamit ko! Ano tayo free-roaming chicken? Hahaha! Basta bahala na you, unless you got a tourguide. Ta!

Tourguides (available near the payment counters) cost 10USD each. If you're a group, okay lang yata ang cost. But if you were alone, syala ba! I didn't avail of that. Dukha!

So, after payment, you go through the side of a building malapit sa pader (museum yata yan), such that you emerge at the first and biggest attraction - the Throne Hall.

That is actually directly facing the Victory Gate (beyond the right edge of this picture), that we talked-about earlier, on my walk. That Throne Hall is 2nd edition, circa 1917.

The first Throne Hall was made in 1869, but demolished in 1915.

Okay.., that's it pusit! Let's go out na!

Ganun lang? 10 dollars na yun? Hahaha! Di ba I told you, like at the museum, if I told you about every thing I saw.., eh di lalo na kayong hindi pumunta at mamasyal dyan!

'Wag maging dayuhan, sa sariling ASEAN. Go!

O sya sya sige.., let me show & tell you some more...

The Throne Hall, even if open for public viewing and scrutiny, is still used nowadays, as a place for religious and royal ceremonies (like coronations and/or royal weddings, na hindi naman kadalasan)! But it is likewise 'still' where the king receives his guests.

That said, you watch out! Make sure you ask or seek information anywhere you can, before scheduling a visit to the Royal Palace, since they close it during such events.

Hmm, how did I know about those specific and salient infos, at me mga dates pang nalalaman? Ah, 'you others me' as in ibahin nyo ako, I learned it from the tourguides!

Eh di ba I did not avail of a tourguide dahil mahal? Yes I did not. But abilibad lang!

Shhh, sekret ito (at Taglishin natin ng puro para di nila gets masyado): Pagkapasok ko dyan sa kalawakan na yan, tumingin-tingin ako sa mga me tourguide. At naki-listen!

Technique pa rin: doon ka dapat bumuntot sa medyo marami ang participants para 'di ka halata. Tas h'wag masyadong dikit. Lipat-lipat ka rin ng grupo na pakikinggan.

At h'wag titingin sa tourguide. Kunyari sa ibang whatever ka naka-focus, selfie-selfie pa ng totohanan. But your radar (tenga ba) alams na, tutok dapat doon ke tourguide!

Alam ko sanay kayo dyan. That's Marites 101, di ba?

From the external hallway (up the stairs) of that Throne Hall, I turned around (facing northeast), and saw this beautiful-looking edifice far at left, the Moonlight Pavilion.

How'd I know? Alams na, I heard a guide telling her group to 'look there'. Lingon ako!

It is that building by the wall, that I saw while walking at the boulevard, coming here. I'll say it looks more magnificent viewed that way from inside palace grounds, right?

Oh, so this Moonlight Pavilion is called Chan Chaya Pavilion in Khmer. The open air 2^nd level is for performances by the royal classical dancers. And just as I thought, the balcony is also used as a royal viewing platform for parades marching along Blvd 3.

Still up the Throne Hall, I looked to the side (left) and saw the Hor Samran Phirun:

I heard a guide say 'that is a rest house' and it's where the king waits to ride (mount) an elephant during royal events or processions, where he needs to ride an elephant.

Also heard another tourguide say "that's where musical instruments and procession paraphernalia are kept" and "where gifts from heads of state are kept or displayed".

On that latter annotation though, I wasn't too sure if they were referring to the same cute building in the photo or its 'identical twin' on the other flank of the Throne Hall.

Di naman ako maka-raise your hand to clarify kasi nakiki-sagap lang ako!

By the way, most of the buildings here are closed. If open however, picture-taking or video not allowed. Halos lahat. But fine with me, they look great na from the outside!

And we must acknowledge the precision and skill used in tending to those gardens.

Still at the same spot, I looked further left (sabi ng isang tourguide sa grupo nya eh)!

Khemarin Palace is that one with light-blue windows. It's a big one, but 'off limits' to the public. Of course, because that's where the King presently lives lang naman pala!

Formally called Khmer Khemarin Moha Prasat or Palace of the Khmer King, it is the official residence of the king of Cambodia. It's even fenced-off from other buildings.

If you look closely above the trees, you would see a flag. When that royal blue flag is hoisted, it indicates the presence of the king. So nasa loob pala siya during my visit.

Binalak kong tawagin, kaso na-dyahe ako hahaha!

I listened more and learned that, it was built 1930, and President Charles de Gaulle of France stayed there during his visit in 1966. So, president pala si CDG heheh! Yan ang name ng main international airport ng France doon sa Paris - yun lang alam ko!

Imagine that, kinailangan pang makarating ng Cambodia para malaman ko hahaha!

Travel is education!

Oyzst, before I forget.., look up at that last picture again. Left side of the photo - that is at only about 'midpoint' the length of the whole Throne Hall where I was standing. This cruciform-style building is long (~100 meters). But anything beyond is off limits.

So I walked around to the other side of the Throne Hall, and saw Hor Preah Khan.

Yes, it really does look like Hor Samran Phirun in terms of size style and make, for a fantastic symmetrical look of the throne hall when you're standing on its front lawn.

Naisip ko lang as I didn't hear them clearly enough as I eavesdropped on the tourguide annotations, baka naman dyan naka-display yung mga gifts from various countries!

Why did I suspect so? Hmm, I just noticed the front door open, but what it reveals is another door that is closed. Dala-dalawa ang pinto? There must be valuables inside!

And it's not for public viewing. Weh, bakit sa Brunei, open yon, pwede pa kodakan!

Anyway, I saw "live action" down on the ground, so I went to see it, passing by these:

At right is a sample of a window. All windows in this throne hall (I think it is even all windows in all buildings) have that sophisticated Kbach Khmer carved wood design.

At left is a close-up of one of those panels - carved wood painted gold and maroon.

The floor tiles look 'flowery normal' to me hehe, but I overheard a tourguide say that it was designed by so-and-so & made in Europe. Sori tao lang, di ko nasagap lahat!

Down on the ground, I went to see the "live action", and up close. This topiarist:

The manong at right, silently worked on those trees, and I did not even see him walk back or away to "review" his output from afar. But, I did not dare talk to him hehehe!

My apprehension was if I talked to him, baka tumabingi yung pag-gunting nya hehe! Eh walang take-2 pag nagkamali sya sa ganyan. So, I didn't bother him. Mahirap na!

After watching, I walked past him and Hor Preah Khan to the Phochani Pavilion.

It was originally a dance & performance hall, but has transformed through the years (since 1912) into another venue for royal banquets and other important gatherings.

Look at the right edge of that picture. That's a netting (with artsy prints), to cover the scaffoldings and debris, as the Napoleon III Pavilion was 'being improved' this time.

Too bad that I didn't see it, because it's the most talked-about structure in this entire royal compound - being the only building originally made of iron & steel circa 1870s.

It was/is interestingly controversially historic and historical called The Iron House.

Anyway, I stood a bit of time there, trying to "overhear" the tourguides talking hehe!

Thinking of where to go next, I turned around for another view of the Throne Hall.

That's a side view; the south side; left side if you were up front (right/east) facing it.

I was up there earlier, looking at the other buildings surrounding it. But I did not truly realize how enormous a building that is, until I looked at it from this side view. Wow!

Hey, until I took that picture, I didn't even notice there's the 4-faced Brahma Head up at the main spire. It has a significant importance in their religion and royal authority.

On the wall that divides the Royal Palace and Silver Pagoda grounds (though they're together referred to as a singular Royal Palace complex) are the Ramayana Frescoes.

Yes the Ramayana that you and I know from our World History or Asian Civilizations subjects in school! Scenes of that folk epic are illustrated in that 'long wall-painting'.

I was musing: such a long painted mural is fairly common in the whole world. Meron pa nga street art sa pader, di ba? But when I learned it was done in 1900, salute ako!

Here's a collage of 3 photos I took in the area (patayo sila eh, so pinag-tabitabi ko).

At left is part of the building beside the Napoleon III Pavilion. There is even another building behind it. They are Royal Offices - but I don't know if "royal" means the king really holds office and conducts his official functions there, o baka naman staff lang.

The middle picture is a map/layout of the entire royal palace grounds - lower square is the Silver Pagoda compound. And I said "I should have seen that at the entrance"!

Well, baka naman meron, hindi lang ako tumingin ng mabuti!

And the right picture in that collage is the "gate" from Royal Palace to Silver Pagoda, but what caught my attention was the design (or artwork) details. Wrought iron yan!

So I was in the Silver Pagoda. Officially named Wat Ubaosoth Ratanaram it's mostly called Wat Preah Keo Morakot - even shrunk to Wat Preah Keo. It has many names!

If you think you've heard Wat Preah Keo [wat-pra-kyaw], yes you may have even been there already, specifically Wat Phra Kaew [same pronunciation] in Bangkok. Related?

Somehow. It's said that, the one in Bangkok was King Norodom's inspiration to build this one in his kingdom - after he made a royal visit to Thailand. Namasyal yata sya!

But it's not as if kelan lang ha? This one was built (of wood) in 1892! His great great grandson King Norodom Sihanouk had it refurbished in 1962, most notable of which was the use of more than 5,000 square floor tiles made of silver weighing 1kg each!

Mahabang kwento! Kaso, nagduda na ata yung tourguide na 'illegally' pinapakinggan ko hehehe! Pa-simple akong lumayo sa grupo nya, baka singilin ako ng $10 hahaha!

If you noticed, one door is open. Yes, people can go inside but strictly no pictures or videos. Di ako pumasok. Para que pa, wala na nga akong tourguide, no cameras pa.

Maybe next time.

Yet, there are things to see and learn-from around the Silver Pagoda. Like this one:

It's a scaled-replica of the famous Angkor Wat Complex to the north of Siem Reap.

There are stupas and pavilions (additional structures) around the Silver Pagoda.

Do you know what a Stupa is? In the Christian world, the nearest would be a 'shrine'.

It is said that in ancient times, stupas were the final "resting place" or "repository" of the cremated remains (ashes) of Buddhist monks or royalty plus other sacred relics.

So, these are not really anticipated structures. Gagawin lang kung me pumanaw na. Parang tayo rin, kokonti ang nagpapagawa ng magiging nitso nila habang buhay pa!

That analogy, gives us the reason why the 6 (or 7?) stupas look haphazardly placed. Kasi, if you were the staff or planner of a king, di ka naman yata pwede magsabi na "oist king, dito sa area na ito ka ililibing ha?! dito asawa mo", and so on and so forth!

That grandiose stupa above is the Stupa of King Norodom Suramarit who died only in 1960, samantala the Silver Pagoda complex had already been standing eons ago.

Note: King Sihanouk who built that stupa, was an only child of King Suramarit.

Behind Suramarit Stupa in the pic above is Stupa of Princess Kantha Bopha. This:

That princess, one of King Sihanouk's daughters, died of leukemia at age 4, in 1952.

We will go back to that stupa of Kantha Bopha, later. Meanwhile, the higher stupa at right is on a man-made hill called Phnom Mondul or Mondap Hill grotto kung sa atin.

I didn't go there, but I heard it's an important religious (Buddhist) spot in Cambodia.

There are other stupas within the Silver Pagoda complex - all with intricate exteriors.

At right is the Stupa of King Ang Duong. At center - with the blue & gold roof - is the Equestrian Monument of King Norodom. It faces east (blue gate). Outside is Blvd 3.

At left is the Stupa of King Norodom. The stupas keep their ashes (or part of it). And the lengthy red roof is the silver pagoda complex fence with the 'Ramayana murals'.

Now back to the Stupa of Princess Kantha Bopha. I chanced upon a tour guide who was standing by a side of the pavilion near the stupa. I asked an important question!

I didn't expect he'd be generous to answer my question as I wasn't part of the group he was guiding (he was just waiting for them to finish their pictorials). But, yes, he did!

My question: "why is there no stupa for the remains of King Norodom Sihanouk". OMG, he shared that "few tourists are told about it, as many guides don't know or remember"!

Know what? Remember what? Well, Sihanouk died in 2012 (China); he was cremated in February 2013 at the Veal Preah Meru Square - andun si Binay representing Pinoys!

In 2014, his ashes were divided and scattered into the confluence of Tonle Sap and Mekong Rivers, a memorial near the independence monument, and in this complex.

Where here? Eto ang touching. By his request daw when he was still alive, his ashes must be laid with his daughter, the Stupa of Princess Kantha Bopha. So it's in there!

O di ba? Tara na nga let's go out na!

This is the pavilion where I talked to the guide, and learned about the things above!

That same tourguide told me that this pavilion is used by the king when a ceremony is about their departed ancestors - kasi nga naman malapit sa lahat ng mga stupa.

And on the way towards the exit area, I saw this sizeable wood carved mural.

I may not know the scenes being depicted. I could only identify, that there's a sitting buddha and a reclining buddha. But the details carved on wood and at that size. Da!

Anyway, time to exit, I just followed the stream of people apparently on the way out!

Already on my way out, yet there were more to see and experience - like the buddha figures at right (that no one seemed to care about), and that "musical show" at left.

It's a live rendition of Khmer music. Syempre I didn't understand, but it was music!

Oh, maybe it's just me, but I was fascinated that they sounded like Thai or Burmese!

Then I passed by the Elephant Stables. I was fascinated since we don't have that!

The green thing at left is obviously what the king uses to hop unto an elephant. But I thought, parang maliliit ang elepante dito? Sa Phuket kasi, parang second floor eh!

Well, no one to ask about it. Wala akong tourguide eh hehe!

Okay okay.., out na talaga. But even the hallway still had information. Ang galing!

Historical bits and pieces about the king, the royal family, and the country. Nice one!

Finally, a wonderful surprise before exit - a free cold bottle of water. Kaso, isa lang!

Nice gesture. Because at about past 3PM it was 31°C and too humid parang sa atin!

In all, a wondeful roam of the royal palace. I might do this again.

If so, I will probably spend an extra 10USD for a tour guide - so I will learn more.

Meanwhile, tara let's get going!

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