Day 14- Phnom Penh

Today,we explore the dark side of Cambodian history at Choeung Ek Memorial, the site of the infamous killing fields. We also visited Tuol Sleng prison, the notorious Khmer Rouge prison where thousands of Cambodians perished. The dark side of Cambodian history at Choeng Ek Memorial, the site of the infamous killing fields that were the execution grounds for Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge during their reign from 1975-1979. We also visited Tuol Sleng prison, the notorious Khmer Rouge prison where thousands of Cambodians perished. This is a haunting look into history which serves to remind everyone that genocide must not be ignored, or those lost, forgotten.

Tuol Sleng Museum 
Here at the Tuol Sleng Museum, we learned of the devastation that occurred at Security Prison 21 (S-21); the prison, used by the Khmer Rouge regime, is now Tuol Sleng Museum. We took a guided tour to hear the stories behind the sombre photos lining the museum walls.

Choeung Ek (Killing Fields) Guided Tour
Learning more about the atrocities of the Khmer Rouge, we visited the killing fields of Choeung Ek. The grounds now stand as a powerful memorial filled with victims' skulls and mass graves. 

Royal Palace Visit 
After Choeung Ek, we took a guided tour of the dwelling place. It is a magnificent riverside palace with classic Khmer architecture.

National Museum Visit
At the museum, we wanderws the galleries of the National Museum to see amazing works of art from Cambodia's "golden age" of Angkor.

Silver Pagoda 
Here we toured the Royal Palace complex to see the neighboring Silver Pagoda (aka the Temple of the Emerald Buddha). We saw the many magnificent treasures inside this beautiful vihara (Buddhist monastery), including its floor lined with more 5,000 tiles of silver. ​