Central Market and The Palace

After a short trip from the Killing Fields, we then headed to the Central Market of Phnom Penh. This is the central hub for shopping really good quality and cheap souvenir items, such as different items made up of the Cambodian silk, keychains, Cambodian style shorts/pants, magnets, etc. It is basically a large oval building which is divided into different sections that converge towards the center where pieces of jewelry and ornaments are on sale. They have sections for clothes, wood crafts, gadgets, bags and similar goods, etc. They also have an area for the wet and dry markets, which are adjacent to the food stalls and the sections where class A imitations of branded items are on sale.

Central Market

We had our lunch here at the food stalls where we spent around 4 USD for a hearty and scrumptious lunch consisting of grilled spicy squid, Pad Thai, and cucumber salad. It was a good lunch, and if you're not the picky and posh traveler, the market is a great place for exploring local dishes.

And then we bought some simple sweets afterwards, which were priced at 4 USD per pack.

Caramelized donuts

We then headed towards the front of the Royal Palace. As we were already running out of time, we were only able to capture photos outside the gates.

The Royal Palace

The Royal Palace Gates

We then headed back to Mad Monkey as we had our van transfer to Vietnam booked for the afternoon. Read about our experience in crossing the boarder between Cambodia and Vietnam here.

Waiting for the van transfer

London Walking Tour v1

Don't waste a sunny day in London by staying warm indoors! Go explore what the city has to offer by walking. This walking day tour includes going to the British Museum in the morning, spending lunch at Covent Garden, then strolling along the tourist spots by the River Thames while enjoying a warm cuppa coffee, and ending at the Westminster Cathedral to hear Catholic mass. Basically, it is just sight-seeing because you're not going to enter the attractions like the Westminster Abbey or ride the London Eye.

I began my walking tour by taking bus 168 from Stop K at Waterloo Station Tenison Way. I went off at Stop Y/Theobalds Road Southampton Row and made my way to the Montague Place entrance of the British Museum.

Montague Place Entrance

I spent 90 minutes just to quickly explore the top 9 must-see of the museum. If you have such a limited time as I did, here's a helpful link to plan your visit: Top 9 Must See in the British Museum. Among the list, my top 3 favourites were the Mummy of Katebet, the Rosetta Stone and the Parthenon Sculptures.

<2 british="" hours="" in="" museum.="" p="" the="">

The Parthenon Sculptures

I arrived at the museum at around 12 NN, and it was already bustling with tourists. General admission is free of charge but there are seasonal exhibitions which have entrance fees.

There's a huge food hall in the center, as well as shops to buy souvenirs.

After a quick tour around, I went out the Great Russel street and walked towards Covent Garden. It was a good 16-minute walk along Drury Lane and then taking a right turn on Russel street.

Covent Garden

<2 british="" hours="" in="" museum.="" p="" the="">
<2 british="" hours="" in="" museum.="" p="" the="">Covent Garden Piazza teems with restaurants and shops. But what I really liked about it are the street performers that attract crowds around them by doing different gimmicks.

I had late lunch at the famous Shake Shack, which usually has a long queue. Fortunately, they have a good system and very accommodating staff, which made things a whole lot easier. So although I was only by myself, the staff would reserve a seat/table for you while you order your food inside. The Shake Shack is famous for their milkshakes and burgers. But since it was a chilly day, I opted for burger and lemonade and hot coffee.

The Shake Shack

<2 british="" hours="" in="" museum.="" p="" the="">
Covent Garden is a really good place for people-watching while you quietly sip a good cuppa coffee.

Gold Human Statue

<2 british="" hours="" in="" museum.="" p="" the="">After having my fill of people-watching, I started to make my way to Embankment so I can walk along River Thames towards Westminster Cathedral. As I slowly walked along the river to catch the 6 o'clock mass, I was able to enjoy Cleopatra's needle, the London Eye, and the Embankment and Whitehall gardens, and of course, Big Ben, the Westminster Bridge, the Houses of Parliament, and the Westminster Abbey.

London Eye

Big Ben peaking from behind the Houses of Parliament

<2 british="" hours="" in="" museum.="" p="" the="">The final stop, as I mentioned earlier, was Westminster Cathedral to hear mass - the perfect way to end a beautiful day. All in all, I can really say that London is a very walkable city. You can plan a day and not ride a bus or need to used the tube, and yet enjoy it still.  
<2 british="" hours="" in="" museum.="" p="" the="">
<2 british="" hours="" in="" museum.="" p="" the="">There are also lots of free guided walking tours available if you want to really get to know the city more. Here's a useful link for that: Free Walking Tours.
<2 british="" hours="" in="" museum.="" p="" the="">
<2 british="" hours="" in="" museum.="" p="" the="">Until the next post. Ciao.