Phnom Penh: The City at the Edge of Possibility

Ken Rutkowski

Every city has a story, but some rewrite the rules of storytelling itself. I came to Phnom Penh expecting a footnote—a gritty capital overshadowed by Cambodia’s ancient wonders in Siem Reap, where I’d already spent weeks marveling at Angkor’s temples. The warnings were relentless: Phnom Penh is chaotic, mired in poverty, a place to endure. Yet, after over a month in Cambodia, something extraordinary happened. Phnom Penh didn’t just surprise me; it seized me, like a puzzle that reveals its brilliance only when you stop trying to force the pieces. This city, with its Tesla Cybertrucks humming past tuk-tuks and its improbable blend of want and wealth, is no mere destination.