The Royal Palace itself is strictly off-limits, but it's possible to visit several buildings within the compound, even when the king is around - a blue flag flies when he is in residence. The original palace on this site was built in 1866 during the reign of King Norodom, great-grandfather to the present king. Norodom decided to move his residence from the then capital, Udong, to Phnom Penh, presumably on the advice of his colonial masters. In 1913, work began to replace the deteriorating wood-and-brick structures with the current concrete buildings, remaining faithful to the original designs.

Visitors enter via the Silver Pagoda and are directed to the palace compound first, an oasis of order and calm, its perfect gardens and well maintained buildings strangely at odds with the chaos of the city outside. Head straight for the main building in the centre of the compound, the exquisite Throne Hall , guarded on either side by statues of naga. The cambered ornamental curves that adorn the tiered roof are also likenesses of naga, their flowing tails peeling upwards into the air, as if trying to prise open the layered roof. The hall is crowned by a spire with four heads carved around its base, a modern-day rendering of the ancient carved faces at Bayon . Inside, the ceiling is adorned with colourful murals recounting the Hindu legend of Ramayana. The throne itself, watched over by busts of past monarchs, only sees action at coronations.

Leaving the Throne Hall via the main stairs, on your left you'll see the Elephant Pavilion where the king's elephants were kept. A similar building on the right, the Royal Treasury , once housed the crown jewels, royal dress and other valuable items. In front and to the left, bordering Sothearos Boulevard, is the Chan Chaya Pavilion, from where the king used to address his subjects. Classical dancing also used to be a regular event at this podium, but it's little used nowadays.

Back towards the Silver Pagoda stands the quaint grey Pavilion of Napoleon III , originally erected at the residence of Empress Eugénie in Egypt, then packed up and transported to Cambodia as a gift to King Norodom. It was reassembled on this site in 1876, and now contains royal portraits, dresses for the royal ballet, and other royal paraphernalia. From the balcony it's possible to view the ornate detail of the roof of the neighbouring Royal Offices.

The internal wall of the Silver Pagoda is decorated with a faded mural, another depiction of the Ramayana myth, painted in 1903-4 by forty Khmer artists. A Polish project to restore the fresco ran out of money, so it remains in a state of disrepair. The Silver Pagoda takes its name from the floor of the temple, completely covered with silver tiles - 5329 to be exact. The temple is also known as Preah Vihear Keo Morakot ("Temple of the Emerald Buddha"), after the famous Emerald Buddha image kept here. Made from baccarat crystal, the Buddha image was a gift from France in 1885. Near the central dais stands another Buddha, a solid-gold life-size statue, decorated with over nine thousand diamonds and precious stones.

The heart of Phnom Penh life is a small, fairly nondescript square of land at the junction of Sisowath Quay and Street 184, in front of the Royal Palace. It's here that Cambodians used to congregate to listen to declarations and speeches from the monarch, and where Khmer families still gather in the evenings and at weekends. Picnics, games, kite flying, and perhaps a cup of dteuk k'nai choo are the order of the day. Running to the north and south of here is the scenic Sisowath Quay, lined with tall palms on one side, and bars, cafés and restaurants on the other. In the middle of the day the area is deserted, save for the odd tourist, but as evening draws in, the quay is transformed into a popular and lively social centre - the Phnom Penhois enjoy the simple pleasures of the fine river views from the riverbank, the expats, tourists and well-to-do locals do the same from the luxury of the bars across the road.

Set back slightly from the river at the junction of Sothearos Boulevard and Sisowath Quay, Wat Ounalom ("Eyebrow Temple") is the centre of modern-day Khmer Buddhist teaching, led by Supreme Patriarch Taep Vong, respectfully referred to by the novices as "The King Of Monks". The main temple building, built in 1952, is a modern reincarnation of the original, built in the fifteenth century. The building to the right is the main residence for the monks, and the five-hundred-year-old stupa behind the temple encases one of the Buddha's eyebrows, after which the temple is named. Just in front stands an UNTAC monument to those killed during the Pol Pot regime. It's pleasant to stroll around the complex - many of the monks are learning English, and are happy to tell you what they know about the temple and its history. The best time to visit is at 6pm, when the monks congregate in the main sanctuary to chant their prayers.