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Video Trip Report: Phnom Penh and the Khmer Rouge Killing Fields

April 10, 2012
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3 min read
Video Trip Report: Phnom Penh and the Khmer Rouge Killing Fields
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This is an installment in my March 2012 Asia Trip Series which includes: A Birthday Present To Myself: Business Class on the World's Longest Flight for $2.50, Help Me Plan My Asia Trip Starting With Singapore, Flight Review: Singapore Airlines All Business Class Flight From Newark To Singapore, Hotel Review: Intercontinental Singapore, Video Trip Report: Singapore, Hotel Review: Le Meridien Bangkok Avantec Suite, Video Trip Report: Bangkok, Hotel Review: Le Meridien Angkor, Video Trip Report: Siem Reap, Hotel Review: Intercontinental Phnom Penh, Video Trip Report: Phnom Penh and the Khmer Rouge Killing Fields, Hotel Review: W Hong Kong.

As I mentioned in my hotel review of the Intercontinental Phnom Penh yesterday, based on the recommendations of many TPG readers, I decided to extend my stay in Siem Reap and shorten my time in Phnom Penh to just a single night and day. That's not much time, but then again, there wasn't anything much in the city itself I wanted to see. Rather, I wanted to spend an afternoon touring two of the country's most infamous sites, the S-21 prison, which is now a genocide museum, and the Killing Fields where hundreds of thousands of people were put to death during the Khmer Rouge's reign of terror in the 1970's.

This is a video I made of my time taking a self-guided audio tour of the Killing Fields and then S-21, which is the Genocide Museum at a former political prison, and some of the disturbing, often unfathomable things I learned while I was there.

The Killing Fields, where hundreds of thousands of Cambodians were murdered--many came from the educated and middle classes whom Pol Pot felt were threats to his iron-fisted rule--are about 30 minutes from town. It's hard to imagine the atrocities took place here in the not-so-distant past, but learning about what happened is critical to understanding Cambodia.

Twenty minutes from there, back towards town, S-21 had actually been a high school called Tuol Svay Pray before the Khmer Rouge took it over and turned it into a detention and torture center. Of the 14,000 political prisoners who entered, only 7 survived. There are just five buildings, but they form the heart of the compound and have been kept just as they were back in the 1970's. The walls are covered with photographic portraits of those who were murdered, providing a powerful backdrop to experience this horrific place.

For those of you who have not been to Cambodia, despite the fact that I wasn't a huge fan of Phnom Penh itself, I would not have skipped my afternoon learning about the darkest period in Cambodia's modern past for anything. It gave me such a different, deeper perspective of the country than I'd been able to form simply by spending time at Siem Reap and Angkor Wat where the tourism industry is fully developed. Instead, this was a chance to learn something about the lives of ordinary Cambodians, the hardships they suffered, and the tragedy that still defines the country to this day--as well as to remember what happened here in the hope that we can prevent it from happening anywhere else ever again. I would highly recommend coming here as any trip to Cambodia.

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  • Solid welcome bonus

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  • Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
  • You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
  • Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
  • Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
  • Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
  • Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
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  • $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
  • $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
  • $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
  • $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
  • Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
  • No Foreign Transaction Fees.
  • Annual Fee is $325.
  • Terms Apply.