You don’t have to look hard for a contrast in Cambodia’s capital city: from the surrounding rice fields, dotted with pottery kilns and ambling cattle, to the glittering rooftop bars and thriving social start-ups in the centre; from humming Russian baazars and haphazard markets, to the spectacular City Palace and diamond-encrusted Silver Pagoda; from a city famed for its dark and turbulent past at the hands of the Khmer Rouge, to the burgeoning, vibrant population that exists today. But the beauty of Phnom Penh is never quite knowing what to expect, and a day could take you from the sobering Killing Fields and S21 prison in the morning, to an afternoon of devouring gastronomic delicacies conjured up by young chefs in the afternoon. Then, there’s the museums dedicated to Khmer history, the emerging microbreweries and uber-cool eateries, the elegant hotels, the glamorous French architecture, and the glimmering rivers. It might not be the ‘Pearl of Asia’ anymore, but Phnom Penh certainly deserves its place amongst the gems of the southeast.