Doun Penh Living Guide – The Central Business District and Popular Tourist Attractions

Doun Penh is the oldest of Phnom Penh's 14 districts. Not only is the important area rich in historical attractions, it is also the central business district, which brings together residential buildings, office buildings, commercial buildings with high real estate prices.

1. District introduction 

1.1 Regional Overview

Doun Penh has a large land area of about 7.44 square kilometers, ranking third compared to the top five districts of Phnom Penh (Chamkarmon, Toul Kork, Doun Penh, BKK and 7 Makara). This district has a population of 155,069 (according to statistics for 2019). On the other hand, it is also an area where foreigners live in large numbers, not inferior to Boeung Keng Kang district.

Doun Penh district has 11 communes, including Srah Chak, Wat Phnom, Phsar Chas, Phsar Kandal I, Phsar Kandal II, Chey Chumneas, Chaktomuk I, Phsar Thmei I, Phsar Thmei II, Phsar Thmei III and Boeung Reang.

Doun Penh district has a favorable geographical location in the center of the city, surrounded by major boulevards including Monivong Blvd, Sihanouk Blvd, Sisowath Quay, Ang Duong Blvd. and Russian Blvd., as well as Norodom Blvd run through the center of the area. Apart from this, there are many other main and sub-main roads to make it easier to travel.

1.2 Regional characteristics

With the scale and maturity of Doun Penh district, as well as being the central business district of the Capital, each commune has its own development characteristics and advantages. 

Sangkat Phsar Thmei 1, 2, 3 and Sangkat Phsar Kandal 1 and 2 are prominent communes, both commercial and residential. There are many buildings left from the People's Socialist Community era, as well as busy commercial centers such as Central Market and Psar Kandal Market, and now high-rise condominiums and modern office buildings has also appeared in the area.

Srah Chak is a commune that has a large commercial center named Phnom Penh City Center (PPCC), also known as “Boeung Kak”,  which include supermarket, entertainment venues, commercial buildings and high-rise residential buildings with attractive design. The general view of this commune is to show the way of life, work or business in the new and modern era.

Looking at Chaktomuk, Chey Chumneas and Wat Phnom communes, they are rich in important historical sites, especially the Royal Palace, the National Museum, Wat Phnom temple, which are attraction for foreign tourists. In these three districts, there are also many hotels for tourists who come to visit or stay for a short time. 

The view of living there is local, with not too many high-rise buildings due to the location close to the Royal Palace, but we will see the presence of luxury villas designed by contemporary art standing on both sides of the road. The living expenses may higher than in other communes.

Finally, Phsar Chas and Boeung Reang communes. Both communes are not as active as the 9 communes above, but can also be considered a bustling area.

In general, Doun Penh is a rich and diverse district composed of commercial buildings, shopping centers, traditional markets, hotels, office buildings, apartment buildings, restaurants, historical sites, and riverside leisure area. It is known as the "tourist area" in the center of the capital with a good atmosphere, beautiful scenery and good security, this area has been very popular with dignitaries and foreign tourists.

2. Surrounding Facilities

Economics/Commercial

For commercial activities in Doun Penh, "Central Market" is an important representative of the district, also an older market built during the French colonial period in the early 20th century (1935-1937). You can find fresh vegetables, fruits, seafood, jewelry, watches, bags, suitcases, shoes, clothes and other souvenirs in the market. If you want to experience the local traditional shopping environment, you can also try visiting Phsar Chas and Psar Kandal Market.

In addition to the above market, Phnom Penh Night Market is the first popular night market in Phnom Penh, located near riverside and the Royal Palace. Phnom Penh Night Market has quickly become a popular destination for tourists and locals alike. You can find clothes, jewelry and electronics, as well as local specialties.

If you want a convenience and modern shopping experience, there are also many shopping mall, including Sorya Shopping Center, Eden Garden, Khalandale Mall and View Park Mall, providing a variety of brand-name clothing, bags, jewelry stores, as well as restaurants and cinemas.

In addition to large markets and shopping malls, there are also a large number of convenience stores from well-known foreign brands and local brands, such as E-supermart, Daily Mart, 7-11, Big C, Kiwi Mart, etc.  making daily life here easier.

Food

As Doun Penh is a gathering place for foreigners from all over the world, we can also find many restaurants from different countries here, including Khmer food, Chinese food, Thai food, Vietnamese food, Vietnamese food, Western-style Italian restaurants, French restaurants, cafes and other snack shops.

Popular restaurants and cafes in Doun Penh District include: Titanic Restaurant, Sambok Restaurant, Hong Bao Restaurant, Kungfu Kitchen, The Pizza Company, Amazon Coffee, Brown Coffee.

Government Departments 

Like other other top districts, Doun Penh is also home to some ministries, government institutions, and embassies of various countries. Along Monivong Boulevard, we will see the presence of the Ministry of Information, Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications, and The Embassy of France.

Along Norodom Boulevard, there are Ministry of Education Youth and Sports, Ministry of Economy and Finance, National Bank, Ministry of Mines and Energy, Embassy of Singapore, Embassy of the United States, as well as British Embassy. 

In addition, Daun Penh district is also the headquarters of the Anti-Corruption Unit, Embassy of India, Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia, Ministry of Water Resources and Meteorology, etc.

Medical

There are many medical resources, in Doun Penh district, public hospital, polyclinics, and other private clinics.

Public hospitals includes Calmette Hospital, Preah Keto Mealea Hospital, Preah Ang Duong Hospital, Doun Penh Health Center, Chaktomuk Referral Hospital.

Not only that, Kantha Bopha Children's Hospital is a charity hospital that has saved millions of Cambodian children for free, with Dr. Beth Richner as its founder. For the private hospitals, there are Sok Chet Daunpenh Polyclinic, VISAL Premium Clinic and Maternity and other clinics located in the area.

Education

Being a densely populated area district and located in the center of the city, Doun Penh is a gathering place for many public and private schools such as Chaktomuk Primary and Secondary School, Doun Penh Primary School, Preah Norodom Blvd (41), Phnom Penh, Wat Phnom High School, Preah Sisowath High School, Wat Koh High School, American Pacific International School, ICS International School, American Intercon School, CamEd Business School, Royal University of Fine Arts, Preah Sihanouk Raja Buddhist University, University of Health Sciences, The Institut Pasteur du Cambodge (IPC), Institut français du Cambodge (IFC), University of Puthisastra and National University of Management.

Leisure

In terms of entertainment and relaxation, Doun Penh is a diverse tourist destination with many historical site or a theme park. 

You can learn about the history and some knowledge in Cambodia by visiting the Royal Palace, National Museum, Independence Monument, Wat Phnom, which are all interesting historical sites.

You can also take a walk and exercise,, take photos, relax in the Royal Palace Park, Wat Botum Park, the riverside park or take a boat trip on the Chaktomuk River and enjoy the cool breeze and beautiful scenery in the evening.

If you want to enjoy nightlife, there is the Sora Sky Bar, located on the top of Vattanac Capital, Cloud 9 Skybar as well as many other Bar and pubs where you can relax and have a drink or a meal with friends and family.

3. Real estate Market

3.1 New development project

Doun Penh is the is the earliest developed district with a long history in the capital of Phnom Penh. It has higher land and property prices compared to other areas. Therefore, the number of new development projects is relatively small, and most of the properties on sale are condominium projects. 

Famous projects in Doun Penh include Yuetai Phnom Penh Harbor, One Park, ONE70 and City View.

The sales information of above-mention projects is as follows:

3.2 Rental market

Doun Penh's rental apartment market is not much different from 7 Makara, as this district is in the central business district and is a tourist area, which has led to the emergence of many apartment buildings and hotels providing accommodation in this area. But because it is also the location of historical buildings such as the Royal Palace and National Museum, those apartment buildings must be built at a certain distance from them.

Nevertheless, tenants still have plenty of accommodation options, whether in co-owned commercial buildings or private apartment buildings, all with full facilities.

The average monthly rent is between $400 and $1,650. According to the Apartment Channel data on COMPASS.COM.KH, the following price list of apartments is as follows:

- Affordable apartment with rent from $300-630/month

- Mid-range apartments range in rent from $400-3,200/month 

- High-end apartment rental price from $750-4,500/month

The following is a table of the above apartment ranks in Doun Penh district with the most searches on COMPASS.COM.KH:

In addition to apartments, prices for other types of rental properties are as follows:

- Villa types rent from $3,500 to $13,000 per month, have size of 365 to 690 square meters with 4–11 bedrooms.

- Shophouses for rent start at $1,000–12,000 per month and have 2–12 bedrooms in sizes 99–1500 square meters.

- As for the townhouse, the rent is between $800 and $3,000 per month, have size of  108 to 130 square meters with 2–16 bedrooms.

3.3 Second-hand housing market

Taking a look at Doun Penh Ditrict, we can see that there are many luxurious villas that have existed since ancient times, and most of them belong to local nobles or high-ranking government officials, coupled with the increasing number of modern commercial buildings, the real estate value of Doun Penh will become higher and higher.

According to the data on the real estate website COMPASS.COM.KH, the housing market (second-hand houses) has the following prices:

- Villas  prices from $1.3–$6 million, sizes ranging from 416 to 846 square meters with 5-11 bedrooms.

- Shophouse prices from $600K-$1.8 million, sizes ranging from 64 -400 square meters with 2–7 bedrooms.

- Townhouses prices from $490K-$680K, sizes ranging from 60-89 square meters with 3-5 bedrooms.

- Houses in the old building prices between $43K-$98K, sizes ranging from 65–168 square meters with 1-6 bedrooms.

- Apartment units prices from $42K to $420K, with studios to two-bedroom types of 38–98 square meters in size.

3.4 Land market

According to the land price report in various districts of Phnom Penh for the first half of 2023 released by the Cambodian Valuers and Estate Agents Association (CVEA), the average land price near the main roads in Doun Penh District is about  $6,013/㎡, and the average land price near the Sub-main roads is about $3,438/㎡.

Land prices near main roads in the communes of Phsar Thmei 1/2/3 are the highest, reaching $13,000 per square meter, but are still slightly lower than in the first half of last year.

The land prices in various communes of Doun Penh district are as follows:

As mentioned above, Daun Penh is not only a central district in Phnom Penh, but also an attractive tourist destination and a popular commercial area, accompanied by modern office buildings and residential buildings. Due to its location for high-ranking dignitaries, tourists and celebrities, the real estate prices here are generally high, especially land prices.

By the way, it is not easy to find vacant lands in above district, because most of them are used to build large villas and other properties.