Officially Boeung Keng Kang I, but always called BKK1: the expat-and-NGO heart of Phnom Penh. The grid of leafy streets south of Sihanouk Boulevard is the easiest neighbourhood to walk in, with the city's densest concentration of cafés, bookshops, embassies, mid-range restaurants and yoga studios.
Stay here on a first visit if you want to be near the action without being on the noisy backpacker strip — most of the boutique guesthouses, co-working spaces and brunch spots aimed at long-term residents are tucked into BKK1's side streets. The 10-block grid is small enough that you will quickly learn your way around.