The strip running along Sisowath Quay from the Royal Palace north to Wat Phnom is the city's tourist artery. It is busy, occasionally seedy, and full of overpriced tuk-tuks — but the view across the Tonle Sap is one of the great urban views of Southeast Asia, especially at dusk when the riverboats string up their fairy lights.
Most of the dives, sports bars, second-hand bookshops and budget guesthouses cluster on the western side of Sisowath Quay between Streets 130 and 178. The riverfront promenade itself fills with locals every evening for picnics, exercise and impromptu music — much more interesting than the bars opposite.