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North/ Wat Phnom

At the end of Norodom Boulevard in the northern part of town, Wat Phnom, at 27 meters above sea level, is the Cambodian capital's highest point. It was around this wat that the city is supposed to have been centered, and it is after the woman who built this structure-a lady named Penh-that the city is named. Locals still come here to pray for luck. This is also the place to ride Sam Bo the Elephant or sit and drink fresh coconut juice in the shade of ancient trees. Behind Wat Phnom a cluster of restaurants, including Le Deauville and Anthony's Pizza, offer more up-market dining. To the east is the French Quarter, boasting some of town's most impressive surviving colonial architecture. Not far from here, Hotel Le Royal once housed the world's most famous war correspondents. Now it offers five-star accommodations in colonial opulence. Also in this area is Boeng Kak Lake. Its surrounds, making up the most densely populated area in town, are home to a rabbit warren of cheap guest houses and budget bars and restaurants along with the Royal School of Fine Arts, which regularly stages Khmer classical dance performances.