Kandal Market – The Market in the Middle

Kandal Market, or as it is known Psar Kandal (ផ្សារកណ្តាល) literally “market in the middle” has been an institution in Cambodia for over 30 years. You can buy everything from jewelry to second-hand clothes here, but its main function is to sell fresh produce to the people of Phnom Penh.

Where is Kandal Market?

Kendal Market is in downtown Phnom Penh – not in Kandal Province. The market is located near the riverside of Phnom Penh, past the Royal Palace and near the most notorious girly bar district of the capital city, not to mention some of the best street food.

To read about street food in Phnom Penh click here.

The main part of Psar Kandal is on Street 13 (Preah Ang Eng), and this is where you will see all of the main outside stores, although the real beauty to the place is when you step inside and start exploring the labyrinth of smaller shops and vendors that occupy the inner-part of the market.

What time does Kandal Market open?

The market tends to open early, usually from around 6 am, although vendors have the option to open and close as and when they wish. Most shops tend to close by around 6 pm, but again some close earlier, or stay open later. To really get the best atmosphere here it is best to come early morning, which is also the best time for things like fresh fish. 

What is so special about Kandal Market?

Kandal Market is the biggest open-market in Phnom Penh, which in itself is impressive enough, but more importantly this is the place where a great number of the capitals people come to get their daily necessities. AEON Mall and the like might be trendy places to shop, but Kandal Market is the place where normal people to come to get fresh fruit, vegetables, meat, fish and spices, usually at a fraction of the cost of the big supermarkets.

As a Barang in Kandal Market you will see how few foreigners shop here compared to locals, to get our best prices here you will need rial rather than dollars, some skills in Khmer, or better still a local friend to help you navigate bargaining with the vendors. 

You will also be treated to the weird and wonderful world that is Khmer markets. I have been here many times and asked what various fruits, or vegetables were only to be told they could only be found in Cambodia and there was no real “barang” (English) translation. Kandal Market is truly a place to immerse yourself into the real Cambodia.

How did the Covid-19 outbreak affect the market?

Sadly Cambodia has been really going through hell due to the current coronavirus outbreak and the consequences of the February 20th incident.

You can read about the February 20th incident here.

Kandal Market was forced to close for over a month, something which hit the vendors of the market particularly hard. Gareth Johnson of the Khmer Times reported that whilst rent had been suspended by the Kandal Market Association, with bills such as bank loans to pay many of the vendors were either struggling to make ends meet, or simply closing their stores.

Reopening of Kandal Market

Being such an important source of foodstuffs for the capital it was imperative to get the market open again, so in association with the government the market made sure that before reopening all vendors not only had to be vaccinated, but also have a negative PCR test.  The market is not yet booming like the old days, but things are slowly getting better as the country begins to get back to normality.

If you want the freshest food available in Phnom Penh, served with typical Khmer hospitality then skip AEON mall and head to Kandal Market.

	Kandal, Cambodia
	https://www.cambodialifestyle.com/kandal-province-guide
	+855 9 678 01791

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