Insider's Art Tour of National Museum Restoration Workshop & Art Gallery

Visit: National Museum, 13th St. Between 178th and 184th Sts., Phnom Penh Cambodia

This morning, explore the Phnom Penh National Museum and attend a restoration workshop. Established in 1996 between the Cambodian Ministry for Art and Culture and EFEO, the role of the workshop is to conserve, restore and improve the archaeological collection at the museum. The expert will share experiences of conservation and restoration work, provide information on the conservation of archaeological collections in provincial museums and storage facilities and guide the visit of the museum.

Continue on to visit the Royal University of Fine Arts located behind the National Museum. Originated from the establishment of the Cambodian School of Arts in Phnom Penh in 1918 but closed during the Khmer Rouge regime from 1975 and reopened in 1980. The Royal University currently has five faculties – Archaeology, Architecture & Urbanism, Plastic Arts & Choreographic Arts and Music.

Then, visit a Khmer art gallery along street 178 before dining at Friends Restaurant, a wildly successful social-enterprise that trains disadvantaged Cambodian youth in hospitality training and has an excellent gift shop of upcycled handicrafts, clothing, and accessories created by the student's parents!