While some travelers find peaceful moments at Wat Phnom for quiet contemplation, paying 4,000 riel to climb a glorified anthill for disappointing views feels like tourist trap nonsense when you're dealing with aggressive vendors ambushing you every 30 seconds selling overpriced incense and plastic trinkets. Pure hassle for minimal payoff unless you specifically enjoy the historical significance.

The 'panoramic views' reveal concrete sprawl and traffic chaos — Nothing worth photographing. Meanwhile, Wat Langka (free), Wat Botum (free), and Wat Unnalom (free) offer superior architecture, peaceful contemplation, and zero vendor harassment. Actual spiritual experience versus manufactured tourist experience.

Save your 4,000 riel and sanity. Any neighborhood wat provides more authentic cultural insight without constant sales pitches. The only thing 'must-see' about Wat Phnom is how efficiently it separates tourists from their money.