Sisowath Quay is an attractive boulevard running along the banks of the Mekong and Tonle Sap. It is normally fronted by a pleasant park, however this has been torn up for developing a flood protection system and re-landscaping for most of 2008-2009. The built-up side of the street is home to cafes and shops and the better class of bar, and is popular with tourists and expat Westerners prepared to run its gauntlet of touts selling drugs, girls and tuk tuk rides. The esplanade along the river is equally popular with Cambodians, who come here in the cool of the evening to enjoy the quasi-carnival atmosphere. It begins at the Royal Palace and is perhaps best experienced in the early evening. See A Stroll on Sisowath Quay for a self-guided tour.