Cambodia
For decades off limits to all but the most intrepid travellers, today Southeast Asia's Cambodia is a popular destination for all kinds of folks: from independent backpackers who roam far into the hinterland to luxury tourists who stay in style and experience Angkor Wat between massages and exquisite French meals.
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Tourism to Cambodia has exploded over the last two decades in two waves. The first was when security concerns were addressed, allowing easier access to Angkor and then, more recently, the second was when Cambodia's stunning islands opened for business. Despite an influx of visitors, mass tourism remains largely restricted to just a few destinations and it remains relatively easy to drop off the tourist highways. Don't assume Angkor Wat is all Cambodia has to offer; there is so very much more.
Our Cambodia travel guide is here to help you get the most out of each and every one of your trips to Cambodia, beginning with some guidelines below aimed at first-time travellers to the country.
Thailand has overtaken China as the largest source of tourists to Cambodia in 2024, with 955,000 Thai visitors in the first half of the year. Cambodia welcomed 3.16 million international tourists during this period.
The Killing Fields are a number of sites in Cambodia where collectively more than one million people were killed and buried by the Khmer Rouge regime (the Communist Party of Kampuchea) during its rule of the country from 1975 to 1979, immediately after the end of the Cambodian Civil War (1970-1975).
Kampong Phluk which is a cluster of three villages of stilted houses built within the floodplain about 16 km southeast of Siem Reap. The villages are primarily Khmer and have about 3000 inhabitants between them.
With a similar overgrown feel to Ta Phrom, the atmosphere at Beng Mealea (which means Lotus Pond) is like no other--don't be surprised to see Tomb Raider or Indiana Jones on site.
Ta Prohm , of Tomb Raider fame and often referred to as the "one with the trees", is a phenomenal example of the interplay between man and nature and should not be missed.
The Bayon was the state temple of Jayavarman VII and some of his successors, located at the centre of Angkor Thom and when it was first visited by Western explorers the site was totally overgrown, slowly but steadily being reclaimed by the jungle.
A FASCINATING CAPITAL A heaving crossroads of cultures, times, peoples and worlds, Phnom Penh is a city on the edge of everything. With one foot still rooted in the past, which you can find in the temples, markets and buzzing back streets, and another striding boldly into the future, which is pretty
At the physical heart of Cambodia, an immense body of water is the soul of the nation. The great Tonle Sap lake not only sustains Cambodian stomachs, with its harvest accounting for more than 50% of Cambodia's protein intake, it is also a source of immense national pride.
The low-lying sandstone plateau of Phnom Kulen is 40 kilometres away from Siem Reap and the main Angkor Archaeological Park, taking around two hours by car or van. If offers both popular and less-popular ruins, some waterfalls and some terrific viewpoints.
The temple of Banteay Srei or the Citadel of the Women, boasts superbly well-preserved and highly intricate stone carvings that adorn the pink-hued sandstone of the delightfully small and intimate site.
THE HIGHLIGHT OF CAMBODIA Cambodia's Angkor is, quite simply, one of the most splendid attractions in all of Southeast Asia. Long considered "lost", the ruins of Angkor were never really lost to the Khmers, who have used the monuments as religious sites throughout their history.
Set in northwest Cambodia, Siem Reap is best known for being the gateway to the Angkor ruins , a sprawling World Heritage-listed complex of more than 400 ancient temples with the magnificent Angkor Wat as its focal point. Described by Henri Mouhot, the Frenchman who awakened western awareness of the
Sihanoukville is Cambodia's premier beach destination , popular with locals, backpackers and expats alike. But despite considerable amounts of recent development, the town can still be disappointing for those who come expecting a Thailand-like beach experience. Sadly, when many people think "Cambodi
Wet season in Cambodia Cambodia's wet season comes courtesy of the southwest monsoon, which blows from May to October, bringing with it some three-quarters of Cambodia's annual rainfall. Not surprisingly, wet season is characterised by rain, and during the peak of wet season from July to September i
Why you need travel insurance While it's true that basic healthcare can be cheap, the emphasis should be on the word basic--not cheap. Thailand, Singapore and to a lesser extent Malaysia have a higher standard of care, than say Cambodia or Burma, but this is often in private hospitals, not public. A
What is your trip going to cost? By international standards, Southeast Asia offers amazing value--that $200 cubby hole in Kyoto, Japan will get you a private pool villa in Bali--but you need not be spending the earth to be comfortable.
What to pack While you can find exhaustive information online about what you should and should not pack, we take a simple approach.
Travel planning So you're leaving on a holiday to Southeast Asia for the first time and you're sitting in front of your computer thinking: Now what do I have to get done before I leave?
Cambodia is a tourist destination that attracts many international visitors in recent years. In addition to preparing for the tour, accommodation, meals, transportation, Cambodian currency, and the exchange rate is also a lot of people interested. Here are some experiences to change money before pla