Places to Visit

To many people Cambodia means nothing but temples but there is more to Cambodia than the fantastic temples of Angkor. In Phnom Penh, the faded French-era capital, there are numerous pagodas and interesting museums to visit and on the coast beautiful unspoilt beaches and inland there is impressive natural scenery.

PHNOM PENH

Cambodia's capital is in a magnificent location at the confluence of the Tonlé Sap River and the Mekong River and retains its colonial charm, making it a pleasant place to spend time. There are many traces left of Phnom Penh's chequered past from the crumbling colonial buildings of the French era to the Toul Sleng Museum that tells of the genocide of the Khmer Rouge era. The city has several interesting wats including Wat Phnom (the hilltop pagoda that gave the city its name) and there is also the famous Silver Pagoda, and the King's Palace.

Fifteen kilometres south-west of Phnom Penh are the Killing Fields, another reminder of the atrocities committed by the Khmer Rouge. More than 17,000 people were killed here and over 8000 skulls are visible in the Memorial Stupa.

SIEM REAP

Only a few kilometres north of Siem Reap lies one of the world’s most impressive temple complexes, Angkor.

What has become known as Angkor is in fact a large area near Siem Reap covering several square kilometres and containing many temples. The temple of Angkor Wat is only one of numerous temples within this area. Angkor literally means ‘city’ or ‘capital’ and ‘wat’ means ‘temple’. Founded in 802 AD it was allegedly residence for more than a million people in the heyday of the Khmer Empire in the 12th and 13th centuries. Angkor Wat is the largest and most famous of these architectural wonders. It is estimated that the temples took 30 years to construct using 17,000 to 20,000 workers. The temple was first dedicated to Vishnu and after a long period of abandonment from 1432 it was later dedicated to Buddhism during the reign of King Ang Chan in the 15th century. Its beauty and state of preservation are unrivalled and its artistic distinctiveness is as fine as the Taj Mahal in India.
In addition to exploring the temples of Angkor, the Tonlé Sap Lake is close to Siem Reap, inviting you on a relaxing boat trip.

SIHANOUKVILLE

Some of Cambodia's most beautiful beaches can be found in the Gulf of Thailand, and this is also a good base for visiting the Ream National Park. This area is still not very developed and the beaches provide peace and quiet with snorkelling and diving opportunities.

BANLUNG

Banlung is the capital of the province Rattanakiri in the far north-east of Cambodia. This is still one of the undiscovered regions in Indochina where you can experience the Cambodian jungle, visit various minorities with their different traditions and if you are lucky even see elephants.