Backpacking and travel in Cambodia
Cambodia which has a rich culture dating back many centuries when the Angkor Civilization was the region's most developed area has now emerged as a very popular tourists destination and it is now at the frontier of tourism and has become a popular travel destination in Southeast Asia. Cambodia's amazing sun-drenched beaches, enchanting scenery, diverse flora and fauna and grand temples are among the best in this region and famous tourists attractions found in Cambodia are both unique and Photo: Royal Palace in Phnom Penh interesting and not found anywhere else in the region.
The 9th century Angkorian temples have intrigued archaeologists and fascinated tourists since being rediscovered in 1860. They remain one of the world's great ancient wonders and the jewel of them all, Angkor Wat is the world's largest religious monument and there are few places anywhere on earth to match the magnificence of Angkor Wat. Some of the more popular and interesting structures include the spectacular Angkor Wat, Angkor Thom, Bakheng Temple, Takeo Temple, Ta Prohm Temple, Prasat Kravan, Banteay Kdei, Banteay Srei, Bakong Temple and Preah Ko Temple.
Cambodia's other places of interest are the fascinating traditional markets, the unspoiled white-sand beaches, the sunset cruises on the Mekong and Tonle Sap (Great Lake), beautiful natural areas, the Royal Palace in Phnom Penh and the isolated hill tribe groups. Natural rainforests, waterfalls and wetlands ecosystems are among the many of Cambodia's ecotourism attractions which has become more accessible as tourism infrastructure develops.
Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia, is a gateway for tourists and the city still retains its traditional Khmer and colonial charm. Among the many attractions here are the Royal Palace, Silver Pagoda, Independence Monument, Wat Phnom, National Museum and the river front. The city has new hotels, restaurants, lively nightclubs and bars. Visitors to Angkor usually fly to Siem Reap or take a boat
across Tonle Sap, Southeast Asia's largest freshwater lake.
Cruises on the Tonle Sap give an insight into the daily life of the people living on and around the rivers as well as ecotourism opportunities such as bird watching in the flooded forests. Siem Reap is a small town offering good accommodation for those visiting Angkor. With many accessible Angkorian temples here and at nearby Roluos, tourists can stay from one day to one week. Other famous tourists destinations near the town include the crocodile farm, markets and waterwheels along the river.
In the south, the beaches and islands of Sihanoukville and Kep provide relaxing gateways with low key facilities and untouched beaches. This coastal city is beautified by the white-sand beaches which are known for their quiet and peaceful atmosphere which make them popular among families on vacations. The isolated provinces of Mondulkiri and Rattanakiri are home to hill tribe people whose unique lifestyles attract adventurous travelers where visitors can enjoy the wonderful views of the local plantations and picturesque mountainous scenery.
Khmer dance, music and arts are sophisticated and integrated into contemporary life. Rice, fish, noodles and vegetables are the basic Photo: National Museum food enjoyed by the Cambodians and are usually obtained fresh from the open markets. Meal can be spicy and accompanied by fish sauce or prahok. Most holidays are religious or related to the monarchy. Special days are for the Royal Ploughing Ceremony which announces the start of the planting season, Pchum Ben Day, the King's Birthday and the Water Festival.
The natural warmth of the Cambodians is legendary. Wherever one goes, the friendliness and hospitality of the people proves to be a very special experience. Your visit to Cambodia will definitely inspire you to return and savor more of its tropical beauty, ancient culture and traditional hospitality.
See & Do
Temples of Angkor
Cambodia's greatest attraction has to be these breathtaking structures outside the town of Siem Reap in the north-west of the country. Made up of numerous complexes the entire site encompasses an area of 200 square kilometres which would take an age to explore fully. However, the main temples of Angkor Wat and Angkor Thom are within easy touring distance of one another.
For hundreds of years these temples lay forgotten, and in many places were reclaimed by the surrounding forest. It was only in the 1800s that French naturalist, Henri Mouhot, brought them to the world's attention. Looting became a huge problem and continues to this day, with many of the statues being removed or decapitated. But commitment to the preservation of the temples remains strong and visitors continue to be enchanted by the legacy of the Khmer culture.
Tickets for the temple site are sold for either one, three or seven days - costing USD20, USD40 or USD60 respectively. A one-day pass will give you enough time to see the main temples, whereas if you want to explore further sites it is definitely necessary to purchase extra days. You'll need a passport photo for your pass, but if you forget it there's a free photo service at the gate.
The Royal Palace - Phnom Penh
The official home of King Norodom Sihanouk, the Royal Palace is a grand building in keeping with its status.
The predominant colours are yellow, representing Buddhism, and white, representing Brahmanism. As it is the home of the King, much of the palace complex is off-limits, but visitors have access to the Chan Chaya Pavilion, from where the King and head of state deliver their speeches to the nation. You can also see the impressive Throne Room and the quirky iron pavilion of Napoleon III, a gift to King Norodom in 1876.
The palace grounds are open to the public. Admission: USD3. Additional charges for cameras and videos are payable. Note that a guide is needed for some parts of the palace at an additional charge.
The Silver Pagoda - Phnom Penh
Also known by the name "The Temple of the Emerald Buddha", the Silver Pagoda is part of the palace complex. The entire floor of the pagoda is covered with silver tiles, over 5,000 of them, each more than 1kg in weight.
The temple is home to a host of other treasures including glittering Buddhas made of gold, silver, jade and of course the exquisite Emerald Buddha. As if they weren't valuable enough many of these ancient statues are studded with precious stones besides - and any one of them would be worth a king's ransom. Along the walls of the compound a mural depicts the tale of the Ramayana, while outside the temple various stupas house the ashes of past royalty.
Open: 07h30-11h00 & 14h30-17h00. Admission included in the price of the Royal Palace above.
National Museum - Phnom Penh
This deep-red building built in traditional Khmer pagoda style looks far more venerable than its age suggests. Only built in 1913 the museum is today home to thousands of cultural artefacts, some dating back to the 4th century. The collection also contains many Angkorian statues, which miraculously escaped damage or destruction during the Khmer Rouge years. These include rare sculptures of some of the kings of that time - most notably Jayavarman VII, considered the greatest of the Angkor leaders.
The museum is inhabited by thousands of bats, which, around sunset, when the museum guides stir them into action, take flight in droves, making for a remarkable sight. The courtyard in the centre of the complex, complete with ponds, pagodas and formal plantings is an incredibly peaceful sanctuary from the city outside, and from the squeaking of the bats that is a constant companion to any tour of the galleries.
Open: 08h00-11h30 & 14h00-17h00. Admission: USD2.
Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum - Phnom Penh
Cambodia's tragic history draws visitors to this former school that became a torture centre for the Khmer Rouge during the 1970s. Nowadays Tuol Sleng serves as an enduring reminder of the genocidal madness of the Pol Pot regime and the horrors of war. It is a must visit for anyone, but be warned that the graphic description of the atrocities perpetrated here can be distressing.
An incredible 17,000 men, women and children were brought here to face Pol Pot's torturers before being taken to the Killing Fields. Each of the small classrooms contains a rusting bed where the torture was carried out. Each room also contains a photograph of the last victims found in 1979 as the liberating Vietnamese army marched on Phnom Penh.
Macabrely the Khmer Rouge documented and photographed their victims meticulously - as can be seen in the rooms downstairs. Reading these bald accounts of the atrocities is a harrowing experience that leaves nothing to the imagination. Powerful stuff. Admission: USD3.
The Killing Fields - Phnom Penh
For those that survived the torture at Tuol Sleng, Choeung Ek, 9km outside of the capital, was their final destination. To Westerners these are better known as "The Killing Fields", having been the subject of the 1984 Oscar-winning film of the same name, that told the true story of the horrors that were perpetrated here.
At first glance, the grassy area looks innocuous enough, but wandering around the fields reveals the pits where mass graves were found. Shreds of prisoners' clothing from the recent exhumations can still easily be seen, poignant reminders of the inhumanity of the killings. Beyond the pits that are uncovered lie many more that have been left untouched - permanent graves to the thousands that occupy each one.
The sheer scale of the site is a stunning indictment against the brutality of the Khmer Rouge. People brought here were clubbed to death to save ammunition before their bodies were piled into the vast pits, one on top of another. The central memorial stupa contains thousands of skulls - an estimated 8,000 of them - recovered from the unmarked graves.
Sihanoukville
As tourism returns to Cambodia, Sihanoukville is finding itself on many a traveller's itinerary. With its uncrowded beaches and ever-changing selection of bars and restaurants, it makes for a great place to chill out for a few days. The resort is getting steadily busier, and while a couple of years ago you could lie on the beach unmolested, nowadays you'll be encouraged to buy souvenirs, or take part in various beach activities, which seems to suit the population of mainly expats, locals and backpackers just fine.
If it's diving or snorkelling you want, Koh Pueh and Koh Koang Kang are the places to go. Idyllic islands of lush vegetation and green fringed beaches the waters here teem with life and are always crystal-clear. A boat from Sihanoukville takes about an hour to reach the closest beach. If you prefer your fish out of the water you can take a fishing trip, with charters leaving from the fisherman's port each morning. Back on the mainland, nearby Ream National Park offers a 21,000-hectare sanctuary of wetlands, undiscovered beaches and riverboat trips.
Bokor Hill Station
Not far from Sihanoukville you'll find this interesting relic of French colonial times. During their years of rule, the French came to the cool heights of Bokor to escape the heat of the plains and to get away from it all - tantamount to a colonial theme park. Today, the old hill station, hotel and casino lie abandoned and crumbling, but it still makes for a fascinating trip. On a clear day, the views over the jungle are endless.
If the weather is hot (and it rarely isn't) a swim at the Popokvil waterfalls is the recommended way to cool off. The ranger station at the entrance to the surrounding national park provides accommodation and guides for extended visits.
Dolphin Watching at Kratie
For those that are passionate about wildlife, Kratie, north-east of Phnom Penh, provides a perfect opportunity to observe the endangered Irrawaddy freshwater dolphin in its natural habitat along the Mekong River.
The local dolphins are known to swim in small groups and, despite having a reputation for being shy, have a unique working relationship with Kratie's fishermen, driving fish into their nets. The fishermen, in return for a good catch, toss the dolphins a portion of the fish from the boat, ensuring that the dolphins keep coming back. Locals are often willing to hire out their boats to allow a closer look at these rare creatures.
Battambang
Despite being Cambodia's second largest city, Battambang is a relaxed, riverside town that has some of the finest French colonial architecture in the country.
The Sangker River runs through the town passing the large central market, which is surrounded by old-style French shops. Despite the prominence of colonial architecture today the atmosphere here is a lot less Westernised than that of Phnom Penh, and you get a real sense of local town life in Cambodia.
Around Battambang the crumbling wats are being restored to their former glory following decades of neglect. Many of them date back centuries and are built in the distinctive Khmer style. The most popular include the ruined Wat Ek Phnom and Wat Banan, both easy day trips from the city. For many visitors the town functions as a jumping off point for tours with the surrounding countryside, one of the most accessible genuinely rural areas of the country, filled with paddy fields and terraces that provides the staple rice crop for the entire nation.
Ratanakiri Province
Cambodia's north-eastern province borders with Vietnam and Laos and is home to some of the country's most ethnically diverse hill tribes, verdant rainforests and wildest wildlife.
This province suffered greatly from the US bombing campaign during the Vietnam War, which was followed by the rapacious forces of the Khmer Rouge. Today's threat comes from illegal logging, an incredibly serious but lucrative crime, which can descend into violence between the authorities and the outlaw lumberjacks.
The various hill tribes continue to live as they always have, practising slash and burn farming and hunting with poison for their food. Tribal customs such as women tattooing their faces are still commonplace, and seeing these genuine tribespeople is a far cry from the sanitised indigenous "theme-park" villages that are offered to tourists elsewhere. Jungle trekking, on foot or by elephant, and trips to the volcanic crater lake and waterfalls are among the highlights of this province.
Transport...go there, travel in the country and after
Years of civil war have taken their toll on Cambodia, and the lack of infrastructure as a result of this is immediately apparent. The good news is that, with a burgeoning tourist industry, foreign investment, and the input of hundreds of non-governmental organisations, things are looking up and getting around Cambodia is getting easier, and safer. Many of the country's roads, however, are still in a state of disrepair and river travel is often dictated by the weather.
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