Cambodia travel guide
Cambodia is a captivating land of beautiful temples, wild jungle, unspoiled countryside, colonial architecture and sandy beaches
A cultivated country with something exciting to offer every traveller. Cambodia is still less visited than its neighbours Thailand and Vietnam, but the iconic Angkor Wat – a fascinatingly complex stone temple that is the world’s largest religious monument – draws visitors in their thousands.
Cambodia’s charms though are not confined to Angkor Wat. In Angkor alone there are more than 290 other temples.
The mountain-top Praeh Vihear temple-complex in northern Cambodia is as good as anything in Angkor and in a more stunning setting.
In the south you’ll find Sihanoukville’s paradisiacal beaches and great nature-watching opportunities in Ream National Park. Or head to the wilds of the east for waterfall hikes, elephant treks, dolphin-spotting and hilltribe-visits.
Wanderlust Recommends
- Spot tigers and experience community tourism in Kirirom National Park
- Take an eco-trail down the Mekong to Kratie to see the rare Irrawaddy dolphins
- Learn to cook like a Cambodian, with profits going to a local street children charity
- Hitch a ride with an elephant and encounter minority cultures in Mondulkiri, in Cambodia’s far east.
- Join in the celebrations at the Bom Om Tuk water festival when the current in the Tonlé Sap reverses and the river is filled with colourfully decorated boats.
Wanderlust tips
If you want to avoid the crowds at Angkor Wat, don’t visit at sunrise. Linger there at sunset when most of the tour groups go to
Bakheng to look down on Angkor, camera in hand.
Also, don’t just head straight back to Siem Reap. Stick around and discover Angkor’s more remote temples.
For truly
majestic sunsets minus the hordes of tourists, travel to the temple of
Preah Vihear, which clings to cliffs of the
Dangkrek Mountains on the border with Thailand.