Cambodia is home to the world-famous Angkor Wat temple complex, lush tropical jungles, beautiful mountains, stunning beaches, waterfalls, islands, and “The Paris of the East” – Phnom Penh.

Siem Reap

The Angkor Temples

No visit to Cambodia is complete without first visiting the Angkor temples. Angkor Wat is the temple everyone wants to see and it’s the largest and most magnificent of all the temples built by the ancient Angkor. However, it’s not the only temple to see. The ancient Khmer people were very productive builders and built many hundreds of structures including large cities and temples.

Other notable temples to visit include the Bayon temple which sits in the middle of Angkor Thom city. The Bayon has more than 200 faces looking down on visitors from the towers and is one of the most popular temples to see.

Another popular temple includes Ta Prohm which is also known as the “Tomb Raider” temple as it was used during the filming of the famous Lara Croft movie starring Angelina Jolie.

The Tonle Sap Lake

Siem Reap is also just a few kilometers away from the great Tonle Sap Lake. The lake is the largest freshwater later in Southeast Asia and local communities have built villages which sit on top of the water. You can visit one of the four floating villages nearby Siem Reap town including Kampong Phluk, Kampong Khleang, Mechrey, and the closest one, Chong Kneas.

Phnom Penh

Wat Phnom

Wat Phnom is an old pagoda which sits on top of a hill. Legend says that around 800 years ago a woman named Daun Penh saw five Buddha statues on top of the hill and a pagoda was built to house them. There has been a pagoda on this site ever since and the area is now popular with visitors.

King’s Palace and the Silver Pagoda

The King’s Palace and Silver Pagoda are also popular places to visit in Phnom Penh. At the palaces you can explore parts of the well-kept grounds and some of the buildings are open to the public.

You can also explore the Silver Pagoda which is next to the Royal Palace. The pagoda is home to many national treasures including Buddha statues covered in Jewels or a crystal Buddha.

S21 & Killing Fields

Cambodians have had to endure some troubled times in the recent past. Museums which highlight the pain and suffering most Cambodians went through are available to see for yourself at S-21 and the Killing Fields.

S-21 was the name given to Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum during the Pol Pot regime from 1975 to 1979. Tuol Sleng is a former high school that was transformed into a place of torture for anybody the Khmer Rouge suspected as enemies. Horrific torture devices were used to get “confessions” of accused crimes by the Khmer Rouge.

The Khmer Rouge Killing Fields are mass graves where many people were executed. However, to save ammunition, the victims were often poised instead. In some cases, victims had to dig their own shallow graves. You can learn about what Cambodian’s had to go through during the Khmer Rouge regime.

Sihanoukville

Beaches & Islands

There are many beaches and islands to explore in Sihanoukville. Popular beaches include Ochheuteal, Otres, Independence, and Victory Beach. You can sit in the sun and swim in the calm sea on any of the beaches here.

It’s also possible to visit Koh Rong and Koh Rong Samloem which are still largely undeveloped resorts. There is a rustic atmosphere and you can really feel unconnected from the world.

Ream National Park

Ream National Park is located around 20km from Sihanoukville. In 1993, the Cambodian government created the national park to protect the country’s natural resouces. There are a number of rivers, forests, mangroves, beaches, corals, and more to see.

Battambang

Phnom Banan

Here you can climb hundreds of stairs to the top of the mountain to see Wat Banan. The temple was constructed in the 11^th century and you’ll see the ruins of the 5-towered temple which looks like s small Angkor Wat. The view over Cambodia from the top of the mountain is stunning.

Phnom Sampeou

Phnom Sampeou is another mountain where you can enjoy the view. You can walk to the top in around and hour and see the temple. You can also see the Khmer Rouge killing caves where it’s said that the Khmer Rouge killed their victims by pushing them off the mountain from a high ledge.

Also, around 6pm you can see the Bat Cave. Thousands of Bats come pouring out of the caves to get their evening feed and it’s very impressive to see.