Cambodia is one of Southeast Asia's most absorbing countries — a place where one of history's greatest civilizations left its mark in stone, and where a more recent history of extraordinary suffering is still within living memory. The contrast between Angkor's immense temples and the Khmer Rouge killing fields gives Cambodia a weight that few countries in the region can match.
The country has come a long way since the chaos of the 1990s. Tourism has grown steadily, infrastructure has improved, and the Cambodian people — having endured decades of war, genocide, and foreign occupation — greet visitors with a warmth and resilience that tends to stay with you long after you leave.
Most visitors arrive for Angkor, and rightly so. The temple complex outside Siem Reap is one of the genuine wonders of the world. But Cambodia rewards those who venture beyond it. Phnom Penh, once called the "Paris of the Orient," is a compelling capital with world-class museums, a riverfront lined with cafes, and the sobering Tuol Sleng genocide museum. The south coast around Sihanoukville and Kep has beaches and seafood. The northeast — Kratie, Stung Treng, Ratanakiri — offers the Mekong, rare Irrawaddy dolphins, and hill tribe communities largely untouched by mass tourism.
Cambodia borders Vietnam to the east, Laos to the northeast, and Thailand to the north and west. The country is dominated by the Mekong River and the vast Tonle Sap lake, which swells dramatically during the monsoon season and provides much of the country's fish protein.
Destinations:
- Phnom Penh — the capital, on the confluence of the Mekong and Tonle Sap rivers
- Siem Reap — gateway to the Angkor temples
- Angkor Wat — the temple complex itself
- Sihanoukville — the main beach town on the Gulf of Thailand
- Battambang — Cambodia's second city, with colonial architecture and a slower pace
- Kratie — Mekong town, Irrawaddy dolphins
- Kep — quiet seaside town, famous for crab
- Kampong Cham — Mekong port with Khmer temples nearby
- Krong Koh Kong — border town with access to the Cardamom Mountains
