Top city in Cambodia

PHNOM PENH

Phnom Penh was once nicknamed 'The Pearl of Asia' as was considered one of the finest cities in the region. Located in the south-central region of Cambodia, at the junction of the Mekong, Bassac and Tonle Sap rivers, Phnom Penh has been Cambodia’s capital for a majority of the last six centuries. Phnom Penh today is a vibrant economic centre with a population of two million. Cafes, restaurants and hotels line the riverfront while boutique shops and art galleries sprout along smaller side streets. Even as it undergoes urban development, Phnom Penh has retained much of its old-world charm as evident in the French colonial architecture and traditional ornate temples. Rich in history, the city offers a number of cultural and historical sites including the National Museum, Royal Palace, and Silver Pagoda.  To truly understand the country’s history and the people’s mind-set, a visit to the Tuol Sleng Prison is a must. Also known as S-21, this former school became a torture centre during the Khmer Rouge’s dark reign and has now been preserved as a museum for visitors to learn about and pay their respects to those who fell victim to Pol Pot’s regime. On the outskirts of Phnom Penh are the Killing Fields, an area where some 17,000 men, women and children were murdered and dumped in mass graves. Not for the faint-of-heart, these sites are sobering reminders of the Khmer Rouge’s brutality. A beautiful memorial now stands at the site as well. 

SIEM REAP

Siem Reap, located in north-west Cambodia, is a charming provincial town defined by a cluster of villages, Chinese-style shop houses, and French-colonial architecture. As a gateway to the ancient temple ruins of Angkor, Siem Reap has experienced exponential growth in recent years with hotel and resort developments turning this once sleepy village into a tourism mecca. Activities to experience in the town of Siem Reap include watching a traditional Cambodian “apsara” dance performance and participating in a Khmer cuisine cooking class to exploring the peaceful countryside on the back of a horse or on a quad bike. The rural outskirts offer plenty of interesting activities such as visiting craft villages, workshops and silk farms, taking a bike ride through the scenic countryside, or participating in a humanitarian assistance program by making a pump well donation or funding a local school.  Getting here: Most visitors arrive in Siem Reap by air. There are direct flights from most major capital cities in Southeast Asia. It is a 40-minute flight or a 6-hour journey by road from Phnom Penh.

TEMPLES OF ANGKOR

Designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1992, the Angkor Archaeological Park encompasses dozens of temple ruins whose artistic and archaeological significance and visual impact place it alongside other wonders of the world like the Pyramids, Machu Picchu and the Taj Mahal. Built between seven and eleven centuries ago, the temples—about 100 of which are still standing—were devoted to Buddha and Hindu deities. Within the fortified city of Angkor Thom lies the Bayon temple, the third tier of which is lined by 216 huge, carved faces that stare down from 54 towers. Other highlights include the Buddhist temple of Ta Prohm, which was not been restored and looks just as it did when French explorers stumbled upon it in the 1860s, and Angkor Wat, a vast temple complex dedicated to Vishnu in the early 12th century. Many of the temples are covered with fantastic carvings depicting religious stories and scenes from daily life. 

When you visit the temples, you will be issued an “Angkor Pass” which is similar to an entrance ticket but has your photo on it. The pass allows you access to all the temples in the complex and some surrounding structures. Make sure you keep the pass with you at all times just in case you would like to explore the temples in your leisure time, as long as the date is still valid. Passes are valid for either 1 or 3 days.

TONLE SAP LAKE

Tonle Sap Lake is the largest freshwater lake in Southeast Asia and is vitally important to Cambodia. Connected to the Mekong River by the Tonle Sap River, the lake and river are particularly interesting because the flow of the Tonle Sap River changes direction twice per year. During the dry season, the Lake drains into the Mekong; but during the rainy season, the mighty Mekong forces the Tonle Sap River to reverse its course effectively filling up the lake and quadrupling its size. The lake is home to many villagers and numerous Cham (minority) communities, living in floating villages around the lake. (Please note - boats cannot operate near the floating village in April - July due to low water level. During these months, tours to Tonle Sap will be by car.)

BATTAMBANG

Sitting on the Sangker River just south west of the Tonle Sap Lake, Battambang town is at the heart of Cambodia's 'rice bowl'.  Although being the country's second biggest town, Battambang still has a very local provincial atmosphere. Much of the architecture is traditional Cambodian and French colonial, evident in the town's many French-style villas and storefronts. The nearby countryside also harbours old pagodas, Angkorian-era ruins, caves, waterfalls, and Khmer Rouge period killing fields.  Getting here: There is a daily boat that departs Siem Reap at 7:30am. It's a picturesque but rough, 6-8-hour journey across the Tonle Sap and up the Sangker River and only available in the wet season. Overland from Phnom Penh to Battambang is 291km (4 hours) on a paved road in good condition. 

MONDOLKIRI

Mondolkiri is the largest province of Cambodia but is sparsely populated with about 40,000 people. Located on the eastern highlands, Mondolkiri has scenery and a climate quite unlike anywhere else in the country. There are rolling grassy hills, serene rivers, powerful waterfalls, and forested mountains. At an average elevation of 800m, it can get quite chilly at night. Mondulkiri has numerous tourist attractions such as waterfalls, indigenous hill tribe culture, national parks and elephant trekking. Sen Monorom, the provincial capital, is a quiet town with a frontier feel, although it has the potential to develop into an eco-tourism centre.

Getting here:  It is 370 km (6-8 hours) by road from Phnom Penh to Sen Monorom. Most of the road is in good condition. 

SIHANOUKVILLE

Located on the southwest peninsula facing the Gulf of Thailand, Sihanoukville was originally founded as a port town half a century ago. Today this provincial town is Cambodia's premier beach destination with miles of powdery white sand beaches, picturesque islands and warm tropical waters which can be visited year round. The nearby islands teeming with coral and a colourful range of tropical fish offer excellent opportunities for snorkelling and diving. If you are a seafood lover, you will especially enjoy the local specialties of fresh caught crab and shrimp. Getting here: Sihanoukville is 230 kilometres or about a 3 ½ hour drive from Phnom Penh. It is accessible via one of the best inter-provincial roads in the country. It is a 35-minute flight from Phnom Penh, 60 minutes from Siem Reap.

KEP

In contrast to the popular and bustling beachfronts in Sihanoukville, Kep is a small and lowkey beach town. From the early 20th century through the 1960s, Kep was Cambodia's premier beach town, drawing weekend holiday-makers to its picturesque shores lined with ritzy ocean side villas of the privileged class. Nowadays, the old villas are in ruins, and the town is known more for its oceanfront seafood stalls than for its beaches, which are narrow and stony, offering just a few slivers of sand. Rabbit Island, a short 20minute boat trip from the shores of Kep has beautiful beaches and a very relaxed atmosphere. Nearby attractions include the quaint French colonial style town of Kompot. Bokor Hill Station, this mountaintop collection of colonial buildings (hotel, casino, church, and royal residence) constructed by French authorities in the early 1920s as a retreat for French officials and foreign visitors now boasts a modern hotel-casino which has dramatically changed the sleepy atmosphere of yesteryear. 

Getting here: From Kampot, it is a 25km (30-45 mins) trip on paved, smooth road through scenic Cambodian countryside. From Phnom Penh, it is 3 hours.