Cambodia

Why Go

Seeing the country’s symbol of national pride, the ancient city complex of Angkor is an unmissable part of visiting Cambodia, with its world famous iconic monument Angkor Wat. While Angkor is a tourism magnet, one of Cambodia’s biggest appeals is that most destinations avoid mass tourism. It’s also a very rural country, giving wonderful opportunities to meet the friendly Cambodian locals for some cultural adventures and natural world experiences.

To See

The capital of Phnom Penh is a great place to see the splendour of old Cambodia, with its grand Royal Palace alongside new international restaurants, blended in with street food stalls. The infamous killing fields give you a chance to understand the horrors and impact of the Khmer Rouge on Cambodia, in what is relatively recent history (the Khmer Rouge only lost power in 1979). Some superb sights for nature lovers await in the north east. Kratie is considered one of the best places in the world to see the extremely endangered short beaked Irrawaddy dolphins. Sen Monorom has some superb elephant rehabilitation programs, and Banlung offers the adventurous explorer treks into the unexplored jungle of the Virachey National Park. There’s lots of unusual things to do in the small towns and villages - an exhilarating ride on the rickety bamboo train near Battambang, drift around the enchanting floating villages of Kompong Chhnang, a cooking class at a farm around Kampot… Cambodia’s biggest attractions are the small things that make it special.