This is a backpacker’s paradise and a tourist’s dream, boasting some of the most awe-inspiring scenery and fascinating history that you could ever wish for. It’s the place to be seen for the rich and famous, a stop off for budget tourists and a haven for serious travellers, resplendent with bustling, steamy cities and temples and jungles that jostle for your attention.

Cambodia is bordered by Thailand, Laos and Vietnam, and has a diverse landscape that includes tropical rainforests, mountains, rivers and beaches. The south coast is fringed by tropical islands, and just inland are the Cardamom Mountains which form part of a tropical wilderness that’s home to some of the country’s intriguing wildlife such as the freshwater dolphins of the Mekong River that slices through the country. As for the northeast of the country – well this is the real backpacker’s draw – mountainous landscapes, a chance to interact with some of Cambodia’s ethnic minorities, stunning waterfalls and pristine lakes await anyone who ventures to these parts.


Angkor Wat

Two things spring to mind when thinking of Cambodia – the Khmer Rouge and the Angkor Temples. However, Cambodia is not just about the horrors of the past, or about travel guide standard scenes. The capital, Phnom Penh, has a relaxed waterside vibe that’s complemented by an emerging tourist scene and a vibrant nightlife and it would be a crime to overlook the beautiful beaches and amazing national park.


A natural Cambodian beach scene

City-wise, although Phnom Penh is well developed for tourists and probably the busiest place beyond Angkor, Siem Reap is starting to attract the tourist dollar, thanks to its picturesque riverside views and lively social scene.

Pol Pot’s Khmer Rouge regime ruined the country and broke its spirit in the 1970s – and there are plenty of reminders throughout the country of the hell that the residents went through at the hands of this bloody dictatorship.

Khmer is Cambodia’s official language, although Chinese and Vietnamese are also spoken. French is still taught in schools, despite Pol Pot’s interference, but English is getting progressively more popular with younger Cambodians
When you’re in Cambodia, it’s wise to steer clear of politically-related subjects in conversation. Don’t point your foot at someone or touch them on the head, as both are considered rude, and if you’re visiting a pagoda, keep your head covered if you’re female and don’t wear shorts...

History
The kingdom of Kambuja – the original name for modern-day Cambodia – was once one of the most powerful in Asia. The country was prosperous during the ‘golden era’ of the Khmer dynasty, which ran from the 9th to the 15th centuries, although following this period of prosperity there was a long period of decline, which lasted until Cambodia fell to the French in the 19th century.
The country finally got its independence in 1953, and Norodom Sihanouk became king until the 1970s when the Khmer Rouge coup d’etat forcefully took over and subjected the country to repression, fear and countless executions. Sihanouk returned to the throne in 1993, after a period of Vietnamese occupation. His son, the current monarch, took over in 2004.


Buddist Monk in Cambodia

Buddhism was reinstated as the national religion in 1989 after a ban on all religion in 1975. The country is now about 95% Buddhist with a handful of Muslims and Christians.

Life is no picnic for most Cambodians, the country is still one of the poorest in Asia and it’s a tough existence for much of the population. According to the United Nations Development Programme, it’s poorer than Mongolia and El Salvador, just scraping in ahead of Mauritania. Many Khmers get by on desperately low incomes, getting by on salaries that just about reach the hundreds of dollars, and public servants like teachers really struggle to make a living.


Battambang women selling their wares

Shopping
Cambodia is a place of great temptation for souvenir hunters, with markets laden with good quality silks and textiles, statues and ornate carvings, silver and even some lovely Buddhist art. You can’t leave Cambodia without a krama (a unisex checked scarf that’s usually made from cotton – each province of Cambodia has its own pattern and colour.) The Cambodian craftspeople are very skilled in their art, and you won’t be short of ideas for things to take home with you.

Silk is still hand woven in Cambodia and you can buy it either as a length of material or ready-made into beautiful bags, purses and scarves. You’ll also come across the traditional animal-shaped silver boxes.

Jewellery, ceramics, textiles, CDs and DVDs are easy to find in the cities’ markets and the stall holders are waiting for you to make them an offer – so get ready to haggle. The Central Market in Phnom Penh is housed in an attractive art deco building, and as well as souvenirs and craft items you can pick up fruit, vegetables, meat and fish. There’s even a section for hand-mined gems from the west of the country, worth investigating and investing in if you like your jewels, and know what you’re looking for.

There’s also a Russian market in the south of Phnom Penh which is tucked away among the narrow alleyways. It is crammed with stalls that promise bargains in everything from CDs to ceramics. As far as shops in the capital go, NCDP Handicrafts and Wat Than Handicrafts are great places to visit as they sell their handicrafts to raise money for disadvantaged Cambodians.

Food
The diversity and quality of the food in Cambodia is as good as that of other south Asian cuisines, and Khmer cuisine has much in common with Thai and Chinese, although perhaps a little easier on the spices. You’ll find great quality restaurants in all the main tourist areas as well as plenty of food stalls selling cheap but delicious snacks. Most Cambodian meals are rice heavy.


A selection of unusual Cambodian delicacies

Watch out for the crispy fried spiders in Northern Cambodia – a popular roadside snack. If you’re feeling adventurous they are said to be quite delicious but not if you’re arachnophobic. If you are, don’t even go near the stalls as they often breed the critters nearby and they can escape and run around!

Other tastier treats include Amok tray, which is fish in a coconut curry sauce, steamed in banana leaves, and rice noodles which can be bought covered in curry sauce at many of the street stalls. Cambodia is also a great place to try new exotic fruits – durian fruit, jackfruit, longam fruit and rambutan.


Cambodian rice farm

Night Life
The nightlife in Cambodia can be vibrant, especially if you’re out in one of the more popular destinations like Phnom Penh or Siem Reap (the city which neighbours the Angkor Temple Complex). There’s certainly no shortage of decent places to eat out or have a few drinks – and there is no legal drinking age.

You can find a pretty wide variety of different places to drink in the cities – options vary from basic drinking places to smart, upmarket cocktail bars. Traditional nightclubs are harder to come by although the ‘dodgy girlie bars’ are ubiquitous and very keen to get their hands on tourist cash. If you’re tempted into one of these ‘establishments’ there’s often a cover charge so make sure you check the venues out before you part with any cash.
Most major hotels also have good quality entertainment, especially Siem Reap where they like to put on traditional dance performances in the tourist season. Cambodia is also a great place to go if you like to gamble. There are several big casinos in Sihanoukville and along the border with Thailand.

Where to Go

Phnom Penh
The charismatic capital of Cambodia, Phnom Penh, is more than just colonial buildings and boulevards – it’s a testament to years of political intrigue, desecration and rebuilding. Chaotic, bustling and in some ways slightly mysterious, Phnom Penh often gets overlooked by tourists who think that there’s only one place to go in the country and that’s the photogenic temples of Angkor at Siem Reap. It would be sad to miss out on Phnom Penh’s charms though, and see just how well the city’s past vitality has been restored as you take in the pretty pagodas and riverside walks.

Most of Phnom Penh was destroyed or damaged in the dark days of the Khmer Rouge, in fact the city’s treasures were actually thrown into the river in 1975. When the former residents returned to their homes, all they found were shells of buildings. It’s a testament to the hardiness of the Cambodians that their capital is now dynamic and on the up – complete with classy restaurants and bars, plenty of upmarket shops and hotels opening all the time, along with a renewed sense of confidence.

The Royal Palace is set in a stunning complex, all built in the traditional Khmer style. The buildings in the complex include the Throne Hall and an intriguing house that’s been built with iron, donated by Napoleon III to King Norodom in 1876.


The Silver Pagoda

Next to the Royal Palace you’ll see the Silver Pagoda, its floor is covered with 5,000 silver tiles. The pagoda is also home to some priceless Buddhas (including the Emerald Buddha and a life-sized gold Buddha that is covered in thousands of precious gems).

Climb to the top of a small hill, on a flight of steps that’s flanked with nagas (mythical serpents) and you’ll find the Wat Phnom Temple. This is the most important temple in the city, and marks the foundation of Phnom Penh, so you’ll often come across the locals here, praying for good luck.

The National Museum is housed inside a distinctive pseudo-Khmer building, which was built by the French in 1917. The museum has a large collection of Khmer sculptures that date back to the pre-Angkorian period (in the 7th century) to the post-Angkorian period (the 14th century).

If you have a strong stomach and a taste for gruesome historical relics, take a trip to Tuol Sleng, the notorious Khmer Rouge prison. The prison was once a school, but was converted into a place where people were tortured and murdered. To serve as a reminder of the atrocities of the dictatorship, the museum displays some chilling photos, the genuine prison cells and some of the original instruments of torture.

Siem Reap
Back in the 1960s, Siem Reap was incredibly popular, and a favourite destination for the rich and famous. It fell out of favour for a good 30 years but the city is now firmly back on the map and is said to be one of the most popular destinations in the world. Close to the temples of Angkor, Cambodia’s eighth wonder of the world, Siem Reap has always been one of the must-sees of southern Asia, but it’s undergone something of a renaissance and invented itself as the brand new epicentre of Cambodia, complete with more guesthouses than you can shake a stick at, some luxury hotels, eateries and spas.

Siem Reap still has the old style French architecture, pretty boulevards, and a scenic slow-flowing river to capture the heart of any visitor, but there’s so much expansion that things are changing beyond all recognition and Siem Reap is fast becoming something of a tourist Mecca. Traditionalists may scoff but there’s no denying that this is going to work wonders for the Cambodian economy.

Angkor Temple Complex (Angkor)
Angkor is a place to take in slowly, and a great base from which to plan your Cambodian adventure. Angkor was once the capital of the Khmer Empire, and it’s one of the most magnificent and awe-inspiring Hindu religious sites in the world. Built to honour the god Vishnu, building of the temple started in 879 during the reign of King Suryavarman II and took until 1191 to complete. Strangely, after all that work the spectacular building was concealed until it was discovered by the Frenchman Henri Mahout in 1860.


Step up to the challenge at Angkor Wat

The central complex, Angkor Wat (or Angkor Temple), is the best known, largest and definitely the most breathtaking of all the monuments at Angkor. It features an elaborate central tower that is surrounded by four smaller towers, and is surrounded by an 800 metre long bas-relief, the longest in the world. It’s an absolute joy to behold, blending spirituality and symmetry, something that has to be seen to be believed. Whatever you do, don’t leave your camera behind.

Angkor Wat is the best-preserved temple at Angkor, as it was never abandoned to the elements. Most historians now think that Angkor Wat probably served a dual purpose, both as a temple and a mausoleum for Suryavarman II.

Bokor National Park
The Bokor National Park, officially called Preah Monivong National Park, is made up of 1,581sq km of protected land, most of it primary forest. It’s a sumptuous park, particularly rich in plant life, and also home to some globally endangered birds and animals, including tigers, green pea fowl and the chestnut-headed partridge. The park’s main attractions are the rainforest, Popokvil Falls and the eerie abandoned French hill station of Bokor.

Bokor’s forests shelter a wide variety of animals, including the Indian elephant, Asiatic black bear, Malayan sun bear, pig-tailed macaque, red muntjac deer, lesser mouse deer, small Asian mongoose and many species of squirrel, civet, porcupine and bat. It’s also home to an amazing 300 plus species of bird. You probably won’t get to see much of the wildlife though, as most of the animals stay well out of the way in the remote, unvisited parts of the park, and many of them are also nocturnal.

There are plans to create a luxury resort at the top of Phnom Bokor, and whether this project will enhance and protect the treasures of the national park or contribute towards endangering some of the wildlife even further probably depends on who you speak to. Concerned conservationists hope that the area will prove popular with eco-tourists as well as being a potentially good source of income for the local communities.

One thing to be aware of if you’re visiting the national park, including the hill station, is that there’s always the possibility of a stray land mine off the beaten track. Although the majority of the park is now believed to be free of land mines, when you’re in the park it’s best to be sensible and keep to well-worn paths.


Kampot

Kampot
The sleepy riverside town of Kampot is becoming more and more popular with visitors to Cambodia, who have heard all about the town’s relaxed atmosphere and fine French architecture. Once a thriving port, it was pushed into the background when Sihanoukville was founded in 1959, but Kampot is a great base for exploring Bokor National Park and the coast east towards Vietnam, including Kep and some intriguing cave-temples.


Kampot fishing boat

For details of the weather when visiting Cambodia visit www.worldweather.org

Getting There
Phnom Penh International Airport is 10 kilometres from the capital Phnom Penh. Taxis and motorbike taxis to the city are on hand and for pre-arranged tours there’s a pick-up service.

Siem Reap International Airport is 8 kilometres from Siem Reap and also has taxis and motorbike taxis into Siem Reap and a pick-up service for pre-arranged tours.

For current visa requirements visit www.projectvisa.com

Getting Around
If you decide to hire a car, you’ll need to pick your roads with care. Traffic drives on the right, and the quality of roads is variable from very poor to quite good. Routes from Phnom Penh are all numbered, with Route 1 (for example) taking you all the way to the border with Vietnam. Motor bikes are a popular way to get around in Cambodia but if you plan to hire one, do make sure that your insurance covers you for being a passenger or a driver. In Siem Reap, it’s no longer possible to rent motor bikes due to too many accidents – road safety in Cambodia isn’t exactly a high priority.

If you prefer to do Cambodia by train, there’s just one train service, and it runs once every week from Phnom Penh through to Battambang on Saturdays and vice-versa on Sundays. Don’t expect luxury as the facilities are very basic, but trains are one of the best ways to see parts of rural Cambodia that you just wouldn’t see any other way. Be prepared for a long journey!

Money
The official currency of Cambodia is the Riel.
US Dollars are widely accepted as payment, and Thai Baht are easy to exchange close to the border, but other currencies are generally harder to exchange and only recognised by banks in the bigger cities.

For the latest exchange rates visit www.xe.com . Credit cards are often accepted in some of the more upmarket hotels, tourist shops and restaurants. If you need cash, there are cash machines in Phnom Penh, Siem Reap and Sihanoukville. It’s advisable to only carry small denominations of cash, preferably US Dollars. Traveller’s cheques are not a good idea in Cambodia although some banks will change them if they are in US Dollars.

Banks are usually open from 8:00am to 3:00pm Monday to Friday and sometimes until 11:30am on Saturdays.