Cambodia Travel Guide - Original Travel

Cambodia at a glance

On a trip to Cambodia, don’t miss a visit to Angkor, which you could easily devote a whole trip to. Angkor Wat is magnificent from afar, but it’s only when you step inside that you can truly appreciate its incredible detail: the intricate sculptures, the maze of corridors, Buddha statues where sticks of incense have been placed as offerings and, in among the stone, windows offering views of the surrounding jungle. Explore the Bayon, an elaborate Khmer Buddhist temple at Angkor which is best seen at dawn when there are fewer people, then head to Ta Prohm Temple, where the roots of the surrounding sacred trees have become entangled in the ruins, making it look as if the temple is being swallowed by nature.

Take the time to wander around the dozens of other temples that dot the site - some in the forest, others by the water - including the more secret spots that are less popular with tourist groups. After all of this, it would be easy to think that the rest of the country would pale in comparison, but this is absolutely not the case. Phnom Penh, although largely destroyed by the Khmer Rouge, has rebuilt itself with vigour and is now home to refined hotels, a wonderful mix of buzzing street restaurants and luxury eateries offering more delicate cuisine, as well as plenty of must-see places, such as the magnificent Royal Palace, the ancient complex of Buddhist temples at Wat Phnom and the poignant Tuol Sleng Museum, set in the former prison created by the Khmer Rouge. Then there’s the beauty of Inle Lake with its charming lake houses and soothingly slow pace of life.