Modules > Countries > Cambodia - Section 1

Cambodia - Section 1

"Hi, I'm interested in visiting Cambodia..."

Cambodia is situated in South-East Asia, in the region referred to as Indochina, and shares land boundaries with Thailand, Vietnam and Laos.

Like other countries in South-East Asia Cambodia offers long, white sandy beaches, uninhabited tropical islands, lush rainforest, beautiful countryside and friendly locals.

Angkor Temples

The main reason most people travel to Cambodia is for the amazing temples of Angkor, one of the greatest religious monuments in the world. Angkor was built between the 9th and 13th centuries when the Khmer Empire dominated South-East Asia and boasted more than one million inhabitants. At this time London had a population of just 50,000. Engulfed by the jungle and lost for many years, the temples were rediscovered in the 19th century by French archaeologists.

Today, Cambodia is still recovering from the brutal rule of the Khmer Rouge in the mid to late 1970’s and has only recently started to open up to tourism, with many areas still completely untouched.

A typical itinerary for Cambodia would be to spend a few nights sightseeing in the capital city of Phnom Penh visiting the Royal Palace, Tuol Sleng Museum, Killing Fields of Choeng Ek and Russian Market. Then travelling across the country to the pretty town of Siem Reap, which is your base whilst visiting the Temples of Angkor. Siem Reap town is around 6 – 25 km from most of the major temples and offers plenty of accommodation, restaurants and shopping opportunities.

Cambodia is a small country, about half the size of Vietnam and has a population of 14 million. Tonle Sap, the largest freshwater lake in South-East Asia, lies across the northwest section of the country. A scenic cruise of the lake, visiting floating fishing communities, offers a glimpse of lakeside rural Cambodia and is a great way to spend an afternoon when in Siem Reap.

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