5 Must-See Places to Truly Experience Cambodia
Cambodia is easily one of the most underrated travel destinations in Southeast Asia. But the country at the southern tip of the Indochina peninsula has started to gain more visitors over the years, and each one of them agrees that Cambodia is nothing short of magical.
From the most awe-inspiring temples to the most adventurous food, Cambodia is the dream travel destination you never knew you wanted and here are the five best places to truly experience it:
See: Cambodia Tour Packages
The Angkor Archaeological Park
Cambodia is almost synonymous with the Angkor Wat, its most iconic symbol and top tourist spot. In fact, more than 2.6 million tourists travel to Cambodia every year just to see this UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Located at the town of Siem Reap, the Angkor Archaeological Park is home to some of the most beautiful temples in the country including the majestic Angkor Wat, which is regarded as the largest religious monument in the world.
This ancient temple city is so huge that you need three days to explore it completely.
But if you only have a day, you should visit the Bayon Temple with 216 stone-carved faces, Angkor Thom, Ta Prohm where the movie Tomb Raider was shot and of course, Angkor Wat.
Ratanakiri Province
Cambodia is known as a backpacker’s paradise because of its many adventure-filled destinations.
And if you’re looking for a real outback experience, you should head to Ratanakiri province for the best trekking and hiking excursions.
You can take an overnight trip to the Veun Sai-Siem Pang Conservation Area to spot gibbons, hike at the Virachey National Park for a close encounter with tigers, sun bears, and elephants or swim at the Yeak Lom Crater Lake.
Sihanoukville
If you need a break from exploring temples, head to Sihanoukville in Kompong Som Province to enjoy Cambodia’s top beaches. You’ll find most backpackers partying at Ochheuteal Beach and Serendipity Beach.
But if you’re looking for more upscale accommodation, you can stay at one of the luxury hotels at Independence Beach and Sokha Beach.
And if you want to get away from it all, head to Koh Rong Samloem where you can stay in a beach hut and relax in a hammock all day.
Battambang
Battambang is one of the best places to truly experience local Cambodian life with its beautiful scenery of tiny villages and rice fields. This sleepy city’s most popular attraction is the “Bamboo,” a single-line rail track that runs through Battambang and O Srav.
You can also see several temples here including Phnom Banan, Phnom Sampeau and Wat Ek Phnom.
Phnom Penh
Finally, you can’t miss the country’s capital where you get to experience a combination of the old and new Cambodia. Phnom Penh was once a decaying city after the brutal Khmer Rouge reign.
But today, it has become one of the fastest-growing cities in Southeast Asia. Despite its progress, Phnom Penh has still kept its history with places like the Royal Palace, the National Museum, the Tuol Sleng Museum and the killing fields of Choeung Euk.
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