But of course. Angkor Wat remains the single biggest draw in Cambodia and rightly so. Stretching over some 400 square kilometres, Angkor Archaeological Park contains the magnificent remains of several capitals of the Khmer Empire of the 9th to the 15th centuries. The most famous are the Temple of Angkor Wat and, at Angkor Thom, the Bayon Temple with its countless sculptural decorations. Indian visitors will recognize several symbolic structures that depict Mount Meru, Shivlingams, apsaras in plenty and beautifully carved Naga deities. The temples were originally built as Hindu temples and subsequently underwent conversion to Buddhism depending on the ruling king’s religious preferences. The resulting amalgamation of styles has ensured a richness of sculpture that has earned Angkor its place as a wonder of the world. Its famous bas reliefs defy description with depictions of scenes from various mythological stories including the Ramayana, the battle of the Mahabharata, the army of Suryavarman II, scenes from the churning of ocean by demons and gods to get Amrita and others.
With the wealth of riches at Angkor, one would expect Bayon to be a poor second but you’ll probably change your mind when looking at the giant stone faces that adorn its towers. With over 216 faces probably depicting the Buddha’s gentlest avatar - the Avalokiteshvara, Bayon is less crowded than the main Angkor structure. Located to the northwest of the Bayon, the Baphuon is supposed to represent Mount Meru and was one of the largest and grandest structures in Angkor. Built into the western face of the Baphuon is a giant reclining Buddha, added in the 16th century after the region converted from Hinduism to Buddhism.
Unfortunate that Ta Phrom is now advertised as the place where Lara Croft performed her stunts but beautiful it undeniably is. Built during the time of king Jayavarman VII the temple has been almost devoured by the strangler fig trees that reach out from the jungle. The combination of the temple ruins and the jungle are gorgeous and there is usually a queue up of people waiting to photograph themselves against the background.
Comparatively recent given the antiquity of the temples, the Royal Palace complex in Phnom Penh was built in 1860. The complex is divided by walls into three main compounds, on the north side is the Silver Pagoda, to the south side is the Khemarin Palace and the central compound contains the Throne Hall.The extravagant Silver Pagoda is the piece de resistance of the complex, the floor of which is covered with five tons of gleaming silver. A huge crystal sits atop an impressive gilded pedestal but is not to be outdone by a solid-gold one weighing 90 kilos and adorned with 2086 diamonds, the largest weighing in at 25 carats.
Not as famous as Angkor, Preah Khan is also a large and important complex that contains the famous temple mountain of Pre Rup. A climb up here is rewarded with beautifully preserved detailed carvings as well as a glorious view of the surrounding countryside.
Every visitor to Phnom Tamao comes away with the same thought - why aren’t more people talking about it? Phnom Tamao gets surprisingly little publicity even within Cambodia and yet it has to be one of the best wildlife sanctuaries or wildlife rescue centre as it is known in the continent. View tigers stalking three feet away through a chain link fence or bears sunning themselves on a neighbouring tree. What makes it even better is the fact that but most of the animals have been rescued from traffickers and poachers and are in genuine need of a home.
Located in Kampot, near Sihanoukville, Bokor boasts of a national park, a hillstation and the attractive Popokvil Waterfalls. Bokor's moist evergreen forests shelter a wide variety of rare and threatened animals, including the Indian elephant, leopard, Asiatic black bear, Malayan sun bear, pileated gibbon, pig-tailed macaque, slow loris, red muntjac deer, lesser mouse deer, pangolin , yellow-throated martin, small Asian mongoose and various species of civet, porcupine, squirrel and bat. However, it isn’t easy to spot much wildlife here and the area is still very largely at the mercy of poachers and smugglers.
We hate to mention this but many visitors feel that skipping S21 in some way trivialises the horrific sufferings of Cambodia’s past. The former prison and torture centre during the Khmer Rouge era has been converted into a museum but don’t expect interactive displays and exhibits. A stark memorial to the era when the building played host to 17000 people of which only 7 survived, its collection of photographs haunt you long after you leave. You can visit the The Genocide Musuem and the killing fields of Choeung Ek along with Tuol Sleng to gain a real, if brutal, insight into the genocide years.
If you’re a beach lover and want to escape the frantic crowds of Thailand, Sihanoukville in south Cambodia offers a far more relaxed experience. Located 230 kilometres south of Phnom Penh, Serendipity Beach and Occheuteal Beach are the most popular with tourists. There are plenty of buses between Phnom Penh and here and Sihanoukville Airport is located 18 kilometres away from the town.
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