Even though the incredible ruins of Angkor Wat are the country’s most famous landmark, Cambodia is home to a plethora of other attractions well worth seeing. Although it has been plagued by centuries of colonisation, several wars, and the cruel Khmer Rouge dictatorship of the 1970s, Cambodia is slowly but surely regaining its former glory as a tourist hotspot because of its stunning beaches, fascinating historical monuments, and rich cultural legacy.
The Kingdom of Cambodia, which is located in Southeast Asia, is bounded by Thailand, Laos, and Vietnam and has a coastline along the glistening Gulf of Thailand. While much of the nation consists of low-lying plains, the meandering Mekong River and enormous Tonle Sap Lake dominate the geographic center. There are beautiful beaches and outlying islands to explore, in addition to the country’s lush tropical rainforest, high plateaus, and two severe mountain ranges in the west and north.
Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia, is a colourful, bustling, and somewhat rundown city formerly renowned as the “Paris of the East” for its excellent French colonial architecture. Many of its sights, like the Killing Fields and Genocide Museum, saddeningly show the atrocities committed by the ruthless Khmer Rouge dictatorship, in contrast to the incredibly gorgeous Royal Palace and Silver Pagoda.
Most Cambodians live in rural villages and small towns in the countryside due to the country’s general poverty, with Battambang and Siem Reap being the only other significant urban centers. The former offers an entrance to Cambodia’s spectacular jungle-covered complex of temples, while the latter is home to beautiful colonial structures and a pastoral rural setting.
Sihanoukville is Cambodia’s prime beachfront resort city, where you can unwind after a day of sightseeing the temples of Angkor or other ancient sites like Banteay Srei and Koh Ker.
