According to Wholevehicles, Angkor is the capital of the ancient Khmer state, the most famous monument of the country’s ancient culture. The remains of Angkor occupy an area of about 200 square meters. km, in total about a hundred palaces and temples have been preserved here.
Siam Reap is the “gateway” to the temples of Angkor. Just two decades ago, it was a small, quiet and peaceful town. However, after the “third discovery of Angkor”, many lovers of ancient history and pilgrims began to come here, striving for the local Buddhist shrines.
Phnom Penh is the capital of the Kingdom of Cambodia. Once it was one of the most beautiful cities in French colonial Asia, but as a result of numerous wars, much was destroyed, and after the restoration, Phnom Penh turned into a large metropolis with modern buildings. Among the sights of the city are Phnom Penh with a stupa (15th century), the Royal Palace complex and the famous “Silver Pagoda”.
Rice in Cambodia is the head of everything! It is prepared sweet and salty, it is both the first and the second, and dessert. In addition, vodka is made from rice with a strength of about 50 degrees.
In Eastern Cambodia, a remote and little-visited area that has retained its identity thanks to this, it will be interesting to visit the city of Kampong Cham and the temple complexes in its vicinity.
Southwest of Phnom Penh stretches a whole series of mountain ranges known as the Cardamom and Elephant Mountains. There are the most famous national park of the country “Bokor”, the Popoquil waterfall, the summer residence of the king “Black Palace”, as well as the “Old Palace”, in which a banal casino is now open.
Sihanoukville is the largest seaside resort in Cambodia. Its main “masts” are the temples of Wat Leu and Wat Kraom on Mount Sihanoukville. Ream National Park is located 18 km to the east.
The main attraction of Western Cambodia is the country’s largest lake Tonle Sap (“Big Lake”).
All the details about the sights of Cambodia – on the page “Subtleties of tourism”.
- Can you visit Angkor on your own?
National parks
There are seven national parks on the territory of the country, the most famous among them is the historical complex of Angkor. In addition, it will be interesting for tourists to visit the Bokor National Park, which protects large tracts of relict tropical rainforests and mountain savannahs, the Kirirom National Park, the Ream National Park (wet evergreen forests and mangroves), as well as Viracha – largest park in Cambodia.
Holidays and events
New Year in Cambodia
Cambodia, December 31, 2022
Siem Reap
Siem Reap (aka Siam Reap, Siem Reap; in Khmer “victory over the Siamese”) – the “gateway” to the temples of Angkor – is located in the north-west of Cambodia, 314 km from Phnom Penh. The distance from the city center to the main temple of the Angkor Wat complex is about 5 km. This booming tourist destination has an international airport and many modern hotels.
The best way to get around the city and the temples of Angkor is by bike. Finding a rental point will not be a problem, the cost depends on the “coolness” is high – from 1 to 10 USD per day.
And Siem Reap is the only city in Cambodia that did not suffer during the Khmer Rouge.
How to get there
Siem Reap International Airport receives direct flights from Bangkok, Pattaya, Kuala Lumpur, Taiwan, Seoul, Ho Chi Minh City, Laos, Singapore and, of course, Phnom Penh. On international flights, an airport tax of 25 USD is charged (13 USD for children), on domestic flights – 6 USD. The city center can be reached in 15 minutes by taxi (7 USD) or motorcycle taxi (~ 4 USD).
You can also get from Phnom Penh by bus in 5-7 hours (6-15 USD) or by speedboat on Tonle Sap Lake (35 USD). There is also a boat to Battambang (20 USD).
Cuisine and restaurants
There are hundreds of restaurants in the city, so finding the right place for a snack should not be a problem. On the streets you can eat pizza, hamburgers and adapted Khmer dishes such as amok and Khmer curry. You can try real national cuisine in karaoke restaurants (as a rule, there is no menu in English).
You can have a drink on the famous Pub Street, where there are also many good restaurants. The street west of Pub Street is lined with stalls selling fried rice (bai cha) or noodles for $1.
