Siem Reap is the capital city of Siem Reap province. Siem Reap today-being a popular tourist destination-has a large number of Hotels, Resorts, Restaurants and businesses closely related to tourism. This is much owed to its proximity to the Angkor temples, the most popular tourist attraction in Cambodia.

Siem Reap is located in northwestern Cambodia, and it’s a popular resort town as the gateway to Angkor region. The name “Siem Reap” can be translated to mean “Defeat of Siam”, and is commonly taken as a reference to an incident in the centuries-old conflict between the Siamese and Khmer Kingdoms, although this is probably apocryphal. According to oral tradition, king Ang Chan (1516-1566) had named the town “Siem Reap”, meaning “the defeat of Siam”, after he repulsed an army sent to invade Cambodia by the Thai King Maha Chakkraphat in 1549. However, scholars consider this derivation to be simply a modern folk etymology, and maintain that the actual origin of the name is unknown.

From the sixteenth to the nineteenth centuries, infighting among the Khmer nobility led to periodic intervention and domination by both of Cambodia’s more powerful neighbours, Vietnam and Siam. Siem Reap, along with Battambang and Sisophon, major cities in the northwest of Cambodia, was under Siamese administration and the provinces were collectively known as Inner Cambodia from 1795 until 1907, when they were ceded to French Indochina.

Siem Reap was little more than a village when French explorers such as Henri Mouhot “re-discovered” Angkor in the 19th century. However, European visitors had visited the temple ruins much earlier, including Antonio Da Madalena in 1586…

Siem Reap now serves as a small gateway town to the world heritage site of Angkor Wat. It is a vibrant town with modern hotels and restaurants, still managing to preserve much of its culture and traditions. Siem Reap ranked Fourth in the World’s Best Cities of Travel & Leisure survey in 2014. Tourism is a very important aspect of the economy of Siem Reap – it was estimated in 2010 that over 50% of jobs in the town were related to the tourism industry.

Top Ten Things to see and do in Siem Reap 

-Angkor Wat: is the central feature of the Angkor UNESCO World Heritage Site containing the magnificent remains of the khmer civilization. Angkor Wat towers symbolise mythical Mount Meru. Thousands of feet of wall space are covered with intricate carving depicting scenes from Hindu mythology. The most important are the Carved Bas reliefs of the Hindu narratives. They tell a story about gods fighting demons in order to reclaim order which can only be achieved by recovering the elixir of life known as amrita. The gods and demons must work together to release it and then battle to attain it.

Angkor Wat was built by King Suryavarman II  (1113-1150) and dedicated to Vishnu. It’s the largest monunent of Angkor group and one of the most intact, in an architectural masterpiece. Daily opens from 5 am until 5:30 pm.

Other temples in Angkor Archeological Park which you can see: Bayon, Baphoun, Phimeanakas, Terrace of the elephants, Terrace of the leper king, Chaosay Tevoda, Thommanon, Ta Prohm, Banteay Kdei, Preah Khan, Neak Pean, Ta Sam, East Mebon, Banteay Samre. 

Further area: Banteay Srey, Kbal Spean, Phnom Kulen, Preah Vihear, Beng Mealea, Koh Ker…

-Cambodia Circus – Siem Reap’s most unique, authentic top rated evening entertainment.

More than just a circus, Phare performers use theater, music, dance and modern circus arts to tell uniquely Cambodian stories; historical, folk and modern. The young circus artists will astonish you with their energy, emotion, enthusiasm and talent.

Phare artists are students and graduates from Phare Ponleu Selpak’s vocational training center in Battambang. The association was formed in 1994 by 9 young men coming home from a refugee camp after the Khmer Rouge regime. They were greatly helped during that time by an art teacher using drawing classes as therapy and wanted to share this new skill among the poor, socially deprived and troubled youngsters in Battambang. They founded an art school and public school followed to offer free education. A music school and theatre school were next and finally, for the kids who wanted more, the circus school. Today more than 1,200 pupils attend the public school daily and 500 attend the alternative schools. Phare Ponleu Selpak also has extensive outreach programs, trying to help with the problems highlighted in their own tales.

Phare The Cambodian Circus offers these students and graduates somewhere to hone their skills and a place to earn a decent wage.

-War Museum Cambodia: it covers the last three decades of the 20th century when the khmer Rouge was active in Cambodia. There is a vast array of vehicles, artillery, weaponry, landmines and equipment on display. It’s located about 6 km West of Siem Reap town.

-Phnom Kulen Holy Waterfall: the Phnom Kulen National Park is about 50 km from Siem Reap and contains a number of attractions such as its two waterfalls and Kbal Spean’s “river of 1000 lingas”. Phnom Kulen is considered a holy mountain in Cambodia, of special religious significance to Hindus and Buddhists who come to the mountain in pilgrimage. It also has a major symbolic importance for Cambodians as the birthplace of the ancient Khmer Empire, for it was at Phnom Kulen that King Jayavarman II proclaimed independence from Java in 804 CE. Phnom Kulen means “mountain of the lychees”.

-Kompong Phluk Village (mangrove forest): Enjoy the splendor of Kompong Phluk and the great Tonle Sap Lake on this inclusive tour. Visit the local villagers and see their incredible stilted houses, while taking in the beauty of the lake around you.

Sihanoukville Province is small southern province of Cambodia. The capital sits on a peninsula with beaches and tropical islands around. Sihanoukville (also known as Kampong Som or Kampong Saom) was founded in 1964 to be the only deep-water port in whole Cambodia. It is gradually being redeveloped as a tourist attraction, but despite the promise of massive Malaysian investment – a casino is planned for Naga Island – tourist numbers are still fairly low. Also its nice with sand beaches and several paradise islands have made it popular as a tourist destination.

This famous see side resort is formed by wide and huge streets and quite new big concrete buildings, which lost any impression of the former architectonical colonial style. As the town is not a small place due to it’s wide spread urban areas, the best way to get around is to hire a motorbike. Beside the nice beaches and some very nice vantage points there isn’t that much to see in the town itself.

To catch a nice view on the city you best climb the small hill to Wat Leu. Wat Krom is another place of interest as this is a recently build pagoda, because the older one was destroyed by the Khmer Rouge and it houses a sanctuary called Yeah Mao, the guardian of the cost. Nearby to the town there are nice places for a detour such as the Ream National Park and the beautiful Kbal Chhay Waterfall.

Things to see and do in SihanoukVille

-Ochheuteal Beach It offers several nice hotels including the Seaside and Crystal, the mid-range Holiday, as well as some of Sihanoukville’s better seafood restaurants, (Sea Dragon, Susaday, Sunshine and Les Feuilles), within walking distance of the hotels. Further south along the beach in front of the golf course develop-ment, a number of budget traveler/backpacker oriented bar/restaurant/beach hangouts have sprung up offering chairs, umbrellas, drinks and a chill-out atmosphere. Ochheuteal is long, sandy and narrow, with ‘Serendipity Beach’ at the northern end, a golf-course development at the southern end, and a cluster of mid-range hotels and restaurants near the MP base in the middle. Grass umbrellas, rentable beach chairs and little drink huts line the beach from one end to the other.

-Otres Beach is the next beach south of Ochheuteal Beach and resembles Ochheuteal in many ways – a three kilometer crescent of near white sand facing the southwest. But Otres is far less developed and touristed than Ochheuteal, offering a more leisurely, relaxed atmosphere, and caught the eye of Forbes this year, listed amongst the Top 22 Beaches in Asia. Though much of the beach was recently closed for a development project, more than a kilometer remains open and retains the same laid back feel. There are no hotels, spas or large restaurants on Otres, just a string of beach-shack bars, restaurants and bungalows stretching along the sand from the intersection to the new development project.

-Koh Rong Island is a Cambodian Island in the Gulf of Thailand, at about 40km off the coast of Sihanoukville. Actually, the island is deserted, undeveloped and untouched. It’s a secret island. But it will be soon one of the famous touristic destination of Cambodia. The island is certainly the most beautiful island of the Kompong Som Region. A snowdrift bay, covered by a crystal clear and turquoise water, stretches on several kilometers. At the center, a jungle with thousands of coconut palms and waterfalls invade the island. Paradise found on Koh Rong.

-Prampi Choan Beach The beach is short and narrow, and the waves are bigger that at other beaches, making it popular with locals, who favor it most after Sokha Beach.

-Ream Beach The Ream Beach in Sihanoukville is the perfect place that takes you away from the crowded life of the town. Located on the outskirts it is almost a haven for nature lovers. It brings to you the best of creation and will surely captivate you to come back to it again and again. Located at the farthest end of the town, you have to travel almost 20 Km before you reach the Ream Beach of Sihanoukville. Nevertheless this distance will seem nothing when you spend those priceless moments in a place which is nothing short of a paradise.

-Kbal Chay Waterfall Kbal Chhay was discovered in 1960. Three years later, it was developed into a reservoir to supply clean water to the city of Sihanoukville. The reservoir construction, however, was interrupted due to civil war, and the site became a hide-out for the Khmer Rouge. In 1997, Kbal Chhay was marked for development, and a year later Kok An Company was awarded a contract to construct a road and develop the site for tourism.

Capital of Cambodia

Phnom Penh, the name can’t help but conjure up an image of the exotic. The glimmering spires of the Royal Palace, the fluttering saffron of the monks’ robes and the luscious location on the banks of the mighty Mekong – this is the Asia many daydream about from afar.

Cambodia’s capital can be an assault on the senses. Motorbikes whiz through laneways without a thought for pedestrians; markets exude pungent scents; and all the while the sounds of life – of commerce, of survival – reverberate through the streets. But this is all part of the attraction.

Once the ‘Pearl of Asia’, Phnom Penh’s shine was tarnished by the impact of war and revolution. But the city has since risen from the ashes to take its place among the hip capitals of the region, with an alluring cafe culture, bustling bars and a world-class food scene. It is about 314 km from Siem Reap provincial town.

Things to see and do in Phnom Penh

-Toul Sleng Genocide Museum In 1975, Tuol Svay Prey High School was taken over by Pol Pot’s security forces and turned into a prison known as Security Prison 21 (S-21); it soon became the largest centre of detention and torture in the country. Between 1975 and 1978 more than 17,000 people held at S-21 were taken to the killing fields of Choeung Ek . S-21 has been turned into the Tuol Sleng Museum, which serves as a testament to the crimes of the Khmer Rouge.

-Killing Fields of Cheung Ek Between 1975 and 1978 about 17,000 men, women, children and infants who had been detained and tortured at S-21 were transported to the extermination camp of Choeung Ek. They were often bludgeoned to death to avoid wasting precious bullets. The remains of 8985 people, many of whom were bound and blindfolded, were exhumed in 1980 from mass graves in this one-time longan orchard; 43 of the 129 communal graves here have been left untouched.

-Cambodia National Museum The first significant sculpture to greet visitors is a large fragment – including the relatively intact head, shoulders and two arms – of an immense bronze reclining Vishnu statue, which was recovered from the Western Mebon temple near Angkor Wat in 1936. Continue into the left pavilion, where the pre-Angkorian collection begins, illustrating the journey from the human form of Indian sculpture to the more divine form of Khmer sculpture from the 5th to 8th centuries.

-Royal Palace With its classic Khmer roofs and ornate gilding, the Royal Palace dominates the diminutive skyline of Phnom Penh. Being the official residence of King Sihamoni, parts of the massive palace compound are closed to the public. Visitors are allowed to visit only the throne hall and a clutch of buildings surrounding it. Adjacent to the palace, the Silver Pagoda complex is also open to the public.

-Phnom Oudong Was founded by King Srei Soryapor in 1601 after the abandonment of Longvek. Under the reign of King Ang Duong (1841-1850), he constructed canals, terraces, bridges and erected hundreds of pagodas in this region. Oudong was later abandoned by King Norodom in 1866 in favor of Phnom Penh. The city’s name is derived from the Sanskrit word “uttuṅga”, meaning tall, which probably refers to the mountain. As it had gained religious merit and significance it might have undergone extension towards: “great” or “supreme.

-Russian Market (Toul Tompoung) Russian market is located in the south part of Phnom Penh and is known to the locals as Phsar Toul Tom Poung. The reason why it is called Russian market is because it was a popular market among the Russian expats during the 1980s when most of the western expats in Phnom Penh were Russian. It is a narrow and sometimes steamy market since most of the stalls do not have Air-conditions or even a fan, but it is still worth the visit and if you get tired you can always take a relaxing coffee at one of the cafés around the market. Russian Market is the most popular market among tourists and expats and probably the best place to pick up souvenirs.

Battambang was established as an important trading city with around 2500 residents in the 18th century. Following colonisation by the French, an urban layout was developed which resulted in an enlarged French colonial town.

Much later, more infrastructure and public facilities were built under the modernisation program of the Cambodian government led by King Sihanouk.

Things to see and do in Battambang 

-Wat Ek Phnom: adapts the architecture of 11th century and built in 1027 during the reign of king Suryavarman I (1002 – 1050). It’s located about 14 km from the provincial town.

-Phnom Sampov: is a natural resort located a long the National Road No 57, about 12 km from the provincial town of Battambang. On the top of Sampov mountain, there is a temple and three natural wells, namely Pkar Slar, Lo Kuon and Ak Sopheak. We also can see bat caves with thousands of bats flying around the mountain in the evening.

-Battambang Circus: the shows include a range of circus disciplines including acrobatic, juggling, aerial work, clowning, tightrope walking and aqua-balance. It gives performances every Monday and Thursday evening. The shows are put on by students from the NGO arts school Phare Ponleu Selpak that helps disadvantaged children and young people escape from situations connected with poverty such as begging or trafficking and to get an education, both in normal public school and in the arts.

-Prasat Banon: adapts the architecture of mid – 11th century and the end of 12th century the temple was first built by King Dharanindravarman II (1050-1066) and was finally built by the king Jayavarman VII (1181-1220). The temple is locate on the top of approximately 400 metres high mountain, about 15 km from the provincial town.

-Nory or Lorry (Bamboo Train): is overseen by the tourist police and runs from just outside the city to a village that has a brick factory. A Norry “called by locals” and Lorry by French is an improvised rail vehicle from Cambodia. In 2006 the BBC reported that there was only one (train) schedule service a week and it ran at not much more than walking pace. Norries have low fares, are frequent and relatively fast, so are popular despite their rudimentary design, lack of brakes, the state of the rails (often broken or warped) and lack of any formal operating regime. On the outskirts a tourist service operates for 5$ per person.

-Kamping Puoy Lake: located between 2 mountains, Phnom Ta Nget and Phnom Kamping Puoy, 35 kilometres from the provincial town. It is famous for its giant lotus flowers whose fiber is spun and weaved to make a new organic fabric. These activities employ more than 20 underprivileged women around the lake.

-Sek Sak Resort:  it is a natural resort, which has been popular since before the civil war time. Sek Sak stretches along the river bank with plants, trees and bamboo stretching 500 metres length.

-Provincial Museum: the Battambang provincial museum on the riverfront in the center of town houses a large collection of Angkorian and pre-Angkorian artifacts – statues, carvings, bits of ancient temples, pottery, etc. These little provincial museums can be a real treat for the Angkor enthusiast, containing some rare and unique pieces, and this is one of the best of the provincial museums.

-Pagodas: Battambang town and the surrounding countryside are rich with beautiful old Pagodas, some of them hundreds of years old, highly respected and displaying some very unique art and architecture.

Kampot-Kep

This province is located in the Southwest of the country, having an eighty kilometres coastal strip with the Gulf of Thailand. The provincial capital is named Kampot and sits near the base of the abundant green Elephant Mountains and the famous Bokor Hill Station. Compete to crowded Sihanoukville in the North of the province you may find quietness.

Kep Beach, Rabbit Island, Bokor Hill Station, and countryside tours are perhaps the most popular day tours out of Kampot with tour operators offering very competitively priced tours.

The Kampot area also offers several other attractions including pre-Angkorian ruins and caves, jungle trekking, bicycling tours, river cruises, island trips, fishing trips, isolated beaches, pepper plantations, bamboo train rides and some beautiful rural countryside.

Most visitors come here to have a look at the old French colonial architecture, which is one still in charming condition, to have a vantage point for visiting the near beaches or the small islands of Kep. Kampot province is also renowned for the quality of its fruits (durian, coconut, mango, etc.), its sea salt and of course the famous Kampot Pepper. The special fresh climate and soil type of Kampot as well as the experience from several generations of pepper farmers make this pepper unique and much sought-after by gourmets worlwide.

The small town of Kampot on the Tuk Chhou River is 5km inland from the sea. Fishing and farming are the main activities; durians and melons grow in abundance.

On the circle is the Prachummith Restaurant, which is close by is the Amar Restaurant. To the south near the river is the GPO and telecommunications building. At the north end of town, about 1.5 km away, lays the Central Market, with quite a lot of food stalls. All Kampot transportation is concentrated within the range of the market cycle, motors, taxis, trucks, and buses. The railway station lies further north, but isn’t used anymore.

Preah Vihear

Preah Vihear is quite a big northern province of Cambodia. Its capital is called Phnom Tbeng Meanchey. The province itself is named after the temple of Prasat Preah Vihear, what is definitely the hotspot of this province. Much of the province is extremely remote and strongly forested. Unfortunately do large logging companies reduce the natural landscape by carving huge tracts of pristine tropical hardwoods out of the locations. It is also one of the least populated provinces in the Kingdom of Cambodia. This tranquil site is popular for the Preah Vihear temple, standing in the vicinity of the borderline between Thailand and Cambodia.

The province has one of the worst infrastructures in the country there are even no proper Major Roads in existence. Going around this province is not that easy if you’re used to proper roads and usual transportation possibilities, as there are only a few pick-ups or some money-hunting moto drivers to take you where you would like to go.

Whatsoever the province has a lot to offer for those, who are interested in ancient temple structures and remote villages without touristy influence. Here in Preah Vihear you may find three of the most impressive legacies from the Angkorian era: the mountain temple of Prasat Preah Vihear, the 10th-century capital of Koh Ker and the mighty Preak Khan.

Koh Ker is nowadays easily accessible from Siem Reap via Beng Mealea, but the other two still remain difficult to visit, requiring long and tough overland journeys and a distinct possibility to spend a night in the jungle. During the wet season these places are more or less unreachable. But there are governmental plans to develop the region for a smooth but constant tourism, building roads and improving infrastructure.

The provincial capital Tbeng Meanchey is due to the state of the infrastructure and it’s geographical location not visited by a lot of foreigners. Most of them don’t make it here worrying about the street conditions and the backcountry feeling of no fast supply in need. The city is sprawling and dusty and consists of little more than two small major dirt roads form South to North. There is nothing interesting in town or to do, so it has necessarily become more a stopover on the way to Koh Ker and Preah Khan.

Mondulkiri

Mondulkiri is an eastern province of Cambodia, which is the most sparsely populated province in the whole country although being the largest province in Cambodia. The province is chock full of natural beauty, with thickly forested mountains, powerful waterfalls and the lush green rolling hills of the western side.

Despite the growing deforestation, especially due to the valuable minerals remaining in the deep red, fertile ground, Mondulkiri has still one of the biggest successional woodlands of Cambodia. Except being in Sen Monorom, you’ll find deep pure jungle, with a huge variety of flora and fauna. You may also find gigantic and beautiful waterfalls, where you can take an empowering shower, such as the impressive Bou Sraa.

Sen Monorom is the provincial capital and doesn’t show up as a typical Cambodian town, while it is the only town the province has to speak of. With approx. 7500 inhabitants, 20 guesthouses, 12 restaurants, 3 bars and no post office it is often compared to American Wild West frontier towns. Concerning the quietness and beauty of Sen Monorom people from other parts of the country move here and therefore the land price doubled from 2006 to 2007.

The town of Sen Monorom is the best base camp for travellers who want to explore the surrounding areas. A quiet but beautiful town nestled into the hills; it has a lot of potential to develop into a centre for non-intrusive eco-tourism. At present, it’s very undeveloped, which gives you a feeling of going somewhere off the beaten tourist trail. Add to that the communities of hill tribe people, who are not affected by mass-tourism, as they are in neighbouring Thailand, and you have an area that is very attractive to the adventure traveller.

Also interesting is the variety of languages being used: Khmer, hill tribe languages, Vietnamese and Lao. 80 percent of the population in Mondulkiri is made up of ten tribal minorities, with the majority of them being the Chunchiet from the tribe of the Phnong. The remaining 20 percent are Khmer, Chinese and Muslim Cham. Most of the population lives off the land, planting rice, fruit trees and a variety of vegetables. Others grow, coffee, strawberries, rubber and cashew nuts.

More and more houses are built in the typical Khmer style. Visiting the hill tribes you still can find the traditional Phnong houses. In the houses you can find traditional gongs and big jars, whereby the last ones are said to be more than a thousand years old. There are various sorts of gongs used for different occasions. Jars and gongs are among the most valuable possessions in an indigenous community, whether in traditional, spiritual or material terms. During the Khmer Rouge Regime those objects were buried in hidden places in the jungle and in many cases they still wait in the ground.

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