cambodia
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There’s a magic about Cambodia that casts a spell on many who visit this charming yet confounding kingdom. Ascend to the realm of the gods at the mother of all temples, Angkor Wat, a spectacular fusion of symbolism, symmetry and spirituality. Descend into the hell of Tuol Sleng and come face to face with the Khmer Rouge and its killing machine. Welcome to the conundrum that is Cambodia: a country with a history both inspiring and depressing, an intoxicating place where the future is waiting to be shaped.
Popular tourist destinations include Phnom Penh and Siam Reap. A Full-day city tour should include Silver Pagoda, the Royal Palace and National Museum of Khmer Arts and other interesting attractions within city limits at Phnom Penh; A Full-day city tour should include visit to South Gate of Angkor Thom, Bayon, Baphoun, Terrace of Elephants & Terrace of the Leper King and other interesting attractions within city limits at Siam Reap; Follow it with a full day trip to Angkor Wat |
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 one of Asia’s undiscovered gems. But it’s also a city on the move, as a new wave of investors move in, perhaps forever changing the character, and skyline, of this classic city. Phnom Penh is a crossroads of Asia’s past and present, a city of extremes of poverty and excess, of charm and chaos, but one that never fails to captivate. |
Siam Reap
One of the most popular destinations on the planet right now. It has reinvented itself as the epicentre of the new Cambodia, with more guesthouses and hotels than temples, world-class wining and dining and sumptuous spas. At its heart, Siem Reap is still a little charmer, with old French shop-houses, shady tree-lined boulevards and a slow-flowing river. But it is expanding at breakneck speed with new houses and apartments, hotels and resorts sprouting like mushrooms in the surrounding countryside. |
Angkor Wat
The largest Hindu temple complex in the world, stretching over some 400 square kilometers, including forested area, Angkor Archaeological Park contains the magnificent remains of several capitals of the Khmer Empire of the 9th to the 15th centuries, including the largest pre-industrial city in the world. The most famous are the Temple of Angkor Wat and, at Angkor Thom, the Bayon Temple with its countless sculptural decorations. As you tour, you will see certain mythical figures and other motifs cropping up repeatedly. |