Cambodia is a land of superlatives. The ancient temples of Angkor Wat, Bayon and other ruins of the Khmer Empire rank amongst the world's grandest and most magnificent World Heritage Sites - easily in a class with Machu Picchu, the Pyramids of Egypt and Teotihuacan. But this magnificence stands in shocking contrast to the Killing Fields, Toul Sleng Genocide Museum and other remnants of Cambodia's more recent history - a time when Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge regime of the late 1970s committed some of the most horrifying atrocities of the 20th century. Yet, the Khmer people, who make up more than 95% of modern Cambodia's population, impress visitors as some of the friendliest, 'happiest' (sabai), and most gentle people they have ever met. The ubiquitous Khmer smile is legendary, as is traditional Khmer hospitality and openness. Cambodia is truly a land of light and dark, of wonder and of tragedy - awe-inspiring, heart wrenching and completely unique.

Today, the Kingdom of  Cambodia is one of the world's newest travel destinations. After almost 25 years of isolation, the country opened to tourists in the early 1990s, though the tourists did not begin to come in significant numbers until early 1999. The country is still far less touristed and commercialized than its neighbors. Cambodia�s primary tourist destinations - the Angkorian era temples near Siem Reap, the cultural attractions in the capital Phnom Penh, and the beaches of Sihanoukville - offer plenty of accommodations, restaurants and other tourist services. Other destinations such as the hill tribe areas of Ratanakiri and Mondulkiri, the remote temples of Preah Vihear and Banteay Chhmar, and quaint provincial capitals such as Battambang and Kampot, are just now being discovered by travelers, and all offer unique glimpses of �unspoiled� Cambodia.

Phnom Penh

A mixture of Asian exotica, Indochinese charm and Cambodian hospitality await the visitor to Phnom Penh. Situated at the confluence of three great rivers - the �four arms� of the Mekong, Tonle Sap and Bassac - Phnom Penh is the commercial and political hub of Cambodia as well as home to nearly a million of the county�s 11.4 million people. It is also the gateway to an exotic land...the temples of Angkor in the west, the beaches of the southern coast and the ethnic minorities and jungles of the northeastern provinces. 

The city offers several cultural and historical attractions including the Royal Palace, Silver Pagoda and the National Museum. There are also a wide variety of services including five star hotels and budget guest houses, fine international dining, sidewalk noodle shops, neighborhood pubs international discos and more.

Phnom Penh, like other Cambodian tourist destinations, is in the midst of rapid change. Over the past few years the number of restaurants and hotels has grown considerably and in the last year there has been a huge increase in the number of visitors. There are now direct daily flights from several Asian cities are three overland border crossings have opened since 1998. Even travel within the country is easier with several new airlines flying domestic routes, additional flights to Siem Reap and the temples of Angkor, regular bus service to cities like Sihanoukville, Kampong Cham and Kampong Chhnang. Road conditions throughout the country gradually improving. Cambodia is becoming easier to visit everyday.

Siem Reap

Nestled between rice paddies and stretched along the Siem Reap River, the small provincial capital of Siem Reap Town serves as the gateway to the millennium-old temple ruins of the Khmer Empire. Designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, the Angkor Archaeological Park encompasses dozens of temple ruins including Bayon, Banteay Srey and the legendary Angkor Wat whose artistic and archaeological significance and visual impact put it in a class with the Pyramids, Machu Pichu and the Taj Mahal. Unlike many other world class monuments, the ruins of Angkor are as yet unspoiled by over-development. This will not be true in a couple of years. Though the major temples are relatively well touristed these days, it is still possible get away from the crowds, to explore the area and discover Angkor. 

Siem Reap Town is where you will stay during your visit to Angkor. The area has been receiving foreign visitors to the temples for over 100 years. The town is actually a cluster of old villages, which originally developed around individual pagodas, and later overlaid with an French colonial-era center. Note the colonial and Chinese style architecture in the town center and around the Old Market. Nowadays, Siem Reap offers a wide range of hotels, restaurants, pubs and shops including several upscale hotels and dozens of budget guesthouses. Often missed are the many opportunities to experience traditional Cambodia: �Apsara� dance performances, craft shops and silk farms, road tours through rice-paddy countryside, boat trips on the great Tonle Sap Lake to fishing villages and bird sanctuary, and much more.

Angkor

Angkor literally means 'Capital City' or 'Holy City'. 'Khmer' refers to the dominant ethnic group in modern and ancient Cambodia. In its modern usage, the term 'Angkor' has come to refer to the capital city of the Khmer Empire that existed in the area of Cambodia between the 9th and 12th centuries AD, as well as to the empire itself.

The temple ruins in the area of Siem Reap, Cambodia are the remnants of the capital cities of the Angkorian era Khmer Empire, and represent the pinnacle of the ancient Khmer architecture, art and civilization. The Age of Angkor was a time when the capital area contained more than a million people, when Khmer kings constructed vast waterworks and grand temples, and when Angkor's military, economic and cultural dominance held sway over the area of modern Cambodia, and much of Thailand, Vietnam and Laos. See History for more.

The following guide lists and describes the temple ruins in the area of Siem Reap, Cambodia that are most often accessible and interesting to the casual visitor. Though the list is more than sufficient for the average tourist, it is not by any means a comprehensive list of Khmer or even Angkorian ruins.

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