1. Angkor
The house of the famous Angkor Wat is undoubtedly among Cambodia's must-see places.
Thanks to the legendary pagodas and vine-dressed stupas that are tagged by UNESCO, it's also one of the busiest spots in the country.
Still, it's absolutely worth braving the crowds and hopping out of Siem Reap for a spell to see this world marvel.
Included by wetland rice paddies and dense jungles, it emerges from the canopy in a collection of historical Khmer towers and captivating erstwhile Hindu shrines.
Today, it's the chants of Buddhist monks and gasping tourists that controls, as they weave between the detailed base reliefs and the excellent sandstone sculptures of mythic beasts.
2. Sihanoukville
Sihanoukville is Cambodia's response to the backpacker beach towns of Thailand just across the gulf.
A ramshackle place of tin-roofed hostels and bamboo beer bars spilling onto the sands, it exudes an easygoing ambiance that's a welcome break from the nation's other metropolitan.
The beaches are the place to be both day and night, with the facilities of Ochheuteal offering loungers and water sports aplenty.
For something a little quieter, you might also make a beeline around the headlands to less-trodden Otres Beach, or pay the entry cost for remote Sokha Beach close by.
3. Phnom Penh
Phnom Penh is a city in flux: a place where barrios of haphazard shack houses join gilded temples of gold leaf and straight-laced highways of the 21st century.
That indicates it's also a great area to get to grips with the nature of Cambodia as a whole; a country neatly well balanced in between the old and the brand-new.
The piece de resistance is surely the luxurious Royal Palace complex, which shimmers with the spires of the Silver Pagoda at its.
For a taste of local life, make certain to hit the buzzing Sisowath Quay, which runs along the Mekong in a medley of markets and picnic areas.
And-- of course-- there are the so-called Killing Fields just on the edge of town: sobering and plain tips of the horrors of Cambodia's 20th-century past.
4. Kratie
Defined by the meanders of the Mekong River as it gushes towards the delta and the South China Sea in the south-east, this laid-back spot is gradually however undoubtedly raising itself to become one of Cambodia's bona fide backpacker hubs.
It's easy to see why the small tourists like it too-- think inexpensive timber longhouses and earthy guesthouses, really old ruins at Sambor and traditional craft markets on the water.
That's not all, https://www.atoallinks.com/2022/wat-langka-must-visit-attractions-in-phnom-penh/ because Kratie has actually also ended up being renowned as one of the leading places to see the Cambodian river dolphin.
Expeditions to stalk these magnificent mammals in the Mekong leave from the docks every day.
5. Siem Reap
It holds true that most people flock to Siem Reap to hop throughout to the UNESCO marvel of Ankgor Wat.
Thanks largely to the increase of folk coming in current years, this one has developed into a great location to visit in its own.
You can look into an old town of elegant French estates and charming Chinese stores, all of which are stressed by the heady fray of Psah Chas market (ideal for sizzling noodle soups!) and many backpacker bars (look for appropriately-named Bar Street). There are also some truly fantastic museums in Siem Reap, like the sobering Cambodia Landmine Museum and the (equally sobering) War Museum Cambodia.
6. Koh Ker
Koh Ker is the smaller, lesser-known bro of Angkor Wat.
Found deep in the jungles of northern Cambodia, the area reigned as the capital of the mighty Khmer Empire for a measly twenty years.
Nevertheless, those twenty years of magnificence still show, with elaborate stupas protruding from the canopies and the 1,000-year-old rises of the stepped Prasat Thom temples skyrocketing more than 30 meters above the ground.
You'll likewise have the ability to see a sophisticated array of strongholds dating from the 10th century, and collapsing ruins of shrines now practically totally claimed by the roots of giant teak trees.
In other words: this one's a great option to busy Angkor.
7. Koh Rong
This eight-shaped island that sits out where the waters of the Thai Gulf meet the South China Sea is a picture of tropical perfection.
It boasts a tremendous 23 specific stretches of sand, all of which are far quieter and untouched than their compadres across the straits in Sihanoukville.
Rustic, salt-sprayed bungalows line the coast sporadically, and there are plenty of opportunities for travelling through the forests, or striking the coral-colored sea for a bout of snorkeling.
Koh Rong is also famed for its bioluminescent waters, which twinkle under the dark skies in the evening-- you'll spot them if you aren't too hectic guzzling beers in nearby Koh Tuch Village!
8. Banlung
The provincial capital of Ratanakiri is barely on the tourist radar at all-- a minimum of for the minute, that is.
Gradually but certainly, a growing number of adventure seekers and outdoorsy types are waxing down the walking boots and heading to this remote corner of the country, where macaques meet sliding snakes in between the jungle canopies.
The town itself might be a dusty, busy affair, but there are a lot of trip organizers there who can put together trips out to the stunning Yeak Laom Volcanic Lake, the colossal cataract of Cha Ong, or the sweeping rubber plantations that surround the province.
9. Kampot
Kampot might seem tantalizingly near to the coast for it not to be about beaches, however this river town on the delta waters of the Praek Tuek Chhu uses something completely different than simply sand, sea and sun.
Start with a trip to the pepper farms that blanket the local flatlands-- they are not just the primary financial driver here, however likewise responsible for the unique peppercorns of Kampot.
The town is also house to a series of earthy fishing villages, where seafood french fries come splashed in chili and lemongrass.
And then there's the range of dilapidating colonial builds in the center, along with the rusting shells of old engines in the Kampot railway station.
10. Mondulkiri
Asian elephants stalk the fields and bushlands of distant Mondulkiri Province; water buffalo and wood longhouses call the wetlands, as peaks of forest-clad rock rise to satisfy the border with Vietnam.
This eastern jewel is a far cry from the sun-scorched lands and steamy tropical climes that control the rest of the country, and is gradually becoming famous for its second-to-none elephant preservation project.
Cultural encounters with the earthy Bunong tribespeople are likewise possible, and ecotourism of that sort is now the primary chauffeur here.
11. Battambang
Statue-dotted Battambang is possibly something of an uncommon preferred on the backpacking circuit around Cambodia.
Why? Well, there's not actually all that much to see in the town itself, and the temples barely live up to the majesty of Siem Reap.
Still, folk continue to flock to this 2nd city, and we're barely grumbling.
Dynamic traveler bars line the streets and there are some terrific hotels to select from, all of which hide in between the occasional Buddhist temple and the throbbing Central Market.
Around Battambang is where you'll discover the Wat Baydamram (filled with fruit bats) and the spooky Wat Samraong Knong, which was once used as a Khmer Rouge prison!
12. Kep
Poor little Kep is simply a shadow of the jet setter resort for Cambodian dignitaries it was in the early 20th century.
Yep, decades of war and Khmer Rouge destruction took its toll on the nation's leading seaside retreat, and today residues of that dark age can still be seen in the kind of messed up vacation homes and burned out hotels along the coast.
Nevertheless, Kep is rebounding, and today the lovely stretches of grainy yellow sand along the Kep Peninsula live once again with seafood dining establishments and bars.
Oh, and don't leave without sampling the famous Kep crab-- one of Cambodia's a lot of legendary staples!
13. Koh Thonsay
Rabbit Island (as it's known in English) is among the jewels of Kep Province, set just out in the waters of the Thai Gulf from the southern coast of the nation.
Fringed with softly sloping yellow sands and rows of swaying coconut palms, it's got all the tropical charms you 'd anticipate from a tropical island.
Koh Thonsay likewise comes with far less crowds than its compadres across the waters in the Land of Smiles, and the rates are more affordable too! The best thing to do is strap on the strolling boots and hike the coastal routes.
Sooner or later you'll find a remote cove of glittering shore waters, totally empty save for the occasional bobbing fishing skiff.
14. Koh Kong
The rugged, salt-sprayed rocks of the Koh Kong coast mark the point where the primeval woods of the Cardamom Mountains Jungle cascade down to meet the Indian Ocean.
Undeveloped and untouched by the beginning of contemporary tourist, the location remains a photo of wild Southeast Asia.
A smattering of gambling establishments and sleazy massage parlors do still remain on from the days when Krong was a smuggler passage town on the Thai border, however the real pulls are surely the gushing waterfalls, the wild jungles, and-- of course-- the legendary white-sand beaches of Koh Krong Island.
15. Pailin
Pailin can be discovered deep in the Cardamom Mountains of western Cambodia.
Surrounded by hills of green bush and controlled by the serrated pointers of the high hills on the horizon, it was