Angkor Wat
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 Picchu and the Taj Mahal.

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. The town itself is actually a cluster of old villages, which originally developed around individual pagodas, and later overlaid with a French colonial-era centre.

Phnom Penh
Phnom Penh, once known as the “Paris of the East”, is a city experiencing a genuine renaissance, with new restaurants, cafés, boutiques and hotels appearing everywhere. However, much remains unchanged in Phnom Penh – there are precious few cities left where some of the atmosphere of old Indochina remains intact. Phnom Penh’s most popular strip of restaurants and bars is along the riverside promenade.

Battambang
More laid back with pretty countryside this is a great place to explore cultural villages to learn how locals produce ricer paper, prahoc (typical Cambodian fish paste), and grolan (sticky rice stuffed in bamboo). Beautifully preserved French colonial architecture and fabulous cuisine make this town worth the visit!

Tonle Sap Lake
Tonle Sap (The Great Lake) is the flowing heart of Cambodia, giving life to millions of people. It has more fish than any other lake in the world and is home to an incredible variety of birdlife.

Cambodia has a tropical monsoon climate, where the rainy season runs from May through to November typified by sultry, oppressive days with high humidity.

December to April is the dry season with a lot of sunshine, however temperatures remain fairly constant throughout the year (around mid 30 degrees celcius)

Where do I start? Perhaps the capital city, Phnom Penh is logical. I really like this town sitting along the bank of the Mekong. The impressive Royal Palace is well worth a visit and allow at least 2 hours to see it properly. If interested in history the nearby museum is excellent. Confronting but essential is a visit to S21, the Tuol Sleng prison where despotic Pol Pot imprisoned so many in the 1970s. From here they were generally taken to the Killing Fields situated about 30 minutes outside town which may also be visited, whew! It is hot here in Cambodia year round and what better way to relax at the end of the day than to sit in the famous bar of the Foreign Correspondents Club (FCC) and enjoy an ice cold beer as life on the Mekong passes by. The FCC was the watering hole for all the foreign journalists during the Vietnam War. The sense of history here is palpable.

I travelled between Phnom Penh and Siem Reap by river. These couple of days are brilliant as you cruise the Mekong and across the enormous Tonle Sap Lake, a most important source of food for Cambodians from the massive tonnage of fish caught there every year, before arriving at Angkor Wat. You really get to appreciate the importance of the Mekong to IndoChina, it is the lifeblood of the region and the stilt house built on and alongside the river offer a fantastic insight to a way of life very different than our own. Over the years I have been lucky enough to visit most of the great archaeological sites around the world; the Sphinx and Pyramids in Egypt; Machu Picchu in Peru and Tikal in Guatemala are amongst my favourites. They are all rivaled by Angkor, the remarkable Khmer city built about 1000 years ago. Spend a minimum of 2 days exploring these temples. Our local guides bring them alive. They are extraordinary. Some temples are overgrown with jungle and others cleared. Each has its own special appeal. You will be blown away by the massive size of some and delighted by the beautiful art in others. I have been there several times and look forward to going back.

Chris Lyons, Director

Currency Riel (KHR) – US Dollars widely accepted

Language Khmer is the official language of Cambodia

Why we love it Hear the name Cambodia and you must surely be instantly transported to the atmospheric mystery of Angkor, massive temple cities built by kings revered as gods. From the delicate Bantei Sreay, the Temple of the Women, through to Ta Phrom slowly being reclaimed by jungle with tree roots growing right down into the stonework, the temples of Angkor retain an other-worldliness that is hard to beat. Cambodia is so much more than Angkor though with palm fringed beaches in Sihanoukville, saffron clad monks wandering silently in pilgrimage and traditional farming methods displayed on Tonle Sap Lake that have endured for centuries.

Weather Cambodia has a tropical monsoon climate, where the rainy season runs from May through to November typified by sultry, oppressive days with high humidity. December to April is the dry season with lots of sunshine, however temperatures remain fairly constant throughout the year (around mid-30oC).

Social customs & quirks The majority of Cambodians follow the principles of Theravada Buddhism which teaches the concept of reincarnation. How you conduct yourself during your human life will have a bearing on whether or not you come back as a higher or lower being. Adhering to this belief system, the Cambodian people are always mindful of their manners, being careful not to cause offence to others, and show the respect required in what is a hierarchical society. Foreigners will find them to be a friendly and polite people and, if in doubt of Cambodian etiquette, the rule of thumb is to follow their lead and refrain from being too exuberant when exchanging greetings.

Festivals & events Cambodia has its fair share of festivals including the Water Festival marking the changing of the flow of the Tonle Sap and thanksgiving to the Mekong River for providing fertile land and abundant food. Pchum Ben in September is the most culturally significant event of the year and blesses the souls of ancestors, relatives and friends passed. All Buddhist Temples are the focus for the festivities where most Cambodians will come to make offerings and pray. King Sihanouk?s Birthday in October, Khmer New Years Day in April, the Angkor Festival in November or December, Royal Ploughing Day, Independence Day, Chinese New Year and National Day also have great significance.

Health* There are currently no compulsory heath requirements to enter Cambodia other than a Yellow Fever certificate if entering from an infected area. Being up to date with your general immunisation programme is recommended, as is having malarial prevention medication. Please contact your health practitioner for full and current details.

Notes *Please be aware that Health information is subject to change at any time and you should always double check these requirements at the time of booking and before travel.