| Cambodia tourism is a testament to the resilience, | | | | nearby Siem Reap. The town has an excellent |
| warmth and pragmatism of the people from the | | | | range of accommodation, including luxury air-con |
| Kingdom of Cambodia, formerly known as | | | | hotels near the airport, and also, for me, by far |
| Kampuchea. A tragic civil war of Orwellian | | | | and away the best places to stay, many |
| proportions, and severe disruption and damage | | | | interesting guesthouses, mainly near the Wat Bo |
| from the Vietnam war, left Cambodia as one of | | | | road area of Siem Reap. Most guesthouses will |
| the last places that anyone would to visit in South | | | | arrange for a car you to take you to some cool, |
| East Asia. However, today, it is possible to visit | | | | inexpensive, eateries around the town. Or just |
| more places in Cambodia than any other time in | | | | grab a tuk-tuk and enjoy! |
| its history. Many of the national highways have | | | | What if you want to explore some hidden gems |
| recently been upgraded with assistance from | | | | of Cambodia.? Then head back to Phnom Penh, |
| other countries. | | | | and go to see the natural beauty of Mondulkiri and |
| From Phnom Penh, the capital, full paved, and | | | | Ratanakiri provinces. Ratanakiri borders on Laos to |
| sealed, roads take you to Siem Reap, in northern | | | | the north, and Vietnam in the east, and Mondulkiri |
| Cambodia, and the modern day entry town to | | | | province to the south. |
| the Angkor Wat temple and city complex. | | | | You will need to go to a travel agent in Pnom |
| Similarly paved roads also take you to Sisophon, | | | | Penh in order to organize a tour to these beautiful |
| and Sihanoukville, in the south east, and home of | | | | provinces located in the north eastern part of |
| the best beaches in Cambodia, and also to | | | | Cambodia. There are no national highways or |
| Sisophon, in the north west, and an excellent place | | | | airlines servicing this relatively unknown part of |
| to start your journey to of Banteay Chhmar and | | | | the country. |
| Banteay Top Angkorian temples. | | | | Just as a heads-up notice to those of you planning |
| Any visit to Cambodia as a tourist should include | | | | to go to this region, and to the owners of |
| going to the Angor Wat temple complex. In | | | | Cambodia tourism websites, there are no flights |
| addition to the highway from Phnom Penh, | | | | to Ratanakiri airport. |
| importantly, Siem Reap, airport city code of KH, is | | | | Once you are in Mondulkiri, your local guide will |
| well served by airlines arriving at its international | | | | take you to some of the most remote, |
| airport, airport code of REP. These airlines include | | | | spectacular, scenery in South East Asia. Jungle, |
| arrivals from Singapore (SIN) with Silk Air, airline | | | | forests, hill tribes, and waterfalls, including the |
| code of MI, and Singapore Airlines (SQ), Bangkok | | | | beautiful Boura, all await you here. |
| (BKK) with Bangkok Airways (PG), Ho Chi Minh | | | | And then on to Ratanakiri. This may well be the |
| City (SGN) with Vietnam Airlines (VN), and other | | | | highlight of your visit to Cambodia, and the area is |
| international airlines including those arriving from | | | | just outstanding, ranging from, again, waterfalls, to |
| Phnom Penh, Taipei, Guangzhou, Hanoi, and Seoul | | | | the spectacular volcanic lake of Yak Laom, and |
| The Angkor Wat temple complex is made up of | | | | seeing the indigenous people of the hill tribes. |
| a number of sites, including Angkor Wat itself, and | | | | Try staying at the Terres Rouges Lodge, situated |
| the nearby ancient Khmer capital of Angkor | | | | on the Banlung lake. Banlung is the capital of |
| Thom nearby. Other major temple sites include | | | | Ratanakiri province, and is a busting small town of |
| the Little Circuit, taken from the French "Le Petit | | | | around seventeen thousand people, and where |
| Circuit", the Big Circuit, from the French Le Grand | | | | the hill tribe people come to sell their goods. |
| Circuit, the Roluos group of temples. | | | | The original lodge was the home of a former the |
| If you do want to visit the other temple sites | | | | governor of Ratanakiri province, and has a wealth |
| apart from Angkor Wat and Angkor Thom, it is | | | | of history. Today, you will find some of the best |
| important to know that the complex is situated | | | | services and food in all of Cambodia at Terres |
| more than four hundred square kilometers, and | | | | Rouge. Just check out the croissants and |
| sometimes can be difficult to get to, especially in | | | | baguettes that have aroma that you will only find |
| the rainy season. And just reference, four | | | | in the cafes of provincial France! Well, maybe |
| hundred square kilometers compares to small | | | | there are still a few similar eateries in Pnom Penh! |
| islands such as Barbados, and even Andorra in | | | | Sadly, you will have to say au revoir to Ratanakiri |
| Europe. | | | | and Mondulkiri at some point. I wish you bon |
| Interestingly, a recent radar survey, published in | | | | voyage back to your home! |
| 2007, now suggests that the Khmer settlements | | | | And finally, and as usual, a big hello to all my |
| and the Angkor temple and city sites could have | | | | friends at the Thailand Web Zone, which is a new |
| covered more than three thousand square | | | | Thai social networking and Thailand community |
| kilometers, which is about the size of Metro | | | | site. Share information in Thai forums and Thailand |
| Bangkok. The survey also found the sites of | | | | articles, meet people, share photos, music and |
| seventy four more temples and a far more | | | | video, find & submit information on Thailand |
| complex irrigation system not known before. | | | | travel. Make new friends from all over the world! |
| If you are planning to visit a few of the Angkor | | | | For those readers who have not visited TWZ, go |
| sites, you will need to spend a few days at | | | | have a look now! |