1. Angkor

The house of the well-known Angkor Wat is absolutely one of Cambodia's must-see places.

Sadly, thanks to the famous pagodas and vine-dressed stupas that are tagged by UNESCO, it's likewise among the busiest areas in the country.

Still, it's certainly worth braving the crowds and hopping out of Siem Reap for a spell to see this world wonder.

Encompassed by wetland rice paddies and dense jungles, it emerges from the canopy in a medley of historic Khmer towers and enchanting erstwhile Hindu shrines.

Today, it's the chants of Buddhist monks and gasping travelers that dominates, as they weave in between the detailed base reliefs and the excellent sandstone sculptures of mythic beasts.

2. Sihanoukville

Sihanoukville is Cambodia's answer to the backpacker beach towns of Thailand just throughout the gulf.

A broken-down location of tin-roofed hostels and bamboo beer bars spilling onto the sands, it exudes an easygoing vibe that's a welcome break from the country's other urban.

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 could likewise make a beeline around the headlands to less-trodden Otres Beach, or pay the entry fee for remote Sokha Beach close by.

3. Phnom Penh

Phnom Penh is a city in flux: a place where barrios of haphazard shack houses mingle with gilded temples of gold leaf and straight-laced highways of the 21st century.

That indicates it's likewise a fine 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 definitely the luxurious Royal Palace complex, which shimmers with the spires of the Silver Pagoda at its center.

For a taste of local life, make sure to strike the buzzing Sisowath Quay, which runs along the Mekong in a medley of markets and picnic areas.

And-- naturally-- there are the so-called Killing Fields just on the edge of town: sobering and stark pointers of the scaries 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 slowly however definitely raising itself to become one of Cambodia's bona fide backpacker centers.

It's simple to see why the small travelers enjoy it too-- think cheap lumber longhouses and earthy guesthouses, truly old ruins at Sambor and conventional craft markets on the water.

However that's not all, because Kratie has actually likewise ended up being renowned as one of the top places to see the Cambodian river dolphin.

Excursions to stalk these majestic mammals in the Mekong leave from the docks every day.

5. Siem Reap

It's true that many people flock to Siem Reap to hop throughout to the UNESCO wonder of Ankgor Wat.

Nevertheless, thanks largely to the increase of folk coming in current decades, this one has actually developed into a great place to go to in its own right.

You can look into an old town of classy French mansions and captivating Chinese shops, all of which are stressed by the heady fray of Psah Chas market (ideal for sizzling noodle soups!) and countless backpacker bars (look for appropriately-named Bar Street). There are also some actually excellent 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 sized, lesser-known sibling of Angkor Wat.

Found deep in the jungles of northern Cambodia, the spot reigned as the capital of the mighty Khmer Empire for a measly 20 years.

However, those two decades of magnificence still show, with elaborate stupas extending from the canopies and the 1,000-year-old rises of the stepped Prasat Thom temples skyrocketing more than 30 meters in the air.

You'll also have the ability to see an intricate selection of fortifications dating from the 10th century, and collapsing ruins of shrines now almost totally declared by the roots of huge teak trees.

In other words: this one's a fine option to dynamic Angkor.

7. Koh Rong

This eight-shaped island that remains where the waters of the Thai Gulf satisfy the South China Sea is a photo of tropical excellence.

It boasts a massive 23 individual stretches of sand, all of which are far quieter and unblemished than their compadres throughout the straits in Sihanoukville.

Rustic, salt-sprayed cottages line the coast sporadically, and there are lots of opportunities for trekking through the forests, or striking the coral-colored sea for a bout of snorkeling.

Koh Rong is likewise famed for its bioluminescent waters, which glimmer under the dark skies during the night-- you'll spot them if you aren't too hectic guzzling beers in neighboring Koh Tuch Village!

8. Banlung

The provincial capital of Ratanakiri is barely on the tourist radar at all-- at least for the minute, that is.

Gradually however certainly, more and more adventure applicants and outdoorsy types are waxing down the strolling boots and heading to this remote corner of the nation, where macaques meet slipping snakes in between the jungle canopies.

The town itself might be a dusty, stressful affair, however there are lots of tour organizers there who can create trips out to the gorgeous Yeak Laom Volcanic Lake, the enormous cataract of Cha Ong, or the sweeping rubber plantations that surround the province.

9. Kampot

Kampot might appear tantalizingly near the coast for it not to be about beaches, but this river town on the delta waters of the Praek Tuek Chhu offers something completely different than just sand, sea and sun.

Start with a journey to the pepper farms that blanket the local flatlands-- they are not just the primary financial chauffeur here, however also accountable for the distinct peppercorns of Kampot.

The town is likewise house to a series of earthy fishing towns, where seafood fries come doused in chili and lemongrass.

And then there's the selection of dilapidating colonial integrate in the center, together with the rusting shells of old engines in the Kampot railway station.

10. Mondulkiri

Asian elephants family holidays stalk the fields and bushlands of remote Mondulkiri Province; water buffalo and wood longhouses call the wetlands, as peaks of forest-clad rock rise to fulfill the border with Vietnam.

This eastern gem is a far cry from the sun-scorched lands and steamy tropical climes that control the remainder of the country, and is slowly becoming famous for its second-to-none elephant preservation job.

Cultural encounters with the earthy Bunong tribespeople are likewise possible, and ecotourism of that sort is now the main driver here.

11. Battambang

Statue-dotted Battambang is possibly something of an unusual favorite on the backpacking circuit around Cambodia.

Why? Well, there's not truly all that much to see in the town itself, and the temples barely measure up to the majesty of Siem Reap.

Still, folk continue to flock to this 2nd city, and we're hardly grumbling.

Vibrant traveler bars line the streets and there are some fantastic hotels to select from, all of which hide 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 eerie Wat Samraong Knong, which was as soon as used as a Khmer Rouge jail!

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, years of war and Khmer Rouge destruction took its toll on the country's leading seaside retreat, and today remnants of that dark age can still be seen in the form of messed up rental properties and burned out hotels along the coast.

Kep is rebounding, and today the pretty stretches of grainy yellow sand along the Kep Peninsula are alive when more with seafood dining establishments and bars.

Oh, and don't leave without sampling the popular Kep crab-- among Cambodia's most famous staples!

13. Koh Thonsay

Bunny Island (as it's understood 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 country.

Fringed with softly sloping yellow sands and rows of swaying coconut palms, it's got all the tropical charms you 'd expect from a tropical island.

However, Koh Thonsay also comes with far fewer crowds than its compadres across the waters in the Land of Smiles, and the costs are more affordable too! The best thing to do is strap on the strolling boots and trek the coastal trails.

Eventually you'll discover a secluded cove of sparkling coast waters, completely empty save for the periodic 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 Rainforest waterfall down to satisfy the Indian Ocean.

Undeveloped and unblemished by the onset of contemporary tourism, the place remains an image of wild Southeast Asia.

A smattering of casinos and sleazy massage parlors do still remain on from the days when Krong was a smuggler passage town on the Thai border, but the genuine 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 suggestions