1. Angkor

The house of the well-known Angkor Wat is undoubtedly one of 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 nation.

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

Incorporated by wetland rice paddies and dense jungles, it emerges from the canopy in an assortment of historic Khmer towers and captivating erstwhile Hindu shrines.

Today, it's the chants of Buddhist monks and gasping tourists that controls, as they weave in between the detailed base reliefs and the fantastic sandstone sculptures of mythic monsters.

2. Sihanoukville

Sihanoukville is Cambodia's response to the backpacker beach towns of Thailand simply across the gulf.

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

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 world travel guide cost for secluded Sokha Beach close by.

3. Phnom Penh

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

That indicates it's also a great spot to get to grips with the nature of Cambodia as a whole; a nation neatly well balanced in between the old and the new.

The piece de resistance is undoubtedly the extravagant Royal Palace complex, which shimmers with the spires of the Silver Pagoda at its.

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

And-- naturally-- there are the so-called Killing Fields simply on the edge of town: sobering and plain tips 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 area is gradually however certainly raising itself to become one of Cambodia's authentic backpacker centers.

It's easy to see why the small travelers enjoy it too-- believe inexpensive lumber longhouses and earthy guesthouses, actually old ruins at Sambor and standard craft markets on the water.

That's not all, since Kratie has actually also ended up being well known as one of the leading locations to see the Cambodian river dolphin.

Expeditions 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.

Thanks mainly to the influx of folk coming in current years, this one has actually developed into a great location to check out in its own.

You can delve into an old town of sophisticated French estates and captivating Chinese stores, all of which are stressed by the heady fray of Psah Chas market (best for sizzling noodle soups!) and countless backpacker bars (search for appropriately-named Club Street). There are also some really great 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.

However, those two decades of magnificence still reveal, 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 be able to see a sophisticated array of fortifications dating from the 10th century, and falling apart ruins of shrines now almost entirely claimed by the roots of huge teak trees.

Simply put: this one's a fine alternative to busy 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 specific stretches of sand, all of which are far quieter and unblemished than their compadres across the straits in Sihanoukville.

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

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

8. Banlung

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

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

The town itself may be a dusty, busy affair, however there are lots of tour organizers there who can put together journeys out to the lovely Yeak Laom Volcanic Lake, the colossal cataract of Cha Ong, or the sweeping rubber plantations that surround the province.

9. Kampot

Kampot may seem tantalizingly close to the coast for it not to be about beaches, but this river town on the delta waters of the Praek Tuek Chhu uses something absolutely different than simply sand, sea and sun.

Start with a journey to the pepper farms that blanket the regional flatlands-- they are not only the main economic motorist here, but likewise responsible for the distinct peppercorns of Kampot.

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

And after that there's the variety of dilapidating colonial integrate in the center, in addition to the rusting shells of old locomotives in the Kampot train station.

10. Mondulkiri

Asian elephants stalk the fields and bushlands of distant Mondulkiri Province; water buffalo and wood longhouses ring the wetlands, as peaks of forest-clad rock rise to satisfy 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 nation, and is slowly becoming renowned for its second-to-none elephant conservation task.

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

11. Battambang

Statue-dotted Battambang is maybe 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 hardly complaining.

Vibrant traveler bars line the streets and there are some fantastic hotels to pick from, all of which conceal between the occasional Buddhist temple and the throbbing Central Market.

Around Battambang is where you'll find the Wat Baydamram (filled with fruit bats) and the eerie Wat Samraong Knong, which was once used as a Khmer Rouge jail!

12. Kep

Poor little Kep is simply a shadow of the jet setter resort for Cambodian dignitaries it remained in the early 20th century.

Yep, years of war and Khmer Rouge destruction took its toll on the nation's top seaside retreat, and today remnants of that dark age can still be seen in the kind of destroyed villas and burned out hotels along the coast.

Kep is rebounding, and today the lovely stretches of grainy yellow sand along the Kep Peninsula are alive once more with seafood restaurants and bars.

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

13. Koh Thonsay

Bunny Island (as it's understood in English) is among the gems of Kep Province, set simply 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 beauties you 'd anticipate from a tropical island.

Koh Thonsay likewise comes with far fewer crowds than its compadres throughout the waters in the Land of Smiles, and the rates are less expensive too! The best thing to do is strap on the walking boots and trek the seaside tracks.

Eventually you'll find a remote cove of shimmering coast waters, absolutely 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 Rain forest waterfall down to satisfy the Indian Ocean.

Undeveloped and untouched by the start of modern tourism, the location remains an image of wild Southeast Asia.

A smattering of gambling establishments and sleazy massage parlors do still linger on from the days when Krong was a smuggler passage town on the Thai border, however the genuine pulls are undoubtedly the gushing waterfalls, the wild jungles, and-- naturally-- the famous 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 of the high hills