1. Angkor

The home of the well-known Angkor Wat is certainly among Cambodia's must-see places.

Sadly, thanks to the legendary pagodas and vine-dressed stupas that are tagged by UNESCO, it's likewise one of 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 thick jungles, it emerges from the canopy in a medley of historical Khmer towers and captivating erstwhile Hindu shrines.

Today, it's the chants of Buddhist monks and gasping tourists that dominates, as they weave in between the intricate 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 broken-down location of tin-roofed hostels and bamboo beer bars spilling onto the sands, it exudes an easygoing ambiance that's a welcome break from the country's other metropolitan.

The beaches are the place to be both day and night, with the establishments 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 charge for remote Sokha Beach close by.

3. Phnom Penh

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

That means it's likewise a great area to get to grips with the nature of Cambodia as a whole; a country nicely balanced in between the old and the brand-new.

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

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

And-- naturally-- there are the so-called Killing Fields simply on the edge of town: sobering and stark suggestions 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 easygoing spot is slowly however certainly raising itself to become one of Cambodia's authentic backpacker hubs.

It's easy to see why the shoestring travelers like it too-- think low-cost timber longhouses and earthy guesthouses, really old ruins at Sambor and conventional craft markets on the water.

But that's not all, because Kratie has actually likewise become famed as one of the leading places to see the Cambodian river dolphin.

Trips to stalk these magnificent 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 across to the UNESCO marvel of Ankgor Wat.

Nevertheless, thanks mostly to the increase of folk can be found in recent decades, this one has actually turned into a fine location to go to in its own right.

You can explore an old town of sophisticated French estates and enchanting Chinese stores, all of which are punctuated by the heady fray of Psah Chas market (best for sizzling noodle soups!) and numerous backpacker bars (look for appropriately-named Club Street). There are likewise some really 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, lesser-known bro of Angkor Wat.

Found deep in the jungles of northern Cambodia, the area reigned as the capital of the magnificent Khmer Empire for a meager 20 years.

Those 2 decades of magnificence still show, with intricate stupas extending from the canopies and the 1,000-year-old increases of the stepped Prasat Thom temples skyrocketing more than 30 meters above the ground.

You'll likewise have the ability to see an intricate selection of strongholds dating from the 10th century, and collapsing ruins of shrines now nearly entirely declared by the roots of huge teak trees.

In other words: this one's a fine alternative to dynamic 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 massive 23 specific stretches of sand, all of which are far quieter and untouched than their compadres across the straits in Sihanoukville.

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

Koh Rong is also renowned for its bioluminescent waters, which glimmer under the dark skies during the night-- you'll identify them if you aren't too busy guzzling beers in close-by Koh Tuch Town!

8. Banlung

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

Gradually but surely, more and more adventure hunters and outdoorsy types are waxing down the walking boots and heading to this remote corner of the country, where macaques meet slipping snakes between the jungle canopies.

The town itself may be a dirty, hectic affair, however there are a https://www.openlearning.com/u/ladawn-r6a78n/blog/TheTop10ThingsToD... lot of trip organizers there who can put together journeys out to the stunning Yeak Laom Volcanic Lake, the enormous cataract of Cha Ong, or the sweeping rubber plantations that surround the province.

9. Kampot

Kampot may appear 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 trip to the pepper farms that blanket the local flatlands-- they are not just the primary financial chauffeur here, however also responsible for the unique peppercorns of Kampot.

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

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

10. Mondulkiri

Asian elephants stalk the fields and bushlands of remote Mondulkiri Province; water buffalo and lumber longhouses sound the wetlands, as peaks of forest-clad rock increase 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 famous for its second-to-none elephant conservation 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 preferred 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 live up to the majesty of Siem Reap.

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

Lively tourist bars line the streets and there are some terrific hotels to pick from, all of which conceal between the periodic 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 was in the early 20th century.

Yep, decades of war and Khmer Rouge destruction took its toll on the nation's top seaside retreat, and today residues of that dark age can still be seen in the form of messed up villas and burned out hotels along the shore.

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

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

13. Koh Thonsay

Bunny Island (as it's known in English) is one of the gems of Kep Province, set simply out in the waters of the Thai Gulf from the southern coast of the nation.

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

Koh Thonsay likewise comes with far less 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 strolling boots and hike the coastal tracks.

Sooner or later you'll discover a secluded 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 beginning of contemporary tourist, the place remains an image of wild Southeast Asia.

A smattering of casinos and sleazy massage parlors do still stick around on from the days when Krong was a smuggler passage town on the Thai border, but the genuine pulls are certainly the gushing waterfalls, the wild jungles, and-- naturally-- 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