Cambodia: Places to Explore

Cambodia's second-largest city straddles the Sanker River in the center of the country's rice bowl. Dusty Battambang is bypassed by most visitors to Cambodia, but it's an interesting city to explore The... Read more

Cambodia's third-largest city was also an ancient Khmer center of culture and power on the Mekong River, and it has a pre-Angkorian temple, Wat Nokor. (Sadly, the temple itself is in a state of disrepair... Read more

These ruins, exactly halfway between Phnom Penh and Siem Reap, are even older than those at Angkor. They are all that remain of the 7th-century Sambor Prei Kuk, the capital of Zhen La, a loose federation... Read more

This attractive riverside town at the foot of the Elephant Mountain range, not far from the sea, is known for its French-colonial architecture remnants—and for salt and pepper. In the dry season... Read more

You'll never find another seaside getaway quite like Kep, with its narrow pebble beach bordered by the ghostly villa ruins of the Khmer Rouge era. What once was the coastal playground of Cambodia's elite... Read more

This Mekong River island's main attractions are its beach and its handicrafts community of silk weavers, wood-carvers, potters, painters, and jewelry makers. The beach isn't spectacular by Southeast Asian... Read more

Kratie is famous for the colony of freshwater Irrawaddy dolphins that inhabits the Mekong River some 15 km (9 mi) north of town. The dolphins are most active in the early morning and late afternoon. Taxis... Read more

A trip to Phnom Chisor is worth the drive just for the view from the top of the hill of the same name. There's a road to the summit, but most visitors prefer the 20-minute walk to the top, where stunning... Read more

The capital of Cambodia, Phnom Penh is strategically positioned at the confluence of the Mekong, Tonle Sap, and Bassac rivers. The city dates back to 1372, when a wealthy woman named Penh, who lived at... Read more

Visiting this region makes you feel as if you've arrived at the end of the world. Both Ratanakkiri and neighboring Mondulkiri provinces are mountainous and covered with dense jungle, and together they... Read more

The four-hour bus journey from Phnom Penh to Sihanoukville along Highway 4 is an interesting one, winding through uplands, rice paddies, and orchards. Once you drive past Phnom Penh's Pochentong Airport... Read more

Siem Reap, which means "Siam defeated," based on a 15th-century battle with Cambodia's neighbors to the west, is turning into a thriving, bustling city with great shopping, dining, and nightlife options... Read more

A half a century ago, Cambodia's main port city, Sihanoukville, was a sleepy backwater called Kampong Som. Then a series of world-shattering events overtook it and gave rise to the busy industrial center... Read more

On weekends Phnom Penh residents head for this small lake just a half-hour's drive south on Highway 2. It has a beach with refreshment stalls and souvenir stands. Note that you'll encounter many beggars... Read more

This small town served as the Khmer capital from the early 1600s until 1866, when King Norodom moved the capital south to Phnom Penh. Today it's an important pilgrimage destination for Cambodians paying... Read more