With Laos to the north, Vietnam to the east and Thailand to the west, beautiful and noble Cambodia lies like a little gem in the middle of the Southeast Asian oyster. Cambodia covers an area of 181,035 km2 and has a population of about 14.8 million . The country was under French rule many years ago, and the country’s name comes from the French word for colony, Cambodge. Cambodia is a country with a lot to offer and to help you along the way, we have made a top 3 of the best sights in Cambodia that we can highly recommend.
1. Angkor Wat i Siem Reap
Angkor Wat is a large Buddhist temple complex, and is Cambodia’s greatest national pride. The temple is located in the northern part of the country in the city of Siem Reap. Siem Reap is the second largest city in Cambodia and we can only recommend you to travel here on your trip.
This monument is one of the world’s largest monuments gathered in one place, and has an area of more than 400 hectares. The area was built by the country’s then emperor back in the 12th century, and was built to pay homage to the Hindu god, Vishnu. Around the 13th century, the temple was transformed into a Buddhist site as this faith became more and more widespread throughout the country.
Angkor Wat has been a part for the last many years. Cambodia is a country that has been through a lot, and all of this has also left its mark on the temple. Due to war, natural disasters and mastery, the temple underwent a major renovation in 1970, which has been the reason for the temple’s extremely high quality today. Although the buildings have been renovated, they still have their historic, hirostic and strange appearance.
The beautiful temple is the country’s biggest tourist attraction with over 1 million visitors in 2019 ! A good idea would be to plan your trip to the temple as you may come across large crowds. You will not be able to avoid people, but if it can be planned so that you avoid the long queues, this is preferable for us.
Second in the same category as Angkor Wat
Angkor Wat is not the only archeological, cultural and beautiful monument in the country. They have countless beautiful and historic sites, temples and buildings. We therefore also recommend you to take a look at the sights below, in the same category with Angkor Wat, when you are backpacking in Cambodia.
- Angkor Thom. Located in extension of Angkor Wat
- Phnom Kraom
- Chau Say Tevoda
- Statement
The area around Angkor Wat is vast and many of the surrounding towns offer magnificent scenery. We can therefore only recommend that you wear hiking shoes or other shoes that you wear well.
Phnom Penh – The capital of Cambodia
Phnom Penh is the capital of Combodia with over 2 million inhabitants (wiki). The capital has so many wonderful things to offer and that is why we have put the city on our list of things to see when you arrive in Cambodia. To guide you a little better on the road, we have selected three things in the capital that are worth a visit. If you have only planned a few days in the city, it is a good idea to find out what to see in advance. That way, it will be easier to structure your time. In the capital we can highly recommend you to visit
Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum
This is a museum that shows what a tragic time the country was in many years ago. In the early 1970s, Cambodia was ruled by a ruling Communist party called the Khmer Rouge, which ruled the country with a heavy hand. In the years 1975-1979, all those who opposed the country’s government or committed crime were sent to the capital’s “security prison”, S-21, the buildings from an old municipal high school. The people sent here went through a tragic time of torture and miserable conditions. Although the S-21 is a scary place, it is a big part of Cambodia’s history, and we therefore recommend that you visit the S-21, which to this day has been transformed into a museum. You will have the opportunity to walk around on your own, and if you want a better understanding and narration of the history of the security prison, you can go on a guided tour
The Russian market
Going to large and chaotic markets with stalls and products as far as the eye can see, with salesmen diligently trying to sell you cheap copy versions of Gucci bags and Prada glasses, belongs to Southeast Asia – and including Cambodia. Cambodia’s capital is the home of the large Russian market, in the local speech referred to as the central market . Here you will be able to buy your souvenirs or even delicious and locally grown spices.
If you want to take a peek past the Russian market, it is a good idea to have cash on you – and thus also keep your bag close to your body. As a rule, the sellers of the products will always sell the goods at an overpriced price, so haggle over the price, because you can easily get it down. In these situations, you can afford to have an option that says that if you do not get the price down, you will not buy the product at all. Just stick to this option, because sellers want to make some money.
Wat Phnom
Wat Phnom is an extremely beautiful and breathtaking temple located in the beating heart of the capital. The temple is a Buddhist temple that was built back in the 14th century and stands 27 meters above the earth’s surface. If you want to get up to the temple, you have to set yourself up for a little leg training on top – because between you and the temple there are a lot of steps.
Large sections of the local Cambodian population still have a strong connection to the temple to this day. If you need luck, it is said to be part of the legend that the Buddha in this temple is a symbol of luck, happiness and goodness. Many of the locals pray every day to this particular Buddha if they find themselves in situations where they need good luck. Families have also brought the sick or weak of the family here, as it is also in the old faith that the temple has a healing effect. When visiting the temple, remember to wear respectful clothing. That means no bare arms / shoulders, no short shorts and no shoes on inside. There will be instructions on how to dress on site
3. Mekong River
One of the things that characterizes Southeast Asia is the great river that runs through landing Vietnam, Cambodia, China, Laos and Thailand. Mekong river. The river stretches over 4350 km. The Mekong River is one of the oldest sights in Cambodia and part of the country.
In the old days, this river was used as the primary way of transporting goods, as the locals could sail the locally grown products from A to B. Today, the river is also used for transporting goods, but since trucks and other modes of transport have become more widespread , the river is no longer the first choice for this.
However, the old purpose of the river has persisted, and many of the small communities use the river for their floating markets. At these markets, fruits, vegetables and spices are sold to both locals and tourists who can access the market from the bridges along the river. The river is also used as a home for many natives. Areas of the river in Cambodia are filled with “the floating houses”, Chong Kneas. These are villages with locals who were born and raised on the river, and therefore have learned to adapt to life in a different environment.
If you want to get one step closer to one of the world’s largest rivers, it is possible to book a boat trip here. The most popular trips on the river are departing from the capital, and you can find information on how the trips take place here .
