Cambodia

By Meggan Rau

Due to its turbulent and violent history, Cambodia has long been considered too dangerous for tourists. However, the country has in the past few years made great changes in the political arena, and is emerging as an attractive destination for more and more adventurous travelers. And it’s no wonder why. With its friendly people, awe-inspiring temples, captivating cities, engaging culture, delicious (albeit exotic) food, and unique festivals, there’s no shortage of things to see and do in this fascinating country.

Cambodia is located in Southeast Asia, and shares its borders with Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, and The Gulf of Thailand. Cambodia covers 181,035 square kilometers, and is roughly half the size of Italy. The Mekong River, which dominates the geography of Cambodia, is the only river in the world that reverse its flow with the changing from the wet to dry seasons, and this important occurrence is celebrated with the annual Water Festival.

Cambodia has enjoyed recent political stability--1999 marked the country’s first year of peace in 30 years. But the country’s history of mass murder and foreign occupation is deeply rooted in the collective conscious of the people, and it is imperative that visitors to Cambodia develop an appreciation for this history before embarking on their journey.

Between 1975 and 1979, in an effort to transform Cambodia into a “peasant-dominated agrarian cooperative,” Pol Pot and his Khmer Rouge regime systematically murdered an estimated two million Cambodians, approximately 30 percent of the population. During this period of genocide, much of Cambodia’s art and literature were destroyed, and Cambodians are only now beginning to recover from this tragic period in history.

The best time to visit Cambodia is during the cooler, less humid and rainy months of December and January. Visitors may want to catch the country’s biggest festival, Bon Om Tuk, which is held in early November.

Cambodia’s attractive capital city, Phnom Penh, is home to several temple-monasteries (wats), including Wat Ounalom, Wat Phnom and Wat Moha Montrei. The Silver Pagoda is one of the few places where cultural artifacts were preserved by the Khmer Rouge regime.

Battambang is Cambodia’s second largest city, and serves as a good base point for visiting some of the more off–the-beaten-track temples and villages nearby. The city’s river-side location, combined with its French colonial style architecture, make it an attractive place to visit.

With over one thousand temples, Angkow Wat is the world’s largest religious monument, and the biggest tourist destination in the country. Simply put, this place is not to be missed. The pretty nearby town of Siem Reap, once sleepy and quiet, now bustles with the almost one million tourists that visit the area annually.

The Killing Fields of Choeung Ek are a sobering reminder of the estimated 17,000 Cambodians executed here by the Khmer Rouge between 1975 and 1978.

Sihanoukville is a southern Cambodia port city located on the Gulf of Thailand. Home to white beaches, island views, and the famous Serendipity beach, Sihanoukville has become quite popular with tourists seeking a little rest and relaxation in Cambodia.