Outlying Areas

It might be hard to believe this after visiting Siem Reap, but there’s still more to this nation than majestic Angkor. Beyond her intricate temple carvings and tree-lined avenues, beyond the twisted roots of Ta Prohm and the rush of colorful tuk-tuks, lies the surrounding countryside. This is the real Cambodia after all and, quite simply, it’s beautiful. Verdant rice fields spread to the farthest reaches of the horizon, bordered by lush vegetation, sky-high palms, grazing animals, stilted villages, and children at play. Of course, much of this land is still crisscrossed by dirt roads and motorbike trails, but for those keen on intrepid adventure, you’ll certainly be avoiding the crowds. Even with one extra day, you could travel beyond Koh Ker to the truly remote Preah Vihear Temple, staged incredibly almost 2,000 ft high on a Dangkrek mountain peak. Likewise, you could travel south of Siem Reap to visit Tonle Sap lake, the largest freshwater body in all of Southeast Asia. This is a critical ecosystem full of fishing villages providing livelihoods to millions. Other points of interest in rural Cambodia include the Cardamom Mountains, weaving and handicraft villages, wildlife sanctuaries, Mekong towns, and the isolated minority tribes of Ratanakiri province. Naturally too, there are always more temples scattered about, as well as the subtle French influence apparent in colonial towns such as Battambang and beachside Kep. One thing’s for sure, though, you’ll find the friendly faces endemic to all regions.

Phnom Penh

To understand the pain of past decades, a trip to Tuol Sleng, or S-21, is invaluable. Located in Phnom Penh, it was perhaps the worst of all security prisons maintained by the Khmer Rouge during its communist reign of terror. Originally a high school, any youthful happiness represented in its classrooms was extinguished long ago, as they were instead converted, in the late 1970s, into isolation cells and torture chambers. The victims were the educated, the wealthy. Basically anyone who was considered an elite was also considered to be a threat to the common people, and thus was brought to the capital. Once captured, the odds were bad. Out of the thousands upon thousands who passed through S-21, less than ten survived. Although the site is now a museum, the vacant halls are still terrifying, the mugshots of the victims still haunting. As a logical follow-up to S-21, a visit to the killing fields, just outside of town, will complete the picture. Other interesting Phnom Penh highlights include the Royal Palace, the National Museum, and the curious mix of new steel and concrete buildings going up alongside crumbling facades of colonial architecture. After all, it’s been less than a century since Cambodia was part of French Indochina, Phnom Penh once hailed the “Pearl of Asia.” What the activities of past decades did not manage to destroy of this mixed cultural heritage still remains in bits throughout the urban areas; traditional Cambodian dance is experiencing a revival, higher education is re-gaining its status, French is often spoken in the streets, and riverside cafes serve European food and wine throughout the night. As far as the future, Phnom Penh, it seems, will be shaping it for the rest of the country. Most of our clients who visit the capital do so when traveling via Mekong speedboat from Chau Doc, Vietnam en route to Siem Reap.