Cambodia

Cambodia is a Southeast Asian nation whose landscape spans low-lying plains, the Mekong Delta and mountains. Phnom Penh, its capital, is home to the Royal Palace and the National Museum’s historical and archaeological exhibits. including Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum/Prison. Learn about the atrocities that took place here during the reign of the Khmer Rouge, seeing the spots where thousands of innocent prisoners were interrogated, tortured, and killed.

In the country’s northwest are the ruins of Angkor Wat, a massive stone temple complex built during the Khmer Empire.

So here in Phnom Penh, you will see the intricate 19th-century palace of the current King of Cambodia, and where Kings of Cambodia have lived since 1860. (Except during the genocide). See thousands of silver tiles inlaid in the floor of the Silver Pagoda, and tour the grounds.

Visit the genocide museum as mentioned above or travel out to the actual Choeung Ek Killing Fields, the spot where the Khmer Rouge executed more than 1 million people. While a visit to the site is a sobering one, the centre has been transformed into a peaceful place in homage to the lives that were lost.

Wildlife in Cambodia include dholes, elephants, deer, wild oxen, panthers, bears, and tigers. Cormorants, cranes, ibises, parrots, green peafowl, pheasants, and wild ducks are also found, and species of venomous snakes and constrictors are numerous. Deforestation, mining activities, and unregulated hunting have diminished the country’s wildlife diversity rapidly. However, a one-hour drive away from the capital is Phnom Tamao Wildlife Rescue Centre it is well worth the trip. Home to more than 1,200 animals giving us all hope.

Siem Reap, a resort town in the northwest is the gateway to the ruins of Angkor, the seat of the Khmer kingdom from the 9th–15th centuries. Angkor’s vast complex of intricate stone buildings includes Angkor Wat, the main temple, which is pictured on Cambodia’s flag and the giant mysterious faces carved into the Bayon Temple at Angkor Thom.

Not far (15km) out of Siem Reap is the vast 75km long Tonle Sap Lake that adjoins the Mekong Delta offering opportunities for cultural discovery and the eco system to view the diverse bird species mentioned at the top of the post.

Riding elephants in Cambodia is still available for tourists. The provinces of Siem Reap, Mondulkiri and Ratanakiri have elephants used for rides. Every year fewer elephants remain, they are close to extinction and riding them makes them die at a younger age.

The best and most enjoyable way to spend time with elephants during your stay in Cambodia is to book a tour at the Mondulkiri Project‘s elephant sanctuary, where you get to feed, walk with, wash and swim with elephants in their natural environment. Elephants at this sanctuary have been retired from being used for elephant rides. They will get to spend the rest of their lives eating as much bamboo as they want, swimming in the river whenever they want and playing in the mud whenever they want.

Located at the little-visited Sen Monorom, deep in Cambodia’s largest province of Mondulkiri. Known for its vast expanse of thick forests, thunderous waterfalls, hills that wave up and down towards misty, faraway horizons and a real chance to immerse yourself in nature. So enjoy.

There are numerous options with either full-service Airlines or budget carriers to get you into Cambodia. If you arrive in Phnom Penh and head to Siem Reap a novel way to travel instead of aircraft is by boat, takes around 5 hours. From Siem Reap you could utilise Jetstar/Singapore Airlines to Singapore or Bangkok Airways/Thai Airways into Bangkok. Visit Siem Reap as a side trip whilst visiting Singapore, 3 nights Singapore, 4 nights Siem Reap, heaps of opportunities.