Highlights of Cambodia travels - Top 20 destinations
Slide show depicting Cambodia's must-sees
Why seeing Top 20 with us!We make use of our expertise to present you Cambodia's travel highlights in somewhat unique ways. Firstly, we know to arrange visits of the most popular sites at certain times that help you to avoid the crowds. Secondly, we can combine the standard round tours with some little extras that other tourists usually don't come to see, surprising you with the charme of the hidden gems on the way. Moreover, as locals we provide a true chance to come into contact with that kind of Cambodian hospitality that is not part of the tourism industry. We will not reduce the beloved label "authentic" to an empty slogan.
We love to show you more than usual, if you agree to spend more time of the day for the sightseeing experiences. However, we understand that holiday makers need or like to recreation. This is why we also offer pure highlights tours that are realxed and don't start early in the morning. What we recommend most for restorativel travel holidays is to have the best of both worlds: Just include only a few intense days, for a change. And on days of relaxation decide spontaneously if you want to indulge in extra activities we offer as options only. |
Angkor regionAngkor
Tonle Sap Banteay Srei Phnom Kulen |
ancient sitesPreah Vihear
Koh Ker Phnom Chisor Prasat Bakan Sambor Prei Kuk Banteay Chhmar Oudong |
natureKratie and Mekong Dolphins
Mondolkiri Trekking Boeng Yeak Loam Phnom Bokor |
cities & beachesPhnom Penh
Sihanoukville Kampong Cham Battambang Kep |
Angkor simply means "city" and it was the largest pre-industrial city at all. What has survived, is temples built of stone, the largest and most imposing of which is Angkor Wat, with the 5 towers that form Cambodia's national emblem.
Two other famous temples you will probably have seen on many pictures are Bayon in Angkor Thom, which has the iconic face-towers depicting colossal Buddhas smiling enigmatically, and the so-called jungle temple Ta Prohm, which is overgrown by strangler figs, allowing you to see picturebook ruins in the jungles. Other highlights of Angkor inlclude Bakheng, the only large temple pyramid built atop a natural hill, Neak Pean, a charming little temple situated on an osland within a pond on an island within a lake, Baphuon, which was the world's largest jigsaw puzzle due to its reconstruction stone by stone, Pre Rup, a steep tired temple mount serving as a beloved sunset point, Preah Khan, a labyrinthic complex that once was an entire fortified city on its own, Banteay Samre, notable for its excellent Angkor Wat period carvings, and West Baray, the largest manmade pool of world history, just to name the most notable. What makes Angkor extraordinary is not only the size and the record numbers but its charming setting within a jungle and the enourmous amount of fascinating details. Angkor is still a treasure trove of Khmer sculptures and carvings, which belong to the most fascinating ancient works of art on the planet. When visiting Angkor, you shoul not miss a jungle walk to one of the less frequented temples to gain an impression how the ruins must have surprised those who resdiscovered them. We can show you some not too long pathes that will lead you to the undisturbed places that not many other tourists come to know. However, exploring Angkor is comfortable for the most part, as tourist facilities such as car parks, restaurants, stalls, shops , toilets are available near most of the temples. The town of Siem Reap is the gateway to Angkor, which is in the forests just to the north . It's actually packed with further attractions of various kinds. Also some of the ancient Angkorian temples are even found within Siem Reap and further south. |
Siem Reap, of course, is most famous for Angkor. However, the city has another world-class attraction in its immediate surroundings, it's just to the south as Angkor is just to the north: The Lake Tonle Sap is a kind of natural miracle and also a highly attractive place for sightseeing.
What's fascinating about Tonle Sap that the water levels rise and fall eight meters annually and sometimes even more. The reason for this natural phenomenon is that the river of the same name, which is a drain during half of the year becomes a tributary of the lake from June to November. The reason for this unique change of direction of the river is the annual flood of the Mekong river which is caused by both the monsoon rains and the melting of snow in the Himalayas. As the water levels of the Mekong rise its tributary Tonle Sap helps to divert the water masses into the lake, which thereby enlarges significantly and floods entire trees. Tis is why the areas surrounding Lake Tonle Sap are called "underwater forest". This seasonal event is of utmost importance for Cambodian people as the water brings also fish to the lake, the flooded forests of which then serve as the major spawning ground of fish contributing most of the protein diet of Cambodia. The abundance in fish is the reason why there are so many fishing villages along the shores of Lake Tonle Sap. However, as the water levels change drastically, people had to find solutions to cope with it. There are two different ways to handle the natural problem. There are floating village like Chong Kneas consisting of house boats and stilt villages like Kampong Phluk, where people live in permanant houses on up to 10 m high stilts. Both are close to Siem Reap, but there are many more places like this. The largest stilt village is Kampong Khleang in 50 km distance from Siem Reap. The abundance in fish also attracts water birds, of course. Not surprsingly so, Tonle Sap is a major attraction for birdlovers. The bird sanctuary of Prek Toal can be reached on boat tours. But birdwatching excursions should include an overnight stay near the lake to be able to make use of the early morning and late afternoon hours for observations. Lake and river are perfect for cruises from Siem Reap at the northern end of the lake to Phnom Penh, which is situated at the confluence of Tonle Sap and Mekong. |
Boeng Yeak Loam is a circular crater lake in a protected area in the mountain region of Ratanakiri Province. The crater, famous for its emerald water, is the result of a volcanic eruption that took place roughly 700,000 years ago. The lake is 800 meters in diameter and has a maximum depth of 48 meters deep. Boeng Yeak Loam is situated in a region inhabited by Tampuan people, an indigenous ethnic group of about 300,000 individuals. The Tampuan have an own language belonging to the same language family as Khmer. The crater lake is a religious site for Tampunag people, who perform their rituals for planting and harvesting festivals here. According to a Tampuan legend, the lake was formed by a giant, who dug the pit to keep his beautiful daughter here, who had run away with a boyfriend. Rain filling the pit then creating the lake.
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