Among the best things to do in Cambodia is exploring magnificent historical sites, some of which are on the bucket lists of many a traveller. From the amazing Angkor Wat and the well-known offshoots to the unnerving Killing Fields of Phnom Penh, this part of the world is a fascinating and rewarding place to visit. We can all learn lessons from Cambodia's chequered past.
Shift gradually from memories of war to peace at tranquil and secluded Bamboo Island, or hit the beautiful beaches of Koh Rong. If you prefer the countryside to the coastline, consider Cambodia’s ‘rice bowl’, Battambang. Alternatively, you can enjoy the charming Apsara Dance or try your luck at the casinos in Sihanoukville.
- Private Angkor Wat & Royal Temples Excursion
- Afternoon Tour of Angkor Wat
- Royal Palace, Silver Pagoda & Independence Monument Half-Day Tour
- Phnom Penh Full-Day Guided Trip
- Private Excursion to Ancient Temples, Takéo Silk Village & Mount Chisor
- Small-Group Mekong Sunset Tour
- Sunrise Angkor Temple Photo Excursion
- Flight of the Gibbon Zipline Tour at Angkor Park
- Tonlé Sap Lake Tour with Sunset Dinner Cruise
- Angkor Temples Private Small-Group Tour
You can find the ruins of the ancient city of Angkor a short distance to the north of Siem Reap. It is the site of the largest pre-industrial city in the world covering an area of 400 sq km.
Angkor Wat is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is the driving motivation for many a visit to Cambodia. The beautiful ruins were once the heart of the ancient Khmer Empire and, even after 1,000 years, it remains a breathtaking site, fully deserving of its worldwide reputation. Read More...
- Tour Available: Angkor Temples Private Small-Group Tour
- Opening Hours: Daily from 5am to 6pm
- Location: Siem Reap, Cambodia
You can find The Bayon complex right at the centre of Angkor Thom (which translates to 'Great City'). That's why Bayon is considered the heart of the Angkor complex as it is today.
This inner city is surrounded by a moat, and you can approach it at the site's 4 cardinal points via huge stone gates and causeways. These passages are effectively flanked by statues of gods and giants, which complement the overall sight of the complex. Read More...
- Tour Available: Private Angkor Thom, Bayon, Ta Prohm & Angkor Wat Tour
- Location: Angkor Archaeological Park, Siem Reap, Cambodia
If Angkor Wat and the city of Angkor Thom are best known for grandeur and majesty, then the temple and monastery of Ta Promh takes the prize for sheer dramatic effect.
Unlike most other monuments within the Angkor Archaeological Park, Ta Promh has been long left the way it was originally found. You can see the site is heavily overgrown and smothered by tree roots, which help give it a mysterious vibe. Read More...
- Tour Available: Half-Day Angkor Thom City & Ta Prohm Temple Tour
- Location: Angkor Archaeological Park, Siem Reap, Cambodia
The Tonlé Sap Lake is the largest freshwater lake in Southeast Asia. During the monsoon season, between June and October, it creates a massive and extremely diverse natural environment, including flooded forests and wetlands.
This helps it turn into a home for a dizzying array of exotic wildlife. You can also find some remarkable sights of human activity around the lake, in the form of several floating villages. Read More...
- Tour Available: Tonlé Sap Lake Tour with Sunset Dinner Cruise
- Location: Sieam Reap, Cambodia
The Apsara Dance is an iconic Khmer cultural performance that you can't miss on your visit to Cambodia. The dance draws its inspiration from the mythological court of the gods and from its celestial dancers, the Apsaras.
Taught and passed down through many generations, the Apsara Dance took on its own unique form adding movements and meaning, during the reigns of Jayavarman II and Jayavarman VII as well as during the Angkor era. Read More...
- Tour Available: Apsara Dancing Experience
- Location: Siem Reap and Phnom Penh, Cambodia
Commonly known as The Killing Fields, Choeung Ek is a reminder of Cambodia's tragic recent past. The site indeed isn't the most cheerful place to visit in Cambodia. Yet, this cornerstone of “dark tourism” does a very good job of putting human faces to the mindboggling statistics of the Khmer Rouge and its 1.7 million victims.
The museum and memorial can be extremely instructive in terms of coming to grips with what actually happened during those terrible years, which is what makes it visiting them one of the more popular things to do in Cambodia. Read More...
- Tour Available: Tuol Sleng & National Museum Half-Day Tour
- Opening Hours: Daily from 7.30am to 5.30pm
- Location: Phnom Penh, Cambodia
- Tel: +855 23 305 371
Built in 1866, the Phnom Penh Royal Palace contains various interesting buildings worth looking during your visit to the Cambodian capital. This includes the Khmer-style Throne Hall, which is now used for special ceremonial occasions.
South of the Throne Hall are the Royal Treasury and the Villa of Napoleon III, built in Egypt in 1866, for the opening of the Suez Canal, and was later presented to the Cambodian king as a gift. Read More...
- Tour Available: Phnom Penh Full-Day Guided Trip
- Opening Hours: Monday–Thursday and Saturday from 8am to 5pm, Fridays from 8am to 6pm, Sundays from 8am to 5.30pm
- Location: Samdech Sothearos Boulevard (between 184th Street and 240th Street), Phnom Penh, Cambodia
Koh Rong offers 23 amazing white-sand beaches and azure seas, most of which are only just being discovered and enjoyed. This makes it still very much an unspoilt island paradise.
Situated just off the Cambodian coast, near Sihanoukville, there are 5 tiny islands in the area, though 3 are uninhabited. Of the other 2 islands, Koh Rong is gradually becoming a bit of a party island, popular with backpackers, while Koh Rong Sanloem has a quieter and more easy-going atmosphere. Read More...
- Location: Koh Rong, Sihanoukville, Cambodia
Battambang is somewhat of an ode to French colonialism. The city lies in the heart of Northwest Cambodia and until the warring years it was the leading rice-producing province of the country. Besides offering pleasing sights throughout its town with French colonial-era buildings, it also gives off the small-town feel that you can expect to encounter in Cambodia as a rule.
The city is some 293 km from Phnom Penh and was the leading rice-producing province of the country until the war years. Battambang is also a popular base for visiting the nearby temples of Phnom Banon and Wat Ek Phnom and it serves as a gateway between Thailand and Phnom Penh. Read More...
- Tour Available: 3-Day Private Phnom Penh to Battambang & Siem Reap Trip
- Location: Battambang, Cambodia
Sihanoukville is not exactly southeast Asia's answer to Las Vegas but it does offer a few venues for those who enjoy to throw the dice and play footsie with Lady Luck. You can find several hotels in Sihanoukville with casinos that offer gamblers their favourite games, which range from blackjack and roulette to baccarat, poker, and various other gaming machines.
There are about 2 dozen casinos where you can have fun and try your luck in Sihanoukville, and the number continues to climb with further development of the beach resort areas. They offer an impressive range of gaming options, and may also include live sports betting. Read More...
- Location: Sihanoukville, Cambodia
