The Angkor Wat temple complex is the major drawcard, the reason why most travellers take cheap flights to Cambodia, but there is more to this fascinating, heart-breaking country than the magnificent 800-year-old ruins.
Other must-visits in Cambodia are the sombre monuments - Toul Sleng Genocidal Museum (S-21) and Cheung Ek Killing Field - to the Khmer Rouge's brutality against their own people between 1975-79.
Phnom Penh is the capital of Cambodia. It's a bustling city, live all year long, unlike Siem Reap, which throngs with visitors during the tourist season and then quietens down.
Battambang, once known as the rice bowl of Cambodia, is another fascinating city. With ancient temples - Wat Ek dates from 1027 - natural resorts and a laidback charm.
In the Gulf of Thailand, the islands are comparable to Thailand's - 20 years ago. The diving is superb, the fellow tourists few and the beaches palm-fringed and beautiful. Ream National Park, a half-hour drive from Sihanoukville, is a highlight. Thousands of hectares, two islands (Koh Thmei and Koh Ses), mangrove forest and several species of wild animals. Ranger patrols keep it pristine and Edenic.
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Cambodia has a tropical monsoon climate. The monsoon (wet) season runs from May to November, while the dry season is November to April.
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Peak Season:
November to January - the dry season - is the high season, when most travellers arrive on their cheap flights to Cambodia.
Off Season:
The wet season extends from April to September. June to August are hot and wet, but the rains usually fall in the afternoon or at night. This is a wonderful time to see the temples. The vegetation is especially green and lush.
Shoulder Season:
February and October are shoulder months when there aren't so many tourists, but the weather is pretty decent.
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Between the cities: Cambodia Angkor Air flies between Phnom Penh and Siem Reap as does Bangkok Airways.
Buses are cheap, if slow, and don't expect air-conditioned coaches.
Taxis can be shared-taxis. You'll be sharing the car with as many passengers as the taxi driver can round up. Although you can bargain for the best price, or you can hire the whole car.
Boat is a wonderful way of getting around. There are really just a couple of routes (Battambang to Siem Reap for example); it's slow and not luxurious, but it's a fantastic way of seeing the countryside.
In the cities: taxis, tuk-tuks and motos (motorbikes) are ways of getting around. The Bamboo Railway is no more and there are no regular passenger trains in Cambodia, although there are plans to repair the rail network.
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- Cambodia has some stunning dive sites. Among them are: Koh Kon (see seahorses, octopus, pipefish, stonefish, scorpionfish and nudibranch), Koh Rong Samloem (kingfish, nudibranch, cuttlefish, pufferfish and parrotfish) and Koh Rong, which is heading towards luxury resort status. See ray, damselfish and nudibranch in the waters.
- Golf tourism is increasing in popularity in Cambodia. There's a Nick Faldo-designed course in Siem Reap and there is another one - designed by Arnold Palmer - under construction in Bokor.
- Bokor is a deserted town in Preah Monivong National Park. It was built by the French in the 1920s as a retreat from hot, humid Phnom Penh.
- At Angkor, three-day passes are valid for any three days in a week and seven-day passes are valid for any seven days within one month. Buy only from the official Apsara Authority counters and try to get there early, to beat the crowds.
- Be respectful when haggling in the market or with your motodop; Khmers are not fierce hagglers.
- The National Museum of Cambodia is in Phnom Penh, close to the Tonle Sap River. It houses many treasures from Angkor.
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Australians need a visa to visit Cambodia. The cost is about $20 and it can be purchased on arrival or via
evisa.mfaic.gov.kh. The departure tax is about $25 for international flights or $6 for domestic flights.
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Passports should be valid for at least six months after your return from Cambodia.
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