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.