Cambodia travel guide

Banteay Srei is widely considered the jewel of Khmer art – a compact 10th-century temple built from rare pink sandstone, its walls covered in the most intricate carvings in the entire Angkor region. Located 25-32 km northeast of Siem Reap, it is included in the standard Angkor Pass ($37 for one day), open daily from...

Travelling from Da Nang to Siem Reap comes down to one trade-off: time against money. A nonstop flight takes about 1 hour 45 minutes to 2 hours 15 minutes and is the practical choice for most visitors. Going overland is possible, but it means a long rail or road leg to Ho Chi Minh City,...

Banteay Srei Temple earns its reputation through restraint of scale and abundance of detail. Where Angkor Wat overwhelms with mass, this small sanctuary of pink sandstone draws the eye inward, to doorways, pediments and wall surfaces carved with extraordinary density. Set in the Angkor region of northern Siem Reap Province, it dates to the 10th...

A South Vietnam and Cambodia itinerary works best when it follows the Mekong: from the energy of Ho Chi Minh City, through the waterways of the Delta, to Phnom Penh and the temples around Siem Reap. The right shape for the trip depends on what you value most, whether that is urban history, river life,...

Laos vs Cambodia is less a contest than a question of what kind of trip you want. Cambodia is organized around Angkor, Khmer history, lively cities and a southern coastline. Laos is built around mountains, the Mekong River, waterfalls and a Buddhist culture that moves at a slower pace. Neither country is better in general....

Cambodia in August is a lovely time to visit if you enjoy green landscapes, quiet temples, and good-value stays, and you do not mind a little rain. It falls in the middle of the green season (May to October), so days are warm and humid at around 30-33°C, showers often drift in during the afternoon...

Tonle Sap is Southeast Asia’s largest freshwater lake, and one of the few places on earth where a river reverses direction with the seasons. Every rainy season the lake swells several times over, flooding forests and lifting the stilt-house and floating communities that depend on it; every dry season it shrinks back to a shallow...

Cambodia or Vietnam? Both are rewarding, and the right choice depends less on which country is “better” and more on what you want from your trip. Choose Cambodia if Angkor Wat is your dream, you prefer a slower rhythm, and you have around a week. Choose Vietnam if you want variety, with lively cities, mountains,...