Things not to miss

updated 11/26/2019

Related tailor-made travel itineraries for Cambodia

#01 Royal Palace and Silver Pagoda

The extravagant Royal Palace and Silver Pagoda, in the heart of Phnom Penh, are home to fabulous murals and a treasure-trove of Khmer sculpture.

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#01 Royal Palace and Silver Pagoda
#02
#03 Banteay Srei
#04 Angkor Wat
#05 Otres Beach
#06 Irrawaddy dolphins
#07 Toul Sleng and Choeung Ek
#08 Angkor Thom
#09 Khmer art
#10 Apsara
#11 Tonle Sap lake
#12 Chi Phat
#13 Wildlife and birdwatching
#14 Cambodian cuisine
#15 Ream National Park
#16 Psar Toul Tom Poung
#17 Trekking in Rattanakiri
#18 Preah Vihear

© frerd/Shutterstock

#02 Kampot

Blissfully unhurried southern backwater with a plethora of idyllic guesthouses and restaurants beside the Kampot River.

© JayHub/Shutterstock

#03 Banteay Srei

One of the smallest but most perfect of all Angkor’s temples, constructed from delicate rose-pink sandstone and covered in a positive riot of intricate carvings.

#04 Angkor Wat

This unforgettable temple, crowned with soaring towers and embellished with intricate bas-reliefs, represents the zenith of Khmer architecture.

© Intarapong/Shutterstock

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#05 Otres Beach

Sihanoukville’s furthest flung beach is mellower (and prettier) than its sandy in-town siblings; perfect for a few days of idle beachcombing.

© Chris Howey/Shutterstock

#06 Irrawaddy dolphins

These rare mammals live in small groups along a stretch of the Mekong in the northeast.

© Charlie Waradee/Shutterstock

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In-depth, easy-to-use travel guides filled with expert advice.

#07 Toul Sleng and Choeung Ek

Harrowing monuments to Cambodia’s grisly past during the Khmer Rouge’s murderous rule.

#08 Angkor Thom

Angkor’s greatest walled city, entered through magnificent gateways and housing some of the country’s finest monuments, including the haunting Bayon.

© Efired/Shutterstock

#09 Khmer art

Some of the country’s most stunning art, including ancient statues, are on display in Phnom Penh’s National Museum and the Angkor National Museum in Siem Reap.

National Museum in Phnom Penh © weltreisendertj/Shutterstock

#10 Apsara

Khmer classical dance at its most elegantly stylized, with beautifully costumed performers evoking the legendary apsaras of Hindu mythology.

#11 Tonle Sap lake

The watery heart of rural Cambodia, this miniature inland sea is dotted with dozens of traditional floating and stilted villages, many inhabited by the country’s ethnic Vietnamese.

#12 Chi Phat

A village community project in the southern Cardamoms offering homestays, birdwatching, mountain biking and trekking.

#13 Wildlife and birdwatching

Walking with the elephants in Mondulkiri, gibbon-spotting in Rattanakiri, birdwatching around the Tonle Sap – Cambodia offers a wealth of natural attractions.

Floating Village at Tonle Sap © Mhao Studio/Shutterstock