Cambodia’s emerging tourist industry
Cambodia has a troubled past, but is now starting to recover, and open up to visitors. Visit Cambodia and you can enjoy the magnificent splendour of Khmer temples, wonderful tropical islands, impressive waterfalls and national parks. The best months to visit Cambodia are December and January, because then the temperatures are cooler, and the humidity is more bearable – it is also less likely to rain.
However, Cambodia’s biggest festival, Bon Om Tuk, is held in early November, and is worth seeing.
Sights to see include the capital Phnom Penh, with its beautiful Royal Palace - however the poverty and lack of infrastructure can come as a bit of a surprise to tourists accustomed to better organisation.
Kep is Cambodia’s top coastal resort, and has a fine sweep of beach that tends to be fairly quiet through the week. Kep is only just starting to be discovered by beach lovers, so if quiet stretches of sand are to your taste, it could be worth taking a look.
Angkor is one of the most important archaeological sites in south east Asia, and here you will find the remains of several capitals of the Khmer Empire – including great temples, old ruins and intricate carvings.
One thing that you have to be very careful of in Cambodia is landmines – they are still a real danger there, with about six million live mines still dotted around the countryside and near the border with Thailand. So never stray off the proper pathways.
Cambodia will appeal to the more adventurous traveller, who is interested in visiting places that have not yet been overwhelmed with tourists.