Cambodia: a land of history, mystery and rebirth

As a result of the United Nations sponsored election in 1993, the Kingdom of Cambodia is now safe to travel and tourism has once again become possible and continues to flourish. Indeed, the country and Phnom Penh in particular is undergoing something of a renaissance.

The country's capital Phnom Penh is renowned for its beauty, particularly the area surrounding the Royal Palace where magnificent Khmer towers share the boulevard with brightly coloured French villas overlooking the banks of the Tonle Sap River.

The ancient and famous Angkor Wat is located in Siem Reap Province and is just a few kilometers outside of town. The Temples of Angkor were built between the 7th and 11th century when Khmer civilization was at the height of its extraordinary creativity and power. Angkor Wat is the cultural home of the Khmer people and considered one of the ancient wonders of the world. Its magnificent architecture was a result of the Khmer's strong belief in their religions: Hinduism and Buddhism. First discovered by Western archeologists ias recently as the late 19th century, the lost city of Angkor is just re-opening to the exploration of this modern civilization.

The fortified city of Angkor Thom, was built by who some consider to be Angkor's greatest builder, Jayavarman the 7th, who reigned in the area from 1181 to 1201 AD. Angkor Thom is enclosed by a square wall 8m high and a massive 12km in length and is encircled by a moat measuring over 100m wide, which is said to have been inhabited by man-eating crocodiles. Be sure to visit the five monumental gates, which are decorated on either side with stone elephant trunks and 4 massive faces of the bodhisatva Avalokitesvara.

What you need to know:

FOOD: Cambodian food is known for its distinct local dishes and is also very similar to the cuisines of Thailand and Laos and somewhat similar to Vietnam. In the growing number of restaurants in Phnom Penh and Siem Reap, you will find excellent Chinese and Vietnamese dishes but it is recommended that you try the local dishes which are well prepared and quite interesting. Rice is the principal staple and most Cambodian dishes are cooked in a wok known locally as a chnang khteak.

CURRENCY: The unit is the riel and is found in denominations of 100, 200 and 500. Exchange rates are subject to the fluctuating US dollar and are generally accepted throughout Cambodia. In Phnom Penh, some credit cards can be used but there are limited services for cashing travellers cheques. If you find a bank machine, be sure to get what you need because they are far and dfew between.

CLIMATE: Cambodia is located in a tropical zone just north of the equator so you'll find temperatures are fairly uniform throughout the year and averages 25 degree celsius with an average humidity of 80%. However, humidity is higher at night and is usually in excess of 90%.

GEOGRAPHY: Cambodia spans an area of about 181,305 squares kilometres, bordered to the north by Thailand and Laos, to the east and the south by Vietnam and to the west by the gulf of Cambodia which affords lovely beaches for rest & relaxation.

LANGUAGES: The official language of Cambodia is Khmer and you’ll find Indic languages such as Pali and Sangkrit taught in schools along with technical languages borrowed from the French. You’ll be happy to know that English is commonly used in hotels and larger cities that welcome tourists.

We recommend:

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