Cambodia is a country with a sad but beautiful past. Tourism is the second- largest source of revenue after textile here with more than 6 million visitors every year. It is a monarchy and one-third of its population is under the age of 15. The main means of transportation here is tuk-tuks. It’s the country where birthdays are rarely celebrated, if ever, and where funerals are expensive. The best time to visit here is in the winters, similar to most South Asian countries, between November and early March, when you will get to travel in pleasant weather with dry and sunny days. Even further, the best months to travel in are between December and January when the temperatures are the coolest.
1. Royal Palace
Located in the capital city of Cambodia Phnom Penh lies the golden Royal Palace. It is the royal residence of the King of Cambodia. The royal family took over the palace in the 1860s. The area is divided into four main compounds. The Khemarin Palace is located on the north side, the Inner Court is located on the west and the Silver Pagoda is located on the south side. The central compound consists of the Throne Hall. Some of these buildings were reconstructed as recently as the 19th century, so it is not the same as it was when it was first built. The living area of the King is not available for the general public to visit, which takes up more than half of the main area including the Khemarin Palace and the royal gardens, but it still has a lot of areas that can be explored. Silver Pagoda compound is a popular area among tourists along with the Throne Hall and Chan Chhaya Pavilion.
2. Ta Prohm
Ta Prohm is a temple located in Siem Reap and is built in the Bayon style. Considering that 95% of the population of Cambodia follows Buddhism, temples are among the must-visit, especially if you are curious to explore the tradition and culture of the local people. A lot of the structures have been reconstructed or have only left behind ruins in Cambodia, but that is not the case with Ta Prohm. It has also been a part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1992. This temple looks like it has been swallowed by the jungle because of the trees creeping on and around it. The corridors inside are quite narrow and are also jammed with piles of stone blocks that were torn apart by the roots of the decayed trees surrounding it.
3. Phnom Kulen
Phnom Kulen is a mountain range located in the Phnom Kulen National Park in Siem Reap, Cambodia. It is considered to be a holy mountain by the locals because of the presence of multiple temples. In ancient Khmer, Phnom Kulem was called Mahendraparvata, which means the Mountain of Indra, the King of Gods. This is the birthplace of the Khmer Empire. The main attraction here is the waterfalls at the top of Kulen Mountain and a popular picnic destination. It’s only about a two-hour drive from Siem Reap. This is where the Khmer Empire had begun. The two most popular sites here are the Thousand Lingas and Preah Ang Thom pagoda. It mainly attracts a lot of religious tourists and locals looking for blessings from its holy waters. It is believed that it helps people conceive. For international travelers, the fee is $20 per person and can be purchased from the gate at the entrance of the mountain range. It is advisable to reach there before 11 am if you are planning to reach there by car. Because this is a conservative place, the crowd dresses conservatively, and wearing bikinis or speedos is frowned upon. You can also hike up to the top of the mountain.
4. Phnom Chisor
Phnom Chisor is located in the Chisor mountains. It lies about 42 kms south of Phnom Penh. This site is nominated for a UNESCO World Heritage Site as well. The Phnom Chisor temple is located on the top of the hill and follows the religion of Hinduism and was dedicated to Lord Shiva and Lord Vishnu. Sri Surya Parvat was the original name of this temple, which means the mountain of the sun. There is a spot on the east edge of the mountain at the back of the temple from where you can view an expansive field of rice and countryside. Looking down at the east side, you will be able to view the Sen Nimol Temple, the Sen Roveang Temple, which is now used as a Buddhist sanctuary, and Tonle Om, which is the ancient baray of the Phnom Chisor Temple.
5. Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum
Tuol Sleng, literally translated, means the Hill of the Poisonous Tree. Situated in Phnom Penh, the museum records the Cambodian genocide. This site used to be a secondary school used as a security prison from 1975 to 1979. Approximately 20,000 people were imprisoned here and it was a torture and execution centre established by the Khmer Rouge. Most of the school rooms were divided into cells and the prison was protected by Razorwire surrounding its perimeter. The windows were covered with iron bars and barbed wire to avoid anyone escaping or committing suicide. It used to hold anywhere between 1000 and 1500 prisoners at a time. Some politicians of the highest rankings were also imprisoned because they were suspected to be spying on the government for information, or at least that was the official reason. The prisoners were tortured for names of their families and allies, and if named and found, they were also imprisoned, tortured, and executed. It is said that it held more than 18,145 prisoners, out of which 18,133 were executed. Most of these prisoners are believed to have been held and tortured for around two to three months before they were executed.
