Itineraries - The Rough Guide to Cambodia - page 12

Itineraries

Cambodia is a small country by Asian standards, but you'll still need at least a
month to really see everything it has to offer. The rapidly improving road
network means that it has never been easier to explore, making many formerly
remote destinations much more accessible. That said, getting from A to B can
still be time-consuming, and the country is best taken at a leisurely pace.

THE GRAND TOUR
Two weeks su ce to get a taste of the best that
Cambodia has to offer, from the great temples of
Angkor to the hedonistic beaches of the south.
1 Phnom Penh Acclimatize in the vibrant but
endearingly small-scale capital. See p.50
2 Kratie Head to the engagingly somnolent
French-colonial town of Kratie for a taste of
riverside life next to the magical Mekong, with
rare Irrawaddy dolphins, floating villages, river
islands and flooded forests aplenty. See p.216
3 Siem Reap and Angkor Settle down to a
few days (or more) in lively Siem Reap, exploring
the magnificent Angkor temples and the
floating villages of the Tonle Sap. See p.134
4 Preah Vihear and further flung temples
Venture out to the stunning mountaintop temple
of Preah Vihear, perhaps with a side-trip to the
jungle temple of Beng Mealea and the vast ruined
citadel of Koh Ker. See p.196
5 Battambang Colonial riverside town with
laidback nightlife and the quaint bamboo
railway. See p.114
6 Sihanoukville and the islands Venture
south to Cambodia's coastal party town, a
good base for some lovely offshore islands.
See p.247
7 Kep's offshore islands Use Kep as a

jump-off point for sleepy Rabbit Island (Koh
Tonsay), among others. See p.278
8 Kampot Chill out in this pretty, laidback
riverside town, a good base for the picturesque
surrounding province. See p.267

WILD CAMBODIA
Cambodia boasts an outstanding array of
natural attractions, from the great Mekong River
to remote upland forests.
1 Kratie Go dolphin-spotting at nearby
Kampie, then take to a kayak or bike to explore
the marvellous river islands, flooded forests and
floating villages of the Mekong. See p.216
2 Banlung Trek into the forests of Viracheay
National Park and explore the waterfalls and
volcanic lake of Yeak Laom. See p.228
3 Sen Monorom Walk with elephants at the
Elephant Valley Project and go birdwatching or
gibbon-spotting in the pristine tracts of forest
surrounding Sen Monorom. See p.236
4 Beng Mealea Visit the jungle-smothered ruins
of Beng Mealea temple - looking much as it
must have done when the first Western explorers
stumbled upon it a century ago. See p.191
5 Phnom Kulen Discover where the great
Angkorian empire began at the remote
mountain shrine of Phnom Kulen. See p.191

ABOVE RABBIT ISLAND