Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
and even now many of their former cadres occupy positions of power and responsibility,
not least premier Hun Sen, the nation's leader since 1985. Unsurprisingly, emotional
scars from this period run deep and through every layer of Cambodian society - the
memory of a nightmare from which the country is only slowly and painfully awakening.
Where to go
Dubbed the “Pearl of Asia” during its colonial heydey,
Phnom Penh
remains one of
Southeast Asia's most engaging capitals: big enough (and with su
cient anarchic tra
c
and urban edge) to get the pulse racing, but still retaining a distinct small-town charm,
its tree-lined streets fringed with ramshackle old French-colonial buildings and dotted
with rustic temples and bustling markets. The heart of the city is the beautiful riverfront,
backdropped by the magnificent Royal Palace and Silver Pagoda's colourful stupas, while
the nearby National Museum showcases a stunning collection of ancient Khmer art.
Further afield, the contrastingly sombre Toul Sleng Genocide Museum provides
harrowing reminders of the country's tragic recent past.
The main reason that most people come to Cambodia, however, is to visit the world-
famous
temples of Angkor
. Dozens of magnificent monuments dot the countryside here,
rising out of the enveloping forest like the archetypal lost-in-the-jungle ancient ruins of every
Hollywood filmmaker's wildest dreams. Top of most visitors' lists are the unforgettable
Angkor Wat
, with its five soaring corncob towers; the surreal
Bayon
, plastered with hundreds
of superhuman faces; and the jungle temple of
Ta Prohm
, its crumbling ruins clamped in the
grip of giant kapok trees. It's also well worth heading further afield to escape the crowds and
visit other Angkorian monuments, including beautiful
Banteay Srei
, covered in an
