Once past a superb primary forest of high trees, the road reaches Ganh Dau (40km), a small fishing port nestled in a delightful bay at the northwest tip of the island. Just out to sea, but inaccessible as they are part of Cambodia (photos are s..

On the bank of the "four-armed" river, the Phnom Penh Royal Palace boasts a complex of gardens, palaces and pagodas, with gilded roofs punctuated with arrows that are typical of Khmer art: Khemarin Palace (the residence of the king, close..

Five thousand slabs of silver carpet the floor of the Silver Pagoda, where the royal ashes are conserved. It is also home to luxurious Buddha statues (crystal, gold, diamond…) and frescoes illustrating the Reamker . Built within the walls of the Ro..

A thousand years of Khmer art, dating from the 4C-13C is displayed in four galleries. This remarkable collection of sculptures and pre-Angkorian and Angkorian objects is housed in the National Museum in Phnom Penh , in a handsome terracotta building..

In 1975, Tuol Svay Prey High School was made into the Pol Pot's biggest interrogation centre, under the name of S-21. Thousands of inmates were tortured and killed here. The Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum has been housed within these very walls since 197..

After the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum , go and see the Killing Fields at Choeung Ek, where S-21 prisoners were killed and buried after their time in the nearby detention camp. The remains of 9 000 people were unearthed in 1980 in a former orchard 14k..

The very popular Wat Phnom, or "Hill Temple ", is said to have been built in order to house the four statues of Buddha discovered by Yeah Penh on the banks of the Mekong… thus begetting the city. Ponhea Yat (15C), whose ashes are kept here,..

Wat Ounalom, made up of 44 elements, was built in 1443 to shelter a hair of Buddha. It is one of the most important Buddhist sites in the country and, as such, was laid to waste by the Khmer Rouge. It has since been restored, and now houses the highe..

Many symbols of Hindu mythology are to be found inside Ta Prohm Temple, such as the linga representing Shiva, and bas-reliefs illustrating daily life. The temple stands not far from Lake Tonle Bati near Yeay Peau Temple, both built by Jayavarman ..

Forming a pair with Ta Prohm Temple, Yeay Peau Temple is the smaller of the two. It is named after Peau, King Prohm's mother, whose legend lives on.

Refuge, zoo, breeding centre for endangered and mistreated wild animals, Phnom Tamao Wildlife Sanctuary is home to tigers, elephants, gibbons… Occupying over 2 000ha, the sanctuary not only has a worthwhile cause but also makes for an interesting day..

At Phnom Chisor you will be rewarded with a fine view over the surrounding area. But first you will have to climb the several hundred steps up this large hill where you can see ruins of an Angkorian-era temple, Suryagiri, and of a more recent Buddhis..

This national park created in 1993 attracts Phnom Penh dwellers in search of space, nature and fresh air; the great resiniferous forest fits the bill, boasting views, waterfalls - some quite vertiginous - and tracks for hikers. It is also home to n..

Gems of Khmer art and designated World Heritage Site, the temples of Angkor belong to the huge archaeological site (400km 2 ) made up of the ruins of the capital of the Khmer Empire, which flourished from the 9C to the 15C. Grandiose and not to be mi..

Angkor Wat: the most famous of the "City-Temples" was built in the 12C by Suryavarman II. It is designed to represent Mount Meru, mythical home of Hindu gods, whose five peaks are symbolised by the five towers of the central shrine. Why it ..

Angkor Thom, the last "great city", is the work of Jayavarman VII, the most prolific builder in Angkorian history. It was built in the 12C-13C, after the Chams attacked. Discover gems such as Bayon , Baphuon , the royal palace, the Terrac..

The tower of the Bayon, which was built by Jayavarman VII, is decorated with four giant faces, each looking towards one of the cardinal points with a serene but haunting smile! The temple at the centre of Angkor Thom is dedicated to Buddha. The fou..

A causeway supported by columns leads to the eastern gopuram of Baphuon Temple, a predecessor of Angkor Thom and built by Udayadityavarman II, who reigned in Angkor from 1049 to 1065. The pyramid-shaped building is undergoing restoration work. Lo..

Save for a few basins and the pyramid-shaped Phimeanakas temple, little remains of the former wooden royal palace of Rajendravarman II, who reigned in the 10C. This residence in the centre of Angkor Thom was home to various Khmer kings until the 13C.

The jungle has got the better of Ta Prohm, which was built in the 12C by Jayavarman VII in honour of his mother. In this Buddhist Angkorian temple, vegetation has entwined itself around the stone, composing a new architectural work. 19C explorers and..