ZiZ Asia

Cambodia Overview

Cambodia is one of the most exciting countries in Southeast Asia today. Yes, it is host to Angkor Wat Temple and the Temples of Angkor, the most astonishing archaeological site in Asia, and green shoots continue to emerge across the barrenness of the Khmer Rouge era, blooming into recaptured elegance and statements of modernity.

Visit Cambodia, though, with a little time and an appetite to explore and you have, quite literally, one of the greatest raw adventure destinations remaining in the world. The intrigue appeals to a multitude of interests as well, whether you are looking for an adrenalin-fuelled expedition into the wilds and backwaters in jeeps or on motorbikes, a sedate cruise or a boisterous private sun-downer cruise party in Phnom Penh. Perhaps history, colonialism, architecture and culture fuel your fires or is it flora and fauna?

Picture this. You have arrived in Siem Reap, stayed in a swanky hotel. You have arisen from your slumbers beating the cockerel to his morning reveille and witnessed the sunrise over Angkor Wat. You have seen and walked and learned about the Temples and perhaps attended a professional photographer’s workshop and accumulated some stunning photos of Angkor to exhibit back at home. But what now?

Tonle Sap

Head southeast of Siem Reap to the Tonle Sap, Southeast Asia’s largest lake which is connected to the Mekong by a short river also called the Tonle Sap. Normally the river flows from the Tonle Sap into the Mekong but during the rainy season each year the Mekong River swells as it drains volumes of water from the lands upstream causing the Tonle Sap River to reverse its direction back into the lake, flooding the surrounding plains whilst supporting a huge diversity of species.

It is on the Tonle Sap that you can find a flat-bottomed, converted wooden car ferry that is able to navigate the lake throughout the year. Fully restored the teak hull now houses a few luxury cabins and the former car deck almost any toy that you want to play with from dirt bikes to jeeps, kayaks and onwards.

A few days on this boat takes you into the wilds of Cambodia way away from any tourists. Days are spent exploring the countryside and visiting secret villages and waterfalls on dirt bikes before you return to the boat for surreal sundowners and exotic cuisine prepared by the resident chef.

Phnom Penh

It is also via the Tonle Sap that you can travel by boat to and fro from Siem Reap and Phnom Penh be it on a public ferry or in colonial style on a sedate river cruise and Phnom Penh is well worth the experience. Though not pleasant, allocate a day to visit the horrific reminders of the Khmer Rouge era at Toul Sleng (S21) and the Cambodian Killing Fields at Cheoung Ek just outside Phnom Penh which are enough to draw tears from stone. Take a guide to really appreciate what we are capable of doing to each other.

Phnom Penh of late seems to be in a perpetual state of metamorphosis. Following the demise of the Khmer Rouge it plummeted into a state of virtual lawlessness and you still have to be sensibly vigilant at night. The city feels like a town and the old French Colonial villas and mansions that were completely gutted by the Khmer Rouge and left derelict are being given a new lease of life. The flower scented streets are returning and shattered hope is being restored.

Phnom Penh is chaotic but not hectic. While away hours on the riverside boulevard watching the world go by on the river which is the confluence of the Tonle Sap and Bassac rivers with the Mighty Mekong as she continues her journey through Cambodia to Vietnam and ultimately the South China Sea. Dive into the markets, nose around a plethora of new boutique shops full of intrigue. Visit temples and palaces, or if that is a little too sublime, the shooting range to test out various military spec weapons including the infamous AK47.

Dining and nightlife in Phnom Penh is a highlight and there are some phenomenal restaurants serving all manner of cuisine to choose from including some that truly deserve our support such as Mith Samlanh Friends restaurants and cafes which not only serve mouth watering food but also exclusively employ disadvantaged street kids, training them in a business environment so that they can graduate into the hospitality industry and a career.

As with any city there is a sleazy side to Phnom Penh somewhat perpetuated by the post Khmer Rouge lawlessness as well as poverty but regular crack-downs frequently occur to quash the more sinister aspects of this industry. If you aren’t looking for sleaze you can enjoy Phnom Penh blissfully unaware that it even exists.

Cambodia’s Beaches & Islands

Head south by helicopter or overland to Cambodia’s sun-drenched, palm fringed coastline, beaches and islands whose exposure is dwarfed by Thailand to the west and Vietnam the east and consequently, at least for the near future, are undeveloped bliss.

The resort town of Sihanoukville is being smothered with concrete at a frightening pace but the beaches here are comparable to either of Cambodia’s neighbours and if you are into more lively nightlife this is the place to be and it also serves as a great jumping off point for the islands.

Further down the coast towards Vietnam is Kep, in colonial times dubbed the “French Riviera of the East”. Where once stood the elegant French villas lining Kep’s coast are either ghostly remains of the structures or empty walled plots. Kep took a big hit from the Khmer Rouge who vented their anti-bourgeois frustrations on the sleepy seaside town basically reducing it to rubble.

But as with other parts of Cambodia green shoots are beginning to re-appear in Kep and for those seeking a total coastal retreat to unwind in the foreground of a breathtakingly beautiful backdrop you are in for a treat. Stay in your own villa, go sailing in the sound under the watchful eye of Bokor Mountain, spend the day island hopping, go trekking to the caves, cycling or restore your spices with Kampot pepper.

The outlying islands are undiscovered paradise, at least by mainstream tourism, for the time being. Over 60 tropical islands stud the Cambodian coastline refreshed by the seas and breezes from the Gulf of Thailand. A few basic bungalow resorts have sprouted on some of the islands but they remain in a pristine state with little tourism at all but it wont be long before these parcels of paradise become choked by tourism.

Tour Cambodia

Strike out to the Northeast of Cambodia for serious intrepid travel getting there either by car, motorcycle or helicopter. You may rub shoulders with a few backpackers in Kratie and Stung Treng but venture further to Mondulkiri and Ratanakiri and you are in wild and remote territory that provides excellent opportunities for trekking, totally authentic elephant trekking, wild waterfalls and wilderness boat trips.

Heading south, scale Bokor mountain before ending up on the beaches and islands. Not only will this give you a chance to fill your bag with Kampot Pepper but you may be in time to visit the old colonial hill station with its hauntingly derelict casino whose walls whisper of a heyday long since disappeared.

The Cardamom Mountains is the last true surviving rainforest wilderness in mainland Southeast Asia and ironically it is the Khmer Rouge who were largely responsible for maintaining it this way. The Cardamom’s consist of some 2.5 million acres of exceptional biological diversity and are an adventurers dream on dirt bikes or on foot.

Beeline Battambang in the Southwest for totally laid-back riverside life in this fading French colonial town that oozes charm. Tuck into freshly baked baguettes served from facades of French colonial grandeur of yesteryear and you may even experience the bamboo train. There is a good road to Battambang from Phnom Penh and not such a good road from Battambang to Siem Reap.

Destination Cambodia

The hordes continue to descend on Siem Reap to experience the sheer ingenuity and grandeur of the Angkor Temples before ticking the “Been there, done that” box next to Cambodia, but the country offers so much more including trips that will go down in the annuls of ones memory as being one of the best lifetime experiences.

Although clichéd the time is now to visit Cambodia, a country brimming with opportunities. Like a rising star, individuals and entities are clamouring for a piece of Cambodia’s future and success but not everyone has her best interests at heart. Development contracts are being signed as though they were autographs and large chunks of the country sold off to the highest bidder.

But right now she offers paradise; the beaches and islands are as mesmerizing as Thailand but without the tourist droves, her temples are arguably the finest in Southeast Asia and beyond the ivory towers of Phnom Penh and Siem Reap her lands are as wild as in Laos but even less explored.

Cambodia Trip Planning

Most people fly into Cambodia from Bangkok arriving in either Siem Reap or Phnom Penh depending on your Cambodian itinerary. It is one country where pre-planning is highly recommended particularly if you want to experience Cambodia off the beaten track. No matter what some may say there are still thousands of landmines scattered all over the country and if you are exploring, a guide isn’t a luxury, they are essential.

It is also highly recommended to use an accomplished guide during your visit to Siem Reap and Phnom Penh. A good guide has the ability to bring the temples of Angkor to life, to paint a picture so vivid that your mind swims with imagery of 12 Century life within the Khmer Empire. Yet anyone in Cambodia can act as a guide and without recommendations or preplanning the experience can be disappointing.

Motorcycles remain by far the best and most exciting way to see the countryside, to get to places and to meet locals where others simply cannot reach at the moment. You hit the trails on dirt bikes but if this seems a bit too hardcore you can also tour Cambodia on Harleys visiting more accessible destinations.

For those not so motorcycle inclined, Jeeps are a close second and can lap-up the kilometers on dirt tracks to get you to far flung corners of this beautiful country but be prepared for a bone-shaking ride.

Another excellent mode of transport in Cambodia is boats as there are endless waterways to explore each unveiling hidden ways of life and cultural secrets far, far away from other tourists. We have mentioned the converted car ferry which is one of our favourite options but other options exist including a fully restored river boat that can be chartered for private sundowner drinks party cruises in Phnom Penh and extended private cruises as well. Then there are the luxury passenger cruises and a taste of Colonial French Indochina.

Contact Us at ZiZ Asia for Cambodia trip planning and many more ideas. We serve the unique, unusual and exceptional whether you are an independent traveler, private group or seeking inspiration for corporate hospitality.

Further Reading

• Cambodia (Country Guide)
• Cambodia, 5th: Tread Your Own Path (Footprint – Travel Guides)
• Cambodia: The Bradt Travel Guide (Bradt Guides)
• Daughter of the Killing Fields: Asrei’s Story