Cambodia is small country in mainland Southeast Asia. It covers an area of 181,035 sq km (69,898 sq miles). The capital is Phnom Penh, but most visitors head straight for Siem Reap, the town from which one visits the ruins of Angkor. The main religion in modern-day Cambodia is Theravada Buddhism, similar to Thailand and Myanmar, but different from Angkorian times, when the ancient Khmers were either Hindus or Mahayana Buddhists.
Cambodia shares a border with Thailand to the west, Laos to the north, Vietnam to the east, and the Gulf of Thailand to the south. The Mekong River runs through Cambodia and has a massive impact of the life of the people. Tonle Sap is a huge lake that is also connected to the Mekong by the Sap River.
In the past few years, tourism has raced forward as one of the main industries in Cambodia. The number of visitors to Angkor Wat alone numbered 4 million in 2007. This very much corresponds with the number of visitors to Siem Reap, the boom town cashing in on Angkor fever.
Both Phnom Penh and Siem Reap have international airports. In addition, there are also some budget tourists who arrive in Siem Reap across the Thai border by bus, a long and bumpy journey. With low-cost carriers such as AirAsia flying to both Phnom Penh and Siem Reap, I prefer taking a flight than taking the bus. Still, there are hardy tourists who swore that you should never miss the experience of the Cambodian countryside when you are on board a bus. If you are planning a trip, it is entirely your own choice.
If you are traveling between Phnom Penh and Siem Reap, you have the option of taking the flight or going by boat. I have done both, and would recommend boat, if you have the time. I took the air-conditioned speedboat, which is like a plane on water. From it, you can watch rural Cambodia glide by. When you reach the Tonle Sap, it was almost like being in a sea, with land lost to the horizon, but with full awareness that you are in a massive lake.
Compare Hotel Room Rates
Find the lowest price of hotel rooms from different Hotel Booking websites. Our free Hotel Search Engine lets you compare room rates from different booking sites. Just key in your visiting City. You'd be glad to do your homework!
Sign up to Tim's Travel Tips, and let me take you to explore the places in Asia.
Please link to me!
If you enjoy exploring Asia and getting to know its places of interest, place a link from your website or blog to AsiaExplorers. Let AsiaExplorers be your window to all the fascinating sights in Asia! It is as easy as copying the source code below and pasting it on your site:
AsiaExplorers is researched and written by Timothy Tye. Reasonable care is taken to check and verify the accuracy of the content. AsiaExplorers disclaims responsibility for any inconvenience, mishap, injury or death resulting from following the tips and advice provided directly or indirectly by this website. All pages may be printed out for your own personal, non-commercial use. Photographs not credited to a third party belong to Timothy Tye and may not be reused in any form unless you are first given permission. Write in to inquire if interested. Third party photographs are governed by their respective licenses. The author is a Christian. Click here if you are interested to know more about his Christian beliefs. To contact AsiaExplorers, use the following email address:
