31 Best Sights in Cambodia

Angkor Archaeological Park near Siem Reap is one of this planet's greatest archaeological sites. It's home to the magnificent temple-city of Angkor Wat, the world's largest religious structure and star attraction of this vast temple complex. Combined with more remote, lesser-visited temple-cities and ruins outside the park, this collection of archaeological sites is Southeast Asia's most impressive.

The massive structures are often compared to Central America's Mayan ruins, but far exceed them in size. And Angkor Wat is just one temple in a complex of hundreds: In all, there are some 300 monuments reflecting Hindu and Buddhist influence scattered throughout the countryside, but only the most significant have been fully restored, and in some cases reconstructed.

The major temple-cities of Angkor Wat and Angor Thom lie within a few miles of each other and can be seen in one day. Most travelers spend two or three days viewing the best-preserved temples, while archaeological enthusiasts will take a week or two to thoroughly explore the entire park, and do day-trips and overnight stays out to more remote temple ruins.

The best strategy for tackling the temples is to set out before sunrise each day, return to Siem Reap for lunch, swims, and massages, then return to Angkor Park in the late afternoon. Start your first day with sunrise at Angkor Wat, which for many travelers becomes one of the most memorable experiences of their lives. The site only gets busy during the short high season (December to March), but it is so enormous that it's easy to escape the crowds. After exploring the stupendous temple, move onto the neighboring temple city of Angkor Thom, where the highlights are the temples of Baphuon and Bayon, with its vivid bas-reliefs of scenes from epic battles and everyday life.

Start your second day at Ta Prohm. The temple is often referred to as the "Angelina Jolie temple" for its role in the movie Tomb Raider, and is best known for the tree roots that picturesquely appear to strangle the temple walls and galleries. Nearby Banteay Kdei, opposite the royal baths of Sra Srang, is more dilapidated, atmospheric, and shaded by trees. There are many small temples in this area that get very few visitors but are worth a look, such as Ta Keo and Thommanon.

On your third morning, head to the exquisite pink sandstone temple of Banteay Srei. The drive takes you through some of Cambodia's most gorgeous countryside, which is at its greenest during the monsoon season. On the way back, you can climb the pyramid temple of Pre Rup. With so many archaeological sites to see, the choice is yours. Discuss your preferences and how you like to travel with your guide, and if you prefer to get off the beaten track, ask the guide to create an itinerary to lesser-visited temples.

The entrance to the complex is 4 km (2½ miles) north of Siem Reap. Most independent travelers hire a tuk-tuk driver for a half-day or full-day ($20 to $35). Renting bicycles ($2 to $5) or electric bikes ($6 to $12) is also an option if you’re up for the exertion in the heat. Tourists cannot hire motorbikes and vehicles in Siem Reap, but you can hire a driver with car. Hiring a tour guide is a must, at least for the first day. Good hotels can recommend guides and drivers.

Angkor Archaeological Park is open from 5:30 am to 6 pm, although some temples open later than others and close earlier. See the official Angkor Enterprise website for times. You can buy tickets online or at the Angkor Ticket Office. Don't lose your ticket as you need to show it at the entrance to each site and to access restrooms (free-of-charge) in the Park. If you buy your ticket at 5 pm, you'll be admitted for the remaining open hour, in time to see the sunset setting the temples aglow. Your ticket will also count for the following day. Make sure to wear a hat and sunscreen and take plenty of water. There are cafes and clean restrooms near Angkor Wat, and vendors selling drinks, fruit, and street food throughout the park.

This compelling modern museum, which opened in 2008, guides you through the rise and fall of the Angkorian empire, covering the religions, kings, and geopolitics that drove the Khmer to create monumental cities and highly developed urban societies with hospitals, universities, and a sophisticated hydraulic system. With more than 1,300 artifacts on display, complemented by interactive multimedia installations, this museum experience helps demystify much of the material culture that visitors encounter at the archaeological parks and sites. The atmosphere is set in the impressive gallery of a thousand Buddhas, which plunges you into the serene spirituality that still dominates the region. Seven consequent galleries, set up chronologically, highlight the Funan and Chenia pre-Angkorian epochs, followed by the golden age of the Angkorian period led by the likes of King Soryavarman II, who built Angkor Wat. The final two galleries showcase some of the stone inscriptions that enabled scholars to make sense of the period, and statues of Apsaras, shedding light on the cult and fashions of these celestial dancers considered messengers of the gods. The audio tour is excellent and well worth the extra cost ($5).

The Sihanoukville coast is flanked by many islands, many of them lightly populated by Khmer fishermen, and only some accessible to tourists by boat. Koh Rong Sanloem, Koh Tas, Koh Ta Kiev, and Koh Russei are the most popular destinations with snorkeling, scuba-diving, kayaking, and beachcombing drawing travelers. Accommodations include everything from rustic bungalows to chic beach resorts. Ferries and speedboats run frequently throughout the day from Sihanoukville to Koh Rong Samloem (30 to 40 minutes, from $20). Choose the location of your accommodation carefully, because while there are tranquil beaches for those looking for a relaxing stay, there's also a wild party scene. The amenities vary depending where you go.  The jungle interior of the island is home to some of the deadliest snakes in Cambodia. They are more afraid of you, of course, but be aware.

Kampot's world-renowned aromatic pepper can be bought all over Cambodia and is used by chefs helming some of the world's finest restaurants, but there's nothing quite like visiting where it's grown, learning about the process, sampling the pepper berries, and buying the product direct from the source, so you know you're purchasing the certified 100% organic product. La Plantation is one of the most respected producers of the pepper, where you can buy white, red, and black peppercorns and do a free tour of the pepper plantation. You can also explore its numerous heritage buildings, which were rescued and restored from surrounding villages. The main building, where you can dine on delicious dishes that feature the Kampot pepper, was once a hall for monks. 

As most pepper plantations are scattered around the countryside, it's best to arrange a private driver with a vehicle to explore them. A long day out in a tuk-tuk across this kind of terrain can be exhausting.

The famous Phare Cambodian Circus in Siem Reap originated here in Battambang, where performers trained at the circus school that's a part of the non-profit Phare Ponleu Selpak, a visual and performing arts school. Their thrice-weekly shows (Monday, Thursday, and Saturday; $16) performed by students combine dance, theater, live music, and circus skills with Cambodian stories. Shows start at 7 pm, but plan to arrive an hour earlier if you want to see the campus, the photography and art exhibitions, and the shop. Guided campus tours are offered six times a day ($5), Monday to Friday; modest dress is required.

Located between the Siem Reap port of Chong Khneas and the city of Battambang, Prek Toal is mainland Southeast Asia's most important waterbird nesting site. It's a spectacular scene if you can visit at the start of the dry season (November and December), when water remains high and thousands of rare birds begin to nest. To support their education and eco activities, tours can be booked through the Osmose conservation organization. Day tours and overnight stays at the Prek Toal Research Station can also be arranged.

Sprawling across one large block near the riverside, the official residence of current King Sihamoni and former residence of the late King Sihanouk and Queen Monineath Sihanouk (who also still lives here) is a 1913 reconstruction of the timber palace built in 1866 by the former King Norodom. The residential areas of the palace located to the west are strictly off limits to the public, but within the main compound are several structures worth visiting, including Wat Preah Keo Morokat, aka the Silver Pagoda; the Throne Hall, with a tiered roof topped by a 200-foot-tall tower; and a pavilion donated by the Emperor Napoléon III and shipped here from France.

The Temple of the Emerald Buddha, built from 1892 to 1902 and renovated in 1962, is one of Phnom Penh's greatest attractions. It's referred to as the Silver Pagoda because of the 5,329 silver tiles—more than 5 tons of pure silver—that make up the floor in the main vihear (temple hall). At the back of the vihear is the venerated Preah Keo Morokat (Emerald Buddha)—some say it's carved from jade, whereas others maintain that it's Baccarat crystal. In front of the altar is a 200-pound solid-gold Buddha studded with 2,086 diamonds. Displayed in a glass case are the gold offerings donated by Queen Kossomak Nearyreath in 1969; gifts received by the royal family over the years are stored in other glass cases. The gallery walls surrounding the temple compound are covered with beautiful murals depicting scenes from the Reamker, the Khmer version of the Indian epic, the Ramayana. Pride of place outside is given to a bronze statue of King Norodom on horseback, completed in Paris in 1875 and brought here in 1892.

Within the Royal Palace grounds is Phnom Penh's greatest attraction: the Temple of the Emerald Buddha, built 1892 to 1902 and renovated in 1962. The temple is often referred to as the Silver Pagoda because of the 5,329 silver tiles—more than 5 tons of pure silver—that make up the floor in the main vihear (temple hall). At the back of the vihear is the venerated Preah Keo Morokat (Emerald Buddha)—some say it's carved from jade, whereas others maintain that it's Baccarat crystal. In front of the altar is a 200-pound solid-gold Buddha studded with 2,086 diamonds. Displayed in a glass case are the golden offerings donated by Queen Kossomak Nearyreath (King Norodom Sihamoni's grandmother) in 1969; gifts received by the royal family over the years are stored in other glass cases. The gallery walls surrounding the temple compound, which serves as the royal graveyard, are covered with murals depicting scenes from the Indian epic, the Ramayana. Pride of place is given to a bronze statue of King Norodom on horseback, completed in Paris in 1875 and brought here in 1892. There's a nearby shrine dedicated to the sacred bull Nandi.

Located a few kilometers south of Ratanakiri's provincial capital Ban Lung, Airavata is an elephant sanctuary for rescued animals that can't be returned to the wild. Working under the patronage of Cambodia's King Norodom Sihamoni, their goal is to help save Cambodia's dwindling population of elephants, and to adopt more ethical and responsible animal tourism practices while maintaining Khmer cultural traditions. While travelers get to observe the animals in their natural environment, they can also participate in bathing the elephants alongside their indigenous mahouts. Unfortunately rides are still incorporated into some programs, but ethical travelers would be wise to choose programs with minimal contact.

Not far from the Old Market on Achamen Street sits the Angkor Hospital for Children, founded in 1999 by Japanese photographer Kenro Izu. It provides pediatric care to more than 100,000 children each year. Give blood, save a life.

Here at this lively flea market, you can practice your bargaining skills and get lost in a maze that includes a food hall, massage stands, bars, and an enormous variety of clothes, accessories, souvenirs, food and cosmetic products, jewelry, and more.

The provincial capital is a small, sleepy town that holds a certain romance as a far-flung destination away from the influence of Phnom Penh, but otherwise offers little more than slow-paced local life and clouds of red dust in the dry season—or mud in the wet season. Arrive with everything you need, as foreign products are sometimes difficult to obtain. Most of the decent hotels are located around Kan Seng lake.

A visit to the gem mines of the Bokeo area, 30 km (20 miles) east of Ban Lung, can be arranged through your hotel, or any moto driver in Ban Lung can take you there. Some of the mines are increasingly deep, man-sized potholes, and mining is for semiprecious stones such as zircon and amethyst. As you drive through the villages in the area, the villagers line up to sell you their finds. Bokeo literally means "gem mine."

In the early 20th century, the French built this hill station as a cooling retreat from the heat and humidity of the coast. Aside from a stone Catholic Church, there's little to see of the ruined and abandoned colonial-era buildings, but it's worth visiting for the journey there along a winding road through forests, and the spectacular coastal views from its 3,000-foot heights. It's 35 km (22 miles) west of Kampot, and easily reachable with a driver and car, which can be arranged through your hotel.

Be sure to visit this museum, established by Aki Ra, a former child soldier who first fought for the Khmer Rouge, then the Vietnamese, and finally the Cambodian Army. Now he dedicates his life to removing the land mines he and thousands of others laid across Cambodia. His museum is a must-see, a sociopolitical eye-opener that portrays a different picture of Cambodia from the glorious temples and five-star hotels. Your entry ticket helps land-mine victims go to school.

As the museum is a decent distance from Siem Reap, it's best to combine this with a visit to the Banteay Srei Temple nearby.

Phnom Penh's splendid yellow colonial-era Central Market was built in the late 1930s on land that was once a swamp. This wonderfully ornate building with a soaring dome retains some of the city's once prominent art-deco style. The market's Khmer name, Phsar Thmei, translates as "new" market to distinguish it from Phnom Penh's original market, Phsar Chas (old market), near the Tonle Sap River; however, it's popularly known as Central Market. Entry into the market is through one of four grand entrances that face the directions of the compass. The main entrance, facing east, is lined with souvenir and textile merchants hawking everything from cheap T-shirts to expensive silk textiles, handicrafts, and silverware. Other stalls sell electronic goods, cell phones, watches, gold jewelry, household items, shoes, flowers, and just about anything else you can imagine. There is delicious street food sold from the stalls on the perimeter of the market.

Under Pol Pot's Khmer Rouge regime from 1975 to 1979, thousands of prisoners who had been tortured at the infamous Tuol Sleng prison were taken to the rural Choeung Ek extermination camp—long known as the "Killing Fields"—for execution. Today, the site is a memorial consisting of a monumental glass stupa built in 1989, filled with 8,000 skulls exhumed from nearby mass graves. It's an extremely disturbing sight: many of the skulls, which are grouped according to age and gender, bear the holes and slices from the blows that killed them. Located about 14 km (9 miles) southwest of downtown Phnom Penh, the peaceful site can be reached in 30 minutes by tuk-tuk or taxi (fares start at around $12) and an excursion is often combined with a visit to the Genocide Museum. The audio tour, available in English, is excellent and included in the fee.

Battambang's compact historic center has the highest density of heritage buildings in Cambodia, including refurbished French colonial administrative buildings and banks, dilapidated art deco cinemas, Chinese shophouses, and gilded pagodas in leafy grounds. Focus your explorations on the cluster of blocks between Street 1, parallel to the Sanker River, and Street 3, all the way down to Street 127, which has the widest variety of architecture. Ask your hotel to print out the annotated walking map by Khmer Architecture Tours and explore on foot, punctuating your walk with food and drink stops.

Don't miss the fascinating free museum at the Governor's Mansion, itself an exquisite piece of colonial architecture.

One of Cambodia's two main museums houses an impressive collection of archaeological treasures that have survived war, genocide, and widespread plundering. More than 14,000 artifacts and works of art chronicle the various stages of Khmer history and cultural development, from the pre-Angkor periods of Fu Nan and Zhen La (5th to 8th century) to the Indravarman period (9th century), the classical Angkor period (10th to 13th century), and post-Angkor period. A palm-shaded central courtyard with lotus ponds hosts the museum's showpiece: a sandstone statue of the Hindu god Yama, the Leper King, housed in a pavilion. Guides, who are usually waiting just inside the entrance, can add depth to a visit here, although the audio guide itself is excellent.

In the countryside 25 km (15 miles) south from the city, this tranquil 11th-century hilltop temple has five impressive, albeit crumbling, towers. Reaching the temple involves a hike up 358 steps, and is best visited early in the morning or late afternoon. You'll often find Cambodians up here lighting candles and making offerings. Tuk-tuks from Battambang charge $17 to $25 for the round-trip depending on where you stop en route.

These limestone caves shelter a pre-Angkorian Hindu ruin (before it was Buddhist, the Khmer empire was Hindu), where stalagmites and stalactites are gradually growing. The less appealing cave of Phnom Sia (flashlight required) is mostly about exploring the depths of a deep cave, while the cave on Phnom Sasear, known as the White Elephant Cave, has a shrine where locals make offerings to a white limestone formation thought to resemble an elephant head. The caves can be included in half-day, full-day, and multi-day tours of the surrounds that typically take in pepper plantations, salt flats, and Kep. Prices vary based on the duration and distance. 

The site of a hill-top temple called Wat Sampeau, which offers jaw-dropping panoramic vistas of the surrounding countryside and rice paddies, Phnom Sampeau is located just off the Highway 57 on the way to Pailin and the Thai border, 10 km (7 miles) southwest of Battambang. Tragically, the mountain's caves were used by the Khmer Rouge to execute prisoners. In one, which contains the skeletal remains of victims, you can stand on the eerily dark floor and look up to a hole in the cave roof, with sunlight streaming through. Khmer Rouge cadres reportedly pushed their victims through the hole to their deaths on the rocks below. During sunset, you may be able to observe the spectacle of millions of bats flying from the caves to head out for their dinner.

This historic central market, built in the art deco style during the French protectorate, is a great spot to buy cooked street food and Battambang's famous fruit—green-skinned Pursat oranges. Inside, vendors sell everything from the colorful batik sarongs beloved by villagers to gold jewelry destined for dowries.

This hip art gallery run by a collective of young Cambodian artists hosts rotating exhibits of local art on the ground floor. Upstairs, an art museum collects the best work of the co-founders, all graduates of the Phare Ponleu Selpak visual arts and performing arts school. There's a lovely rooftop cafe that serves excellent coffee and dishes made from fresh produce grown in the property's garden.

This popular covered market earned its nickname in the 1980s, when the wives and daughters of Russian diplomats would often cruise the stalls on the lookout for curios and antiques. Today the market has a good selection of Cambodian handicrafts and produce for sale. Wood carvings and textiles abound, as do "spirit houses" used for offerings of food, flowers, and incense. Colorful woven straw mats, hats, and baskets are popular. The market is one of the city's best sources for art objects, including statues of the Buddha and Hindu gods; you can also buy old Indochinese coins and paper money printed during different periods of Cambodia's history—though note sometimes these are just replicas. A jumble of stalls concentrated at the market's south side sells DVDs and electronics. It's also a great place to buy overstock clothes from Cambodia's numerous garment factories at a fraction of their official retail price. There are many cafes, eateries, and rooftop bars in the streets surrounding the market.

This sobering museum is a horrific reminder of the cruelty of which humans are capable. Once a neighborhood school, the building was seized by Pol Pot's Khmer Rouge and turned into a prison and interrogation center, the dreaded S-21. During the prison's four years of operation, some 14,000 Cambodians were tortured here; most were then taken to the infamous Killing Fields for execution. The four school buildings that made up S-21 have been left largely as they were when the Khmer Rouge retreated in January 1979. The prison kept extensive records and photos of the victims, and many of the images and documents are on display; particularly chilling are the representations of torture scenes painted by S-21 survivor Vann Nath.

A popular hiking and camping spot with young Cambodians who frequently share images of Virachey's lush rolling green hills on social media, the national park is considered to be the Mekong's final frontier for biodiversity, and the largest protected area in Cambodia sprawling over 3,325 square kilometers. Located 35 km (22 miles) northeast of Ban Lung, the national park is home to lush jungle, forests, savannah, grasslands, wildlife, and waterfalls, such as the two-tiered Bu Sra Waterfall. The park can be experienced on a trek booked through the Virachey National Park Eco-Tourism Information Centre in Ban Lung. Treks range from 2 to 7 days and include transport, park admission, guide, meals, and porter service. A good level of fitness is required.

Long before the French arrived to Battambang, the area around the present-day city was one of the Khmer Empire's most productive regions. Even though Wat Ek Phnom has been heavily looted over the centuries and is currently very dilapidated, there are still some fine stone carvings. In front of the ruins stands a more modern pagoda and an enormous Buddha. To travel here directly via tuk-tuk expect to pay around $10 to $12, however, it's mostly included on half-day excursions that can be arranged through your hotel or directly with drivers.

Admission is free with a ticket to Wat Banan, but only on the same day.

Opposite the riverfront, a block north of the National Museum, the 15th-century Wat Ounalom is now the center of Cambodian Buddhism. Until 1999 it housed the Institute Buddhique, which originally contained a large religious library destroyed by the Khmer Rouge in the 1970s. Wat Ounalom's main vihear (temple hall), built in 1952 and still intact, has three floors; the top floor holds paintings illustrating the lives of the Buddha. The central feature of the complex is the large stupa, Chetdai, which dates to Angkorian times and is said to contain hair from one of the Buddha's eyebrows. Four niche rooms here hold priceless bronze sculptures of the Buddha. The sanctuary is dedicated to the Angkorian king Jayavarman VII.

According to legend, a wealthy woman named Penh found four statues of the Buddha hidden in a tree floating down the river, and in 1372 built this hill and commissioned this sanctuary to house them. It is this 90-foot knoll for which the city was named: Phnom Penh means "Penh Hill." Sixty years later, King Ponhea Yat had a huge stupa built here to house his ashes after his death. You approach the temple by a flight of steps flanked by bronze friezes of chariots in battle and heavenly apsara (traditional Khmer dancers and messengers of the Gods). Inside the temple hall, the vihear, are some fine wall paintings depicting scenes from the Buddha's lives, and on the north side is a charming Chinese shrine. The bottom of the hill swarms with vendors selling devotional candles and flowers, food stands serving local street food, and some beggars.