Cambodia
We’ve compiled the best of the best in Cambodia - browse our top choices for the top things to see or do during your stay.
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1. La Plantation
Domnak Er districtKampot's world-renowned aromatic pepper is sold all around the country and was once the go-to spice for upmarket kitchens in Paris, but there's nothing quite like visiting where it's grown, sampling it right off the plant, and paying its producers in person for a certified 100% organic product. La Plantation is one of the most respectable producers, where you can buy white, red, or black pepper after a free tour of the pepper plantation itself. You can also explore its numerous heritage buildings, which were rescued and restored from the surrounding villages (the main one, where you can have lunch, was once a hall for monks). They also offer fun water buffalo--led cart rides, which take you into the waters of the nearby Secret Lake, a beautiful stretch of water that hides a dark past; it was built by forced labor during the Khmer Rouge years. As most pepper plantations are in the countryside along dusty, rocky roads, it's best to arrange a taxi ride—tuk-tuks across this kind of terrain can be exhausting.
Secret Lake, Kampot, Kampot, Cambodia855-17-842505Sight Details
Rate Includes: Bookings 24 hours in advance -
2. Phare Ponleu Selpak
The famous Phare circus in Siem Reap actually originated in Battambang, and for more than 15 years, the Phare Ponleu Selpak center has offered quality arts training to locals. Their daily shows ($14) combine dance, theater, live music, and circus performances with Cambodian narratives. Shows start at 7 pm, and there are also guided visits of the campus ($5) from Monday to Friday until 3:30 pm.
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3. Royal Palace
A walled complex that covers several blocks near the river, 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 pagoda-style 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 golden 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 murals depicting scenes from 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.
Sothearos, Phnom Penh, Phnom Penh, CambodiaSight Details
Rate Includes: $6.50, plus $2 for a camera, $5 for a video camera, Guides can be hired at the entrance for $10 -
4. Airavata Elephant Foundation
Located a few kilometers south of Ratanakiri's capital Banlung, Airavata is a “new generation” elephant camp following responsible and ethical alternatives to mass tourism. In an effort to help save some of Cambodia's dwindling population of 300-odd elephants, they work under patronage of Cambodia's King Norodom Sihamoni. Travelers meet the animals in optimal natural conditions, guided by highly selected indigenous mahouts who treat elephants in the best possible way, as they enjoy their work.
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5. National Museum
This is one of Cambodia's two main museums and, although threadbare, it houses impressive relics that have survived war, genocide, and widespread plundering. More than 5,000 artifacts and works of art chronicle the various stages of Khmer 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 houses 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.
Sts. 13 and 178, Phnom Penh, Phnom Penh, Cambodia855-023-211753Sight Details
Rate Includes: $10 adults -
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6. Yeak Laom Lake
Lodged in a volcanic crater 5 km (3 miles) east of Ban Lung, this mystical lake, bordered by jungle, is sacred to the Khmer Loeu hill tribes. It's a half mile in diameter and 154 feet deep, and there are wooden jetties from which to launch yourself into the cool waters. Swing from a hammock in one of the huts lining the shore—these cost $3 to rent for the day, but if you order food it's free. The local specialty is prung, bamboo stuffed with vegetables, meat, and local herbs and spices which are cooked over an open fire. Stalls at the entrance sell jungle honey, as well as Cambodian krama scarves. Take a tuk-tuk ($3) or moto from Ban Lung.
Banlung, Ratanakiri, CambodiaSight Details
Rate Includes: $1.50
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