A provincial capital roughly half way between Phnom Penh and Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam, the town of Svay Rieng is bypassed by most travelers, except those desperately in need of a meal or a drink. The Vietnamese border at Bavet is a short journey from here.
Located on the east bank of the Mekong, Neak Luong is a busy transit town with a devastating history. During the Vietnam War, the town was bombed by a US B-52, which dropped a 20-ton (18 tonne) load on the town center, resulting in the deaths of almost 150 people. This incident is depicted in […]
A highly enjoyable boat ride from Takeo takes visitors to the small riverside settlement of Angkor Borei, one of the oldest pre-Angkorian sites in Cambodia. This scruffy, isolated town was earlier known as Vyadapura, capital city of the ancient Hindu kingdom of Funan, which rose to prominence between the 1st and 6th centuries AD. The […]
A provincial capital, Takeo is located on the fringe of a vast flood plain that forms a vital wetland area. Although not on the tourist map, Takeo’s broad streets are visited by those en route to the impressive early Khmer temple of Phnom Da, not far from town. As a result, the town has several […]
Cambodia’s coastal parks are incredibly diverse, comprising a wide variety of flora and fauna. In the Cardamom Mountains, the rain forests stretch right down to the sea and some of the best- preserved mangrove estuaries in Asia are also on this coastline. Shallower waters contain rich seagrass beds, the diet of dugongs and green turtles. […]
A beautiful wooded island just offshore from Kep, Koh Tonsay, or Rabbit Island, is so called because its profile is said to resemble that of a rabbit. The island is inhabited by around 200 people who make a living by fishing and harvesting coconuts and sea- weed (for Chinese cosmetics). It is possible to walk […]
One of the smallest protected preserves in Cambodia, Kep National Park occupies the hilltop directly behind Kep town. A 5-mile (8-km) long trail loops around the hillside, passing through an evergreen forest, and takes about 3 hours to hike. Enroute, visitors will come across views of Kampot and Angkoul Beach, and a pagoda, before arriving […]
Once known as Kep-sur-Mer, the town of Kep was an upscale resort for the rich and influential of French Indochina in the 1930s. Today, it is little more than an overgrown village in a scenic location, surrounded by a lofty forested headland, and the sea on three sides. A profusion of greenery and thick tree […]
A religious hill complex, Phnom Sorsia consists of a garishly painted Buddhist temple and a karst outcrop riddled with caves. A staircase leads up to the temple, to the left of which is the first cave with a stalagmite resembling an elephant’s head, giving the cave its name – Rung Damrey Sor, or White Elephant […]
Situated on a small hill that rises from the pancake-flat plain east of Kampot, Phnom Chhnork is a renowned cave- temple. Approached by a short walk through rice paddies, the temple is reached by ascending a flight of stone steps, which lead to the cave containing an evocative 7th- century Funan brick temple dedicated to […]