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Cambodia Travel Guide

Cambodia, a delightful destination encompassing mysterious temples, rich history, and intriguing culture, has much to know. Going through this Cambodia travel guide, you like to take a step into this fascinating country from the towering temples in the north to the tropical beaches in the south and  all of the history as well as culture in between.

CAMBODIA AT GLANCE - Cambodia, officially the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochinese Peninsula in Southeast Asia. The largest city, also capital of Cambodia,  is Phnom Penh set at the junction of the Mekong, Bassac and Tonlé Sap rivers, but not doubt the world popular city would be Siem Reap, a gateway to the mysterious Angkor Temples.  Lying between latitudes 10° and 15°N, and longitudes 102° and 108°E, Cambodia is bordered by Thailand to the northwest, Laos to the north, Vietnam to the east and the Gulf of Thailand to the southwest. This small country covers an area of  181,035 km2 (69,898 mi) and has a 443 km (275 mi) coastline along the Gulf of Thailand.
Geographically, Cambodia can be split into four different regions — Mekong lowlands: most of the central Cambodia, where are  Phnom Penh Capital and  Mekong River; Northwestern region: popular  for travellers as it houses the Angkor Temple  and Tonle Sap Lake; Eastern region: heavily forested area along the Mekong River but it is not very popular with travellers;  Southwest  region: rough land famous for  Cardamom and Elephant Mountains, but coastline is also a tourist hotspot.  However, each region is unique and different from not only the climate and natural beauty but also the people living style and food taste. Today Cambodia is divided into 24 provinces and 1 capital city.

QUICK FACTS ABOUT Cambodia

Local Time
GMT+7h
Politic System
Kingdom 
Capital City
Phnom Penh, Cambodia
Largest City
Phnom Penh City
Currency
Riel (KHR)
Main religion
Buddhism ( 97.1%), Islam (2.1%)

Drive
Right side
Calling Code
+ 855
Police EmergencyPhone no: 117
Fire EmergencyPhone no: 118
AmbulancePhone no: 119
Total Areas181,035 km2 
Population15,552,211 ( in 2019)

More Information on Cambodia

Cambodia has a rich and fascinating history that still left its traces not only in Cambodia but also many countries around the Southeast Asia. The earliest kingdom in this land was Funan encompassed the southernmost part of the Indochinese peninsula between the 1st and 6th centuries. Thanks to the interaction with maritime traders from India and China, the culture of Cambodia had absorbed many Indian influences. However, Funan had declined in late 6th century, and it was replaced by other empire called Chenla in Chinese annals. In reality, it controlled the whole Mekong River Delta, plus undulating areas of Indochina and maintained more than a singular centre of power.
The intriguing history of Cambodia turned a new page when Jayavarman II had founded the Khmer Empire in Northwestern Cambodia in 802. Referring to his mythical initiation and consecration ceremony, the successive powerful sovereigns  have built the Angkor City and many more temples, all of which have turned Angkor City a complex of temples. The prosperous period of Khmer empire came to an end while Thais had captured Angkor in 1431. Between 1603 and 1848, many Cambodian monarchs had to rely on Tai or Vietnamese protection against their rivals in the royal family.
Escaping from the hands of Thais and Vietnamese, Cambodia has signed an agreement with the French people on August 1863 and placed the kingdom under the protection of France from 1863 to 1953. During the second World War, Cambodia has been taken over by the Japanese troupe for several years. But right after the World War, the  French returned to Indochina, and reestablished their control over Cambodia.
Thanks to the political developments, Cambodia has got the complete independence in 1954 with the foundation of Sihanouk’s government. But the peaceful time didn’t last long in this country as the American war has expanded to the Eastern Cambodia, with bombing raid of the United Stated over this region. Due to this action, Prince Sihanouk  was very critical of the United States. That could be a reason why Sihanouk was ousted by a military coup led by Prime Minister General Lon Nol and Prince Sisowath Sirik Matak in 18 March 1970. Under the United States’ support, Non Nol  had established a new government but failed to control  the whole country.
In the other hand, the Khmer Rouge lead by Pol Pot and Ieng Sary continued to grow, aided by military support from North Vietnam. By 1973, the Khmer Rouge were fighting battles against government forces. Because of strong offensives, the Non Nol government collapsed on 17 April 1975. But the awaiting peace didn’t come to Cambodian people as the Khmer Rouge ought to restructure the Cambodian society based on the Maoist model. The new regime, however, evacuated all urban habitants  into the countryside and forced them to work as unpaid farmers in collective units. Between April 1975 and early 1979, at least 1.5 million dead cases was recorded because of overwork, starvation, disease, or execution.
Starting from the end of 1977, the  Khmer Rouge had launched a warfare against Vietnam  under the Chinese aid . To solve the border problem, a large Vietnamese  army moved into Cambodia in December 1978, brushing aside the Democratic Kampuchean forces. Retreated rapidly to the jungles near the Thai border, the Khmer Rouge  began a costly struggle that played into the hands of the larger powers China, the United States and the Soviet Union over the next decade.
Because of the week support from the Soviet Union, Vietnam had withdrawn its troop from Cambodia in 1989. At the same year, the signature of Paris Accord was signed, bringing the peace to Cambodia. So the United Nations was given a mandate to enforce a ceasefire and deal with refugees and disarmament known as the United Nations Transitional Authority in Cambodia. By the start of the 21st century, the country had begun to stabilize while admitting to certain international organizations.
 
Cambodia

Cambodia TRAVEL GUIDE IN DEPTH

HIGHLIGHTS OF Cambodia

If you're having trouble deciding which places you need to visit in Cambodia, then take a look at below travel guide and see our choices for the best destinations in Cambodia
Siem Reap

Siem Reap, Cambodia - Travel guide

Siem Reap has colonial and Chinese-style architecture in the Old French Quarter, and around the Old Market. In the city, there are museums, traditional Apsara dance performances, a Cambodian cultural village, souvenir and handicraft shops, silk farms, rice-paddies in the countryside,...
Stung Treng

Stung Treng, Cambodia - Travel guide

The provincial capital is also named Stung Treng and is an important trade hub with a few hints of Lao influence scattered about, owing to the fact that the Lao border is about 50 km away. It's a friendly, quiet country town situated on the confluence of the San River and the Mekong River....
Kampot & Kep

Kampot & Kep, Cambodia - Travel guide

Kampot is the capital of Kampot Province in southern Cambodia. The city is a quiet riverside town just a few kilometers from the Gulf of Thailand. Kampot is well known for its famous black pepper, which is widely available in Cambodia.
Sihanoukville

Sihanoukville, Cambodia - Travel guide

Sihanoukville is a province( khaet ) of Cambodia on the Gulf of Thailand. The provincial capital, also called Sihanoukville, is a port city and growing urban center located 185 kilometres (115 mi) southwest of Phnom Penh, the national capital. The...
Kampong Thom

Kampong Thom, Cambodia - Travel guide

Kampong Thom is a province of Cambodia. It borders the provinces of Siem Reap to the northwest, Preah Vihear to the north, Stung Treng to the northeast, Kratie to the east, Kampong Cham, Kampong Chhnang to the south, and the Tonle Sap to the west.
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The personalized, distinctive experience unveils the best things in Cambodia; top rated hotels, popular restaurants, funny shopping , essential highlights, entertainment and nightlife. This travel information helps you to plan wonderful holidays in Cambodia at low cost possible

Cambodia FREQUENT ASK QUESTIONS

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Do I need a visa to travel to Cambodia?

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ARTICLES ON TRAVEL IN Cambodia

Written by our specialists from the viewpoint of their own travels, these guides will help you decide on the shape of your own trip to Cambodia Aiming to inspire and inform, we share our recommendations for how to appreciate Cambodia at its best