In many ways planning a Cambodia holiday is very straight forward - you start with a few days in Phnom Penh before heading north, either on or around the Tonlé Sap Lake before arriving in Siem Reap, the gateway to the Angkor Temples. This five or six day itinerary works well as a side trip or extension your other Asia holiday plans. You can arrive in Cambodia by land, river or air and the infrastructure is good ensuring that logistically it is all very very straight forward and comfortable.
However, travellers willing to give a little more time and attention to Cambodia, as holiday destination of its own, will be rewarded with a country more diverse, culturally rich and energetic than many of its better known neighbours can only dream of of offering.
The short hop
In our mind, it is essential to do a little more than just visit the Angkor Temples if you wish to get a true insight of the Khmer people. Nine times out of ten this will mean combining Siem Reap with the country's capital, Phnom Penh. This can be done at pace in four nights, more ideal would be five. Travelling between the two you have a few options. It is 50 minutes by air, however taking into account all the check-in and transfer times you are not saving much time compared to driving between the two, the method we favour; it's an interesting drive that will give you an insight into Cambodia away from the cities of Phnom Penh and Siem Reap. The other option is to travel across Tonlé Sap, Cambodia's Great Lake. There is an express ferry, taking five to six hours, however the boats are unreliable and safety standards are not high enough for us to recommend it for most. However, it's a personal choice and we would be lying if we said we hadn't used it once or twice during our back packing days! Currently the only other alternative Tonlé Sap journeys take three days upwards, travelling onboard either the Toum Tiou or the RV Pandaw, both sensational cruise experiences but clearly neither fit easily into a four or five day programme!
At the end of your whistle stop Cambodia holiday you can then fly onto Vietnam, Laos Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore (or connect through to the UK) from either Phnom Penh or Siem Reap.
Want to discover the real Cambodia?
This is where it starts to get even more interesting. A more complete Cambodia holiday will typically last between seven and 14 days, taking you in a circular journey around the Tonlé Sap Lake, along Cambodia's lesser visited southern coast and perhaps, if time and will permit, into the north-eastern corner of the country, towards the border with Laos. You can travel in either direction and you can pick the destinations that best suit your interests and time frame.
Starting from Phnom Penh, travel west towards the border with Thailand, stopping at the former Khmer Rouge stronghold of Battambang. A former gem mining town and one that is still surrounded by a number of Angkor era temples and excellent tourist sites. There are a small number of characterful hotels in the town and also an excellent homestay option, spending the night with a local family on the outskirts of the city. In our mind Battambang is a highlight of any Cambodia holiday...make that Asia. Your next stop will be Siem Reap, taking the opportunity to travel across the Tonlé Sap Lake, passing by floating villages and the lake side communities that depend on the lake for their existence. After three or four nights in Siem Reap, visiting the Angkor Temples you will journey south, either via Phnom Penh to the coast or bearing east and making the long drive to the north-eastern corner of the country. In both cases you will pass through a number of points of interest en route; the towns of Kampong Cham and Kampong Thom, with their bold Colonial architecture, and lesser-visited temples such as Sambor Prei Kuk and Phnom Sontuk.
If you are travelling to the far north east you will start to bear north again at the town of Kampong Cham and for most the journey will be broken at either Chhlong or Kratie - this is a holiday not a marathon! Kratie is famed for its Irawaddy dolphins however sightings are rare these days as the numbers dwindle. The accommodation options in town are limited however more than adequate for one night and any bed will be welcome after the drive! The following day will see you complete the journey to region of Ratanakiri, and the capital of Banlung where you will check in at the wonderful Terres Rouge. The region is home to a wealth of truly unique travel experiences; riding elephants and visiting waterfalls, swimming in mystical crater lakes, and visiting minority tribe’s villages and learning about their ancient cultures. This is the Cambodia holiday you had dreamt of, this is the real experience - you have arrived! We always recommend taking at least three nights in Ratanakiri to ensure you make the most of the opportunities in the area before either travelling back to south to Phnom Penh or crossing the border into either Vietnam or Laos to continue your travels.
The southern coast of Cambodia is home to fine beaches, national parks and some interesting towns. It’s fair to say that as a pure beach destination Cambodia struggles to stand up against it's neighbours Thailand and Vietnam. Having said that the beaches in and around Sihanoukville are excellent, the town itself more than enough for a four or five night stay and further east towards Cambodia's border with Vietnam you have the town of Kep. Very much an up-and-coming travel destination (although this has been said for many years now it seems!), Kep is the perfect base to explore the south-eastern corner of Cambodia or as a final night before crossing the border. In the vicinity is the Bokor National Park, with its commanding views over the coast and deserted French Villas, the idyllic Rabbit Island and the town of Kampot. Combined, this is more than enough to demand a few days of your attention.
Many will need to 'cherry pick' from the destinations listed above as to include everything requires an extensive period of time. However it is possible as our Complete Cambodia holiday shows.