1-Angkor Wat [ Angkor Touch]
Angkor Wat (meaning “City Temple”) is the most magnificent and largest
of all Angkor temples and the top tourist attraction in Cambodia. Built
around the first half of 12th century by King Suryavarman II, the
temple’s balance, composition and beauty make it one of the finest
monuments in the world. A huge rectangular reservoir surrounds Angkor
Wat which rises up through a series of three rectangular terraces to the
central shrine and tower at a height of 213 meters (669 feet). This
arrangement reflects the traditional Khmer idea of the temple mountain,
in which the temple represent Mount Meru, the home of the gods in
Hinduism.
2-Bayon Temple
Part of the world famous destination of Angkor, the Bayon temple
features a sea of over 200 massive stone faces looking in all direction.
The curious smiling faces, thought by many to be a portrait of king
Jayavarman VII himself or a combination of him and Buddha, are an
instantly recognizable image of Angkor. Built in the 12th century by
King Jayavarman VII as part of a massive expansion of his capital Angkor
Thom, the Bayon is built at the exact center of the royal city.
3-Banteay Srei temple
4-Koh Ker Temple2-Bayon Temple
3-Banteay Srei temple
Although officially part of the Angkor complex, Banteay Srei lies 25 km
(15 miles) north-east of the main group of temples, and therefore often
considered a separate Cambodia attraction. The temple was completed in
967 AD and is built largely of red sandstone, a medium that lends itself
to the elaborate decorative wall carvings which are still clearly
visible today. Banteay Srei is the only major temple at Angkor not built
for a king, instead it was constructed by one of king Rajendravarman’s
counselors, Yajnyavahara.
Koh Ker was the capital of the Khmer empire for a very brief period from
the year 928 to 944 AD. In this short time some very spectacular
buildings and immense sculptures were constructed. The site is dominated
by Prasat Thom, a 30 meter (98 ft) tall temple pyramid rising high
above the surrounding jungle. A giant Garuda (mythical half-man,
half-bird creature), carved into the stone blocks, still guard the very
top, although its partially covered now. Left to the jungle for nearly a
millennium, Koh Ker was one of Cambodia’s most remote and inaccessible
temple destinations. This has now changed thanks to recent de-mining and
the opening of a new toll road.
5-Kraties Province
Kratie is a small town located on the banks of the Mekong River and is
dominated by a central marketplace surrounded by old, French colonial
buildings. There’s no large scale tourism, but plenty of backpackers
pour through here during the peak season. It is the place in Cambodia to
see the rare Irrawaddy dolphins, which live in the Mekong River in
ever-diminishing numbers. It is estimated that there are between 66 and
86 dolphins left in the upper Cambodian Mekong area.
6-Presh SihanukVille
7-Bokor Hill Station
Bokor Hill Station near Kampot was built by the French in the 1920s to
be used as a retreat from the heat of Phnom Penh. It has since been
abandoned twice, first in the 1940s when the Japanese invaded Cambodia
and again in the 1970s, when the Khmer Rouge engulfed the country.
Today, Bokor Hill Station and its abandoned buildings have an eerie,
ghost-town feel. As of October 2008, the road to Bokor is officially
closed due to ongoing reconstruction. Independent access seems to be
impossible. though there are hiking tours arranged by local travel
agents.
8-Silver Pagoda
Located within the Royal Palace compound in Phnom Penh, the Silver
Pagoda houses many national treasures such as gold and jeweled Buddha
statues. Most notable is a small 17th century baccarat crystal Buddha
(the Emerald Buddha of Cambodia) and a life-sized gold Maitreya Buddha
decorated with 9584 diamonds. The internal wall of the Silver Pagoda
courtyard is decorated with a richly colored and detailed mural of the
Ramayana myth, painted in 1903–04 by 40 Khmer artists.
9-Presh Vihear Temple
Preah Vihear is a Khmer temple situated atop a 525 meter (1,722 ft)
cliff in the Dângrêk Mountains, on the border between Cambodia and
Thailand. It has the most spectacular setting of all the Khmer temples.
Most of the temple was constructed in the 11th and 12th century during
the reigns of the Khmer kings Suryavarman I and Suryavarman II. It was
dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva. Preah Vihear is the subject of a
long-running territorial dispute between Thailand and Cambodia, and
several soldiers were killed in clashes in 2009.
10-Tonle Sap
Tonlé Sap is the largest freshwater lake in South East Asia and is of
major importance to Cambodia. The lake expands and shrinks dramatically
with the seasons. From November to May, Cambodia’s dry season, the Tonlé
Sap drains into the Mekong River at Phnom Penh. However, when the
year’s heavy rains begin in June, the flow of the Tonlé Sap changes
directions and an enormous lake forms. Tonlé Sap is home to many ethnic
Vietnamese and numerous Cham communities, living in floating villages
around the lake.
5-Kraties Province
6-Presh SihanukVille
Sihanoukville, also known as Kampong Som, is a port city and beach
resort on the Gulf of Thailand. The big attraction here are the
white-sand beaches and several undeveloped tropical islands.
Sihanoukville is a good place to relax and unwind, though be prepared to
battle the crows during the high season or a holiday weekend.
7-Bokor Hill Station
8-Silver Pagoda
9-Presh Vihear Temple
10-Tonle Sap
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