Cambodia for First Timers

Every place below is pinned on the interactive map with its exact location. You can browse it for free, and copy the whole map into your own Ikuzo account to adapt it to your trip.

Angkor & Siem Reap

Angkor Wat

You need the Angkor Pass (37 USD for 1 day, 62 USD for 3 days) and shoulders and knees must be covered to climb the upper level. Arrive before 5:30am for the classic sunrise over the reflecting pools.

Bayon Temple

The temple of 216 giant smiling stone faces at the heart of Angkor Thom. Go early morning or late afternoon when the light hits the faces and the tour groups thin out.

Ta Prohm

The famous tree temple half swallowed by giant roots, of Tomb Raider fame. Covered by the Angkor Pass and best photographed in soft early morning light before the crowds.

Angkor Thom South Gate

Monumental gate to the old capital, reached by a causeway of 54 gods and 54 demons churning the sea of milk. Cross it slowly on foot or by tuk tuk on the way to Bayon.

Banteay Srei

Tiny 10th century temple in pink sandstone with the finest carvings in all of Angkor, about 45 minutes from Siem Reap. Included in the Angkor Pass, easy to combine with the Landmine Museum on the way.

Preah Khan

A sprawling jungle temple with long atmospheric corridors and far fewer visitors than Ta Prohm. Covered by the Angkor Pass, lovely in the late afternoon.

Phnom Bakheng

Hilltop temple that is the classic Angkor sunset spot, capped at 300 visitors at a time. Be there by 4:30pm and remember the temple dress code applies here too.

Neak Pean

Small island temple set in a pond, reached by a wooden boardwalk across a flooded reservoir. A quick stop on the Grand Circuit, most photogenic in the wet season when the water is high.

Pub Street & Old Market

Siem Reap's nightlife strip next to the Old Market (Phsar Chas), perfect for cheap street food, souvenirs and a 50 cent draft beer. Everything is walkable, come after temple hours.

Angkor National Museum

Air conditioned introduction to Khmer art and the Angkor kings, ideal on your first day before hitting the temples. Allow about 2 hours.

Phare, The Cambodian Circus

Nightly show mixing acrobatics, theatre and live music, performed by students of a Battambang arts school. Book a day or two ahead, shows start around 8pm.

Kampong Phluk Floating Village

Stilted village on the Tonle Sap lake, visited by boat with an optional paddle through the flooded forest. Best from July to January when the water is high, go for the late afternoon light.

Phnom Penh

Royal Palace & Silver Pagoda

Home of the Cambodian king, with the Silver Pagoda's floor of 5000 silver tiles and an emerald Buddha. Shoulders and knees must be covered, and it closes for lunch from about 11am to 2pm.

National Museum of Cambodia

Graceful terracotta building holding the world's best collection of Khmer sculpture, much of it from Angkor. An hour or two here makes the temples mean far more.

Wat Phnom

Hilltop pagoda that gave Phnom Penh its name, busy with locals praying for luck. Small entry fee for foreigners, and keep an eye on your belongings around the resident macaques.

Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum

The former S21 prison of the Khmer Rouge, now a sobering memorial. Take the excellent audio guide and allow at least 2 hours, it is heavy but essential to understanding Cambodia.

Choeung Ek Killing Fields

Memorial on the site of the Khmer Rouge killing fields, about 40 minutes from the city by tuk tuk. Usually combined with Tuol Sleng in one somber half day, the audio tour is included in the ticket.

Central Market (Phsar Thmei)

Striking 1937 art deco dome packed with stalls selling jewelry, clothes, souvenirs and street food. Go in the morning and bargain with a smile.

Sisowath Quay

Riverside promenade along the Tonle Sap, liveliest at sunset when locals come out for aerobics and street snacks. A good spot for a cheap sunset river cruise.

South Coast

Otres Beach (Sihanoukville)

The calmest stretch of Sihanoukville's coast and the jumping off point for the islands. The town itself has changed a lot with casino construction, most travelers just transit here for the ferry.

Long Beach (Koh Rong)

Seven kilometers of powder white sand on Koh Rong's quiet western side. Ferries from Sihanoukville take about 45 minutes, stay a night to see the bioluminescent plankton after dark.

Saracen Bay (Koh Rong Samloem)

Crescent of calm turquoise water lined with low key resorts, the prettiest easy beach escape in Cambodia. No ATMs on the island, bring enough cash from the mainland.

Kampot Old Town

Sleepy riverside town of faded French shophouses, great cafes and cheap guesthouses. Rent a scooter for the countryside, take a sunset river cruise and order anything with Kampot pepper.

Bokor Hill Station

Abandoned French hill station in the clouds above Kampot, with the eerie old Bokor Palace hotel, an old church and a giant Buddha statue. Mornings give the best chance of clear views before the mist rolls in.

Kep Crab Market

Row of seafood shacks where blue crab goes straight from the traps to your table. Order it fried with green Kampot pepper, lunchtime is freshest.

Rabbit Island (Koh Tonsay)

Rustic little island 20 minutes by boat from Kep, all hammocks, seafood shacks and no cars. Boats leave from Kep pier in the morning and day trips are easy to arrange.

La Plantation (Kampot Pepper Farm)

Free guided tours explain why Kampot pepper is considered the world's best, ending with a tasting. Combine it with the nearby Secret Lake, every tuk tuk driver in Kampot knows the route.

Battambang & North

Battambang Bamboo Train

Ride a bamboo platform on old warped rails through the rice fields at surprising speed. Touristy but genuinely fun, expect around 5 USD per person and go late afternoon to dodge the heat.

Phnom Sampeau

Hilltop temple and wartime killing caves just outside Battambang. Stay for dusk when millions of bats pour out of the cliff cave in a ribbon across the sky.

Wat Banan

Angkor era hilltop temple reached by 358 stone steps, like a miniature Angkor Wat without the crowds. Combine it with Phnom Sampeau on a half day tuk tuk loop from Battambang.

Banteay Chhmar

Vast, barely restored temple of Jayavarman VII with Bayon style faces and almost no tourists. The community homestay project makes an overnight from Battambang or Siem Reap worthwhile.

Preah Vihear Temple

Clifftop temple perched on the Thai border with staggering views over the plains 500 meters below. Cars stop at the base, you switch to a motorbike taxi or pickup for the mountain road, and bring your passport for the checkpoints.

Koh Ker (Prasat Thom)

Seven tier pyramid temple deep in the jungle, briefly the Khmer capital in the 10th century. Usually paired with Beng Mealea on a long day trip from Siem Reap, it needs its own ticket separate from the Angkor Pass.

East & Elsewhere

Kampi Dolphin Pool (Kratie)

Boat trips from Kampi village near Kratie glide out to watch rare Irrawaddy dolphins surface in the Mekong. Go early morning or before sunset when they feed, and the boatmen cut their engines.

Elephant Valley Project (Mondulkiri)

Ethical sanctuary in the Mondulkiri hills where you walk the forest watching rescued elephants just be elephants, no riding or bathing. Book ahead, day visits and overnights run from Sen Monorom.

Kirirom National Park

Pine forests, waterfalls and cool mountain air about 3 hours from Phnom Penh. A favorite local weekend escape, doable as a day trip or a night in an eco lodge.