Lonely Planet Cambodia

Nick Ray

Description

Lonely Planet: The world's number one travel guide publisher* Lonely Planet's Cambodia is your passport to the most relevant, up-to-date advice on what to see and skip, and what hidden discoveries await you. Watch the sun rise over the magnificent temples of Angkor, hit boho bars in Phnom Penh, and find a tropical hideaway in the Southern Islands - all with your trusted travel companion. Get to the heart of Cambodia and begin your journey now! Inside Lonely Planet's Cambodia: Colour maps and images throughout Highlights and itineraries help you tailor your trip to your personal needs and interests Insider tips to save time and money and get around like a local, avoiding crowds and trouble spots Essential info at your fingertips - hours of operation, phone numbers, websites, transit tips, prices Honest reviews for all budgets - eating, sleeping, sightseeing, going out, shopping, hidden gems that most guidebooks miss Cultural insights provide a richer, more rewarding travel experience - covering history, people, music, landscapes, wildlife, cuisine, politics Covers Phnom Penh, Siem Reap, Temples of Angkor, South Coast, Northwestern Cambodia, Eastern Cambodia The Perfect Choice: Lonely Planet's Cambodia is our most comprehensive guide to the country, and is designed to immerse you in the culture and help you discover the best sights and get off the beaten track. Looking for just the highlights? Check out Pocket Siem Reap and the Temples of Angkor, our handy-sized guide featuring the best sights and experiences. About Lonely Planet: Lonely Planet is a leading travel media company and the world's number one travel guidebook brand, providing both inspiring and trustworthy information for every kind of traveller since 1973. Over the past four decades, we've printed over 145 million guidebooks and grown a dedicated, passionate global community of travellers. You'll also find our content online, and in mobile apps, video, 14 languages, nine international magazines, armchair and lifestyle books, ebooks, and more. TripAdvisor Travelers' Choice Awards 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2016 winner in Favorite Travel Guide category 'Lonely Planet guides are, quite simply, like no other.' - New York Times 'Lonely Planet. It's on everyone's bookshelves, it's in every traveller's hands. It's on mobile phones. It's on the Internet. It's everywhere, and it's telling entire generations of people how to travel the world.' - Fairfax Media (Australia) *Source: Nielsen BookScan: Australia, UK, USA, 5/2016-4/2017eBook Features: (Best viewed on tablet devices and smartphones) Downloadable PDF and offline maps prevent roaming and data charges Effortlessly navigate and jump between maps and reviews Add notes to personalise your guidebook experience Seamlessly flip between pages Bookmarks and speedy search capabilities get you to key pages in a flash Embedded links to recommendations' websites Zoom-in maps and images Inbuilt dictionary for quick referencing Important Notice: The digital edition of this book may not contain all of the images found in the physical edition.

Sujets

• Camboya
• Cambodia

Informations

• Publié par: Lonely Planet
• Date de parution: 01 août 2018
• Nombre de lectures: 1
• EAN13: 9781787019324
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 38 Mo

Extrait

Cambodia

Contents

Plan Your Trip

Welcome to Cambodia
Cambodia’s Top 10
Need to Know
First Time Cambodia
What’s New
If You Like…
Month by Month
Itineraries
Activities
Regions at a Glance

On The Road

PHNOM PENH
Sights
Activities
Courses
Tours
Festivals & Events
Sleeping
Eating
Drinking & Nightlife
Entertainment
Shopping
Around Phnom Penh
Koh Dach
Udong
Tonlé Bati
Phnom Tamao Wildlife Rescue Centre
Phnom Chisor
Kirirom National Park
SIEM REAP
Sights
Activities
Courses
Tours
Sleeping
Eating
Drinking & Nightlife
Entertainment
Shopping
Around Siem Reap
Banteay Srei District
Prek Toal Bird Sanctuary
Floating Village of Chong Kneas
Kompong Pluk
Me Chrey
Kompong Khleang
Ang Trapeng Thmor
TEMPLES OF ANGKOR
Angkor Wat
Angkor Thom
The Gates of Angkor Thom
Bayon
Baphuon
Terrace of the Leper King
Terrace of Elephants
Preah Palilay
Royal Enclosure & Phimeanakas
Preah Pithu
Kleangs & Prasat Suor Prat
Tep Pranam
Around Angkor Thom
Small Circuit
Ta Prohm
Banteay Kdei & Sra Srang
Phnom Bakheng
Ta Keo
Ta Nei
Chau Say Tevoda
Thommanon
Spean Thmor
Baksei Chamkrong
Big Circuit
Preah Khan
Preah Neak Poan
Ta Som
Eastern Baray & Eastern Mebon
Pre Rup
Prasat Kravan
Roluos Temples
Beyond Angkor
Banteay Srei
Beng Mealea
Phnom Kulen
Kbal Spean
Banteay Samré
Chau Srei Vibol
Phnom Bok
Phnom Krom
Western Baray & Western Mebon
Remote Angkorian Sites
Koh Ker
SOUTH COAST
Koh Kong City
Koh Kong Conservation Corridor
Tatai River & Waterfall
Koh Kong Island
Central Cardamoms Protected Forest
Botum Sakor National Park
Chi Phat
Sihanoukville
Ream National Park
The Southern Islands
Koh Ta Kiev
Koh Russei
Koh Thmei
Koh Rong
Koh Rong Sanloem
Koh Sdach Archipelago
Kampot Province
Kampot
Around Kampot
Kep
Around Kep
Takeo
Around Takeo
NORTHWESTERN CAMBODIA
Kompong Chhnang
Pursat
Kompong Luong
Northern Cardamom Mountains
Battambang Province
Battambang
Around Battambang
Pailin
Poipet
Sisophon
Banteay Chhmar
Anlong Veng
Preah Vihear Province
Preah Vihear City
Prasat Preah Vihear
Preah Khan of Kompong Svay (Prasat Bakan)
Kompong Thom Province
Kompong Thom
Around Kompong Thom
EASTERN CAMBODIA
Kompong Cham
Kratie
Stung Treng
Around Stung Treng
Preah Rumkel
Siem Pang
Ratanakiri Province
Ban Lung
Veun Sai
Virachey National Park
Mondulkiri Province
Sen Monorom
Around Sen Monorom

UNDERSTAND

Understand Cambodia
Cambodia Today
History
Pol Pot & the Khmer Rouge Trials
People & Culture
Food & Drink
Environment

SURVIVAL GUIDE

Directory A-Z
Accommodation
Activities
Children
Electricity
Embassies & Consulates
Food
Insurance
Internet Access
Language Courses
Legal Matters
LGBT Travellers
Maps
Money
Opening Hours
Photography
Post
Public Holidays
Safe Travel
Telephone
Time
Toilets
Tourist Information
Travellers with Disabilities
Visas
Volunteering
Women Travellers
Work
Transport
Getting There & Away
Getting Around
Health
Language
Glossary
Behind the Scenes
Our Writers
Welcome to Cambodia

There’s a magic about this charming yet confounding kingdom that casts a spell on visitors. In Cambodia, ancient and modern worlds collide to create an authentic adventure.

An Empire of Temples
Contemporary Cambodia is the successor state to the mighty Khmer empire, which, during the Angkorian period, ruled much of what is now Laos, Thailand and Vietnam. The remains of this empire can be seen at the fabled temples of Angkor, monuments unrivalled in scale and grandeur in Southeast Asia. The traveller’s first glimpse of Angkor Wat, the ultimate expression of Khmer genius, is sublime and is matched by only a few select spots on earth, such as Machu Picchu or Petra.

The Urban Scene
Just as Angkor is more than its wat, so too is Cambodia more than its temples, and its urban areas can surprise with their sophistication. Chaotic yet charismatic capital Phnom Penh is a revitalised city earning plaudits for its sumptuous riverside setting, cultural renaissance, and world-class wining-and-dining scene. Second city Siem Reap, with cosmopolitan cafes and a diverse nightlife, is as much a destination as the nearby iconic temples. And up-and-coming Battambang, reminiscent of Siem Reap before the advent of mass tourism, charms with graceful French architecture and a thriving contemporary art scene.

Upcountry Adventures
Experience the rhythm of rural life and landscapes of dazzling rice paddies and swaying sugar palms in Cambodia’s countryside. The South Coast is fringed by tropical islands dotted with the occasional fishing village. Inland lie the Cardamom Mountains, part of a vast tropical wilderness providing a home to elusive wildlife and a gateway to emerging ecotourism adventures. The mighty Mekong River cuts through the country and hosts some of the region’s last remaining freshwater dolphins. The northeast is a world unto itself, its wild and mountainous landscapes home to Cambodia’s ethnic minorities and an abundance of natural attractions and wildlife.

The Cambodian Spirit
Despite having the eighth wonder of the world in its backyard, Cambodia’s real treasure is its people. The Khmers have been to hell and back, struggling through years of bloodshed, poverty and political instability. Thanks to an unbreakable spirit and infectious optimism, they have prevailed with their smiles intact. No visitor comes away without a measure of admiration and affection for the inhabitants of this enigmatic kingdom.

Entrance to Preah Khan temple | VINCENT ST. THOMAS/SHUTTERSTOCK ©

Why I Love Cambodia
By Nick Ray, Writer
Dating right back to my first trip in 1995, it has been the people that are the most memorable part of a journey through Cambodia, their sense of humour mischievous and their smiles infectious. The temples of Angkor are undoubtedly spectacular and deservedly top the annual travel lists of the world’s most impressive sites. However, the coastline is beautiful and blissfully undeveloped compared with some of the region. And it remains a frontier for motorbike rides from the Cardamoms in the southwest to Mondulkiri in the northeast. Even as it develops, Cambodia remains an authentic adventure.
For more see our writers
Cambodia’s Top 10

Temples of Angkor
One of the world’s most magnificent sights, the temples of Angkor are so much better than the superlatives suggest. Choose from Angkor Wat, the world’s largest religious building; Bayon, one of the world’s weirdest, with its immense stone faces; or Ta Prohm, where nature runs amok. The ancient Khmers packed the equivalent of all Europe’s cathedrals into an area the size of Los Angeles, so there are plenty of temples to choose from: the beautiful carvings of Banteay Srei, the jungle ruin of Beng Mealea and the Mayan-style pyramid temple of Koh Ker.

Angkor Wat | GUITAR PHOTOGRAPHER/SHUTTERSTOCK ©

Top Experiences
The Southern Islands
In Cambodia’s up-and-coming southern islands your best chances to fulfil those paradise fantasies are Koh Rong and Koh Rong Sanloem. Off the coast of Sihanoukville, Koh Rong is party central, with its hippy trippy Koh Tuch village; the rest of the island, fringed by silicon sand and clad in dense jungle, is an escape. Just south and slightly mellower is Koh Rong Sanloem, with tropical hideaway resorts and gentle, shallow bays. There are more islands along the coast, including the Koh Sdach archipelago and the large, almost undeveloped, Koh Kong.

Koh Rong Sanloem | NATALIA_MAROZ/SHUTTERSTOCK ©


Top Experiences
Phnom Penh
The Cambodian capital is a chaotic yet charming city that has stepped out of the shadows of the past to embrace a brighter future. Boasting one of the most beguiling riverfronts in the region, Phnom Penh is surprisingly sophisticated thanks to its hip hotels, epicurean eateries and boho bars ready to welcome urban explorers. Experience emotional extremes at the inspiring National Museum and the depressing Tuol Sleng prison, showcasing the best and worst of Cambodian history.

National Museum of Cambodia | MEUNIERD/SHUTTERSTOCK ©

Top Experiences
Siem Reap Province
Siem Reap town only came into existence as a gateway to the temples of Angkor, but has emerged as a world class destination in its own right, with a superb selection of restaurants, cafes and bars, not to mention markets, boutiques and galleries. Beyond the town lie other-worldly floating villages on the Tonlé Sap lake, adventure activities such as quad biking and ziplining, and cooking classes. There are also some traditional villages where you can experience local life in a homestay.

Pub St | MIKECPHOTO/SHUTTERSTOCK ©


Top Experiences
Kampot Province
Kampot Province has atmospheric towns, national parks, cave pagodas and tropical beaches. In laid-back Kampot town, choose from backpacker hostels, riverside resorts or boutique hotels to take in the wonderful French architectural legacy, or explore the pretty river by paddleboard or kayak. Sleepier Kep has its famous Crab Market, hiking in Kep National Park and nearby Koh Tonsay (Rabbit Island). Trips include the winding ascent to Bokor Hill Station (pictured) or exploring the working pepper farms for which Kampot is justly famous.

MINGHAIYANG/SHUTTERSTOCK ©

Top Experiences
Battambang
This is the real Cambodia. Unfurling along the banks of the Sangker River, Battambang is one of the country’s best-preserved colonial-era towns. Streets of French shophouses host everything from fair-trade cafes to art galleries. Beyond the town is the countryside and a cluster of ancient temples, which, although not exactly Angkor Wat, do, mercifully, lack the crowds. Then there’s the Phare Ponleu Selpak, a wildly successful nonprofit that puts on an aw