Johnny here. Right now I'm in Siem Reap
and in this short film I'm going to talk
about travel in Cambodia. With Siem Reap
and the famous and Angkor temples that were
built here between the 9th and 15th
centuries Cambodia has one of the
greatest tourist attractions anywhere in
the world. Covering some 400 square
kilometres the UNESCO World Heritage
Angkor Archaeological Park is home to
scores of temples, canals, bridges and
gateways. The most famous temple is
Angkor Wat, built during the first half
of the 12th century and today receives
more than 2 million visitors a year. Best
seen at dawn before the crowds arrive
and as the sun turns the east face pink
it is a truly incredible sight. Ta Phrom
is famous for the temple-strangling
trees that seem to devour the ancient
structures and my own favourite is the
beautiful Angkor Thom or the Bayon
Temple with its serene collection of
exquisitely carved faces. With so much to
see you'll need at least two, if not
three days here. Now we're in the past
people thought that temples of Siem Reap
were all Cambodia had to offer. Now
things are changing. For a start there
are many more wonderful Angkorian and
pre-Angkorian Temples such as at Preah
Vihear on the border with Thailand. Banteay
Chmar and Sambalpur Angkor on the road to
the Phnom Penh
and Battembang the provincial capital
at Battenbang Province is an
atmospheric and quiet town which is home
to an array of temples both old and new
and the famous bamboo train on which our
clients can take a stunning ride through
the countryside. And if you want to get
further off the beaten track on your own
private adventure why not travel up to
Phnom Kulen otherwise known as the
sacred mountains. Here you can visit
waterfalls, a local village and school
and trek through the jungle to find
remote and fascinating temples like this
life-sized stone elephant temple we
found deep in the jungle. Here you can
also stay at an amazing camp, put up
especially for you and have a night of
glamping amongst nature as the only
travellers for miles around.
And at some point on your trip through
Cambodia you are bound to come through
here, the nation's capital Phnom Penh.
Whilst Phnom Penh may not have the
plethora of obvious tourist attractions
some of the other capitals in the region
possess it is still an interesting place
and definitely deserves a day or two
exploring. Sitting at the confluence of
the Tonlé Sap and Mekong River, it’s packed
with great restaurants and bars. There
are plenty of places to explore
including What Phnom, the city's first
pagoda, the old French Quarter and the
town's busy market. There are also some
great places to stay. The most famous of
which is Raffles Hotel.
Heading south from Phnom Penh, you'll
come to Kep. Under French rule Kep, known
at the time as Kep-Sur-Mer, was Cambodia's
most prestigious town. Established in
1908 it became a thriving resort for the
French and following independence for
the Cambodian elite. Although the beach
is nothing much to shout about its
architecture, its cuisine and it's sleepy,
laid-back atmosphere make it a lovely
place to discover the most important
thing about Kep. Today, its famous crab
market, which is a fascinating place to
visit as the catch comes in. It's also a
good place to grab lunch. From here you
can head into the Cardamon Mountains for
some more trekking and adventure
activities or for some R&R and more
great food, head further down the coast
to the town of see Sihanoukville. With
increased economic growth has come a
huge improvement in the country's
infrastructure - roads are in good
condition, fine restaurants offer great
cuisine and impressive hotels are
springing up all over the country. In
Siem Reap and / Phnom Penh the choices
are endless in Kep you have the
absolutely wonderful and architectural
ease significant Knai Bang Chatt. In Koh
Kong Province, close to the Thai border
is the stunning Four Rivers resort, a
unique floating luxury camp exquisitely
positioned on a bend in the turtle river
offering some of the most original
accommodation anywhere in Southeast Asia.
And if you really want to push the boat
out, on the private island of Song Saa,
you have one of the most amazing resorts
in the region. Added to that great guides
can be found and the country is totally
safe after almost three decades from
when Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge tore
this country apart. Cambodia is finally
emerging as one of the most exciting
travel destinations in the whole of
Southeast Asia