Cambodia Landmarks

1: Angkor Wat Archaeological Park

Visit the three most popular temples of Angkor Wat Archaeological Park: Angkor Wat, Bayon and Ta Prohm (you may recognize the latter from its cameos in Lara Croft: Tomb Raider with Angelina Jolie). This UNESCO World Heritage Site is enormous and contains hundreds of temples that date back to the Khmer Empire era.

2: National Museum of Cambodia

Continue your deep dive into Cambodia Khmer history at the National Museum of Cambodia. View a range of ancient artifacts, from sculptures to ceramics. The objects date back to the prehistory, pre-Angkorian and post-Angkorian periods, giving you a holistic view of the region’s storied past.

3: The Royal Palace

Don’t miss The Royal Palace in Phnom Penh, as well as the Silver Pagoda. The Palace is the official royal residence of King Sihamoni and while you can’t visit the palace grounds, you can see the Throne Hall, the surrounding buildings and the Silver Pagoda. Wander through intricately detailed temples and tropical gardens, then enter the pagoda to see gold and jeweled Buddha statues, including a 17th-century baccarat crystal Buddha, known as the Emerald Buddha of Cambodia.

4: Kulen Mountain

With two waterfalls, picnic areas and the archaeological site of The River of a Thousand Lingas, the Kulen Mountain sacred site and national park is a lovely day trip from Angkor. Khmers typically leave offerings at the hilltop temple on holidays.

5: Wat Phnom

The only hill in the capital city, the well-manicured Wat Phnom park offers a lovely pagoda, temple and - although you should steer clear of them - monkeys.

Phnom Tamao Wildlife Rescue Center

Go behind the scenes at the Phnom Tamao Wildlife Rescue Center, where animals have been rescued from poachers and illegal traders and nursed back to health. You’ll get to see - and fall in love with - elephants, monkeys, tigers and sun bears.

6: Sambor Prei Kuk

For an alternative to the busy Angkor Wat Archaeological Park, consider visiting Sambor Prei Kuk between Phnom Penh and Siem Reap. This site is Cambodia’s third UNESCO World Heritage Site and is home to a collection of 50 pre-Angkorian temples that showcase some of the region’s earliest architecture.

7: Crab Market 

Feast on fresh seafood at the Crab Market in Kep, making sure to get a big serving of the famous Cambodia dish of Kampot pepper and crab. Then head to the waterside where you can watch crab baskets getting pulled in.

8: Koh Dach/Silk Island

Slip away to quiet Koh Dach (Silk Island), just a short ferry ride away from Phnom Penh. Check out the island on the back of a bike and visit its center about ancient silk weaving techniques, for which the island is known.

9: Phnom Sampeau, Battambang

In Battambang, you can visit the pretty hilltop pagoda of Phnom Sampeau as well as the popular Battambang Bat Caves on Mount Sampeou. Head there at sunset to see the bats dramatically fly out the cave in a seemingly endless flock. The Killing Caves at Phnom Sampeau are a sobering reminder of the Khmer Rouge massacres. Later, go bike riding along the area’s rice paddy fields or kayaking along the gentle Stung Sangkae River.

10: Preah Vihear

Go off the beaten path in Preah Vihear, a lesser-known UNESCO World Heritage Site on the border with Thailand. You’ll get an authentic glimpse at the Khmer kingdom at this beautiful temple complex. The views from the summit are amazing.

11. Central Market

Don’t miss the Central Market, housed in a 1937 Art Deco building in Phnom Penh. Steel yourself for the frenetic ambience of the vast market, then spend hours shopping and bargaining for antiques, watches, jewelry and more.

12. Koh Ker

Yet another alternative to the busy Angkor Wat Archaeological Park, Koh Ker is one of the top places to see temples in Cambodia. To the northeast of Siem Reap the complex is 1.8 miles long and contains numerous temples, among them the sandstone Neang Khmao Temple, the Koh Ker Temple, the Pram Temple, the Chen Temple and the Kuk Temple. Local legend has it that if you drop a coconut into the well at the Koh Ker Temple,  it will magically appear in the pond over by the Neang Khmao Temple.

13. Tonle Sap Lake

If the thoughts of crocodiles in the water isn’t too frightening, add Tonle Sap Lake to your Cambodia bucket list. This freshwater lake is in northwest Cambodia and is surrounded by picturesque floating villages. Try to visit Kompong Phluk and Kompong Kleang for a glimpse into authentic cultural life. In and around the lake, you’ll find 200 species of fish, migratory birds, macaques and, yes, crocs.

14. Preah Khan

Within the Angkor Archaeological Park, but worthy of its own mention, Preah Khan Temple is one of the park's larger complexes. The temple was named by Jayavarman VII in honor of his battle victory against the Chams - Preah Khan means “Royal Sword” in Khmer. The vast temple complex is surrounded by a moat, enclosing a 138-acre area.

15. Virachey National Park

Get away from the city in Virachey National Park, one of the prettiest places in all of Cambodia. You’ll find rich wildlife, waterfalls, mountains, timberlands, bamboo forests, savannah and more. Elephants, clouded leopards and sun bears make their home here, but you’re more likely to hear the call of the resident gibbons than see these elusive creatures.

16. Bayon Temple

Archaeology buffs will love the intricate art and architecture of the 12th-century Bayon Temple in Angkor Thom, the capital of the Khmer empire. The face of Cambodia’s most celebrated king, Jayavarman VII, is immortalized in bas relief on the temple wall. Fifty-four Gothic tower depict faces of 216 other faces of Avalokiteshvara.

17. Ream National Park

Yet another quiet retreat for outdoor enthusiasts, Ream National Park is a Cambodia natural treasure. A number of endangered species make their homes here, as well as 155 species of birds. Float by boat through mangrove forests and hang out on long stretches of pristine beach. Look for the Brahminy kite and white-bellied sea eagle soaring over Prek Touek Sap Estuary.

18. Killing Fields

A visit to Cambodia is not complete without a sobering visit to the Killing Fields, approximately 20,000 mass graves that mark the spot of the massacres that occured when the Khmer Rouge ruled the country. A statue of Choeung Ek is found here, adorned with skulls of the victims.

19.Banteay Srei

The beautiful sandstone Banteay Srei temple was built in the year 967 and is dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva. Admire the elaborate carvings and see why it’s called the “jewel of Khmer art.” See if you can “read” the stories depicted on the walls of the temple - one of the favorites is on the Ramayana. Also visit the library and statue-filled sanctuary.

20. Bokor Hill Statio

There’s a ghost-town feel to Bokor Hill Station near Kampot. It was built by the French in the 1920s to use as a retreat from the heat and humidity of Phnom Penh. Some local, private guides can arrange hiking tours to see this eerie structure, which has been abandoned twice since it was built, once in the 1940s, during the Japanese invasion, and once in the 1970s, during the Khmer Route invasion.

Bokor Hill Station

There’s a ghost-town feel to Bokor Hill Station near Kampot. It was built by the French in the 1920s to use as a retreat from the heat and humidity of Phnom Penh. Some local, private guides can arrange hiking tours to see this eerie structure, which has been abandoned twice since it was built, once in the 1940s, during the Japanese invasion, and once in the 1970s, during the Khmer Route invasion.

Kratie

The small town of Kratie on the banks of the Mekong River is a lovely place to visit for its central marketplace, French colonial architecture and, perhaps most importantly, its rare Irrawaddy dolphins. Try to catch a glimpse of these increasingly endangered mammals - it is believed that there are only between 66 and 86 of them left in the upper Cambodian Mekong region.

Sihanoukville Beaches

Pause and catch your breath after all that temple sightseeing on the beaches of Sihanoukville in the Kompong Som Province. Among the favorites are Sokha Beach and Independence Beach, with their luxury hotels, Ochheuteal Beach and Serendipity Beach for a party atmosphere and Otres Beach for a quieter scene.

Ratanakiri

Venture into Cambodia’s outback along red-dirt roads of Ratanakiri. You’ll find ethnic minority villages, gibbons in Veun Sai-Siem Pang Conservation Area and elephants, tigers and sun bears in Virachey National Park (see more about the park above). There are even opportunities out this way to spend the night outdoors in a hammock, rising early enough to try to see those buff-cheeked gibbons in the wild. The area is also home to Yeak Lom Crater Lake and the waterfalls of Chaa Ong and Ka Tieng.

Koh Rong

Shaped like a figure-eight, Koh Rong is perhaps best known for its bioluminescent waters - go paddling at night and you’ll see what we mean. There are 23 different sandy beaches to choose from here, where the Thai Gulf meets the South China Sea,  and they’re even more pristine than those in Sihanoukville. Go hiking through the forest, snorkel above rainbow-hued coral, then bunk down for the night in one of the many rustic, yet adorable bungalows.