Friday, September 4, 2015

5 Hidden destinations you must visit in Cambodia

Cambodia isn’t all about Angkor. Not by a country mile. While the temples are jaw-droppingly beautiful, they are only the beginning. If you scratch beneath the surface of Cambodia, beyond the tourist-heavy hubs of Siem Reap and Phnom Penh, you’ll stumble across a softer side to South East Asia. Here, amongst sleepy coastal nooks and forgotten inland crannies, you’ll find gentle, welcoming people living a timeless way of life. Put simply, it’s spellbinding.

It stands to reason that tourists to Cambodia make a beeline for Angkor and bunk down in Siem Reap for a good few days. Watching the sun rise over Angkor Wat is a bucket list regular and one of life’s truly breathtaking experiences. Combine this with a few days around Phnom Penh learning about the horrors of the Pol Pot regime, and you’ve got a week to really remember.

Rabbit Island Beach, Kep
Rabbit Island Beach, Kep

However, if you’re not pinned down to a tight window of time, look past the headliners and take a peek into the hidden Cambodia, you’ll be glad you did. Here are a few of the Cambodian corners that mass tourism has yet to conquer. Just don’t tell everyone!

1. Banteay Chhmar

Banteay Chhmar Temple, Cambodia
Banteay Chhmar Temple, Cambodia

Angkor without the tourists? Sounds too good to be true. Banteay Chhmar is Cambodia’s best kept secret. It’s a huge but hidden temple complex around two hours from Siem Reap, shrouded in both jungle and mystery. Buried far off the beaten track, it’s the perfect spot to live out all of your Indiana Jones fantasies. If you’re lucky, you might even have the place to yourself! There are no hotels, just home stays, no Western restaurants and not a wisp of Wifi. It’s the temple that time forgot.

Banteay Chhmar is the 4th largest Angkorian temple in Cambodia, but tourism has so far been reluctant to reach its remote location. This makes Banteay Chhmar all the more intriguing. Surrounded by a vast moat, it boasts gallery walls carved with bas-reliefs and face towers similar to those the Angkor complex. And there’s nobody there! A further 12 kilometres down the road, you’ll find Prasat Samnang Tasok, a temple that has been totally overtaken by the jungle in an epic, crumbly way. Tomb Raider, eat your heart out.

2. Koh Rong Samloem

Koh Rong Samloem, Cambodia
Koh Rong Samloem, Cambodia

Hammocks slung between coconut palms, banana pancakes on the beach and a cold Angkor beer alongside a fiery sunset - this is what Koh Rong Samloem has in store. And a whole lot more.

Just two hours by boat from the beaches of Sihanoukville, it’s a pocket-sized paradise that most tourists pass straight by. The west coast is lined with rich golden sands, while the east coast beaches are pearly white. Inland, the island is bursting with free-roaming wildlife, so trekking here is an untamed delight. Suffice to say that you’ll be spoilt for choice.

Koh Rong Samloem is developing fast, so our advice is to get in quick! Resorts are popping up all over the coast, from backpacker bungalows to smarter villas and top-end splash outs. There’s accommodation available for every style of traveller, so you really can’t go wrong. Despite these developments, the island feels very authentic. The locals are so welcoming, the water is warm and the atmosphere is wonderful. Change is on the horizon, so grab your chance and go soon.

3. Kep

Kep Beach, Cambodia
Kep Beach, Cambodia

Kep is a small, snoozy seaside town in the far south of Cambodia, surrounded by sprawling salt fields and family-run pepper plantations. Often treated as a stepping stone across the border to Vietnam, Kep is seldom seen as a destination in its own right. However, if you spend a couple of days here, you’ll quickly fall under Kep’s sleepy spell.Think long, lazy days with a good book, scenic walks in Kep National Park and more fresh seafood than you can shake a squid at.

The Crab Market is the beating heart of Kep and the only place to be at sunset. As the sun sizzles down into the sea, it’s a hub of hectic activity. Fishermen haul in their crab pots while a bidding war for their catch breaks out onshore, makeshift barbecues send rich, flavoured smoke into the tropical air and kids run around with seafood skewers like lollipops. Next to the market, there’s a row of rickety restaurants built out over the water, all of them selling local specialities such as tasty crab amok and banana blossom salad. It’s brilliant.

4. Rabbit Island (Koh Tonsay)

Rabbit Island, Cambodia
Rabbit Island, Cambodia

Just half an hour from Kep’s coastline by long tail boat, Rabbit Island is the perfect place to reconnect to the bare necessities and take a much-needed break from modern living. With no electricity and no Wifi, it’s somewhere to treat as a total technology detox. Hop in a hammock with a book, kick a football around on the beach, chat to the locals, play some cards and let the sunshine rule your waking hours. Most importantly, be sure to relish being off-grid.

While Rabbit Island is a beautiful place to get back to nature, it will also send you right back to basics. Facilities here are few and far between, the sparing accommodation is ramshackle to say the least and you might even wade out to catch your own dinner! Rabbit Island is rustic in every sense, so if you’re after glamour, it’s best to give it a miss. The island isn’t for everyone, but if you need some time out to restore perspective and take one eye off the iPad, there’s nowhere better.

5. Pailin

Buddha with Naga at Wat Phnom Yat temple, Pailin, Cambodia
Buddha with Naga at Wat Phnom Yat temple, Pailin, Cambodia

While there’s nothing remarkable about the remote town of Pailin itself, its surrounding area is truly stunning. A lonely outpost perched on the edge of the Cardamom Mountains, it’s your gateway to the Great Outdoors. Less than an hour from the Thai border, the region is seldom-visited yet welcoming to strangers and full of surprises. If you’ve got the time, it’s well worth the effort.

Trekking to the Blue Mountains alongside Otaveo Waterfall is wonderful way to spend the day. There’s a little restaurant next to the falls serving simple local specialities and the whole area feels untouched by tourism. Teetering on a nearby hilltop, the temple of Wat Phnom Yat is a real eye-opener, depicting sinners being punished in horrifically imaginative ways. A cheating couple are climbing a very spiky tree in the buff and another two criminals are about to be boiled alive!
Source: Travelnation - By Bryony Holland

Tours in Cambodia

Impressive Cambodia - 7 Days/ 6 Nights
Charms of Cambodia - 5 Days/ 4 Nights
Angkor Magnificence - 4 Days/ 3 Nights
Highlights of Cambodia - 4 Days/ 3 Nights
Cambodia Spotlights - 4 Days/ 3 Nights
Siem Reap to Angkor Wat - 3 Days/ 2 Nights
Tour in Siem Reap and Angkor Wat - 3 Days/ 2 Nights
Highlight Ancient City - 3 Days/ 2 Nights
Classic tour in Phnom Penh - 3 Days/ 2 Nights
Siem Reap and Angkor Wat tours - 2 Days/ 1 Night

No comments:

Post a Comment

VIETNAM TOURS

LAOS TOURS

CAMBODIA TOURS

MYANMAR TOURS

List Tours in Vietnam

Vietnam Day Tours

List Tours in Laos

List Tours in Cambodia

List Tours in Myanmar

Tags Cloud

palm vietnam travel sapa discovery tours myanmar travel 5 days in cambodia saigon vietnam travel cambodia cambodia tour operators vietnam homestay tours sapa discovery tours review vietnam unique tour cambodia in 4 days vietnam unique tours vietnam discovery tours mekong homestay vietnam shopping in hanoi vietnam unique tours review vietnam holiday blog vietnam relaxing holiday best beaches in cambodia mekong homestay tour laos sightseeing ho chi minh city tour package unique vietnam tours laos tour package relaxing tour vietnam tour homestay cambodia land of wonder cambodia blog myanmar festivals tours of vietnam and cambodia reviews mekong delta vietnam destinations ho chi minh city tour packages things to do in myanmar holiday packages to hoi an vietnam south vietnam tours nha trang travel blog cambodia angkor wat tour package vietnam discovery tour hanoi day tour package hue holiday packages travel cuisine mekong delta homestay saigon tour package excursion vietnam luang prabang holiday packages sapa attractions 3 days in ho chi minh city nha trang tour package ho chi minh day tour package da lat holiday packages things to do in hanoi blog best sapa tour from hanoi homestay vietnam vietnam shopping blog sapa things to do vietnam sapa tours travel in sapa my tho homestay sapa vietnam tours from hanoi vietnam top 10 things to do ho chi minh package tour ho chi minh tour package tours to sapa sapa one day tour vietnam travel review vietnam discovery travel ho chi minh city tour full day best months to visit vietnam vietnam package tour 10 days sapa vietnam tours mekong delta tours 2 days holiday packages to cambodia hanoi day tours of city day tours of ho chi minh city saigon day tour cambodia tour blog sightseeing in laos vietnam excursion day tours ho chi minh city vietnam tour from hanoi to sapa tour guide sapa trips to sapa from hanoi south vietnam tour tour to sapa ho chi minh travel blog shopping in hanoi blog homestay in my tho tours in sapa vietnam tour operators reviews shopping in vietnam blog shopping in ho chi minh blog myanmar nightlife siem reap tour packages unique holiday tours vietnam cambodia 14 days vietnamese tours vietnam cambodia 10 days holiday in vietnam ho chi minh city tour 1 day tours of vietnam reviews holiday vietnam beach vietnam travel reviews travel to sapa vietnam halong full day tour sapa tour reviews vietnam discovery vietnam nightlife tips vietnam beach holiday packages discovery vietnam sapa one day tour from hanoi vietnam package tour 14 days travel to danang homestay in mekong delta vietnam tours company sapa vietnam travel holiday packages in hanoi best time to travel to vietnam vietnam sapa tour ho chi minh sightseeing angkor wat tours from vietnam best time of year to visit vietnam vietnam travel photos mekong delta tours reviews tours sapa vietnam when to visit vietnam sapa tour vietnam siem reap tour package tours to sapa from hanoi tours in danang ho chi minh holiday packages vietnam trip blog best bar ho chi minh beach holiday vietnam holiday packages hanoi danang tours halong bay tour operators tour to sapa from hanoi vietnam best time to visit mandalay tours tours in vietnam from saigon sapa tour laos sightseeing tours ho chi minh packages best time to visit north vietnam things to do in vietnam and cambodia laos tours from vientiane sightseeing tours in laos halong bay full day tour danang travel blog saigon city tours sapa travel guide sapa tours vietnam south vietnam travel sapa day trip from hanoi halong bay tour half day tour in vietnam saigon city tour things to do in sapa best vietnam holiday packages vietnam travel blogs tours around vietnam hoi an holiday packages best vietnam tour vietnam tour reviews phnom penh travel blog mekong delta boat tours mekong day trip hue travel blog nha trang holiday packages best sapa tour vietnam travel blog tours in vietnam and cambodia vietnam best tours saigon cooking class private tour cu chi tunnels things to do in vietnam hanoi hanoi shopping blog things to do in hanoi vietnam halong bay blog danang tour packages halong bay vietnam day tours hanoi travel blog angkor wat tour package sapa tours reviews vietnam tour company reviews escort hoi an hue vietnam citadel ho chi minh travel package best time to visit ho chi minh mekong homestay tour in sapa travel to sapa siem reap day tour package vietnam tours 18 days vientiane to luang prabang top things to do in hanoi vietnam beach tours hanoi package deals vietnam holiday tour packages laos to vietnam ho chi minh nightlife blog best time of year to travel to vietnam vietnam nightlife sapa vietnam tour vietnam and cambodia holiday packages highlights of cambodia central vietnam tours city tour in ho chi minh package tours to vietnam vietnam customized tour homestay in mekong vietnam tour 15 days beach holiday in vietnam trip to sapa from hanoi tours from saigon cambodia nightlife tips travel in vietnam tips beach tour package siem reap holiday packages tours sapa vietnam package holiday ho chi minh city tours hanoi holiday packages holiday package to vietnam private tours ho chi minh cambodia travel blogs cambodia tours reviews sapa travel blog cambodia package tour travel indochina tours danang tour package nha trang tours vietnam travel exciting night tours hanoi holiday package ho chi minh sightseeing tours vietnam tour review travel indochina vietnam tours of vietnam laos travel blog saigon travel blog angkor wat package cambodia tours phnom penh siem reap tour mekong delta travel hanoi to sapa travel tips vietnam hoi an tours vietnam nha trang travel sapa travel best sapa tours north vietnam travel mekong delta tours from ho chi minh city angkor wat tour packages vietnam tours 14 days vietnam beach holiday destinations vietnam custom tours tours to vietnam and cambodia vietnam tours reviews holiday packages siem reap battambang blog halong package tours vietnam cambodia holiday packages hoi an attractions travel tips for vietnam phu quoc blog nha trang holiday tours in vietnam tour to vietnam homestay in can tho halong tour vietnam saigon mekong delta tour holiday packages in siem reap sapa tours city tour ho chi minh vietnam & cambodia tours travel to vietnam blog myanmar blog travel mekong delta rice fields cu chi tunnel day tour best time to travel vietnam and cambodia vietnam homestay mekong delta tours vietnam day trip from danang to hue sapa vietnam tour packages day tours in ho chi minh city ho chi minh city tour tours to mekong delta tours from ho chi minh city package holiday to vietnam attractions in cambodia homestay can tho vietnam vietnam travel service cambodia package holiday indochina travel packages what to do in vietnam for 10 days best month to visit vietnam tours ho chi minh city can tho homestay cheap hue holidays package holiday vietnam da nang holiday packages tour da nang hoi an tours of ho chi minh city ho chi minh tours mekong delta tours from saigon central vietnam travel tours to cambodia vietnam beach vietnam tour deals vietnam shopping tips vietnam food blog vietnamese seafood saigon city tour full day northern vietnam tours northern vietnam holidays vietnam travel destinations hue tours travel to danang vietnam nightlife in vietnam northern vietnam tour ho chi minh city travel vietnam customized tours vietnam holiday tours indochina tours best vietnam tours vietnam best beaches tour in saigon hanoi tour packages ho chi minh free tours laos holiday packages siem reap holiday package vietnam mekong delta tour best tour for vietnam and cambodia vietnam city tour travel packages to vietnam vietnam holiday packages da nang tour package day tours from ho chi minh city cambodia travel blog mekong delta day trip mekong tours from ho chi minh best halong bay junk packages to vietnam ho chi minh mekong delta tour best of vietnam and cambodia mekong delta tour blogs sapa trip from hanoi best things to do in ho chi minh myanmar history tours angkor wat travel package best mekong delta tour mekong delta day tour tour of vietnam ho chi minh day tours vietnam excursions best of vietnam tour angkor wat tours packages mekong delta tour from ho chi minh mekong delta tours from ho chi minh hanoi things to do north vietnam tour sapa tour packages vietnam halong bay tour package saigon day tours tours in ho chi minh city vientiane attractions day tours from ho chi minh full day ho chi minh city tour ho chi minh city packages best tours of vietnam tours of vietnam and cambodia sapa day tours southern vietnam tour ho chi minh city nightlife holiday packages vietnam cambodia laos travel packages vietnam halong bay junk boat tours vung tau holiday packages vietnam and cambodia tour mekong delta tour 1 day tours from ho chi minh best tours of vietnam and cambodia vietnam day trip vietnam daily tours mekong delta tour one day tours in laos vietnam highlights tour holiday packages to vietnam vietnam travel tips best time visit vietnam vietnam day trips sapa tours from hanoi tours to vietnam best tours vietnam best halong bay day tour angkor tour package hanoi day tour travel tours in vietnam indochina package tours amazing race vietnam best time to visit vietnam short break tours private tour guide in ho chi minh city burma luxury tours vietnam packages tours phnom penh travel guide vietnam tour guide phu quoc travel blog cambodia holidays packages halong tours booking review tour in sapa vietnam cambodia tours packages from vietnam ho chi minh day trip vietnam nightlife reviews angkor wat package tour day trip ho chi minh vietnam holiday package mekong delta vietnam tour vietnam travel packages ho chi minh tour halong bay vietnam tours laos luxury tours holiday packages to vietnam and cambodia phnom penh city tour best time to travel vietnam hanoi city tour full day day tours ho chi minh city shopping in cambodia vietname tours luxury tours to laos tours ho chi minh indochina travel best tours in vietnam vientiane tours myanmar package tours vietnam luxury holiday packages tour vietnam and cambodia sapa day tour halong bay cruise tours cambodia blogs myanmar beach tours cambodia packages tours in vietnam from hanoi myanmar travel blogs what to do in sapa best beach holiday in vietnam trips to burma mekong delta tour mekong delta tour from saigon sapa tour from hanoi ho chi minh city holiday packages trip to myanmar package cambodia attractions vietnam day tour vietnam tours package vietnam tours operators vietnam travel deal mekong delta travel halong bay junk boat cruise burma tour package myanmar travel and tours halong bay junk tours ho chi minh city day tours hanoi halong bay tour package hanoi sapa tour holiday packages vietnam halong bay best tours halong bay tours reviews tour package vietnam vietnam day tours myanmar destinations best tour homestay cambodia travel packages tours in ho chi minh myanmar travel blog vietnam tour myanmar boat trips burma tour packages tour to ho chi minh city mekong tours vietnam hanoi holiday deals tour ha noi sapa private vietnam tour day tour in hanoi vietnam cambodia laos tours highlights of vietnam tour cambodia holiday packages vietnam tour package phnom penh holiday packages vietnam beach holiday halong bay tour package hoian tours burma package tours tours vietnam and cambodia ho chi minh tour blog shopping mall hanoi vietnam tour booking tour hanoi sapa tours in cambodia holiday packages in vietnam mekong delta tours vietnam tours packages tours to cambodia and vietnam halong luxury tours cooking class ho chi minh luxury vietnam tours tours of vietnam cambodia and laos homestay in vietnam myanmar travel tour package vietnam travel information cambodia tours angkor wat vietnam travel package myanmar tour package vietnam and cambodia holiday halong bay one day tour hanoi to sapa tour best things to do in sapa saigon day trips myanmar tour packages hanoi sapa tours saigon tour cu chi tour tours of myanmar travel tips to vietnam myanmar beach holiday halong tours day tours in vietnam vietnam cambodia tour phnom penh sightseeing tours cambodia vietnam tours cu chi tunnel tours burma travel blog travel to laos burma tours reviews hoi an tours private tours saigon luxury tours of myanmar myanmar travel packages cambodia tours best halong bay tour vietnam tour operators tour vietnam cambodia laos vientiane travel blog tour cambodia and vietnam luxury tours of burma travel to vietnam and cambodia saigon tours tours in nha trang myanmar package tour myanmar travel tips tour of cambodia vietnam tour packages cambodia tour packages ho chi minh attractions tours of cambodia and vietnam vietnam holiday destinations vietnam individual tours hue vietnam tours vietnam travel guide myanmar travel package vietnam highlights cambodia attraction myanmar sightseeing tours tour vietnam cambodia tours of laos τα προμ σιέμ ριπ vietnam laos and cambodia tours angkor wat holiday packages myanmar luxury tours cu chi tunnels tours myanmar tours packages vietnam holiday deals laos tours vietnam and cambodia tours travel to myanmar cambodia tour package tour in vietnam saigon ho chi minh city food tour hanoi city tours tour to laos vietnam package tours bars in ho chi minh city burma hiking tours indochina tour packages phnom penh tour packages southern vietnam holidays danang holiday packages bagan day tours ho chi minh food tour tours to laos car rental in vietnam packages and offers cambodia nha trang package deals vietnam tours travel in laos cambodia travel tips myanmar day tours myanmar travel guide tours in myanmar best time to visit luang prabang saigon night tour myanmar hiking tours tour in myanmar burma tours vietnam holiday tips trip to vietnam bagan day tour vietnam cambodia tours vietnam and laos tours laos package tours cambodia destinations shopping in laos vietnam laos tours laos destinations ha long bay cruise laos nightlife laos tour packages laos and vietnam tours travel in vietnam tours to vietnam from uk vn discovery tours indochina tour package halong bay tours cambodia tour resort in vietnam tour to cambodia myanmar tour sunny beach resort asia attractions hoi an ancient town resorts in vietnam cambodia and vietnam tours cambodia and laos tours cambodia hotels attractions in asia halong bay tour myanmar tours where to go in cambodia pho saigon laos travel trips to myanmar tour singapore malaysia giá rẻ tour khuyến mãi du lịch miền tây giá rẻ du lịch phan thiết tết tour du lich phu quoc wisata vietnam wisata laos wisata kamboja wisata myanmar wisata vietnam kamboja tempat wisata vietnam wisata ke vietnam murah wisata vietnam murah kota ho chi minh paket wisata wisata vietnam kamboja paket tour vietnam 5 hari 4 malam paket wisata vietnam paket tour vietnam 3 hari 2 malam tour kamboja murah wisata ke vietnam murah paket tour myanmar wisata ke ho chi minh city wisata ho chi minh tour vietnam kamboja paket tour ke vietnam paket tour vietnam kamboja wisata vietnam halong bay paket tour myanmar liburan ke hanoi wisata muslim vietnam paket tour vietnam 4 hari 3 malam tour ke vietnam wisata vietnam 2017 paket tour vietnam 2017 wisata laos 2017 paket tour laos 2017 wisata kamboja 2017 paket kamboja 2017 wisata myanmar 2017 paket myanmar 2017 du lich ca mau du lich con dao tour ca mau tour du lich ca mau du lich nui cam vietnam relaxing holiday ho chi minh tour package