Audley Travel

Colossal stone faces stare impassively across huge stone-built temples devoted to long-forgotten empires, now trailed by jungle creepers and pierced by the strangling roots of vast forest trees. This is the Angkor complex, the famous ‘lost city’ of the Khmers, the most astounding archaeological site in Asia and undoubtedly one of the world’s great travel highlights. The ancient relics of the Khmer culture and the mellow town centres bequeathed by French colonists co-exist with haunting memories of a generation lost to Pol Pot.

The capital, Phnom Penh, is springing back to life as an economic powerhouse but still retains a small-town atmosphere, with bustling local markets, streets teeming with scooters and the quieter world of stilted villages lining the river front. Outside the capital and Angkor’s nearest town, Siem Reap, tourism is virtually unknown and western visitors are a complete novelty, invariably greeted with an unbelievable warmth and generosity.

After the trauma of the recent past the Cambodian people are only now daring to look ahead, and in the remote villages of the north and on the palm-fringed beaches of Cambodia’s southern coast you’re likely to have local children pressing small flowers in your hand and smiling, friendly faces making you feel instantly at home wherever you go.

Selected Highlights

Our specialists have travelled the length and breadth of the country to research the best places to stay and things to do. Here they list a few of their favourite “unmissables”. Click here for more highlights

Admire Banteay Srei's exquisite carvings

A gem of a temple, Banteay Srei is one of the best preserved temples at Angkor. When initially discovered explorers believed the temple to date from the 13th...  [more]

Relax on the lovely beaches at Sihanoukville

You would not necessarily associate Cambodia with beaches, but located four hours drive from Phnom Penh in the south lie the lovely beaches of Sihanoukville....  [more]

Confront the colossal faces of the Bayon

From afar the Bayon can look rather ordinary – you would not be mistaken for thinking that the Bayon is a little slap dash, an unstructured...  [more]