With its frenetic markets and wide tree-lined boulevards, Cambodia’s historic capital is a vibrant and charming city. A full-day tour takes you to the magnificent Royal Palace, with its adjacent Silver Pagoda on the banks of the Tonle Sap and Mekong rivers, then on to the National Museum. This splendid building houses an extensive collection of Khmer treasures, providing a good preface to your exploration of Angkor. In the afternoon we suggest you visit the Tuol Sleng museum of genocide and the infamous Killing Fields. This will give you an accurate insight into the atrocities that took place under the Khmer Rouge and Pol Pot. It is, however, a very harrowing experience and we recognise that this is not for everyone. The city’s diverse markets are great places to explore and the surrounding countryside shelters several pre-Angkorian temples.