The Smiles Of Cambodia

Although Cambodia's recent history is stained with violence and political turmoil, today the country is home to a robust culture and endless natural beauty. Its people are curious about the outside world and eager to share their country with foreigners through their food or just a warm smile.

We began our stay in Phnom Penh, the capital, which sits at the convergence of the Tonlé Sap and Mekong Rivers. The city offers multiple poignant reminders of Pol Pot and his terrifying Khmer Rouge reign. Take the moving, self-guided audio tour at The Killing Fields, where a memorial to the regime's victims sits at the site of some of its most terrible atrocities. The harrowing silence in Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum, housed at S-21 Prison, offers an environment for reflection and remembrance. Both sites are eerie yet essential stops for those hoping to gain an understanding of Cambodia's recent past. For lighter attractions, check out the sprawling Royal Palace complex or stroll along Sisowath Quay, a riverfront walkway lined with restaurants and bars aimed at tourists. Sample the fried tarantulas, ant larvae stir-fry and fish amok at Romdeng; a restaurant housed in a French colonial structure, giving former street children a chance to develop skills in the hospitality industry.

From the capital, we took the five-hour ride to Sihanoukville; a beach town sitting on the Gulf of Thailand in the southern part of the country. With rooms just steps from the ocean for as little as $5 a night, Sihanoukville has long been a popular stopover on the backpacker's tour. If you want a little isolation from the crowded beach scene, the tiny islands scattered off the shore offer a number of lodging options. Lazy Beach, on Koh Rong Samloem, is a tiny sliver of paradise sitting about five miles from the mainland. The resort consists of a tiny collection of bungalows on an otherwise undeveloped island. During the days, you can snorkel amongst the coral reefs, hike through the jungle to a secluded white sand beach or just lounge on your balcony's hammock. In the evening, enjoy a delicious home-cooked meal, and head to the beach to watch the thousands of hermit crabs scamper around or swim in the warm waters glowing with bioluminescence. For those who are content with amazing food, breath-taking sunsets and not much else, you will struggle to find a more idyllic place.

Angkor Air offers twice daily flights from Sihanoukville to Siem Reap; the highlight of most trips to Cambodia. For those on a limited budget, the same trip can be made on an eleven-hour overnight bus. However, we recommend the short flight. Sitting in the northwestern corner of the country, Siem Reap is the cultural and historical capital of Cambodia. Once home to the vast Khmer civilisation, the area around the city is spotted with countless ancient temples. At sunrise, head to Angkor Wat; the largest religious monument in the world. When you've snapped your pictures and the sun is up, rather than following the crowds into the temple, take a tuk tuk to Ta Prohm. At this time of day, the Tomb Raider temple, which is slowly yielding to an encroaching jungle, is virtually free of other guests. At dusk, take in Bayon, another sprawling temple adorned with hundreds of giant stone faces. Stand atop the impressive structure and marvel at how it was created over 800 years ago. For those looking for a day trip outside Siem Reap, channel your inner Indiana Jones at Beng Mealea, a crumbling temple completely overgrown by jungle. On the way back into the city, stop at Banteay Srei, the Citadel of Women; a stunning temple built of red limestone housing some of the most intricate carvings found anywhere in the Angkor kingdom.

Once tired of temples, Siem Reap has plenty to offer those who have taken in enough culture for one trip. Pub Street, a backpacker Mecca, is lined with crowded bars offering beer for pennies. While Pub Street is great for drinks, go elsewhere for dinner. Try The Indian just around the corner for shockingly delicious Indian food or travel a little outside town to Touich for an upscale, but still affordable, take on traditional Cambodian cuisine.

Cambodia is a land of contrasts. One of the world's most impoverished populations sits in the shadows of imposing monuments built by an ancient civilisation of unimaginable grandeur. An older generation remembers the horrors of an all-to-recent genocide while young Cambodians brim with confidence about the future of the rapidly developing nation. These contradictions play out on a canvass of beautiful scenery, making Cambodia a destination of unparalleled mystery and discovery.