Historical temples are hidden within the jungle, crumbling ruins on mountain tops, colourful lakeside villages, vibrant floating markets, unique wildlife in untouched nationwide parks – Cambodia’s northwest has quite a bit to supply past Siem Reap.

Siem Reap Provice

The thriving metropolis of Siem Reap is house to much more than the temples of Angkor Wat. It’s usually the jump-off spot for many guests to the Kingdom, who use town as a house base to discover the close by metropolis of Battambang or to take a day journey to go to the stilted villages and floating markets on Tonle Sap.

There are additionally a number of different Angkorian temple complexes close by, together with Koh Ker and Beng Mealea, the place the traditional ruins lie shrouded in lush jungle. Though you will have to rent a automotive or Tuk Tuk to get out of town, when you’re there you’ll be able to discover these long-abandoned temples in peace, strolling within the footsteps of nice kings from years passed by.

In Siem Reap, attempt a cooking class, lots of which embody exploring the colourful meals part of the central market and studying extra in regards to the distinctive components and flavors that make up Cambodian’s most well-known dishes, equivalent to amok and lok-lak.

If cooking and consuming is your jam, take a look at the native meals excursions, the place you go on a night-time culinary journey by town and pattern an array of conventional and native delicacies.

There are additionally loads of biking excursions accessible by the countryside and metropolis, which take within the stunning French-era structure, rice paddies, and rural villages, and you’ll find out about native industries, together with palm wine and basket weaving. You possibly can manage these domestically, or simply lease bikes for the day and go on a self-navigated journey.

If that’s not thrilling sufficient, no go to to Siem Reap can be full and not using a journey to the Phare Cambodian Circus, the dominion’s breathtaking and gravity-defying tackle Cirque du Soleil.

Battambang Province

Three hours southwest of Siem Reap, Battambang is a laidback riverside metropolis with loads of preserved historic buildings, the place French villas meet Artwork Deco and conventional Chinese language store homes, and a vibrant artwork and meals scene. The inventive capital is house to a wealth of artwork galleries and studios, and quite a lot of distinctive and impressed social enterprise cafes, bars, and eating places.

For a lot of guests, town’s highlights lie exterior its partitions. The fertile countryside is ideal for exploring on two wheels, or hurtling by on the country bamboo prepare; a small bamboo platform connected to a go-kart engine that speeds alongside a specifically constructed railway monitor by the rice paddies.

Different highlights embody a go to to Wat Banan, a small however picturesque Angkorian-era temple on the high of a seemingly-endless flight of stairs, and Phnom Sampeau, a mountain-top temple that sits alongside the Killing Caves, the previous Khmer Rouge execution web site that gives a chilling reminder of the nation’s darkish previous.

Climbing up the mountain is properly price it to see a few of the greatest vistas within the area. On the way in which again down, don’t miss the Bat Caves, the place on daily basis at nightfall 1000’s of bats fly out of the caves, forming distinctive patterns within the sky.

It’s simple to get to Battambang by bus from Siem Reap, Phnom Penh, Sihanoukville, and even from Bangkok, the place you’ll be able to seize a taxi or hop on a distinct bus when you cross the border.

Banteay Chhmar

Deep within the coronary heart of northwest Cambodia’s jungles, the ruined temples of Banteay Chhmar are slowly being overgrown by strangler figs and forest. An historic metropolis with carvings that when rivaled that of Bayon and Angkor Wat, Banteay Chhmar is without doubt one of the nation’s least explored and most fascinating historic websites, however its comparatively inaccessible location means solely essentially the most intrepid explorers would possibly seize a glimpse of this mysterious temple complicated for themselves.

To get there, you’ll be able to rent a taxi from Siem Reap for round US $50, or you’ll be able to take a bus to Sisophon from Battambang or Siem Reap, after which rent a shared taxi from there. Lodging choices are restricted, however easy village homestays can be found. You possibly can manage these upfront by contacting the Banteay Chhmar Neighborhood-Based mostly Tourism group and trying out their web site.

Prasat Preah Vihear

One of the vital distinctive and exquisite Angkor-era temples within the area, the beforehand distant Prasat Preah Vihear (the temple within the clouds) is now only a two-and-a-half-hour drive from Siem Reap.

Constructed atop a rocky cliff face, this distinctive temple has been the sight of energetic skirmishes between the Thais and the Cambodians because the early twentieth century and is now house to a complete military encampment, who stay up on the high of the mountain to guard the traditional memorial from invasion.

As a result of escalating violence from 2008 to 2011, you’ll be able to not keep across the temple, however lodging will be present in close by Sra’Aem, a small navy city about 18miles (30km) away.

Phnom Kulen National Park

Positioned within the Cardamom Mountains between Prasat Preah Vihear and Siem Reap, Phnom Kulen Nationwide Park is a sight of historic significance because the place the place Jayavarman II (founding father of the Khmer Empire) declared himself King of Kings in 802 AD. There are a number of uniquely fascinating ruins, together with the Terrace of Sdach Kamlung – a small brick temple which was as soon as lined in lava – a number of Buddha statues relationship from the sixteenth century, and an historic carved riverbed often called the ‘Valley of a Thousand Lingas’.

For these seeking to escape the warmth of Siem Reap, the nationwide park can also be house to a few of the area’s most picturesque falls – equivalent to Phnom Kulen Waterfalls, and crystal clear rivers which are good for cooling off in the midst of the jungle. Better of all? Although it’s solely an hour out of Siem Reap, it’s nonetheless probably not on the radar of vacationers, so that you’re more likely to have most of this spectacular nationwide park all to your self.

Kompong Thom Province

About midway between Siem Reap and Phnom Penh, Kompong Thom is a barely dusty and unassuming provincial capital, and the jump-off level to one of the crucial fascinating historic websites within the nation, Sambor Prei Kuk. Only a 45 minutes’ drive from town, Sambor Prei Kuk is the traditional capital of the Chenla Kingdom, pre-dating Angkor Wat by 400 years. I’d advocate hiring a neighborhood information to discover this fascinating temple discipline so you’ll be able to see one of the best temples, as most of the most picturesque and fascinating ones are hidden by vines and set again within the jungle.

There are a number of fine lodging and transport choices in Kompong Thom, and people seeking to keep a number of days may also take boat journeys alongside the Stung Sen river or go on a motorcycle tour by the native villages, the place you’ll see ox carts and fishermen going about their day, unchanged for hundreds of years.

Srouk Skuon

Following the street from Cambodia’s northwest again into Phnom Penh, it’s also possible to select to leap off on the freeway crossroads city of Skuon to pattern one of many kingdom’s extra uncommon delicacies, a-ping (deep-fried tarantulas). It’s thought that individuals initially began consuming the spiders out of necessity in the course of the Khmer Rouge period, however that over time they’ve turn into extra of a deal with, and are actually bred in holes within the floor and foraged from close by forests.

There’s a little market the place the roads converge. Right here you could find many stalls specializing in a-ping (palm-sized spiders tossed in MSG, sugar, salt, and crushed garlic after which fried till crispy), together with a myriad of different bugs, like grubs and scorpions fried with chili and different native herbs, and quite a lot of barely extra palatable choices like recent fruits and fried noodles.