A month in Laos passed very fast and it was time for a new month in a new country: Cambodia! The kingdom of Cambodia is a wild country. It is one of Asia's poorest countries since it has been ravaged by France during colonialism, the Indochina Wars and after that by the horrible Khmer Rouge regime. Around 70 % of the population lived on less than 3 USD a day in 2012.
On the typical tourist destinations you will get a totally different impression of the country, especially in Siem Reap, Koh Rong and some parts of Phnom Penh. But traveling beyond those destinations is a huge and wild adventure that I will never forget.
Two things that are impossible to forget for your full life after you have been to Cambodia are 1. Angkor Archaeological Park, the amazing remains of several capitals of the Khmer Empire with the largest pre-industrial city in the world and 2. Museums as Killing fields & Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum that teach you about the horrible young past of the country.
Besides of that, you have beautiful beaches & islands in the south, a super interesting capital in the center and rural areas & national parks in the east.
5 Highlights:
- Angkor Wat, undisputedly one of the top sights I have ever seen
- Phnom Penh, wild and rough capital with amazing museums and beautiful Royal Palace
- Koh Rong Sanloem, amazing island with clean white beaches and clear turquoise water
- Battambang, second biggest city with bamboo train and millions of bats
- Kampot, riverside town and durian capital of Cambodia
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| I came from Laos in the North and traveled clockwise southwards |
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| First stop: Siem Reap |
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| Angkor Wat |
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| Downside of the main sights at Angkor: Huuuge disturbing amount of tourists. Fortunately only at the main sights |
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| Aspara, celestial nymphs |
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| Angkor Thom |
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| Ta Keo |
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| Reclaiming of jungle |
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| A stream of millions of bats leaving their caves, Battambang |
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| Coconut feast with Dan |
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| Phnom Penh, the capital |
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| Typical meat section of a local market |
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| In Camobodia I started to document my trips, so far I filled more than 10 books already |
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| Bus station, Phnom Penh |
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| Exploring terrible Sihanoukville with Nick |
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| Chinese invasion in Sihanoukville |
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| Cloudy day in paradise, Koh Rong Sanloem |
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| Beautiful sunset in Kampot |
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| Durian roundabout, Kampot |
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| Floods for 4 days in Kampot |
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| Nagacorp, Phnom Penh |
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| Temple in Phnom Penh |
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| Mekong riverside, Phnom Penh |
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| Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum |
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| Former secondary school used as a Security Prison |
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| Around 20,000 people were killed in that school |
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| 2 million people were killed during the Cambodian Genocide |
