LONELY PLANET'S OFFICIAL ITINERARY INFORMATION
Itinerary: Cambodian Encounter
TWO WEEKS
This can be two weeks at a steady pace or three weeks at a slow pace. Public transport serves most of this route. Rent a motorbike for side trips to places like Bokor hill station and Sambor Prei Kuk, and try out a cute little remorque-moto at Angkor. More money, less time? Rent a car and set the pace.
Take the ultimate two-weeker through Cambodia blending together the best the country has to offer, including the happening capital, the historic temples and the blissful beaches. Some will start out in Siem Reap and work their way down to the beaches, but saving the best for last, many prefer to build up to their pilgrimage to Angkor.
Hit Cambodia's capital Phnom Penh with plenty of energy in reserve. Sights to be savoured include the impressive National Museum, home to the finest collection of Angkorian sculpture on earth, and the stunning Silver Pagoda, with 5000 silver tiles on the floor. Beyond the sights are some super shopping stops, like the Psar Tuol Tom Pong, and a nightlife scene that rocks on well into the wee hours.
Heading south, take a speedboat to the hilltop temple of Phnom Da on the way down to the classic colonial-era town of Kampot. Laid back, even lethargic, this is the base to take in the abandoned Bokor hill station, the atmospheric seaside town of Kep and the cave pagodas that dot the limestone landscape.
Head along the coast to Sihanoukville, beach capital of Cambodia and ringed by deserted tropical islands. Sample the seafood, dive or snorkel the nearby waters or just lie back and soak up the sun. Backtrack up through Phnom Penh to Kompong Thom and have a sneak preview of what's in store at Angkor by visiting the pre-Angkorian brick temples of Sambor Prei Kuk.
Finish the trip at the inspirational temples of Angkor, a mind-blowing experience with which few sights on earth can compare. See the obvious - Angkor Wat, perfection in stone; Bayon, weirdness in stone; and Ta Prohm, nature triumphing over stone - but venture further afield to purify yourself at Kbal Spean or explore the jungle-clad mystery that is Beng Mealea.
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