Cambodia Holidays
Cambodia Information
Cambodia Highlights
Cambodia is a truly fascinating country with much to offer the discerning holiday maker. At THG Holidays we pride ourselves on our knowledge of the destinations we offer enabling us to tailor make a holiday package to exactly match the requirements of the individual / group wishing to travel. THG Holidays work directly with local ground agents in Cambodia and are therefore able to arrange some exceptional tours on your behalf.
The awe-inspiring ruins of the Angkor temple complex are largely responsible for Cambodia's place on the international stage and no visit to the country would be complete without experiencing this architectural wonder built by the once mighty Khmer Empire.
Located on the northern shore of the Tonle Sap and near the town of Siem Reap, the Angkor area stretches 15 miles east to west and 5 miles north to south incorporating 72 major temples and other buildings. The principal temple Angkor Wat was built between 1112 and 1150 and portrays the Hindu cosmology with the central towers representing Mount Meru, home of the god's; the outer walls representing the mountains enclosing the world; and the moat representing the oceans beyond. Other incredible sights at Angkor include the extraordinary Bayon Temple, where more than 200 huge stone faces wearing an expression of divine serenity gaze out to the cardinal points of the compass. The carved faces are awe-inspiring, but every bit as interesting is the intricate bas-reliefs in the inner gallery, which depict scenes from everyday life.
High on your must see list should be the incredible Royal Palace at Phnom Penh with it's stunning 59 meter tower. Although the Palace, dating back to the mid 1800's, is now the official residence of the King, there's still plenty to see and do. The main temple within the grounds is known as the Silver Pagoda due to the fact that its floor is covered with more than 5,000 solid silver tiles. The temple houses an emerald Buddha statue and a golden Buddha encrusted with almost 10,000 diamonds.
Built in traditional Khmer style during the French Colonial era, the National Museum in Phnom Penh houses an extensive collection of Khmer antiquities. Included among these are many of Angkor's treasures which no visitor to Cambodia should miss.
Take a trip 19 miles out of Phnom Penh to Oudong which is located on a hill overlooking vast plains and famous for the burial chedis of the Khmer Kings. Little is left of this former capital but the first glimpse of the ruins on the hill is quite magical.
Relax at Sihanoukville, Cambodia's only beach resort. Here you will find idyllic, sandy beaches and offshore islands which are ideal for scuba diving.
Cambodia has a number of pristine, unspoilt national parks including Ream Maritime National Park in the south which is renowned for it's expanse of mangrove swamp and diversity of animals and birds. Cambodia has suffered greatly in the last few decades through war, political upheaval and massive genocide. However, Cambodia has revived itself ironically, in part due to this dark past. Morbid curiosity about the country's genocide has become big business and the killing fields at Choeung Ek, 9 miles from Phnom Penh, have became a horrifying, but fascinating tourist attraction. Indeed, seasoned travellers have proclaimed that there are two things you must see on a visit to Cambodia Angkor Wat and the Choeung Ek killing fields despite the fact that the two stand in stark contrast, one representing divine spirituality, the other documenting death.It is imperative to note that a visit to the killing fields and/or the Toul Sleng Museum of Genocide (incorporating S-21 Prison) in Phnom Penh, is a harrowing experience which people of a sensitive disposition are likely to find quite distressing.
Multi-centre Holiday Options
A popular holiday option is to combine a visit to Cambodia with some time in Thailand or Vietnam.
