Tonle Sap is the largest freshwater lake in South East Asia and is of major importance to Cambodia. The lake expands and shrinks dramatically with the seasons. From November to May, Cambodia’s dry season, the Tonl? Sap drains into the Mekong River at Phnom Penh. However, when the year’s heavy rains begin in June, the flow of the Tonl? Sap changes directions and an enormous lake forms. Tonl? Sap is home to many ethnic Vietnamese and numerous Cham communities, living in floating villages around the lake.

Phnom Kulen

Phnom Kulen, or Kulen Mountain in Siem Reap province, offers a great day trip away from Angkor. The sacred site doubles up as a national park and is especially popular with Khmers during religious holidays, when offerings are left at the hilltop temple. The area is also home to two waterfalls for swimming, picnic areas, and Kbal Spean, an archaeological spot where The River of a Thousand Lingas is located.

Bamboo Train, Battambang

Rumors have been circulating for the last few years about the famed bamboo train’s demise. However, it was recently confirmed it will be rebuilt to pave way for a train line. This unique trip sees passengers transported seven kilometers on a bamboo train, or norry, which is a wooden frame connected to an engine. Hitting speeds of 15 kilometers per hour, this is a fun way to watch the scenery whizz by. Looking for Best Siem Reap Accommodation?

Just off Cambodia’s south coast lie a scattering of islands just as beautiful as their Thai counterparts to the west, but much less visited. Compared to the now very developed islands of Koh Samui and Phuket, Cambodia’s islands are a slice of laidback tropical bliss, where sun and sand take center stage, and the big resorts have yet to make their mark. Of all the islands, Koh Rong Samloem is one of the most beautiful with the long, sandy Saracen Bay home to a dozen beach hut resorts that offer a welcome respite from the world. It’s really all about hammock-time here, but there’s plenty of scuba diving activities on offer for the more active. You can access these islands from Sihanoukville.

Tonle Sap is Cambodia’s most important waterway and Southeast Asia’s largest freshwater lake. As well as being an important source of food and a vital tool for Cambodian irrigation, the lake itself is home to 170 floating villages that depend on fishing for their livelihood, with homes built directly on the water. The houses, shops, churches, schools, and temples of these villages are built on rustic buoy foundations of lashed together barrels and bamboo, and all transport is by boat. They’re a fascinating place to spend a day exploring. One of the most interesting is the sprawling village of Kompong Luong, near the town of Pursat on Tonle Sap’s western shore, although the most popular village to visit is Chong Kneas near Siem Reap.

If you have a passion for history, you must visit the War Museum in Cambodia. This is the place where you will be transported back into a world which introduces you to the historical reigns, struggles, successes and wars of Cambodia in the most comprehensive manner possible.

Highlights – Soldiers who served in the war previously act as tourist guides here. How better can it get than this? It is also one of the first kinds of museum in Cambodia and takes guests through the last 30 years of Cambodian war history with an exotic and impressive collection of jet fighter planes, helicopters, artillery guns and other war machines of various models.

Location – Siem Reap.

Timings – 8AM to 5.30PM on all days of the week.

Price – USD1 for Cambodian tourists and USD5 for foreign tourists. Entrance fee includes tourist guide, parking, photography and filming.