ANGKOR WAT 2-DAY PRIVATE SIGHTSEEING TOUR TO VISIT

Duration: day2
Price US$ 65

What You'll Do

• Tour the dramatic ruins of Angkor Wat and Angkor Thom
• Travel back in time and learn more about the Khmer Empire from a private guide
• See the major temples of Angkor, including the jungle temple of Ta Prohm and the celestial temple of Phimean Akas
• Walk along the west gate to the entrance of the Ta Keo Temple and enjoy superb views from the top
• Discover where Angkor rulers would watch their returning armies at the Elephant Terrace
• Go to an ancient Buddhist university
• Enjoy dinner at local restaurant and watch a traditional Apsara performance
• Admire the bas-reliefs of the Bayon Temple
• Watch the everyday life of sugar palm farmers

Overview

Tour the dramatic ruins of Angkor Wat on a private 2-day excursion and visit the Royal Enclosure, Phimean Akas, Banteay Samre, and more. See ancient Khmer monuments draped in atmospheric jungle, and watch a traditional Apsara performance.

What to Expect

Explore the extraordinary Angkor Wat temple complex on a private 2-day guided tour from Siem Reap, and learn more about the ancient Khmer civilization. You will enjoy Tomb Raider experiences at Angkor Wat, the largest religious site in the world, and take a circuit that encompasses the ancient city of Angkor Thom, site of the last and most enduring capital city of the Khmer Empire.

Day 1: Ta Prohm / Ta Nei / Takeo / Angkor Thom / Bayon (L/D)

08:30: Depart from your hotel in Siem Reap and drive to the jungle temple of Ta Prohm. Embraced by the roots of enormous fig trees, it is well-known as the location for the Tomb Raider movies, and was founded by the Khmer King Jayavarman VII as a Mahayana Buddhist monastery in the late 12th century.

Trek through thick jungle to the remote and peaceful temple of Ta Nei and walk along the west gate through the forest until you reach the east entrance of the sandstone Ta Keo Temple. Enjoy superb jungle views, before heading to a local restaurant for lunch.

14:00: Continue your Angkor Thom tour at Victoria Gate, one of the 5 gates of the old city. Walk to Elephant Terrace, from where Angkor rulers would view their returning armies. Continue to the Terrace of the Leper King. Admire the enclosure of the Royal Palace, and the Hindu temple of Phimean Akas (Celestial Temple).

Continue to the 3-tiered mountain temple of Baphuon, and the richly-decorated Bayon Temple, known for its impressive bas-reliefs. Return to the hotel and freshen up for dinner at a local restaurant, where you will watch a traditional Apsara performance recounting the myths of the cloud and water spirits.

Day 2: Angkor Wat / Preah Khan / Banteay Srei / Banteay Samre )L)

08:30: Depart from your hotel to visit Angkor Wat. Built by King Suryavarman II in the early 12th-Century, it is one of the most extraordinary structures in the world. A prime example of the classical style of Khmer architecture, explore the temple complex, before heading for the ancient Buddhist University of Preah Khan. Continue to Neak Pean, an island temple sitting in the tranquil pools of an ancient reservoir. Enjoy lunch at a local restaurant.

14:00: Continue your tour at Banteay Srei, the exquisite “Women’s Citadel” near the hill of Phnom Dei. En route, watch the daily life of sugar palm farmers, and visit the 12th-century Hindu temple of Banteay Samre.

Drive back to Siem Reap at the end of your extraordinary 2-day adventure. The tour ends with a hotel drop-off at approximately 17:00.

What's Included

• Transportation by private, air-conditioned vehicle
• English-speaking guide
• 2 lunches and 1 dinner, with Apsara show
• Mineral water and cold tissues during tours

What's Not Included

• Accommodation
• USD 40 for temple ticket
• All other meals and beverages
• Tips

What to Remember

•  Tour extension until sunset at the temple can be provided without extra charge upon request
• An early start to catch the sunrise at the temple can be arranged upon request (extra charge)

Siem Reap: Phare Cambodian Circus Show Tickets

Duration: hour 3
Price US$ 52

What You'll Do

• Watch an incredible show that blends traditional and modern theater
• See beautifully choreographed music and dance
• Experience Cambodia's dynamic contemporary arts scene
• Learn about life in Cambodia via a modern circus act
• Be part of a non-profit organizations efforts to bring Cambodian arts to the rest of the world

Angkor Wat and Other Main Temples: Full-Day Siem Reap Tour

Duration: day3
Price US$ 75

What You'll Do

• Explore Cambodia's main temples at Siem Reap
• Marvel at the magnificence of Angkor Wat
• Enjoy lunch featuring traditional Khmer dishes

Ultimate Angkor Experience

Duration: day 7
Price US$ 152

What You'll Do

• Get off the beaten path
• Experience an authentic motorbike ride through the countryside and traditional villages
• Explore ancient temples, Angkor Wat, Bayon, Ta Promh, Beantey Srei and Beantey Samre
• Enjoy lunch in a local restaurant
• Be thrilled as your motobike guide takes you across red clay roads, and through the back country areas
• Visit places seldom seen by other tourists

Overview

This experience combines a half-day motorbike cruise with a half-day tuk tuk ride. This is the perfect combination for experiencing an authentic motorbike ride through the countryside and exploring ancient temples by tuk tuk.

What to Expect

The Ultimate Angkor Experience combines a half day motorbike cruise with a half day tuk tuk ride. This is the perfect combination for experiencing authentic Camboian modes of transportation through the countryside and exploring ancient temples.

You make your way to Banteay Samre and Banteay Srei on your motorbike, there the journey takes you down red clay roads, through local villages and along beautiful rice fields.

After lunch and a optional visit in the Cambodian Landmine museum, park your motorbike at the gates of the Angkor Archeological Park and make your way by tuk tuk to the magnificent temples of Ta Phrom, Bayon and Angkor Wat.

What's Included

• Accommodation
• Pick-up and drop off
• Motorbike training
• Entrance fees
• Helmets / Motorbike / Fuel
• Lunch
• Landmine museum
• Motobike guide (not temple guide)

What to Remember

• Please provide the name of your hotel when making a booking

Angkor Wat and Floating Village: 3-Day Private Tour

Duration: day4
Price US$ 85

What You'll Do

• See Angkor Wat, the mother of all temples that's believed to be the largest religious monument in the world
• Visit Ta Prohm jungle temple and see the fig trees growing out of its ruins
• Enjoy dinner at a local restaurant and see an Apsara traditional dance performance
• Discover the hidden waterfall among the tropical foliage on a trek up Kbal Spean hill
• Take a boat trip to Cambodia's floating villages
• Admire Neak Pean island temple in its ancient Khmer reservoir

Siem Reap 1-Day Jeep Tour to Angkor Wat and Ta Prohm

Duration: day2
Price US$ 75

What You'll Do

• A great opportunity to ride in a classic old Vietnam War-style jeep
• Visit the spectacular Angkor Wat Temple complex
• See the famous Ta Prohm temple, featured in the film Tomb Raider

Overview

Go on an unforgettable jeep adventure to explore some of the most spectacular temples in Cambodia. Visit Angkor Wat, Bayon Temple, Ta Prohm, and much more. Stop whenever you like and explore as long as you want: the jeep is at your command.
What to Expect

Take an unforgettable jeep adventure, and visit some of the most spectacular temples in Cambodia. Explore each one for as long as you like, and stop at any spot you find interesting along the way. The jeep is at your command. Enjoy the freedom of traveling in the open air, feel the fresh air caress your face, and put your adventure cap on!

Start your adventure at one of the largest and most beautiful temple complexes in the world – Angkor Wat. See Angkor Wat temple. Enjoy its mystical charm and the beautiful sculptures within it. Take a walk through the 110 temples in the complex before taking a short break to enjoy a soda or some fresh coconut water.

Then on to Angkor Thom where you will visit the Bayon temple with its 54 Buddha head statues. And to finalize your journey, visit the famous Ta Prohm temple, featured in the movie Tomb Raider, and walk among the overgrown trees and gigantic roots that have become part of it throughout the years.

What's Included

• Jeep, driver, petrol
• Lunch
• English speaking guide
• Bottle of water

What's Not Included

• Entrance fee Angkor: $ 20 per person
• Drinks and personal expenses

What to Remember

We will pick you up from your hotel and after the tour we will drop you off.

Angkor Wat, Bayon, and Ta Prohm Day Tour from Siem Reap

Duration: day7
Price US$ 175

What You'll Do

• Spend an afternoon exploring Angkor Wat
• Visit the Bayon temple and Terrace of the Elephants at Angkor Thom
• See Ta Promh temple, a location for the movie “Tomb Raider”
• Enjoy a buffet dinner accompanied by an Apsara dance show

SIEM REAP: ANGKOR WAT TEMPLES 2-DAY TOUR

Duration: day2
Price US$ 65

What You'll Do

• Visit the main temples of Angkor Wat and Angkor Thom
• Discover the Ta Promh Temple used as a location in the Hollywood movie Tomb Raider
• Drive the rough roads to the holy mountain of Phnom Kulen, and lunch by the waterfall
• See the fine carvings of the Banteay Srey Temple
• Stop at a local village to see how sugar is produced from the sugar palm trees

Phare: The Cambodian Circus VIP Tickets in Siem Reap

Duration: hour 1
Price US$ 32

What You'll Do

• Enjoy the best view from your exclusive seats in the front row, center
• Witness an incredible show that blends traditional and modern theater
• Experience Cambodia's emerging, dynamic contemporary arts scene
• Take home a special gift to remember the spectacular show
• Be part of a non-profit organization's efforts to promote Cambodian arts

Private Guide: 1-Day Tour to Angkor Wat

Duration: day2
Price US$ 65

What You'll Do

• Watch the sunrise over Angkor Wat
• Enjoy expert commentary from your private guide
• Let your imagination wander to what this complex might have looked like in the 12th century
• Visit the last capital of the Khmer Empire
• Enjoy several of the major attractions in this sprawling temple complex

Sunrise at Angkor Wat Temple Tour

Duration: day3
Price US$ 75

What You'll Do

• Discover the majestic beauty of Angkor Wat Temple
• Watch the sun rise over over the temple as it creates a scene filled with mysterious shadows
• Explore Cambodia's most famous temple complex and all of its wonder
• Learn the fascinating history behind this incredible site used by many ancient religions

ESCAPE TO SHAPE CAMBODIA

THE LOWDOWN

Aficionados have been following Erica Gragg, known as the yoga mermaid, for more than seven years because her formula is a such a winner: wondrous locations (Cartagena, Marrakech, Laos, Mexico) and fast-paced, lively and fun vinyasa flow yoga (lots of sun salutations). This year's hit? Cambodia. You stay 10 minutes outside Siem Reap at Aussie-run (so very upbeat) Sojourn Villas, where lotus blossoms and waterfalls create a meditative retreat, showers are alfresco and the bright, light bedrooms in the little villas are decorated with Cambodian silks.

The new Origins Spa, a haven of natural ingredients and herbal infusions, has carefully thought-out treatments, including a honey and tamarind facial with a fresh cucumber pack (it leaves skin blissfully dewy). And don't be fooled by the tiny-looking Cambodian therapists: Prea furiously unknots muscles tense from months of work at a computer. The massage leaves you flying.
The main house - the once-daily yoga spot - is a sleek, open-plan space dotted with large, stone Buddha heads. Gragg, exquisitely lean and toned (you can't believe she is 42), is joined by other teachers, including impish yet reverent Andrea Maltzer who can spot a twisted hip or lazy limb a mile off and encourages genuine beginners to master asanas quickly by unravelling the flow into simple steps. Your body will love it.

Choose between beginner and confident levels (you end up panting if you push yourself). There's no overloaded yogi philosophy to weigh you down, although Gragg does gently highlight ideas such as mindfulness and letting go of your ego. And there is so much more interspersed with the yoga.
Rise at 4am to watch the sun come up behind Angkor Wat, and visit a group of Buddhist monks who leave you reflecting on their potent calm. Hikes are also an option, as well as dusty bike rides through villages with giggling school children. The bicycles are the simple, do-the-job type; bums and thighs certainly know about it.

And there's shopping - lots of it. Gragg researches everything meticulously and has rooted out the best art, photography and clothing; and don't miss the night food markets (lotus fruits, green coconuts, coriander and lemongrass, ginger and galangal - all overwhelmingly scented and fresh). Grab your favourites for the cooking classes where you'll create chicken curries and fish amok, raw-vegetable spring rolls (not deep-fried, Gragg teaches a clean and lean approach to nutrition) and green-mango salad. Inspiring, lively and uplifting, these retreats draw a creative, intelligent and witty crowd. Burma, the Galápagos and Kyoto are next on the radar.

Full Day Angkor Temples of Siem Riep Bike Tour

Duration: day
Price US$ 175

What You'll Do

• Wander through the ancient Angkor temples free from the crowds
•  Encounter the hidden temples that few tourists find
• Suitable for the entire family
• Led by an experienced guide
• Delicious local lunch included

Angkor Wat Sunrise 9-Hour Bike Tour

Duration: day7
Price US$ 165

What You'll Do

• Cycle the back trails of Angkor Wat in the early morning light
• Watch the sun rise over the Angkor Wat temples
• Enjoy a breakfast of Khmer favorites in peaceful surroundings
• Lunch by the banks of the Sra Srang reservoir
• See the main temples and some hidden gems of Angkor Wat

Siem Reap: Angkor Complex Full-Day Adventure with Dinner

Duration: day3
Price US$ 72

What You'll Do

• Marvel at Angkor Wat, the largest religious monument in the world
• Visit the Bayon Temple, uniquely decorated with over 2,000 smiling faces
• Explore the haunting Ta Prohm Temple

2-Day Angkor Wat & Tonle Sap Express Tour

Duration: day3
Price US$ 62

What You'll Do

• Explore the Angkorian temples of Angkor Wat and Angkor Thom
• Learn the history of the Khmer Empire
• Cruise over Tonle Sap Lake and see floating villages and stilt houses
• Sample Khmer cuisine in rustic restaurants
• See stunning temples to Shiva, entangled in thick jungle and the roots of fig trees
• Visit the Citadel of the Women to admire the beautiful carvings of Banteay Srei

From Siem Reap: Full-Day Angkor Group Tour

Duration: day5
Price US$ 75


What You'll Do

• Visit Angkor Wat, the world’s largest Hindu temple
• Admire the 54 towers decorated with more than 200 enigmatic smiling faces at the Bayon Temple
• Explore Ta Prohm, the jungle temple made famous in the Tomb Raider movie
• Visit a Khmer village and taste the delicious local food

Siem Reap: Phare Cambodian Circus Show and Dinner

Duration: hour 7
Price US$ 152

What You'll Do

• Experience Cambodia's dynamic contemporary arts scene
• See beautifully choreographed music and dance
• Learn about life in Cambodia via a modern circus story
• Dine on a delicious 3 course set menu before the show
• Be part of a non-profit organization that uses art as a tool for human development

What To See In Cambodia, Angkor Wat Tourist Guide

I visited SR last year with no intentions of visiting Angkor Wat.
The tuktuk driver who delivered me to my hotel didnt quiet understand what
"I'm not going to Angkor Wat" meant.
His starting price for a "full day, can see everything" was $20.
It took about 2 minutes of him negotiating with himself, to knock his price down to $10 for a full day.
He was flabbergasted that I wasn't even keen to pre-book his services for tomorrow, or the next day..

How much do these drivers pay to rent a tuktuk for the day / week ?
Maybe $5 a day ?
A days worth of fuel - not more than $2.50
So, lets say $8.00 to cover his costs for the day (50 cents for some lunch or the odd puncture repair )

$10 sounds like rock bottom, and not kosher at all..
It sticks the poor bugger into a, must earn a few bucks to keep the head above water, scenario.
It also gives him free license to pull at your heart strings every 10 minutes with stories of mass murder, a sick cow, a toilet that wont flush and grannies need for some dental work cause shes weary of eating noodle soup. He will get his $12 one way or the other..

$12 gives him a $4 earn for a days work sitting on a bike, some minor tour guiding and the willingness to show you photos and tell stories of a depressing home life that would rock anyone's boat.. If he plays his cards right then he will earn a few extra bucks in tips, no problem..

$15 gives him a $7 earn.. You'll still get the stories.. They all want that magical $20..

$20 gives him all the ammunition required to hit this rich pricks heart strings as hard as humanly possible. He knows there is another $10 to come at the end of a hard days story telling.
Watch how relaxed he lays on his tuktuk as you wander off to veiw the sights... I've come back to my driver enjoying a few beers with his mates, another was sound asleep, snoring to a tune of "I'm in the money.

Thankfully, I now have a motor vehicle at my disposal in SR.

Classic Angkor Temples: Full-Day Photo Discovery Tour Angkor Wat

Duration: day2
Price US$ 55

What You'll Do

• Visit Angkor Wat Temple and watch the beautiful sunset
• Discover Angkor Thom Temple – ancient capital of the Khmer kingdom
• Travel with expert guides, dedicated to making your day enjoyable yet informative

7 INSIDER TIPS: ANGKOR

Specialist touring company ABOUTAsia Travel guides travellers away from the tourist crowds. So we asked founder Andy Booth to share the lesser-known treasures of the Angkor...

1. What's the first piece of advice you'd give to anyone visiting Angkor?

Use a first-class tour guide from a specialist touring company based in Siem Reap. The research that goes into planning your customised itinerary around the temples and beyond is all-important. The itinerary should be focused on crowd avoidance, be carefully sequenced for the best light for photography, and include some lesser-visited temples.

2. Is a guidebook vital?

The less time you have in Angkor, the more valuable a good guidebook is. However, many of the best experiences are not included in them. For example, the Angkor Archaeological Park runs to 200sqkm and has hundreds of sites, but only a handful make it into the guides.

3. Angkor Wat is the most famous, but which is your favourite temple?

As a keen photographer I especially like the interplay of giant strangler fig and kapok tree roots with the limestone blocks of the temples Beng Mealea and Ta Prohm. My favourite smaller temple is the rarely visited Banteay Thom, out in the rice paddies to the north of Angkor Thom.

4. How can you miss the crowds?

Drag yourself out of bed earlier than most! Aside from being cooler in the early morning, some popular temple sites are only quiet early on. Allow yourself an extra day or two, slow down and enjoy the slower pace of the lesser-visited temples and countryside beyond. And avoid the honey pot sites such as Phnom Bakheng at sunset and use a good local guide to bring you to some far more beautiful and peaceful places to reflect on the day, maybe with a G&T in hand…

5. When is the best time of year to visit Angkor?

Hotel prices are lower during the wetter southeast monsoon, from May to October; crowds are lighter and the country is more interesting visually without the dust of the dry season. April and May are pretty warm but the temperature and humidity drop steadily towards November. Excellent months to travel are June through October.

6. Where is the best place to stay nearby?

This depends on your budget. Luxury hotels are not expensive compared to some destinations: Hotel de la Paix, Amansara, Sofitel and la Residence d'Angkor are preferred. Smaller properties we like are Samar, with just 8 individually designed rooms, and the new Shinta Mani with 39 rooms. Tara Hotel offers great value 4-star accommodation in a larger hotel format, and the city abounds with guesthouses from around $25 down to $5 per night.

7. Any other clever bits of advice?

Plan your days around early starts, leisurely siestas and a second outing mid-afternoon through to sunset. The locals rise early and get most of their work done in the relative cool of the morning. A break from around 11am until 2pm or 3pm allows time for a refreshing swim, massage, lunch and even a nap through the hottest part of the day.

COLONIAL MEKONG CRUISING

The men on the riverbank seemed to be waving and we waved back. For three days, since entering Cambodia from Vietnam, we had been exchanging waves: in Vietnam people had been too busy to wave, but not in Cambodia.

'I don't think they are waving,' said someone. 'I think they're telling us to go away.' I looked again. The men were building a sandbag dam. And no, they were not waving but frowning, shouting too. Their gestures were unambiguous: they did not want the wake of a 48-passenger river cruiser washing over their barrier and into the village street. On a river cruise you're not only close enough to life on the bank to touch it; occasionally you become part of it.

Our passage was not as anti-social as it may sound. I was on the River Mekong in August, during the summer monsoon when the water is at its highest. There had been storms upstream in China. As every summer, the villages were not just at the mercy of the wash of passing ships, but of the climate all the way to the river's source, 2,500 miles to the north in Tibet.

Some were already inundated. Bicycles were wheeled down flooded streets; water lapped against the stilts on which the houses are built. Our afternoon landing was abandoned. In the words of the brochure, 'Published itineraries are an indication only and subject to sudden change.'

My ship was the Mekong Pandaw, one of a fleet of river vessels built of timber and character. They look like Victorian pavilions, supposedly recreating the first-class decks of colonial river steamers.
Victorians would feel at home. They might not understand the air-conditioning and Wi-Fi, the gym and cinema. They would certainly be bemused by the informality: you can wear shorts to dinner. But the dinner gong, the decorative palms, wicker chairs and the men who clean your shoes every time you return from the shore would all be familiar. As would the brass, teak and varnish. The ship is so heavily varnished it shines like a half-sucked toffee, and even the shower doors are wooden and louvred.

Pandaw River Expeditions makes a point of not having minibars ('tacky'), televisions ('annoying') or balconies. Instead, the cabins open on to a promenade deck where there are chairs. Better still, the top sun deck, shaded by awnings, extends the 200ft length of the ship. There's a bar at one end, sunbeds at the other and a pool table in the middle.

The seven-night cruise sailed from the Mekong Delta, nearly two hours' drive from Ho Chi Minh City. We cast off from the gnarled stones of an industrial quay, turned against the current and, amid a faint smell of fishmeal, headed upstream. The river, the colour of muddy puddles, was about 1,600ft wide. In our 300-mile voyage upstream it never got any smaller, or quieter. There was a constant snarl and splutter of passing craft. We anchored at night and by day could nose into the riverbank and walk straight into villages from a gangplank off the bow.

In Vietnam the itinerary included a fish farm, sweet factory and brick works. When we crossed into Cambodia the country immediately changed. Gone were the power lines, riverside industry and 5am loudspeaker announcements. ('Propaganda,' explained one guide; 'News,' insisted his boss.) Now there were trees, rice fields and cows at the water's edge. The tours changed too. No more workshops, but palaces, temples, monks and genocide.

Some 17,000 people died at Choeung Ek, an innocuous meadow dappled by trees near Phnom Penh, the Cambodian capital. It's one of around 400 killing fields. At the centre is a tall tower, designed like a Buddhist stupa, with glass walls. Inside there are 8,000 human skulls.

They're arranged on shelves, children at the bottom. Their only identification is in little round school-room stickers, red and green, denoting a person's gender.

Evil has never released Choeung Ek from its infection. After heavy rain, human remains become exposed in the burial pits that have still to be excavated. A sign asks visitors not to remove bones.
I left the ship at Kampong Cham, a five-hour coach ride from Siem Reap, where the cruise used to end. Two new bridges on the Mekong are too low for the Mekong Pandaw to pass. This means it can no longer enter Tonlé Sap, a UNESCO biosphere, and, with its floating villages, one of the most curious lakes in the world. A smaller Pandaw ship, the Angkor, can reach Siem Reap.

At Kampong Cham we tied up to a banyan tree. On the quay, a woman was crushing sugar cane surrounded by piles of coconuts. A family arrived in a sampan, fastened their boat to our mooring line and cooked breakfast. We were part of river life again.

The Flag of Cambodia Kingdom

In different artistic representations, the central building of Angkor Wat has appeared on Khmer national flags since the 19th century, in the early days of the French protectorate over Cambodia. The first flag was red bordered in blue with the temple in white. The flag was “modernized” in 1948 by adoption of unequal horizontal stripes of dark blue, red, and dark blue, and the temple was altered to correspond more closely to the original. That flag continued in use after Cambodia became independent. However, the end of the monarchy and the proclamation of the Khmer Republic resulted in a new flag in October 1970. The “core flag” became the canton, while the field was blue with three white stars.

Communist rebels first used the 1948–70 flag but came to power in April 1975 beneath a plain red flag. When their Democratic Kampuchea adopted its constitution in January 1976, a three-towered yellow temple silhouette was placed in the centre of the red flag, only to be replaced by a five-towered yellow temple when Vietnamese-supported forces proclaimed the People’s Republic of Kampuchea in 1979. Rival “State of Cambodia” (Khmer Rouge) and “Cambodia” (Vietnamese) governments established further flag adaptations prior to the United Nations administration, which flew a light blue flag with a silhouette map of the country in the centre. The United Nations helped bring an end to civil strife, and it led the country to free elections by 1993. The flag of 1948–70 was again hoisted on June 30 of that year.

Archaeological interest and preservation issues

During the more than four centuries between the demise of the ancient city and the beginning of the modern period (i.e., from the mid-15th century to the late 19th century), interest in Angkor was largely focused on Angkor Wat, which, having been taken over and kept largely intact by Theravada Buddhist monks, became one of the most important pilgrimage sites in Southeast Asia. Even during this period, however, a number of early European visitors to Cambodia showed a strong curiosity concerning the “lost city,” and, when the French colonial regime was established (1863), the entire site became the focus of intense scholarly interest and concern. Working at first independently and then, in the first half of the 20th century, under the aegis of the government-sponsored École Française d’Extrême Orient (French School of the Far East), a group of French archaeologists and philologists initiated a comprehensive program of research, which yielded much of the knowledge now possessed about the history of the city and the sophisticated religious and political system that informed and guided its life. Archaeologists also carried through an arduous and painstaking program of reconstruction, through which the ancient complex of temples, reservoirs, and canals was partially restored.

During the political and military upheavals of the second half of the 20th century in Cambodia, there was some war damage and thievery among the temples at Angkor, but the major problem was one of neglect. Without adequate caretaking, the buildings became prey to engulfing vegetation and eroding water and elements. In 1992 UNESCO designated Angkor a World Heritage site and added it to the List of World Heritage in Danger (it was removed from the list in 2004). Subsequently, internationally organized preservation efforts were undertaken, and several countries contributed to the restoration of monuments at Angkor.

In 1994 the Angkor area was scanned by radar from the U.S. space shuttle Endeavour. This and subsequent remotely sensed images (in 1996) revealed the presence of theretofore uncharted buildings and hydrological structures. Using that information and further archaeological investigation, it was proposed in the early 21st century that Angkor’s demise may have been the result of environmental degradation: it is thought that deforestation and other overuse of the land increased flooding and siltation, which eventually undermined the region’s vital system of irrigation canals.

ON THE RADAR: CAMBODIA

After Angkor Wat, where next? Once along, bone-thumping drive from the temple hub, the seaside towns of southern Cambodia have been opened up for shorter forays by a Cambodia Angkor Air flight linking Siem Reap with Sihanoukville. In Kep-sur-Mer, as it was known in the 1960s, the modernist-style Villa Romonea (doubles from £80) is now a six-room retro-retreat with an infinity pool. Forty minutes' drive west is the percolating café culture of Kampot, where The Columns (doubles from £40), in a French-colonial building near the riverfront, is about to unveil its new bedrooms. Nearby are limestone caves and pepper plantations, but for a rousing experience, ABOUTAsia has new trips to spot dolphins and dugong off the beaches of Ream National Park, zipping clients by speedboat across flooded paddy-fields to the remote island of Phnom Da, with its eighth-century temple ruins and old Viet Cong hideouts.

World Tourism Journal

World Tourism Journal is an international academic and professional which publish articles on various aspects of travel and tourism relevant to both researches and practitioners. The journal, which welcomes articles on various aspects of travel and tourism, publishes "double blind" peer reviewed articles on tourism from scholars and practitioners in a range of disciplines. The journal emphasizes the broadness and interrelatedness of the tourist sector. It aims to be international in scope and inclusive in its coverage. Articles are refereed by at least two research active tourism scholars and represent high standards of scholarship and research. The Journal is committed to widening the scope of published articles to include the areas of tourism and travel management as well as leisure and recreation studies and the emerging field of event management.

The overall mission of World Tourism Journal is to provide an outlet for innovative studies that will make a significant contribution to the understanding, practice, and education of travel, tourism and related fields. Specifically, the journal aims to contribute to the dissemination of knowledge through publication of high quality double-blind review research papers, reports and book reviews, while serving as a unique forum for case studies for its audience of professionals, scholars, and students the world over. Sakal Tourism Journal/World Tourism Journal is published once a year and is available free of charge via the website of the Tourism Focus.

Cambodian Journal of Tourism and Leisure Research

Cambodian Journal of Tourism and Leisure Research is published by Tourism Focus, Cambodia . The main purpose of this international refereed journal is to advance and foster tourism, travel, leisure and hospitality education, research, and professionalism in Asia . The journal provides a vehicle for increasing awareness, consideration and analysis of issues in tourism and hospitality, and also promotes the interchange of ideas, and comparative studies, both within the countries in Asia and among these countries and other parts of the world. Cambodian Journal of Tourism and Leisure Research is published twice a year and is available free of charge via the website of the Tourism Focus.

The editorial board will invite and encourages articles from all over the world with relevance to the Asia region from both academic and practitioner authors for publication.