Cambodia travel advice

“According to the travel brochures Phnom Penh has got a handful of tourist attractions, so most people who come here are very pleasantly surprised about how nice it is. It’s rapidly growing out of its turbulent history and growing into a beautiful city. There’s a very nice riverfront, it’s got bars, restaurants, nightclubs – but more than that, it’s just really interesting to walk around. It’s a real city just teeming with life, and that makes it a dream for anyone who likes street photography. That sets it apart from Siem Reap – nearly everything is there to support tourism – whereas Phnom Penh is very much a real city and a window into the lives of Cambodians. You’ll be constantly surprised and entertained by walking around aimlessly.”

“The towns up in Kratie, in the north, are really friendly, laid-back places. You can go out onto the bamboo thatched huts on the Mekong River, and go on boat trips to look for the Irrawaddy dolphins. There’s towns on both sides of the river so you can get a small wooden ferry that shuttles from one side to the other and go wandering through really pretty scenery of paddy fields and little temples and small villages; it’s a good glimpse of rural life that you don’t necessarily get if you’re sticking to the main tourist routes.”