It became
the capital of Cambodia by around the middle of the XV c. when Angkor was
abandoned. It raises up on a south central plain, at the confluence of three
rivers. During the French occupation it became one of the most beautiful cities
of the Indochina and despite it has suffered in the last 30 years the deep
violence of the Civil War, it still preserves its charm and atmosphere that
reminds the colonial period. Some must visits: the Royal Palace, inspired to
the Bangkok’s one, where there is also the so called “silver pagoda”, because of
the floor made out of 5000 silver tiles; the National Museum, that contains an
incredible collection of artworks and sculptures dating back to the Khmer
period and the previous epochs. The Tuol Sleng museum was created to avoid
forgetting the past and it proves the horrifying crimes that were committed by
the Red Khmers. In the city there are many temples, some of which have been
reconstructed after being destroyed during the conflict, but they preserve the
characteristic architectonical style. Between the numerous markets of the city,that
trade an incredible variety of goods, the most popular ones are the Central
Market and the Tuol Tom Pong Market, famous for its antiques.
It was the
center of the Khmer empire, it hosted the capitals between the IX and the XV c. and it is situated at a few km
from the modern city of Siem Reap. With its spectacular temples and precious
architectural works, many of which are still
semi-buried by the jungle, it represents the largest and most important
archeological site in the world. Among the dozens of monuments, most of them
reachable by a circuit of 26 km, the most interesting ones are: Angkor Thom,
the small fortified city built during a moment of transition to the Mahayan Buddhist
faith, that extends on 10 kmq and that is included in the tall walls with five
big entrance doors. In the inside there are the most important monuments of the
city like the Bayon, composed of 49 towers from where 172 faces of the Buddha stick
out; the Elephant Terrace that is 50-meters long and is used as a stand for the
military reviews. Not far from the walls of this city raises up the monumental
Angkor Wat, masterpiece of the classic Hinduism, a huge temple with very high
towers and precious low reliefs that cover a surface of almost 2 km, and that
was built in honor of Vishnu and enclosed by a large moat. Miraculously spared
from decades of wars and protected by a thick vegetation there are other dozens
of temples spread over a vast area. The
imposing walls and the large moats that protected the city also showed great
engineering abilities of the Khmer people that has left us an incredible
archeological treasure, considered one of the wonders of the world.
The alluvial
central plain hosts some typical localities in whose surroundings raise up
interesting historical sites. The main localities of this area are Kompong
Cham, Kompong Chhang and Kompong Thom with the important archeological sites of
Sambor Prei Kik, Preah Khan, Koh Ker and Preah Vihear.
The
provinces along the northern border are scarcely populated and have only a few
street connections, but they are beautiful and backward. The main attractions
of this region are: Kratie, a small city of 15.000 inhabitants, with a famous
monastery and in whose surroundings raises up the old capital Sambor (VI and
VII c.); the Stung Treng city, with the ruins of Phnom Chi and the spectacular
rapids of Prek Patang on the Mekong river; Ratanakiri, a mountain province
where many ethnic-linguistic minorities live.
The region,
at 250 km south-west of the capital, is known as “Krong Preah Sihanouk” and its
name takes after the king Norodom Siganouk Senior that grew up in this city.
Its beaches are a popular touristic destination. The city is near the
International Airport of Sihanoukville. The flights from Sihanoukville to Siem
Reap allow the coming of tourists who are directed not only to the Angkor Wat temple
(near Siem Reap), but also to the beaches that are easily reachable.
Koh Russey Island is located about 3 km from Ream National Park and Otres Beach in SihanoukVille, Cambodia.
The tropical island is about 2km long by 1 km wide.
The main features of Koh Russey Island are trees, beaches with pink/red sands and sloping sea.
It is connected to Sihanoukville by boat.
The biggest
fresh-water lake in the Asiatic south-east, it is also a very important place
form the point of view of ecology, designated as a biosphere by the UNESCO in
1997. The Tonle Sap is unusual for two reasons: the flow of the water changes
direction two times a year and the part forming the lake swells and shrinks
dramatically on the basis of the season. The lake and the surrounding provinces
are part of the Biosphere Reserve of Tonle Sap. Toal Preak, a real sanctuary
for birds, is known to be the homeland of large colonies of pelicans and
storks.
