Off-limits to travelers for years, the natural beauty of Cambodia will astonish even the most jaded traveler. Cambodia has emerged from decades of war and isolation to offer its riches to the Southeast Asian traveler. Tourism is Cambodia's fastest growing industry with arrivals well over a million in 2005.
The successor-state of the mighty Khmer Empire, which ruled much of what is now Vietnam, Laos and Thailand, Cambodians have a rich history and storied culture, highlighted by the weathered French-era capital Phnom Penh and impressive natural scenery.
The celebrated temples of Angkor Wat are Cambodia's greatest tourist attraction. Built in the 12th century, they rank as the largest and best-preserved temple site. Angkor Wat is the only one to have remained a significant religious centre – first Hindu dedicated to Vishnu and then Buddhist – since its foundation. The temple epitomizes the high classical.
