Cambodia: Where the Temples Are Giant, the Tuk-Tuks Are King, and Tomb Raider Came to Life

Welcome to Cambodia, a country so dripping in ancient grandeur, resilient spirit, and tropical heat that your clothes will be completely soaked within ten minutes of staring at a 900-year-old stone face.

It’s a place dominated by Angkor Wat, a religious complex so unfathomably massive that it puts every other ancient monument to shame. Standing here at sunrise to watch the towers reflect in the lily ponds is a transcendent, bucket-list experience—right up until you realize 4,000 other sleep-deprived tourists had the exact same idea and are all holding up selfie sticks. Just down the road is Ta Prohm, where massive banyan tree roots have literally swallowed the stone ruins whole, making you feel like Lara Croft or Indiana Jones minus the stunt double.

Then there’s the daily transport situation. In cities like Phnom Penh and Siem Reap, life revolves around the remorque—a local tuk-tuk where a motorcycle is hitched to a tiny open-air carriage. Navigating Cambodian traffic in one of these feels like a high-stakes arcade game, where your driver weaves through millions of scooters, entire families balancing on single motorbikes, and the occasional stray cow, all while keeping a completely cool smile.

To keep your energy up while exploring, you’ll fuel yourself on Amok, a coconut curry so rich and fragrant it’s practically a warm hug, washed down with ice-cold local beer that costs less than a bottle of water. If you're feeling extra brave, you can visit local street food stalls and snack on deep-fried tarantulas or crispy crickets—because why settle for peanuts when you can eat a spider?

Between marveling at floating villages on Tonle Sap lake, learning about the country's deeply moving history, and being greeted everywhere by the warmest smiles and the friendliest people on Earth, Cambodia is enchanting, dusty, and wildly memorable. Just pack heavy-duty sunblock, get ready to climb endless steep temple stairs, and always check your tuk-tuk for adventurous insects!

December, 2010